Alice

Epilogue

Epilogue

Two days later, I walked through the halls of Syrim University. It was bustling with the buzz of students rushing to their classes. Everyone was talking and laughing. Well, everyone except me. I walked by myself. Oh, I wasn't a recluse. I talked to people. In fact, my roommate, Mackenzie, and I were on the road to being fast friends. She was bubbly and friendly and very welcoming. We were both a bit shy at first, but the ice broke when she said one day that she wished animals could talk. I wanted to tell her about Wonderland right then and there. But I didn't. She'd never believe me. No one would. That's why I vowed never to speak of it.

Mackenzie was great, but she had different classes than me, since she was aspiring to be in art therapy, and I was majoring in creative writing. So, I was by myself. Maybe it was better that way.

That day, I was feeling pretty lonely. The night before, I'd dreamed about Jack. We were running and laughing in a beautiful meadow filled with flowers. I awoke filled with such a disappointment that the dream hadn't been real that I started to cry.

When Mackenzie had asked me what was wrong, I had put on a brave face and said I was fine. I wore that same smooth mask I had shown her for the rest of the world. It hid how miserable I really was. But I kept my head up, and an "I'm fine" on my lips.

Earlier, when I was in the library, my heart had leaped when I saw a boy in the fiction section. He had dark messy hair, and he was about the right height. His back was to me, and he had Hamlet in his hand.

"Jack!" I had cried, way too loudly. Everyone had turned around and looked at me, including "Jack". He didn't look like Jack at all. Wrong eye color, skin tone off a few shades.... How I could have ever thought that guy was Jack is beyond me. But at the time, I was desperate. My heart caused my brain to make hasty conclusions.

Hushed snickers had floated through the air as I'd rushed out of the library, but I didn't care. I didn't care about what people thought of me anymore. All that mattered to me was what I thought of myself. I guessed that that was the most valuable thing I learned from my Wonderland experience.

Still, I missed Jack. A lot. And as I wandered the corridors of the university, I felt like there was something wrong in my chest. It wasn't like before, when my heart was shattered and painful. This was different; it was as if my entire heart was missing, and in its place was a void. My chest didn't hurt, it just felt empty.

Suddenly, someone bumped into me. The stack of books I'd been carrying tumbled to the floor, and I hastily got down on my hands and knees and began picking them up. In the corner of my eye, I saw feet step around me. I could feel eyes on me, watching the clumsy girl pick up her books. I felt my cheeks get hot.

Then, a hand reached out and picked up one of the books on the floor. Then another. And another. Soon, they had picked up all of the books. I stood up, looking at the floor, too embarrassed that this kind, wonderful person had wasted time helping me.

They silently held the books out to me, and I took them without looking up.

"Thanks," I muttered, trying to sound grateful.

"No problem," said a voice. A voice that didn't seem to fit into this scene. A voice that didn't make any sense to me. A voice filled with the brightness of a smile. A voice that was very, very familiar.

I couldn't believe it. It just didn't make any sense. Slowly, ever so slowly, I looked up.

It was him. It was really him. My Jack, standing right in front me. His huge smile lit up his face, and his eyes sparkled. It was him. I knew it was. Yet, I couldn't believe it.