Welcome to Mystery

Alice bolted out of the house, tears streaming down her face. Her right cheek was red where her dad had slapped her, and it stung horribly.

"You get back here right now you little brat, or I'll bring you back here myself!" Her father called from the doorway, waving his beer bottle around. Alice knew that he wouldn't follow her, so she ignored him and continued to run down the street. She ran until she arrived at her destination; Henri's house.

"Are you sure you don't want to come now?" Henri asked.

"I'm sure." Alice said.

"Alright, but whenever you've had enough of the horrible way your family treats you, you know where to find me." Henri said.

Alice had had enough alright. It had been over a month since Henri's offer, but she was sure that it still stood solid. She hopped up the steps leading to his house, and banged on the door. A boy with dark blond hair, endless black eyes, and a mischivious smirk opened the door; Henri. One look at her disheveled hair, bright red cheek and tear-stained face and he knew exactly why she was there.

"Ready?" He asked, stretching out his hand.

"Ready." Alice said, and took his hand. He led her through his house, out the back door, and into his backyard. Alice gasped---his backyard was an entire forest, stretching for miles and miles and miles. A pathway led into the woods. The whole thing seemed to shimmer, as if within a bubble. Henri let go of her hand, bowed, and gestured to the pathway.

"You first, M'Lady." He said in a British accent. Despite herself, Alice giggled. She started to walk into the woods, but suddenly heard a chorus of female voices burst into her mind.

"Go back!"

"Turn around!"

"Don't come here!" They wailed. She froze, and turned to Henri, who was watching her.

"Is something wrong?" He asked. Alice didn't answer, still overwhelmed by the voices in her head.

"If there is something wrong, you can always go back to your dad." Henri said. That broke Alice out of her trance. No way was she going back there. Not now.

"Nothing's wrong. Just thought I heard something, that's all." She said, and stepped over the invisible line separating Henri's yard, and the forest. Henri stepped forward until he was right behind her. Then, he clasped his hands around her eyes.

"Imagine a place you can always escape to, an island off the coast of Nowhere. A new destination of your own creation, just waiting till choose to go there." He said. Alice thought for a moment.

"Got it?" Henri asked. Alice nodded, and Henri uncovered her eyes.

Instantly, the whole view changed. The leaves on the trees were suddenly crystal blue, and the sky was a deep velvet color. The trail, which was now bright red, led off into the woods. She spun around to see Henri standing there.

"Now, close your eyes, and imagine a city, where eveything's pretty, and you ma'am, you rule the kingdom. You call the shots, you can do what you want to, oh just imagine the freedom." He said. Alice did as she was told. "Now open your eyes."

The ruby red trail now led into a shiny gold palace, encrusted with jewels and riches galore. Windows filled with colorful designs gleamed, showing into the magical castle. The whole thing glittered under the sun, creating the most beautiful and magical sight she had ever seen. People milled about, and when they caught sight of her, they started to cheer and yell her name in excitement.

"What is this place?" She asked in wonder.

"This is a place where your mind can escape all your problems today and go far far away. This is a town with no history." Henri said. Alice glanced around, amazed. Her eyes caught hold of a sign she hadn't seen before.

"Welcome to Mystery"

It read. "Mystery..." Alice murmured. Henri came up behind her.

"Would you like to explore your new home?" He asked, his voice soft as silk. So caught up the amazingness of the place, she didn't quite catch the last couple words.

"Of course." She said, and they both headed off into the palace. Henri seemed to know where everything was; the bakery, the shopping center, the restraunts, and the entrance to her castle. He led her through the castle, showing her all the rooms and such.

"Now, this you have to see." Henri said, uncovering a secret door that opened to reveal a winding stair case. Alice went up after he did, a feeling of uneasiness creeping into her stomach. Finally, they reached an ivy covered door at the top. Henri pushed it open to reveal room where flowers bloomed through the cracks in the floor and the ceiling. Two old-style wicker rocking chairs sat in the middle of the room, across from a window overlooking the whole kingdom. Alice walked into the room.

"Henri, it's beautiful." Alice whispered in awe. The awe-inspiring feeling of the room obliberated the growing uneasiness Alice had begun to develop.

"This is where we'll be able to come every day of our new lives here." Henri said. Alice stopped.

"Wha-what did you just say?" She aksed, in a whisper. Not in awe, but in horror. Henri turned towards her.

"This is your new life, here, with me." He said, his endless black eyes now seeming soulless and haunting.

"No! No, I don't want to stay here forever! Even if my life at home is bad, I still have friends and school, and my life!" Alice said, her voice rising.

"You can have friends here Alice. And you don't need school anymore. This is your life now, Alice." He said, saying her name with a possessive nature she had never heard before. Alice began to back away from him.

"I want my old life back. I don't want to be here with you!" She yelled, frightened.

"Tut tut tut. We can't have that, now can we." He said, and the roses from the ceiling shot down in thorny vines, latching on to Alice's ankles and wrists. Alice screamed as they dragged her over to one of the wicker chairs. The vines detatched from the ceiling, wrapping around her arms and legs, pinning her to the chair. Alice screamed and screamed, but Henri just smiled.

"You see Alice, once you are welcomed by Mystery, there is no leaving Mystery. We only accept the very special ones, and you Alice, are special." He said as more vines began to wrap around Alice.

"Help me! Please!" She screamed, a raw, terrible sound of fear. Henri just continued to smile and stare into her panic and pain filled eyes. The thorns dug deep into her skin as the vines pulled tighter. More and more vines wrapped around Alice, until all but her neck and head were covered.

"Henri, please, make it stop!" Alice screamed.

"Alice, Alice, Alice. Just think, after this, you'll never need to leave." He said as the vines began to wrap around her neck and head. The eyes were always the last to go, the last thing to be seen. Her scream could still be heard, though a strangled, muffled scream now. Her blue eyes were finally covered with vines, silencing her screams. The withering mass of flowered vines wiggled and moved for a few moments more before becoming still. The vines relaxed their hold, and slowly slid off Alice, if you could call it 'Alice' any more.

The girl who was once Alice now had paper white skin, and dark blond hair. The girl stirred, and opened her soulless black eyes.

"Welcome to Mystery, Alice." Henri said.

*_*

Sarah sat down at her usual place. It had been another awful day, both at school and at home. Her mother and sister Kat had been fighting again, and her ex-boyfriend Tom had asked out her so-called best friend Casey, who had said yes. She hated her life. She hated Tom. But most of all, she hated Casey. Someone approached from behind. Sarah shot up, and turned around, rapidly wiping away angry tears. A guy about her age stood there. He was very handsome, with dark blond hair, deep black eyes, and a cute smirk.

"Hi," he said. "I'm Henri."