Painting the Roses Black

Why We Need An Alice

Helena picked herself off the ground and dusted her pants off. She was confused. She fell into a hole, and there was sky above her? There was huge mushrooms that were tall as her, and giant old growth trees. She felt taller than she normally did. Maybe the dreams about the cake and the rabbit actually changed her height....

She was lost. Where was James? She searched around where she found herself and couldn't find him. She saw a pair of glowing eyes in the shadows.

"Alice?" A voice questioned. She scowled. That was her middle name, no one called her that, ever.

"Hello?" She called to it.

"Alice! Thank goodness you're here, There's been so much trouble in here, I'll take you to the Hatter, he'll explain everything to you," The eyes walked out of the shadows. The belonged to a striped cat. Helena trembled. She was very frightened of cats, and this one had shark teeth and was talking!

"M-my name is Helena Alice King, and I have no idea what you are talking about," Helena said. The cat's eyes twitched in disappointment.

"Well, can you help us anyways? We are in desperate need of an Alice," The cat implored. Helena shook with fear.

"O-Okay, I guess..."She said. Maybe if she helped the scary cat it wouldn't eat her...

"Good, are you always that size?" The cat asked, gesturing with its tail for Helena to follow it. She shook her head.

"No, a rabbit gave me some cake and I'm bigger now, oh. That sounds so silly doesn't it?" Helena fretted. The cat looked at her strangely.

"Not at all, that's quite normal. Now, do shut up and follow me," It said. Helena scowled at the rude animal. She followed it anyways, afraid it would attack her if she didn't.

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"Hatter? Oh Hatter!" The cat called. They walked into a clearing with a lavish table set up with biscuits and jams and breads and teas. A strange man was sitting at the head of the table. Helena froze in one spot and started to shudder violently. The man had pasty white skin, slightly crooked yellow eyes with messy orange eyeliner, lime green hair sticking in every direction from under his hat, and was wearing a bright purple pinstriped suit. The clown-like man scared Helena more than the robber that murdered her father.

"Cheshire! You decided to drop by for tea! You're late, but no matter, please sit!" The funny man said.

"Hatter, I am not going to join you for tea, but my dear friend will!" The cat, Cheshire, said. He pushed Helena a little. She stumbled forward. The Hatter eyed Helena closely. He hid her face behind her long dirty blonde hair. Recognition flashed across the Hatter's face.

"Alice?" He asked. "You look like Alice, but slightly different around the face, she never had black on her eyes," The Hatter said thoughtfully.

"Hatter, allow me to introduce: Helena Alice King, descendant of our Alice!" Cheshire said with a bow. Helena turned to him.

"Descendant?" She hissed at Cheshire. He shushed her.

"Just go with it," He whispered. The Hatter walked over to Helena. He poked her arm and hopped backward. He leaned next to her and sniffed her hair. She was quivering visibly. He touched her face and examined her.

I won't cry, I won't cry, I won' cry, I'll get by, I'll survive.... She chanted to herself in her head. She was on the edge of breaking down.

Satisfied with his examination, the Hatter hugged her tightly.

"Welcome to Wonderland, Alice!" He said. She was frozen. He clung onto her for a while and stood back.

"Wonderland?" She finally choked out. He nodded.

"Yes, although it seems to have lost its wonderful lately," The Hatter said sadly. Helena touched his shoulder comfortingly. She hated seeing anyone troubled around her.

"There, There.." She soothed. She remembered she was about four feet taller than him. "Hatter, I'm too tall, Do you have anything for that?" She asked. He nodded. He took off his hat and pulled a bottle of clear liquid out. He tossed it to her. She drank it and shrunk back to her normal size.

"I'm leaving Hatter, take good care of her." Cheshire called, strolling back into the forest.

"Helena, please. Sit down for a spot of tea. I will tell you why we are in need of an Alice," The Hatter said, resuming his spot at the head of the table. She sat next to him.

"Okay," She said.

"Wonderland used to be a happy place, full of joy, and well, wonder. Then a boy came from the world above, much like you did. He had a device he called an 'Ipod' and summoned all of the broken, the beaten, and the damned from all corners of the land. He cleared half the forest and ings terrible curses to our world. They sky is more greyish-black thatn blue over his realm, and ashes rain down over a burnt dead ground. They dress like shadowy soldiers and skeletons. The pure white city is burned with a stench that cries of out in misery and regret. The creatures of Wonderland wander over there t be swallowed by darkness and morbid insanity. Its terrible," The Hatter explained sadly. Helena was confused.

"Hatter, you're mad as, well, a Hatter. How could you be so hypocritical as to say his insanity is bad?" Helena cried.

"His insanity is morbid and sad and contagious. Mine is happy, and colorful, and attractive!" The Hatter replied. Helena giggled. "See? Happy,"

"Okay, I get it. Why does having an Alice fix any of this?" She asked.

"Alice is our hero. She will shine light on Wonderlands darkness like she always has," The Hatter said, looking a bit hopeful, like he was asking something. She needed to go home, but she also needed to find James. Maybe this was how she could do it.

"I'll help you, Just tell me what to do," She said. The Hatter clapped happily.

"Creatures of Wonderland! Spread the word! Alice has returned!' The Hatter shouted. whispers of the name Alice whipped through the trees.

"The, Alice?" The flowers asked. Helena waved and smiled shyly.

"I'm the descendant of the Alice," Helena said. She almost believed it.

"Alice, I know its scary, but you have to sneak into the Land of Paraders and assassinate the by with the platinum hair," The Hatter said.

"One, How is that not totally Morbid?! Two, wont I crumble and succumb to the insanity if I go there?" She asked. He thought for a minute.

"Okay, you should go t the edge of the realm of Darkness and throw cupcakes at it," He suggested. Helena shook her head.

"How about I go to the edge, and observe it, look for weakness. Then I can go to the pure white city and work some Alice magic, yes?" Helena said. She knew knowledge of the dark place would be her greatest weapon, as knowledge always was. She learned that from years of being adopted, small, skinny, and prone to bullies.

'That's a great I idea Alice! Go along now!" He said, making shooing motions with his hands.

"Uh, Hatter, I have no clue where it is," She said. He nodded.

"Right, I know. You there! Show Alice the dark realm," The Hatter yelled, pointing at a tall tree. A branch curled out and grabbed Helena around the waist. Her eyes were wide with fear. She was passed branch to branch until she reached the top. She saw in the distance what looked like a huge storm. There was smoke curling up to the sky.

"Yep, I got it. Thank you, now put me down," She said. She was terrified of heights. The tree set her on the ground.

"Alright, farewell Hatter, I shall report my findings to you as soon as possible," She said. The Hatter waved in goodbye as Helena walked out into the forest.

"I will find you James, I promise...." She murmured.