after alice; book three {5sos}

one

2000 (the brother's, aged 10)

the flickering of the television momentarily lights up the small living area before it is submerged in darkness again. the eerily, tinny sound of the ancient television spreads throughout the floral papered and dull room as the two young boys, at the young age of ten, lay on the carpet infront of the television. they had always been told not to sit so close, yet they ignored the warnings and the rumours of catching 'square eyes'.

their balled up fists placed delicately under their chins are propping their heads up, giving them a clear sight of the old movie, one that they had grown to adore and admire. the movie, one made years and years ago, in the 50s, was something so unusually mesmerizing yet comforting.

the two boys, sat far too closely to the television screen, both feel the hollows of their minds, equally as bonkers at the mysterious world of wonderland, filling up with craziness.

the crisp sound of the movie drifts through the room and up the small set of stairs to where their parents lay, causing them to stir.

"boys!" the deep, alerting voice startles them both. they both jolt up, sitting on their knees in fright, as the rabbit pulls it's pocket watch out of his pocket. instead of scurrying to their small bedroom with their two single beds, they keep their eyes fixed to the screen of the buzzing television, captivated by the rabbit they so often watch.

"you two should be trying to sleep!" their father calls down the stairs. he begins to decend the stairs, the two boys immedietly clambering to their feet and shooting to the bedroom. each footstep is full of irritation and exhaustion, echoeing throughout the tiny, detatched house.

the father of the two boys finds the living area desolate, the only movement the flickering of the screen that bounces off of the lightly furnished living area. the father sighs, running a hand through his tousled hair, before sliding the remote off the table and switching the television off, the tape still running. the last thing he sees is the almost eeriy haunting eyes of the rabbit, someone portrayed so flamboyant yet mysteriously joyous. if anything, he seems odd; leading a child to a deceivingly dangerous land.

the low hum of the tape still playing partially fills the room, however the room has been submerged in darkness and the heaviness of his eyes tells him to dismiss it and let it play the entire way through.

the next evening, the two boys in their matching black and polished shoes, would lie on the thick rug again and fill their minds and their lungs with all the joy of alice discovering the wonderland.

both with dark hair and dark eyes, they looked the same from behind or from afar. infact, they couldn't have been more opposite. little louis, with his slightly lighter hair and his glistening eyes, was always the one who was drawing pretty little alice, her hand fitted in the rabbit's. little christopher, his eyes wide and his mouth always set in an innocent, soft smile, would persistently ask his mother and his father if he could be bought a pocket watch for christmas.

"if that's what you want," his mother would sigh as their father raised his brow. "what about a scooter though? that's what all the other boys want."

the house soon felt empty, obnoxiously cold and thick with dust. the dust would swirl in the rays of light, as their mother smoked from under her sheets, clogging up her little boys' lungs.

"he isn't coming back," louis would growl, little christopher's eyes welling with tears. "we didn't need him. we never did."

one day after school, on a summer's day of 2006, the air was humid. high school was drawing to a close, both the little boys now not so little at the age of sixteen. their obsession was long forgotton, thought christopher, yet louis always thought differently.