"Alice?" I could hear the whispering of the Hatter down the corridor of the dungeon, my dungeon in fact, as I hung from the shackles. I gently shook the shackles hard enough to catch his attention. When he appeared outside of my cell he looked worried more or less but still capable of making good decisions for himself.
"Brother what are you doing here? You know what will happen if she catches you down here?" I was calm and collective, knowing this was my last few days to stay that way before my own madness took over.
I already knew the witches plans. She was exiled here not too long ago and as a queen I welcomed her with open arms, already knowing what she could do to my kingdom.
"I had to come, I know you have a way to save us sister. You always can. Like how you saved us from-"
"That was an accident. I fell down the rabbit hole to follow the rabbit, I didn't know that the caterpillar had told them to lure me. They didn't expect my little brother to come after me down the hole." I sighed, we were young when we first arrived in Wonderland. I vanquished the Red Queen of that time with my magic, a magic that once caged will be taken completely from Wonderland. And what happens to me? Well...
"Listen Hatter, she plans on caging me and my magic in the special cell at the bottom of the dungeon. Once she finds out about you she will do the same to you. Near the room we landed in when we first got here is a hat that I made. Infused with very little magic but it can take you to a realm away from here. And if you want to continue to use it, take it to the Enchanted Forest, one of the most magical places and it can keep the hat running." Looking up I could see my golden blood coming from where my wrists were chained to the ceiling.
"You'll be going mad won't you? I can't let that happen Alice!"
"Hatter don't be ridiculous, I can't leave my people here in pain. When my magic is gone and my my madness does consume me I will be able to leave to different realms again. Only from what I can see of my foggy future, only people who battled the good and bad in them and the ones that are mad will be able to see me. I don't want you coming back here for any reason until I come for you, and not in the way where you can't touch me. Now take your daughter and leave... she will be here soon." I finished as calm as I could, my brother stood there shocked and upset. But he still held his hand out to me as if I could reach him.
"I love you my dear sister. Please hurry to come get us." He took a deep breath before retreating down the hallway and leaving me to my own mind...
*****
"Wake up dear! I heard some interesting news while asking around the village..." She laughed quietly. "But first your opinion, should I take on the role of the Red Queen? I mean her palace was beautiful, her gardens large. What else could a woman want?" She giggled evilly before turning to me.
"I'm sure it's a great persona for you Cora, you're about as dark as she was. Now what was the news you wanted to hear repeated from my own lips?" She went to go talk but I just laughed. "I already know, you found out about Hatter. It's written all over your aging face. It's a pretty good thing that time moves so slowly here. And you already know that I can use my powers of madness to read others even without my hands. That was the second part." I continued to laugh quickly, swinging my legs underneath of me like being held in chains was nothing.
"How you knew all of that is beyond my powers. But yes, now where is that little brother of yours?" I just grinned at her and looked at the clock sitting behind her. Slowly starting to move my head from side to side.
"Tick tock, tick tock, he ran out. He ran out." I started giggling again, she had no idea this was just a show. When my true madness blossoms on the outside I will be sane on the inside. And of course I will use my inner energy to visit others in different realms and help them, help them to either choose a side or let the madness take control.
"What do you mean ran out? Ran out of where?" She asked, sending angry vibes towards me making me tsk and roll my head back towards her.
"He left out of the hat. The Hatters magic hat. The hat we kept in a secret place in a secret house. The only portal and it's just out of the poor Cora's hands. Now she'll never be able to help her daughter to reach her goal. Because..." Suddenly the wind outside started to change and my smile grew, he chose the perfect time to use the hat. "He's leaving now..." I whispered with a sigh of relief before looking to Cora.
"Go ahead and take me to my new cell, just be aware of the consequences."
