When in the Country of Hearts (a alice in the country of hearts fanfic)

Only in a dream

"Well, okay then," Clara scooted closer to the man.
'This guy is creepy as hell..' she thought to herself. 'Stalking people in their dreams us not supposed to be a past time for men.'
"I heard that." Nightmare frowned. "And I'm not that creepy, you should see some of the other people in the country."
"What's the deal with this world?" She blurted out, not caring about what he just said. "They don't care about life? how does this world survive?" Nightmare chuckled, causing Clara to become annoyed.
"You're irreplaceable-"
"I know, but so are other people."
"You didn't let me finish. Because you have a heart." Nightmare walked closer, but she backed up with every step he took.
"I-I don't understand..." Clara began to feel scared of nightmare, like a deer is of hunters.
"You see, the people of this world, they aren't like you." He stressed, trying to find a delicate way to say the news...
"Of course they're not like me, everyone is different!"
"No, I mean as in, we're not human. listen.." Nightmare held Clara's head close to his chest so she could hear the faint sound of a clock.
Tick tock..
.. Tick...
.Tock....
"What?" Clara pushed away, more confused than ever.
"All of us have clocks for hearts. When we die, our clocks break and Julius Monrey fixes them." Nightmare sighs at the little knowledge she knew. Clara stood for a second, thinking. She looked back, into his soft eyes.
"It still isn't right." Clara said with all the strength she could muster up. "They are still breathing, living, organisms! And if they can't see that, I'll make them see!" Nightmare raised his eyebrows at the girl's confidence.
"People say you are like Alice..."
"You are nothing like her." He smiled and kissed her cheek, catching her off guard.
"It is time to part. Sweet dreams, outsider." Nightmare smiled and left Clara's mind.
"Wait! Nightmare!!!!" She tried to keep up with him, but began to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

"Good morning. how did you sleep?" Julius asked, handing Clara a cup of steaming coffee.
"Okay, I guess." She answered, watching at he returned to fiddling with the clocks. She traced the top of the cup with her index finger and set it aside.
"Can I help?" She asked.
"No, I'm fine." He answered without looking up. She sighed and walked next to him, picking up a clock piece and fitting it snugly into place.
"I'm not an idiot when it comes to clocks." She smirked. He sighed and she took a spot next to him. "Besides, you need human interaction."
"What is it with you outsiders and interaction? I'm fine working on my own." He grumbled, only to make Clara laugh.
Clara stretched her legs outside. While she tried to get Julius to do the same, he simply pushed her out of the door and locked it. She chuckled at his childish attitude, but also found his serious face adorable. Clara walked aimlessly through the little village in the neutral territory.
"Hey! Clara!" She turned to see Ace walking up next to her.
"Hey. Aren't you supposed to be at the castle?" She asked confusingly.
"Yeah, but I got lost!"
"Oh, my, god. You are directionally challenged." She smirked.
"Hey, I like to say the path takes me in the direction I am needed most." He smiled once more. She rolled her eyes and took his hands in hers, pulling him along in the direction of the castle.

"Not far now..." Clara sighed at the castle now only a few miles away. Even at a glance, it was beautiful.
"Right. This way." Ace took a sharp turn left, away from the castle.
"Oh HELL NO." Clara warned, pulling him by his collar toward the beautiful gardens around the heart castle. They both walked through the maze of rose bushes as they came closer and closer to their destination. Clara could now see the beautiful pink and red heart design surrounding the palace. It was almost impossible to describe its beauty. She simply gasped in awe.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ace whispered into her ear. "Just like you." She blushed. He now took Clara by her hands and led her into the palace, toward a titanic ball room alight by a fabulous crystal chandelier.
"Off with her head." A blunt voice rang out. Clara whipped her head around, afraid it was her sentence, but a faceless maid was dragged away, begging and crying.
"Your majesty," Ace bowed before the queen, whom held a jeweled scepter.
"Where the hell have you been knight of hearts? We've been asking for you for three day periods." (A/N the queen of hearts talks as if herself were more than one person.)
"Sorry, I got lost, but Clara showed me the way back." He grinned at the queen. She sat up a little straighter when seeing the girl.
"Are you the outsider we were informed about?" She asked Clara. Clara shrugged.
"I guess."
"Well then, welcome!" Vivaldi stood up to show a exquisite red, black, and pink dress that shows a lot of her..junk. She straightened her small crown tied to her head. " Ace, you're finally here." She scolded the knight. Clara was pushed down a corridor by Peter, and now she was out of earshot from the conversation.
"Your majesty, she's an outsider who-"
"Yes, I am aware she looks like the outsider described in the rules. Whatever the rules say, protect her. We cannot let them kill her like they did Alice." Vivaldi grimly stated. Ace bowed and began to leave, but stopped at the door.
"The rules also say she will choose a lover. Who knows who it could be." With that, he disappeared, probably lost.

Clara walked through the castle, enjoying the sun, and thinking about her worried mother.
"Clara! Clara! Look at this!!" Peter jumped up and down as he opened a door to a gigantic room, complete with hickory wood floors and furniture. A chandelier that sparkled in the light.
"Whoa.." She breathed in the smell of brownies and hurridly rushed to the small kitchen attached to the room. Taking out the small batch of the soft goodness and setting it on the table.
"I thought you'd like them. I pulled out a box from your kitchen before retrieving you from the garden. That reminds me! Garden stroll?" Peter asked seductively. Clara rolled her eyes and looked out the window at the darkened sky, before yawning.
"Nope. Sleep time." She stated as she jumped onto the queen-sized bed colored with pink and red heart comforter and black pillows.
"Sweet! Let's get some rest for tomorrow!" Peter White jumped onto the bed with her, pulling Clara by her waist towards him as he cuddled. She froze in place. No one loved Clara at home, and NEVER did this at all. She kicked him away, sending Peter out of the room as he whimpered at the unfairness. She draped over the bed again.
"Thank goodness." She breathed in a sigh of relief. Rectangle dug into her thigh as she rolled over the covers. Clara forgot her iPhone was still in her pocket the whole time. She sat up in bed and scrolled through her pictures. Friends and family that have gone through the years. Messages have been left by friends at school asking if she was dead or alive. Apparently, she'd been in the world for two months without knowing it. Clara felt tears well in her eyes knowing the pain her friends are in over her being alive or not.
She shrugged and set the electronic aside as she fell into a deep and everlasting sleep.
The morning seemed to come too early for Clara as she stretched out on her side.
"Yaaaaawwwwnnnn..." A voice interrupted the quietness in the room. Clara flipped around to the other side of the bed to find, surprise, surprise, Peter White. He slept soundly as his arm squeezed Clara's waist. Agitated, she kicked him off the bed, a lough sound resonating in the large room.
"Ow!" He groaned.
"What the HELL?!?" She yelled.
"What?"
"Y U IN MAH BED?!?" Her text slang coming out in her speaking.
"Use proper grammar young lady." He grinned at her.
Blush crept into her cheeks as she stormed out of the room and into the dingy dirt path.

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SORRY! SORRYSORRYSORRYSORRY!!!
I should've updated in this story sooner. Just hold on while I get the rest of my stories sorted out. Then I'll start updating each story in order until they're done so I can finish each story in a matter if weeks.
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~Saturnthehero