The Alice Games

The Knight

The Rabbit led the survivors down a narrow corridor and outside, where a giant maze loomed. Here, Queen Alice herself greeted the frightened would-be royalty.

"I know you are scared," she began. Delia fought the intense urge to roll her eyes. How could you tell? She though acidly. Could it be because you just KILLED a dozen innocent people who just didn't want to be slaughtered? The warrior queen gazed at Delia as though she sensed her treasonous thoughts, her eyes as cold as ice. How could Delia have not seen the bloodlust behind those amused eyes? How could she have missed all the signs, screaming now to her to run away, faster than she'd ever run before?

"But do not be afraid. This is just a test, and when it is over and done, you will be happy, whether it be happily queened or happily dead and gone." Hands on her hips, Alice surveyed the crowd. "This is preparing you for the life of the Queen of all Underland. For the life of an adult. It is a harsh life. People die. People leave you," she added, so quietly that the teens all leaned in to catch the words, dripping off her tongue like honey and vinegar.

"Now, this maze is simply a maze. Get through it with the frist twenty, and you live. Afterwords, you shall be executed promptly. Oh, and speed is necessary. We will be releasing the Bandersnatch after ten minutes, to clean out survivors." Alice smiled. "Go."

All the children rushed through the gates guarding the entrance to the maze. Caught in their midst, Delia was swept along until the first crossroads came. The path had split into three. Without thinking, Delia ran down the right fork, were only a few other kids had gone. Jogging as fast as she could, Delia glanced nervously ahead. Eventually the path forked again. Hoping that she wasn't heading straight toward a dead end, Delia took the left path. It took two left turns before turning into a dead end. Spying a hole in the hedge, and knowing Alice didn't say she couldn't go through the hedge, Delia crawled through.

There was no one there. In the distance, Delia heard the roars of the Bandersnatch. Scrambling to her feet, Delia took off until she reached another fork. She took a path without thinking, running now. When it reached a dead end, she crawled through the prickly hedges.  Again and again and again, trying to find the exit. Finally, she turned a corner into the bright sunlight. Off to one side, there were a bunch of children gathered.

"Congratulations!" Alice's voice said. Turning, Delia saw her just behind the kids. "You are the seventeenth to finish." Heaving a sigh of relief, Delia entered the gaggle of boys and girls.

Delia got to watch the next three come out of the hedge. After that, they were escorted away by the White Rabbit. But the screams still reached Delia's ears. 

In the crowd, Delia searched for Jorge, the friend she'd made before the games... but she wasn't there. Bending her head, Delia tried her best not to cry.

"Hello!" A cheery voice called. "Kyoree here!"

"Kyoree?" Delia asked, looking up to see the greeter's friendly face.

"Yup! Hi Delia!"