Not Alice nor Wonderland

It's Alicia, Not Alice!

CHAPTER FIVE

"Diana? Diana, can you hear me?"

It was Charlie's voice... and he was blurry, but I could see his face, I meant his cat face, hovering close to mine.

Did Charlie just... save me? But he's only 6, for Pete's sake!

I did a quick sit-up with me spluttering and coughing out water. Ah, yes, I almost drowned back there. Charlie patted my back as my lungs continued to throw up. Once I was done, Charlie handed me a tissue.

"If you were wondering, yeah, I saved you," he confirmed my assumption. "I may be little, but I do remember being a better swimmer than you!"

"You definitely are a better swimmer than... hey, you remember? And wait a second. You called me 'Diana.' Do you finally remember that-"

"I am your brother. And you are my sister," he voiced, putting on a small smile.

Oh my gosh. I can't believe it. He remembers me now! I'm not alone anymore!

"You remember me! This is amazing,"I breathed. "I can't believe I won't be alone anymore." I grabbed his hand and pulled him close to me as I hugged him. It felt good for my baby brother to be in my arms again, just with the extra huge head and fur.

He put his arms around me too, and that's when I smelled the metallic stench, with a red liquid layered over my hand. I wasn't hurt. Unless it could be...

"Charlie! Are you okay?" I held him at arm's length to see the damage, and there it was, on his right shoulder. "Where did you... oh no. Please, no!"

I took off my sweater and draped it over the wound I gave him not too long ago.

"I'll be fine, Diana... just go find mom and dad and get us out of here," he murmured. "I'm not gonna die yet, silly."

"You better promise me, Charles Avery!" I nudged him lightly on his good arm.

"Just like you promised to tell me a story before every time we go to bed," he responded in a hushed tone.

I get that crumpled feeling in the guts just by hearing and seeing him this way. He's only 6, he shouldn't be in this much pain.

I wish for something to help Charles' wound get better, and hoped, and prayed, yet nothing happened.

"... your time is running out... you will lose the ability to control how you want this dream to be!" My mother's voice echoed in my mind. She sounded distand, yet so near. Like she was somewhere, but everywhere.

My ability can't be fading at this crucial time! At least not yet!

I looked over to Charlie. I decided that we would get out of this place, and that's final. I'll let the moment where he tried to pull me into that greenhouse go. "C'mon, Charles. Let me give you a piggyback ride, yeah?"

He grunted in agreement, and I stooped down to pick him up. Once he was on my back, I started off to where my instincts told me to go.

"You're a good sister, you know that, Diana?" He exhaled into the side of my head, strangely not tickling my ears for they were not completely on the sides of my head.

"I know, bud. I know. You too, are the best bro," I nodded carefully, making sure my antlers don't hit him or anything else. "The baby of the Orlin family. Charles Avery."

I could feel him grinning as he said, "And you're the great Diana Alice!"

At that, I exclaimed in mock horror. "My name is not Alice!"

"Oh it isn't? I thought you were just like Alice from Alice in Wonderland. You both are full of curiosity and adventures," he simpered, shrugging as he did so. "Did Mom and Dad name you Alicia after her?"

"Nah, I think it was because of Mom's love for her favorite singer, Alicia Keys," I joked.

He guffawed, making me lose my balance a step or two. "And what about Avery? Why did they name me that?"

"I'm not so sure, do I look like Mom to you with all the answers?"

"Nope, but I'm sure you will if we see how she looks like. Do you think she'll be a cat like me? Or a deer like you?"

I had to laugh at that. My brother could easily forget a topic and drift off to another one in a flash.

"Charlie," I sighed. "It's... I met Mom and Dad already. And they're nothing like the animals we are."

Charlie bugged his cat eyes out, making them seem like they're glowing under the moonlit sky.

"I mean, Mom's a rabbit, and Dad's a horse."

"Oh. And here I thought that we would be all together in the end," he smiled sadly.

"Charlie... it isn't the end. And if it is, we will be." I gave him my uplifting supportive sister smile.

"Okay."

A comfortable silence set in between us, and I decided to rest for a while. I set him on the ground and sat beside him.

"Hey Charlester?"

"Yeah, sissy?"

I shook my head, giggling. "You'd never forget to call me that, could you? Anyway... do you remember the time you asked me to tell you another story? After we finished Alice that night?"

"Uhuh! Now I do! Thanks for reminding me!" He smirked. Cats are creepy when they smile.

"Will you remember this adventure? So I won't have to tell you when we get back home?"

"No way, sis! I'm sure I'll forget this, as much as I forgot about the 'another story'!" He pulled his whiskers, frustrated.

"Ha ha, alright. I'll tell our adventure to you when we get back home."

Nature's sounds provided us with backgroud music as we lay aside each other on the soft ground. I prayed that we would get out of this unknown territory soon.

Just when I was about to get some shut-eye, the familiar foot steps resonated from the ground we lay upon.

Thump, thump.

"Well-oh-well, what do we have here? The lost siblings. Our target, Deer Diana," the same crooked teeth nibbled the air around him as he spoke. Heir.

I got up, and pulled Charlie along with me, but I only received a limp reaction.

No... he could not have...

"Charlie? Charlie! Answer me!" I knelt to his level, grabbing him by the face. His big cat eyes were closed, and paleness was kicking in.

"What did you do to him?" I tried to let out a growl, which only came out as a strangled bray of a donkey. Which was funny, because, I wasn't even a donkey. But I do admit I can become one sometimes.

"Oh nothing, it's just his time, that's all," Heir smirked. An actual, evil creepy easter bunny smirk.

"His time? His time to actually die and leave me alone, especially now that you're here?" I demanded. "And I still have tons of questions unanswered!"

"Like what?" Heir glared at me. I did not miss those beady eyes. "Like how your mom and dad are turned too? Just like your brother? And soon you'll join them."

This can't be real. Is he foreseeing my death? But I have yet to live my life to its fullest! I knew I should have grabbed that donut I saw in the fridge the other night!

"Really, Deer? You're thinking about donuts at this time of your life?" He laughed out loud, his long ears arched back.

"How did you read my-"

His stupid snort interrupted me again. "I can always read your mind, Deer. And I know what you're thinking: how will you leave this place, just like your entire family has done so?"