Not Alice nor Wonderland

Final Adventure

CHAPTER SIX

 This critter was impossible. Everything in this world is impossible.

My mouth hung open out of shock. He couldn't have totally read my mind, and exactly, too? My head started to throb from thinking too much.

"I am always in your head. You made me up, Deer." He leaned close as his breath brushed past my antlers.

I fought the urge to impale him with my antlers and make rabbit kebab out of him. I had to know everything first before he faces his end... or I face mine. I think I would prefer the idea of rabbit barbecue to venison meat stew.

"Made you up? What is this all about? I know I'm not in the real world and I know I have control in this dream," I retorted.

"Ah ah ah, now that's where you are turning left," he shook a finger at me. "The events now are not going your way; they're not going the right way."

What? Left, right? My head is spinning. From my peripherals, I could make out a group of people gathered around us, just like the first time. There were more animals, like bears, wolves, birds like scary owls and hawks, rabbits, hares, bunnies... put their heads on the bodies of tall humans and you have your whimsical, monstrous creature. Reminds me of the zoo; only that the animals and visitors (the humans) are morphed together. Not an enchanting sight, especially when their eyes seemed glued to you and your every action.

All of them, including Heir, watched me. Their stares burning holes into my skin. As if being in a forest in the night wasn't menacing enough.

"But why me?" I finally let out a reply. I could feel a hot prick behind my eyes.

"But why not you?" Heir gloomed. His eyes turned into cold stones.

I quivered. "Don't do that." I hate how he was playing with my mind.

"Do what?"

"Don't answer me with an interrogation!" I snarled.

"You're time is running out," he casually said, pointing at me.

"I know that! But I-"

"Look at your antlers. You're dying, Deer." He narrowed his eyes in the direction of my head.

Automatically, my hands reached for my head. So, is this how I'm expiring? I felt around my skull. My antlers were shortening.

Heir took off his gloves as he laughed. "You think you're so dauntless, don't you? Like Alice in Wonderland? You clearly have been reading too much of that influential story."

How did he know I was rather obsessed with that book? Oh yes, he was in my mind to read my thoughts. How nice of him.

"How did you get into my head? And what did you do to me? The real me? And my family?"

My head was becoming much lighter, but my temples were numbing fast.

"Don't ask me that, ask yourself," he stated with his low voice. But this time, it was laced with a feminine tone. Like the voice of conscience.

"Did I dream all this?" I looked up at him, somewhat feeling braver.

He trodded towards me. "What do you think, Diana?" His voice was insanely natural, as if I was used to hearing it everyday.

I trembled as he closed the distance between us. He could just reach out and punch me in the face right now. My legs were already frozen in place. Now how did that happen?

Heir raised a hand, and I shut my eyes, thinking it would lessen the pain of the incoming impact. But it never did came, only a soft caress as his arm laid across my shoulder. This was still an unpleasant position with some nightmare. "You know, you're lucky this is all a fantasy. But my dearest Deer! You are not Alice. And most definitely, you are not in Wonderland. If you have ever felt magical in this place, I'm glad I gave you the opportunity to feel that way. But if you were ever harmed, I apologise." He took a step back and bowed in mock defeat.

I held my breath as he traced the outlines of my antlers. His ebony eyes still locked to my face.

Four words echoed in my head. And I felt the need to say it aloud.

"But I'm slowly paralysing."

"But you're slowing paralysing."

We both said it at the same time.

I gasped as he mirrored me. Slowly, his actions were copying mine. Until he was finally face to face with me again. I noticed this time his ears were shorting; his whiskers almost gone, as if he was melting, while I started to freeze in place.

His words, like 'you' which referred to me, even turned into 'I', like how I would talk to myself. He was turning into me.

"I'll go in search for my family," both of us repeated.

At that moment, I let out a frustrated growl when I saw myself tackling... myself. Beyond confusion, I realized that Heir wasn't another person; he was just the wild, mental image of myself. The other me was starting to show already-- with my brown locks sprouting out from the back of Heir's rabbit head. I pinned Heir (or the other me) to the ground as he let out a scream in my voice.

This is so weird; I'm fighting against myself. I guess I'm fighting my inner fears. The inner demon. I know my weakness is stubborn, untamed and pessimistic, and I can see how Heir is like that. His gnarly fingers reached out and grabbed my now-short antlers, attempted to pull them off.

Ha, let's see if he can survive being skewered. I rammed my antlers into his side, and he howled as he crouched over and let me go. But I also found myself howling along.

"You have hurt yourself, Diana." The voice of my conscience came out throaty from his mouth.

"But it can't be!" I wailed.

Before I could wrestle him again, he leapt at me and revealed a dagger. Stuck in place, I watched him yank my head and chopped off the antler at the point where it grew from my head. He must have thought it were to hurt, but surprisingly, it didn't. And wowza-- he was clutching his head in his hands, as if he was the one who got scarred. Heir threw the antler on the ground in aggravation, ready to attack again.

Peculiar. Strange. Unknown. Foreign. Mysterious. Bizarre. Abnormal. Who would have thought this was a way to survive all this?

What if, I thought. What if... I'm the only way he could get hurt?

What if the only way for Heir, the demon in me, to die, is to wound myself?