Not Alice nor Wonderland

Deer-est Diana

CHAPTER SEVEN

I dove for my antler that Heir threw on the ground, holding it tight. Heir raced after me, pulling my arms back.

Ha, he really thought I'd be hurting him by trying to stab him again?

He managed to gain control of my hands, shaking them to loosen my grasp of the antler.

Well, not this time, Bunny Boy.

I made sure to fake the move of wanting to stab him, putting the antler close to my torso. Jerking the antler dangerously close to the both of us; back, forth, back, forth. And obviously, the only way for him to think that he would be defended, is by him ramming the antler to my abdomen instead. A sound in between a squelch and rip was made.

I'll give him that sense of victory. That temporary, selfish emotion.

He immediately let go as the antler stuck in me in a weird way across my stomach, and a warm flow of crimson gushed out from the sides of the antler's main beam. Ah, a gross sight to behold! And a funny feeling.

Hysterically, I began to laugh as I watched Heir collapse to the floor.

He clawed at his own stomach; black mist appearing which started to melt his flesh. His white rabbit fur was falling off, and so was my locks at the back of his head. His ears were visibly shrinking, and he was growing thinner by the second.

The animals around us were melting the same way, turning into shadows and making the forest darker than night. As pitch black as the absence of a ray of light.

And I felt like floating.

Is this how it feels like to die? When your soul is trying to escape from its  vessel?

I was sure I floated. I couldn't move. But I could see all the commotion around me: the disintegrating animals, the black clouds cloaking everything, the gnarly branches of the trees, and cloudy skies... but I wouldn't budge myself to get up and walk away.

My vision fogged, and a cool feeling was taking over me again.

Goodbye, dream, I whispered under my breath. This time for real, I knew I was going back to sleep.

~~~~~

White light. Bright light.

Bright light, bright light! My mind yelled out.

Now where was I? This can't be heaven yet. I heard the streets were painted gold, but I was lying on something soft. Heaven's hospital bed, perhaps?

Nope. My mom and Charlie were looking down on me, with Charlie holding a flashlight to my face. That explains it.

"Diana! You're finally awake!" Charlie shouted, dropping the flashlight and wrapping his arms around my neck. I sat up, feeling starved.

"My dear! You've slept much longer than I intended for you to," Mom shook her head. "I never knew you were this tired. You haven't even done your homework for tomorrow!"

"My homework!" I groaned, getting out of my bed as Charlie and Mom made way for me.

"Hmm. And who told you, young lady, to dress like that before you take a nap?" Mom glared at me (thankfully there are whites in the eyes now) as she pointed her finger to me, up then down.

What... is this sorcery?

I was wearing my sweater, the boots, and jeans, like the ones I wore in my dream.

"Uh... uh... I, ah-"

"Ah, eh, ee, oh, ooh! Stop saying the vowels! You're absurd, Diana Alicia! Change out of your clothes, please, and get ready for dinner. Quickly! And take care of that H&M sweater, and those Doc Martens, for Luke's sake!" She snapped, as she closed my door behind her.

Charlie was still gazing at me. "What happened, sis?"

Whoa. I have to ask myself that too. What did just happen? Was it really all a dream?

"Oh, Charles. Hey, remember last night when you asked me to tell you another kind of adventure story? An out-of-this-universe, strange place with unfamiliar situations and funny characters?" I wiggled my eyebrows at him.

"Ooh yeah I do!" He grinned wide. A Cheshire cat's grin, I called it now.

"Let' say... after dinner, and when I'm done with my homework... want me to tell you one story?"

"Yes please, Diana!" He clapped his hands. "I would love to hear your story!"

"But you must help me set up and clean the table," I bargained with him. "That way, I can start to do my work and finish faster."

"I'll do it!" He bounced on my bed.

"Diana! Charlie! Come down right now!" Mom's voice resonated through the hallways. My stomach growls followed after.

"Alright, coming, Mother!" I shouted to her. "Go first, Charlie. I'll change and run after ya." I lead him to the door and locked it.

I removed my sweater, and a pinkish bruise was on the middle of my stomach, where I had stabbed myself in the dream. So strange. I changed into simpler clothing and raced down to dining area, where Mom was setting up the food and Charlie placing cutlery beside the porcelain bowls. We had beef stew for dinner.

~~~~~

"By the way, did you know that when your father and I awoke from our nap- it was around 4 hours ago, I think- we were kind of... damp," Mom told Charlie and I.

"It was funny, as if we swam in our sleep!" Dad chuckled, stuffing a potato in his mouth after.

I raised my eyebrows in bewilderment.

"Of course not, Hudson," my mother scolded. "Remember the little crack in our ceiling. It was raining while we slept, and surely rainwater dripped on us." She made a nasty face.

Charlie laughed along with my dad.

"Alright, people, let's just finish the dinner nicely without having anyone to choke on their meat, shall we?" Mom pointed her fork at us. She has an issue with pointing. Especially with her nose nowadays.

We dug into our food and finished as fast as we could. After all, we had to clean up, and I had homework to be done.

~~~~~

I told Charlie the whole story that night. Thankfully, I finished my homework in an hour. Immediately, I washed up and tucked Charlie into bed as I started the story.

He was so amazed with every detail I explained. And coincidentally, his favorite character from my dream, was the cat-- himself.

Of course I didn't tell him the names of the characters other than Heir. He would be creeped out if I really did say that our parents were the mean horse and rabbit lady.

"That was really cool, Diana," Charlie said, as he snuggled under the covers. "That would make the greatest adventure in the world!"

"Sure, little bro, I know you're right," I replied, stroking his hair. "But it's time for you to sleep again, yeah? Wouldn't want Mom to get mad at us again."

"Mmhmm. Good night, sissy," he yawned. Then his eyes bulged. "I mean, sis. Oops." He covered his eyes in fright, thinking I'd chide him again. Oh but no, how have I missed that.

"Nah, it's fine, Charlie. Get some rest. Nights," I smiled, turning off his lights.

He nodded and I closed his door.

Even through all the weird stuff I've experienced in the dream, it was adventurous and mysterious, with its own kind of fantasy. I didn't need to read Twilight to Charlie. It was a good thing, wasn't it?