Oh Alice!

Chapter 4

Leslie was outside, pulling weeds out of the front garden, when she felt it, a stabbing pain in the small tattoo on her left wrist; a crescent yellow moon and 3 small blue stars. She frowned and stood, brushing the dirt off her pants, and headed inside to find her cell phone. She hated having to use it sometimes, she would leave it in the house intentionally when she was outside gardening or writing. If someone needed her, they could just come to the house, she would always say.

She found her phone in the kitchen and dialed David's number, he was probably still at the studio he had downtown. He always played loud music when he painted, Leslie hated it because she couldn't focus on writing when he did, which often sparked arguments. So, to bring some peace to the house, he started renting the space about 15 years ago, then eventually bought the whole building 7 years ago, after a very successful art show. Alice often went there to study when she was in school, now she goes to grade papers.

"Hey, Sweetheart! What's up?" David brought Leslie out of her thoughts.

"She's there." The line went dead, even the music was off.

"Are you sure?" His voice lost its cheerfulness and was serious as ever.

"Yes." The phone clicked off. He must already be heading to the car, Leslie thought as she headed to their bedroom at the back of the first floor. She walked into the closet, quickly changed into her hiking boots, and jeans. She threw on a dark red long sleeve shirt and a black pullover hoodie, shoving her phone into her back pocket. She grabbed the 2 black backpacks hanging on the wall next to the door as she walked out. She was walking out the front door as David pulled up from in his black truck.

"How do you know she's there?" David asked as Leslie climbed in the passenger seat. She pulled her sleeve and showed him her wrist, the moon and stars were glowing and the skin around them was red and irritated. David frowned. "Does is hurt bad? I've never seen it so lit up."

"They went to the look out. Something must have happened. The moon is not supposed to light up here..." Her voice trailed off, thinking about what would make the moon light up. Then it hit her; Eingana! "DAVID! Her tattoo. Drive faster." David did as his wife said, but glared out the window, the rain had started falling again. He turned onto Anderson Road, avoiding puddles and a few fallen branches.

"That... That THING wasn't supposed to be able to... Not outside of Wonderland. How did this happen?" He let off the gas at they approached a turn, and instead of turning he stopped. "What do you mean they?!" Leslie looked over at him, he was staring at his hands, she knew he was worried. She didn't blame him. He took a deep breath and started driving again on the 652 Road that lead to the Outlook.

"Alice and Luke came up here together. She got a letter from the school and... You know how she gets about her tattoo. I only went with it because I knew nothing would happen. I didn't think they were this linked." Leslie looked down at her hands, thinking back to when Alice came to them with her tattoo idea. "The only way Eingana is here, in this Realm, is if Alice is in serious, life-threatening danger. Alice doesn't even know how to summon her. So maybe it's because she's there with him, somehow."

"What life-threatening danger could she possibly be in? We chose to stay here because it was so safe. Who wou-" His face when white as they pulled up to the Outlook, the blue Ford parked next to Luke's jeep said it all. "No." He whispered as he put the truck in park and jumped out, running for the Outlook.

"What is it honey?" Leslie called after him, slowly climbing out. She looked around slowly, trying to figure out what had him so scared, when she realized she didn't recognize that Ford. She became more concerned and followed her husband to the barbecues. The scene she found him standing in was horrific; blood all over the ground, food thrown all over the tables, and Alice's favorite black hat laying on the ground, dirty and bloody. "Oh, David! Who did this?"

"Yes, I need to speak with Chief Walker. No, Kathleen. Yes, it's an emergency. No, I will not wait. Kathleen, put the Chief on right now or so help me, you will have to find a new line of work." David's voice was calm, but demanding and authoritative. Kathleen was the newest secretary for Chief Walker, a good one too, but very meek and shy. She will blossom eventually, Leslie thought as her husband tapped his foot impatiently. She wandered to the edge of the railing and picked something shiny and blue off it.

"Chief, its David. You need to get to Birchwood. No, now. Because I think your son has done something horrible to my daughter, that's why."

~

"David, you know there is no proof that this-" The tall, slightly overweight man in a blue polyester uniform waved his hand over the gory scene. "- is caused by my son. Maybe your daughter started it. Maybe that Thomas boy even started it. We can't know for sure till the lab techs get here. And who knows how long that will be." He took his Chief hat off and ran his fingers through his graying brown hair, as if satisfied with his work.

"You're kidding, right? The knife, his knife is the only weapon here. His truck is here, with fresher tracks than Luke's. My daughter got that restraining order for a reason, Larry. I know you saw the pictures of what he did to her. To my little girl." David was pacing, back and forth in one of the few areas not dribbled with blood, rubbing his hands together. "Please, tell me some piece of you knows that this is his fault. I need you to be the Chief, Larry. Not just his father. My girl could be seriously hurt."

"We have been friends for years, since school. You know we would never disrespect your badge. But we need to find them, then we can figure this out and point fingers later. OK?" Leslie stood in between both men, using her most soothing voice, one David had heard too many times.

"Fine. You guys start looking. I'll watch over this mess and call for some back up. Lab techs should be here shortly." David nodded, still uneasy with leaving the father of the accused alone with the crime scene, but they needed him there. Not out wandering or following them across the Opening. That's the last thing they needed right now. He already was going to have to do the one thing he dreaded, he didn't need to rescue the Chief, too.

They took off through the trees, after grabbing their backpack; loaded with clothes and money for Wonderland, along with a few discreet weapons and food. To an untrained eye, like David's, the trail they had to follow looked like an old game trail, but Leslie knew where she was going. She had been on this trail too many times, more than she will tell him, no matter how many times he asks. They followed for a mile or more, past trees, boulders and bushes, pausing at ever twig snap to make sure no one had followed them.

When Leslie rubbed her left forearm as she walked on, David frowned, concern for his wife and daughter growing. They got the tattoos at the same time, and with some kind of "Wonderland Voodoo" as David called it, connected the tattoos and thus connecting Leslie's to Alice. But Leslie had another marking on her left arm connecting her to Wonderland. A small white star that only was visible whenever a Walker, someone who can use the Openings between realms, was close to one of the many Openings. Alice had one too, it was on the middle finger of her left hand. Leslie came to an abrupt stop, pulling David from his thoughts.

"Are you ready, Sweetheart? We are here." Leslie grabbed his hand, squeezing slightly as if to give some kind of encouragement. I don't need encouragement, he thought as he took a deep breath, I need my daughter. "OK, so this is going to be difficult for your first time. You just have to close your eyes and keep holding my hand. You can't let go or open your eyes. Got it? If you let go, you'll get dropped into Wonderland randomly."

"What happens if I open my eyes?" He gave her a sideways glace, but her eyes were fixed on the open air in front of them.

"You'll let go of my hand. So, don't do either, OK?" She looked over at him and gave a small smile. He nodded, closing his eyes. He heard Leslie exhale and they stepped forward, disappearing into thin air, swallowed up by bright light and warm air.

Or that's what it looked like to Scott.