The Alice Games

The Devil

That night, the third challenge was announced by Kyoree. It would be mortal combat.

Delia remembered a video game, back in her world, that was like that, but she had a feeling that this would be much different from the Mortal Kombat that she knew.

She couldn't sleep that night. Nightmares of the chess match haunted her. Alice hadn't killed those people- she had. She dreamed that they pointed at her, shrieking as they grew talon-like claws and vicious shark-teeth. They charged after her, tearing into Delia's flesh. Blood pooled on the floor. Through a red fog of pain, Delia knew it was hers-

-she woke up, sweat coating the back of her neck. A chill crept up her spine, and she shivered, throwing off the quilt that seemed to suffocate her. She went over to Jorge's bunk and curled up there, her mind too occupied to resume slumber. There she stayed until the next morning, where the White Rabbit sounded a horn to wake Teodora up.

Delia rose from the bed, looking for all the world like she had just returned from the dead. Her hands shook. Her eyes kept rolling up into her skull. She would have liked nothing more than a coffee and some chocolate, but all she was given was a cold glass of water and a bowl of mush. Cinnamon had been sprinkled on top, and it smelled as though it had been sent down from heaven. But Delia didn't feel hungry.

She gulped down the water, spilling some on her pajamas with her shaking hands, and saw Teodora smirking. Delia could spy the bags under her eyes, too. Either she'd stayed up late to train... which Delia doubted... or she, too, was having a bit of trouble sleeping.

They were escorted outside. Delia breathed in the fresh air, but pretended to be nervous. It was hard to fake clammy hands and the look of someone about to throw up, but luckily, those came to Delia natually. The only thing she really had to fake was the fear in her eyes. In reality, Delia was about to explode with nervousness, although adrenaline had swept in by now, giving her a second wind and a burst of energy that made her almost hunger for a fight.

They were led to an arena full of people. Wonderlanders? Or people who had fallen down the rabbit hole? Delia was too preoccupied to care.

Weapons were strewn across the arena. Most of them were in the center- Delia spotted a broadsword and a few pistols encased in rust, along with a very big cannon.

Alice stood on top of the cannon, her eyes dancing with mad excitement. "Let the battle to the death begin!" She shouted. "Last one to die wins!"

This seemed a little obvious to Delia.

 "BUT!" Alice yelled over the roar of the crowd. "I will ALSO be competing!"

Dead silence. The crowd began to murmer, shocked. This was supposed to be choosing a new monarch, not the revival of the old reign.

Alice glared at the crowd, and they burst into applause. Then she dropped off the cannon and whirled it towards Delia. Then she fired.

Delia had barely enough time to drop to the ground. Meanwhile, on the other side of the arena, Teodora was sprinting towards the mad queen.

Quick as lightning, Alice snatched a pistol from the ground and fired. The thing was so old, it was a wonder it could shoot.

Delia watched Teodora fall, blood spurting from her leg. Delia scrambled to her feet at almost the same time as Teo, and both advanced towards Alice Liddel. 

The warrior queen wasn't fazed. The crack of the pistol echoed two more times. Delia heard Teo cry out in pain, and assumed that she must be alive. She went into stealth mode, creeping towards the cannon. If only she could reach the mound of weapons at the queen's feet-

-another crack sounded, and pain blossomed in Delia's abdomen. She looked down in horror to see red leaking through her shirt. She stumbled and fell, pain fogging her vision. Delia saw Alice turn, a triumphant smirk on her face. Obviously, she thought that Delia would die from the shock and the pain.

A new memory rushed to Delia's mind. She remembered a knife in her hand, an almost-made decision to slice open her arm. A wish for pain.

She was getting her wish now.

Groggily, Delia stretched out an arm and pulled herself forward. Why do you fight when you know you cannot win? A little voice in her head asks. Delia didn't know. She just didn't want to die.

Slowly, Delia dragged herself forward, pain nearly forcing her to stop. Then the numbness came.

It started with her feet. They felt like deadened weights, as if they weren't really part of her body anymore. As she dragged her battered body towards the pile of weapons that seemed even farther away, now, the numbness spread up her ankles and crept up her calves. She struggled to continue as the crack of bullets and the clang of metal on metal rang in her ears.

Above, from the spectator's seats, the Wonderlanders gathered watched in amazement as the girl struggled to reach a weapon, a trail of blood marking her progress.

Below, Alice laughed as she snatched up a broadsword to finish off the bleeding Teodora. The girl picked up her own broadsword with a bloodied arm, a determined scowl on her face.

"So you aren't just a pretty face," Alice said.

"Do you really think that I'd only know how to sit pretty?" Teo returned. "The Queen must know how to do everything- except, of course, chores."

Alice stepped in and locked blades with the younger girl. "Oh, really?" She asked. moving her hand to her pocket. It was the fluid movement of the well-practiced.

"Yes." Teo replied. She had not yet noticed the small knife Alice withdrew from her pocket. "And I will be queen."

"Don't bet on it," Alice returned. With a flick of her fingers, she sent the knife into her opponent's heart. Teodora's expression turned to one of surprise.

"Emile," she said. "You were supposed to..." she fell over. Her blank eyes stared up at the sky. In the stands, Emile turned away guiltily, counting a fold of bills.

Delia's outstretched fingers touched metal. For a moment, she couldn't recall what that meant.

Oh, yes. She wouldn't die. It sure felt like she would, though. But her fingers clasped around the handle of a gun. She looked up. Alice stood over a prone body, staring at it in disgust. Delia wanted to raise her hand, but she couldn't.

Then, by some miracle, her hand was lifted up. Delia was certain she didn't raise it, because she couldn't have. It seemed like a ghost had just picked up her arm and positioned it right.

The muzzle of the gun was pointed at Alice. Delia just had to do one thing that the ghost couldn't.

Without a single thought, Delia squeezed the trigger and blacked out.