The Alice Games

Epilogue

Delia woke up. At first, she thought that she might be dead. Then she tried to move, and pain exploded in her abdomen. She wasn't dead. There was no way being dead hurt that much.

A pair of eyes appeared above her. "Chess," Delia wanted to say, but her voice wouldn't work.

"She's not done yet," a voice said. Delia agreed and closed her eyes.

***************

The second time she woke up, Delia was sore all over. She tried to sit up, but once again pain blossomed in her stomach. She laid back, blinking the spots from her eyes. "Hello?" She croaked.

"I'm here," a voice answered. Jorge. The bookworm's face suddenly appeared. "You were brilliant," she said proudly.

*************

Over the next few weeks, Delia was able to learn what had happened after she had blacked out: the bullet had hit Alice in the head. Emile had run in from the sidelines and performed an emergency First-Aid procedure. Then Delia had been rushed to the infirmary, where she had been patched up properly and sort-of healed. She'd drifted in and out of conciousness for a while, occasionally having nightmares (Delia didn't really remember that part), and never seemed to know what was going on, even when she acted as though she were lucid.

She'd been crowned the queen of Wonderland in her absence, and total access to memories had been granted. Apparently, the whole amnesia thing had been Alice's idea, as some sort of twist in her mad game.

Everyone had remembered, even Kyoree. Delia remembered her now. Kyoree- or, Kylee, as she had been known, was Delia's best friend. They'd talked to each other several times in the past few days.

Delia was unsure of what would happen to Emile. She was certain that something was up- he always seemed really nervous around her these days.

Finally, she confronted him about it. "And no funny business," she said, wagging a finger at him.

Emile sighed. "It's just a question. I was wondering- since your memories came back- if you had a boyfriend."

Delia blinked. "No. Why? I don't see how that matters-"

She was cut off by Emile giving her a kiss on the cheek. "No reason," he said, but he looked like he'd slipped out of a lead jacket.

******Three weeks later**********

Delia stepped out into the throne room. She glanced out at all the people scattered around it, and thought about her own world. She remembered it- video games and Tumblr and idiots who needed putting in their place. She wanted to be there. She belonged there.

Everybody else had gone home- Kyoree and the few Topworlders that had managed to escape Alice's tyranny. Only she and Jorge remained. Jorge wouldn't explain why, but Delia had a sneaking suspicion that Jorge was one of the girls on the Missing posters, the orphan who had run away from her fourth foster-home in a row.

She stepped up to the throne, nervous. She wasn't sure how the Wonderlanders would react. But she knew that she was doing right.

"Hello, subjects," she said, clearing her throat nervously. "Today, I've come to address an important issue. I want to go home." Anxious murmers rippled through the crowd. Delia held up her hands for silence. "I will not leave you without a queen. I think she should have won, anyways. She guided my hand to kill the tyrant Alice. Jorge. Please, accept the crown and send me home." Delia held the scepter out to her friend.

Jorge took it. "Okay," she said quietly. "But Delia. Take Emile. I know how close you two have gotten..."

Delia blushed. Emile shrugged and smiled.

Jorge raised the scepter. "I will rule fairly and wisely!" She nodded to Delia, who returned the nod and left stage, taking Emile with her.

They navigated the hallways until they found it- the chute to the surface. Jorge had designed it. "She'll make a good queen," Delia murmered.

"Are you sure that you want to go through with this?" Emile asked. "You're famous here."

"I could be famous there," Delia returned. "A new challenge."

"As long as I'm with you," Emile replied, grabbing her hand. Together, they stepped up the chute, ready to take on the world above, Delia's laughter echoing down the corridors as they sped towards the warm sunlight.