Angela in Wonderland

2 - Alice or Angela?

I stared at Jason longer, not knowing what's happening. It remained the same, except that I'm angry and I'm blushing and I'm... Whatever.

"What?", he looked back at me, as he continued, "You can still see me?"

"Hell yeah."

Shocked, he fell to the ground, blushing. "My first kiss... Was not with Alice. No, no, no."

He suddenly stood up, then he shook me. "Are you Alice?!?", he cried with such expecting eyes which wanted me to say yes.

"N-No, I'm Angela. Sorry.", I said, all my anger disappeared. Pity overcame me. But, I thought, 'That Alice girl sure is lucky.'

I shook my head, and left him there.

Bump.

My foot terribly hurts. It bumped into some hard solid. As I went to touch it, it seemingly looks like a table. I put the cocoon on top of the table, giving it color. Such an elegant table did I see.

I wanted to ask Jason about it, but when I turned, he wasn't there.

Sad, I stared longer at the table. After a while, cake popped up. To be more accurate, a slice of cake appeared on top of the table.

It has a label so catchy, you won't dare ignore it.

Eat Me Alice.

At first, I didn't want to eat it, because it's for 'Alice'. But, doesn't the matter of events kind of remind me about Lewis Caroll's book, "Alice in Wonderland". Weird.

But, I just ate it in the end. I was hungry.

Expecting myself to grow big or small, I turned into a man.

I never did expect this, so I ran wild. I ran along the room, and accidentally bumped the table, making the cocoon fall. It cracked.

It gave color to the whole place, as it opened. A woman went out of it, with ginormous wings. "Hello."

"H-Hi.", my heart was thumping heart, both my girly heart and my boyish heart. Her beauty was so angelic; you'll think she's an angel, rather than a butterfly.

"Thank you for taking care of me. What name would you want?", she asked me.

I cocked my head, indicating her to specify everything.

"Oh.", she giggled, it was so ladylike, as she continued, "Your boy name now, Angela."

"Oh.", I laughed, embarrassed. I chose carefully. Maybe the boy version name of my sister, Kyla? I replied with full confidence.

"K-K... Gabriel."

"Gabriel, it is.", she smiled.

"N-No... I mean... Uhm. It wasn-"

"Let me lead you, Gabby?", she laughed, her laugh was infectious. Beware.

"O-Okay.", I covered myself as I blush.

***

As we walked endlessly, I can't feel tired thinking of what happened.

To summarize everything, I met Nikka, the butterfly, Jason, an all-black-dressed man, and an unknown guy which was terribly white.

I also don't know why I said the name Gabriel, rather than Kyle. It's like her gaze controlled me that time. Like she was pleading me to say Gabriel, instead of any other.

I'm actually fine with the name, but curiosity never made me stop thinking about it. It started to become annoying. Why? Because my dad's name is Gabriel Carp Liken. He's such a man who you could look up to. He'll never let you down. He'll always make you happy, grinning also like a fool.

But all of that gone.

He disappeared one day, leaving my older sister, Kyla Margaret Liken, and me. Leaving for heaven.

My mom died at the time when I was 3. We were house-napped while my dad wasn't around. Strangers crept inside our house, raping my mom. I heard her shouting, as I looked at her with Kyla. All we seen are 2 guys on top of my mom. Accurately speaking, on top of my dead mom.

Skipping the thoughts, me and Nikka arrived in a mushroom garden.

"Home, home, here I Am.", she said.

Mushrooms grew all at once, looking yummier. Of course, my stomach grumbled, hungry for food and answers. What's this place? Why is it like this? Why are the people weird here? Why am 'I' named Gabriel?

"Sit down, Gabby.", Nikka said, as she gestured me to a mushroom.

Of course, I followed.

"What would you like to eat now, Ang... I mean, Gabriel?"

"Uh. I would like some mushrooms. They look terribly delicious." Act like a lady, Angela!

"I mean, I was asking if you would like to eat food or answers."

Surprised, my jaw dropped. How could she read my thoughts? Now, I found her scary and all.

"Gabriel?"

"O-Oh.", I stuttered and continued, "Can I please ask for both?"

She giggled, and cleared her throat. "Yes dear, you may. So, let's rest for a bit?"

I nodded back at her. I thought that I can communicate with her even if I'm not talking. How laughable.

***

After eating, we let those little creatures get our dishes. I don't know why, but they also look delicious. Seriously, what's happening to me?

"Let's continue to our next dish, dear?", she asked me, smiling.

"U-Uh... Yeah. Let's do.", I stuttered to her.

"So... I thought of the answers already, let's start with the question, 'Are you Alice?'"

"Uhm. It was not one of my questions at all, Nikka. I suggest that we start with the question, 'Why am I Gabriel?'"

She shook her head, and stated, "You are Alice. You're supposed to know why."

I shook back, not believing her. "No, no I'm not. If so, can you state reasons on why am I 'her'? I believe that I am Angela."

A mystical voice was suddenly heard, "Because you made this world, my dear."

A woman appeared in front of me. She looks so normal, like my sister. Normally elegant. Not those elegant people who go ordering people to do this and that, but those elegant people whose ethnics are swift.

"M-My Queen.", Nikka said, she bowed.

"Raise your head, dear. I'm glad you are now born, especially in the arms of this lady." she said, as she pointed to me.

"Yes. It was my great pleasure to be born in her hands, your Majesty.", Nikka replied, blushing.

"Are you some kind of Queen?"

I blurted out some insane question, as they both looked at me eyes wide. After the tense atmosphere, they laughed hard.

Breathless, the elegant woman said, "No, no, dear. I'm the previous Alice, Alice Margaret. I'm the current supporter of this world. Once I die, you-", she said as she points at me, "-will continue my job."

"Ohh. You're Alice. I think I must apologize to you, your Majesty.", I said as I looked at her.

"Hm? For what might that be, Gabriel?"

"I-maybe it's Angela's fault-apologize for eating your cake in the black world before, and-", I inhaled for a while and continued,"-for stealing Jason's first kiss from you. I'm terribly sorry.", I bowed.

She smirked and told me, "Oh dear. I see that we have a lot of explanation to do. Might you please join me?"

I looked at Nikka, asking for her opinion whether I should join Alice or not. She made a 'shoo' movement at me. It annoys me, a girl shooing a man like me. Annoying.

"I might join you, Ma'am."

"Margaret, please."

I wonder why she won't use Alice.