Layna was pacing, trying to make more sense with her situation. There was no possible way she entered a storybook, right? That's not how the world works. Maybe this was a dream, but she distinctly remembered the pain she felt earlier. She had never felt pain in a dream before. God, Layna was feeling a headache coming. How was she supposed to react to a person that was an actual cat just moments ago? Or the fact that this Cheshire character kept calling her Alice and mentioning people called the White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts? She was no main character. This wasn't what she thought would happen when she ran into the woods earlier.
Taking a peak at the floating, lounging male, Layna felt her eyebrow twitch. The wanker seemed to be enjoying her panic and confusion, and it was pissing her off.
She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself rational, because she knew getting emotional wasn't going to help her. "Where am I?"
The Cheshire Cat's ear twitched at the question, "Somewhere, I'm sure."
Layna heaved a heavy sigh, trying to keep her blood from boiling as she knew this conversation was going to go in circles.
"Seems you are quite excitable today, Alice. Perhaps it's because you are thinking too much. If I think too much, I also feel as though I've become less mad." The cat had gotten closer to her with his tail tapping the temple of her head.
Layna moved away again. But, despite the annoyance, she found that conversation curious. He acknowledged his own madness, similar to the actual cat in the book, if she recalls correctly. Still, she'd rather not be called Alice. It makes things more confusing for her.
"If thinking means I won't be as mad, in both sense of the word, then I think I should continue it else I'd whack you. And, don't call me Alice. I'm not Alice. I'm Layna Darnell. Call me by my proper name."
Cheshire Cat turned upside down, head tilting, "You can try to whack me, Alice, but it's doubtful you'd get a good hit in. After all, cats like me aren't easy to tether. See the Hearts, they've tried many times. However, it is enjoyable to play with the Executioner, but he seems to act otherwise." With each word, parts of himself seemed to disappear, as if making a point.
Layna, on the other hand, didn't like that dark shift in his tone when he was talking about the "Hearts." It was subtle, unnoticeable if you weren't looking for it, but Layna has always been good at catching such things. Desiring not to fuel whatever flame regarding the Hearts, she focused on her initial request, "Again, I'm not Alice. It'd be proper to call me by my actual name."
He had completely disappeared by the time she finished her sentence, but his response came from the same spot, "Indeed, and your proper name is Alice. Truly, quite mad today. Perhaps you aren't thinking as much as I presumed."
Again, the conversation regarding her name was going in circles. Taking a different approach, "If we are all mad, then shouldn't I go by an unusual name? How mad would it be for you to not call me Alice? Wouldn't it be fun to mess with others who don't know?"
A silence permeated the air.
"Curious, I suppose you are right."
Layna flinched, hearing his voice to her left, closer than what she was comfortable with.
He continued as he began to fade back into existence, starting with his grin, "Fine. I shall humor you for now, Not Alice."
Layna blinked, not amused, but she had a feeling that this was as far as she was going to get regarding her name. At least, for today.
Now for the next topic she needed answers for, "I need to go back home. So, I need to leave this place. Where do I go?"
Fully in existence again, Cheshire Cat looked a bit sharp, "Well, I can think of a few homes, but I'd rather not go to a few of them." His tone was dipping again, juxtaposing against the grin that never left.
Not wanting to go down that particular rabbit hole right now, Layna purposefully brought up the conversation the story book Alice had with the story book Cat, "Do some of the homes you know include the Mad Hatter's and the March Hare's homes?"
His tail swayed calmly, and his demeanor became brighter, "My, you remembered them but not me?" He voice held a tease, "But yes, those are some homes I know of." He turned, pointing to the right with his elbow as his paws were still fastened to him by the straight jacket, "That direction houses the Mad Hatter while that direction," switch to point left with his other elbow, "houses the March Hare." The Cheshire Cat looked at her, expectedly, "We can go to either, Not Alice."
Layna rubbed her arm slightly, a bit unnerved at the dialogue that was eerily close to that in the storybook, before shaking her head, "No, I'd like to go to my…own…home." She moved her hand to hold her wrist, as if uncomfortable stacking claim.
Cheshire Cat noticed easily, "Do you know what a home is, or is that something you've forgotten, as well?"
She blinked at the question, "Did you mean the question to sound profound?"
He shrugged his shoulders, "I simply meant what I had said."
After a bit of silence, Layna responded, taking a determined step forward, "You know what, I change my mind. Let's go to the March Hare's home. They should be having a tea party, correct?" That's where the Alice in the book went, wasn't it? Perhaps if Layna went through the motions and went to the end of the story, she'd wake back to the real world like the storybook Alice did. And, along the way, maybe she could get a handle of the emotions and thoughts creeping up on her.
Hah, how funny. Layna made such a big deal about not being called Alice, yet here she was, following the pathing of the book. Maybe she should've said the Mad Hatter's home, instead. Was she mad, after all?
However, before she could change her request, the Cheshire Cat grinned widely. He popped behind her, pushing her to the left where the March Hare's home awaited.
Layna, surprised by the contact, raised her voice, "Wait, wait, wait!"
She twisted herself away from Cheshire Cat, who paused in confusion, as Layna headed towards the spot she had woken up at. She padded down the tree and gave a few stomps on the group, just making sure going back didn't actually include going 'back' to the start. Seeing no change, Layna felt a mix of emotion. She had been split on whether she wanted to go back home, especially so quickly. It was a relief, honestly, that the choice of leaving so quickly wasn't there. Yet, that relief didn't sit well in her stomach, either.
Sighing, she supposed she'd have time to explore that emotion later. Right now, all Layna had was to move forward.
Turning around, she walked past the Cheshire Cat who watched her with great interest. Looking back at the floating Cat, Layna questioned, "You said we'd go to the March Hare's home. You not coming?" While she didn't trust nor liked the guy, she'd rather not be alone in this Wonderland, knowing full well she could easily get lost.
Cheshire Cat's grin widened in excitement, "Yes, yes. Let's go, Not Alice."