Have you ever been in a place that seemed to be a portal? Like the feeling when you walk through a gate, and the world around you seems to be like a completely different dimension? No? Oh well. This is the tale of Alice. She found a place completely different to her own world. But this was no wonderland.
It all started when she was coming home from school one day. It seemed like any other day. The hot, July air burned her skin. Her platinum blonde hair was tied in a messy bun atop her head, her bright blue dress swapped for a white sleeveless top and navy jean shorts. She did however, put on a blue headband, in homage to her favorite dress in her childhood. Alice pushed her black rimmed glasses further up her nose. She was currently pondering upon her latest English assignment. Her bag was overflowing with books, albeit ones with many pictures (Her Anatomy book has particularly peculiar diagrams, that show exactly how the human body works. To this day Alice was bored by books with no pictures at all). Alice had the reputation of a complete madman (sorry, madwoman), one she upholded gladly. Because who needed to be normal, right? At least she stood out!
Like I said earlier, Alice was returning home after a long day. It is only natural that she didn't realize the changes around her until it started snowing. Like I already mentioned, it was the middle of July! The weather had no right to change so drastically.
"Strange..." Alice muttered, suddenly wishing she had brought a coat, or at least a sweater. But then again, there was no sign it would be this cold today. She shivered at the cold, accidentally glimpsing the ground. She looked again, simply not believing her own eyes. The ground was covered completely with snow, her martens boots barely sticking out (like I said, Alice was an oddball. She always wore those boots, even in 30 degrees Celsius). Right now, she was glad for the warmth they gave. She looked around herself. All she could see for miles was snow. There were no other people, no cars, no buildings, no trees. It was like a snow desert.
The only life for miles around was a white rabbit, quite hard to notice at first. It sat patiently, waiting for the girl to notice it (or should I say her. During later conversations, the rabbit confessed that she identifies with the name Daphne). When she was sure she had caught the girl's attention, she delicately jumped through the snow, stopping once every few seconds to check if the girl was following. She was. This whole scene was extremely peculiar. And yet, strangely familiar. As though she had seen this rabbit before. And followed her, just like now. But something was off, and Alice couldn't quite put her finger on it. Suddenly Alice's foot slipped, and the girl fell into a rabbit hole.
Sounds familiar? This had happened before. But Alice was much, much younger then. She personally could barely remember that time. It had faded into nothing more than a distant memory. However, this rabbit hole was unlike any she had ever encountered. True, it was just as large as the last one, and likewise, she kept on falling for what seemed like forever, but this time, the... scenery was different. Much more terrifying objects floated past her this time. The objects were seemingly the same, yet horribly twisted. Instead of jams and jellies in the jars on a shelf that passed her, there were what seemed like eyes stuffed in them, along with other vital organs. She passed a severed pigs head, which seemed to be looking at her with envy. Perhaps envious of the fact she was still alive? Alice would never know.
She kept on falling, passing even more grotesque. Finally, as soon as she saw a large looking glass, she, remembering with a jolt, that mirrors are portals, clambered through the mirror (terrible choice, in my opinion. Who am I, you ask? You'll find out soon enough). She didn't account for what would happen next. She was right though. Mirrors are portals. And this particular mirror was a portal to Topsy Turvy, known by wonder-landers as the mirror realm. No-one ever dared to travel there. It was supposedly filled with terrors of all kind. But Alice, of course, had no idea about this. Besides, have you met the girl? She isn't exactly the type to shy away from 'adventures' as she calls them. Well, this certainly was going to be an adventure.
Topsy Turvy is known as the mirror realm for one specific reason. It is the mirror image of Wonderland, but terribly twisted. You see, the queen of hearts is a good and kind ruler. Which is why Alice was shocked to find her good friend so bloodthirsty. The familiar ground was somehow purple now, not at all like it used to be, and the green sky was heavily polluted with some kind of smog. Where it came from, remains a mystery. The forest, once home to friendly, oversized, talking animals, was now roamed by monsters, terrible ones, the kind that haunted your worst nightmares. The kind with long, filthy claws, white eyes, and horns that curved behind their heads. The kind that stands on two legs, alarmingly mimicking humans. The kind with a melancholy air about them, that sucked the color out of the world, seemed to be always pondering on something. Looking into the horizon, seemingly a peace. The kind that would attack you if only they caught your eye.
Alice turned... and ran. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She knew that to stay her would mean death, either by beheading, murder, or some other terrible thing. Except that wasn't the smartest move. The beings turned, and started to chase her. As the reader knows, from another tale I have told, the beings are incredibly fast. They feed on human fear, and can smell it from a mile away. And though Alice could run much faster than the last boy to find himself here, she too was caught by the beings. No – one could escape.
"Alice!" a familiar voice awoke the girl. Her eyes slowly fluttered open.
"where... where am I?" She didn't need to ask, though. She already knew. Even though she had so many questions, they all seemed completely irrelevant, once she saw the friendly faces smiling down on her. Me, the mad hatter (mainly in name, though he was slightly nutty, any one could see that), the caterpillar, the queen of hearts, Daphne, and all her friends from the True Wonderland. And who am I? I am the Storyteller. But this isn't my tale, it is Alice's. And so I answered softly:
"Home."