The shopkeeper looks stunned. "You don't know miss Alice?!" They spoke loudly. "No, I don't. Who is she?" I asked once more. "Mina, don't get him started" Zack huffed, I could hear the tiredness in his voice. The shopkeeper smiled brightly. "Alice was once a warrior of madness. She was sweet and kind, a lovely woman. She even made the queen soft." He spoke fondly of her.
"Alice was alive back when the queen was nothing more than a princess" as he spoke something came back to me. Someone dressed in red, a savior. Three girls in the woods, I can see myself but who are they? They're holding my hand and chanting. What are we saying?
"Alice helped overthrow Queen Garnet but it cost her life and Now our new queen fall into madness"
"I'll take the dress" I don't know why but I think I have done something wrong but what. "Ah, good choice" He smiled, ringing it up for me. "I'm sorry," I told Zack. "It's fine, I didn't think you'll have money," He told me as left the shop, it was starting to get dark. The sky was fading from blue to purple. "No, for everything" I turned back to him. "I dragged you with me when you didn't want to. I was weak and scared I-" He hugged and I was back in his arms again. "Mina what happened?!" Zach asked me worriedly. I looked down at my hands, I can't remember where I came from or what I have done. "I-i" I couldn't even speak. I just started crying. He held me, didn't ask what was wrong, and just let me cry.
He rubbed my back, "You don't need to apologize" His words made my mind go blank, and my head feel heavy. Everything felt wrong and I started to feel dizzy. "You have done nothing wrong" and with that, I was out.
I woke back home, back with yelling, and drinking. I was standing in the kitchen, and my mother and father were in the dining room. I was not alone, a girl my age stood there with me. She had blonde hair and wore a red sweater and black ripped jeans. She held my hand, "He won't help you but I will" she whispered into my ear as her hand slipped from my hand and that's when I got a good look at my arms. Cut up and bruised. My whole body hurt and I couldn't understand, who was she?
I heard screaming coming from the dining room but a bright light blinded me. I fluttered my eyes to see Zack opening a window, letting all the sun in. "What?" He looked over at me with a smile. "You're up" He sat on the bed I lay in. "Where are we?"
"A hotel" I looked over next to me to see a wall of pillows. "I didn't want our bodies to touch," he said softly. I giggled "Okay, but i don't remember coming here"
"I didn't think you would, you passed out in my arms yesterday"
Yesterday? "What day is it?" I throw the blanket off of me. Did I miss the party? "I don't know, I just know it's a new day" He got off the bed, grabbing the bag that held the dress. "We didn't miss the party, she holds them days at a time" I guess my worry showed on my face. "I think today is the last day but I'm sure we won't miss it" He held the dress out to me. I looked at the dress and then back at him. "We?" He nodded "I don't think you could do it alone"
"Ah, you calling me weak" I grabbed the dress, hopping out of bed. "What? No! That's not what I was saying" he got flustered a bit making me laugh. "Joking" I could feel the dream I had become nothing more than broken puzzle pieces that were meant to be forgotten. "Thank you" I smiled "It means a lot" He wanted to stay. I didn't have to beg. I don't know what I would do if I was alone.
I changed into the dress in the bathroom as Zack changed in the room. He wore a black suit with messy painted poppies on it. He looked nice in it. The dress was beautiful. It fitted me nicely but didn't feel right to wear. "You look great," He told me with a sweet smile. "Thank you" I could feel myself blushing. I looked away, "Now where to next?" I asked him, "The garden of blue" He walked over to the door of the room holding it open for me. The hotel felt different as if it didn't belong here but wished to stay. I slid my hands along the walls. What do I want to do? I don't know. I don't even know if I want to go home. I know what waits for me there but here I know nothing and no one knows me.