Hello, everyone. This is a fanfiction I wanted to try, due to my appreciation of the American McGee games. I specifically want to focus on the 'Alice: Madness Returns' game, and I apologize if this isn't what you want to read.
Nanny: I told your mother, dear. You're a distant and stubborn child, too content in her own world. Alice: My memories are shattered! This wicked train has ruined nearly all I can recall and Wonderland will perish completely as I lose my mind. This video is a tribute to Alice: Madness Returns, aswell as to the great characters created. Jun 16, 2011 For Fun: Alice Madness Returns Wallpaper Chapter 1 There are a total of 26 memories in this chapter to find and collect. Some of them will be right in plain sight however others will be hidden in secret areas.
A quick note: This story will have an OC as the main character. I also plan to include content that wasn't released in the official game in the story, mostly concerning Wonderland itself.
Second quick note: I have rated this story as 'M' because the actual games are Mature rated, containing violence and mature themes.
Now a DISCLAIMER: 'Alice: Madness Returns' is owned by Spicy Horse and Electronic Arts. The 'American McGee' series is owned by their creators, including unreleased content for said games. The author owns any OC's or custom elements introduced into this story.
Onward to the Chapter!
Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart beats in a slow rhythm, the first thing I notice in and around me. I take a breath, and gag on a sour, smoky taste in the air. My legs crouch into my chest as I try to block out any more of this air from entering my nose and mouth.
I feel like vomiting on the cold ground beneath me from the taste. My stomach growls in either hunger pains, or a desire to empty its contents. It takes me a second to realize I'm lying on my side against a hard, broken surface.
I finally uncurl when I feel something knobby poke me in the back. I open my eyes to see a brick wall with several moldy spots in front of me, but not the source of the poking that now happens every few seconds. It takes me a few seconds of concentrated effort to roll over to my other side. The first thing I notice from this action is pain as bits of my skin peel off of the cold surface beneath me.
I then see the mottled and bruised face of a man with matted brown hair who, if he wasn't wearing a suit coat and pants blackened by grime, would probably look quite nice. He holds a large stick in one hand, which he pokes into my stomach without stopping. His blue eyes don't shine when I look at them; he doesn't seem to react to my eye contact, or when I slide back to the empty wall, out of his reach. He now taps the ground where I was with his stick as I notice a large bottle in his other hand. The peeling label on the bottle says 'ELEPHANT ELBOW'S RUM' in large black letters.
My stomach calms down as I take a look at my surroundings, my eyes moving faster than my brain. I'm lying against one of two long brick walls covered in mold, the stick-tapping man slumped against the other. To my left is a smaller wall that's hidden almost completely in shadow, the end of this sort of alleyway. Discarded bottles like the one in the man's hand litter the gray stones beneath me; cobblestones, my mind says, without my knowing why.
I stand up slowly, the wall slimy to my hands as I press against it. The man stops tapping as I stand fully upright, and I accidentally lock eyes with him. His own eyes widen, and a bit of color fills them as his mouth opens slightly. Is he going to say something to me?
No, actually. He just give a dopey grin as his eyes cross over. That sends a chill down my spine, and I turn away before does anything else. The only path I can take away from this drunk leads to an equally-dark crossroad of paths. Each step I take is more like a stumble as my mind, now awake and active, starts to ask questions.
Where am I? How did I get here? Why did I get here? Why is this place like this? What time is it? How long has it been since I last ate or drank something? Am I getting a headache? What was with that man's reaction when he finally seemed to notice me? Was it that rum he drank? Or, is it me? Is something wrong with me?
On that last question, I take a moment to look myself over. My skin seems pale in this darkened space, but I wear a white collared shirt stained on one side with grime, black pants, and black shoes with white socks. A few pokes around my stomach tell me I don't have much skin on my bones.
A hoarse meow reaches my ears as I step into the dark crossroads. I turn my head and see a white cat sitting on the path to my left, which leads to a sun-lit path and a few distant voices. The cat's yellow eyes look at mine, the pupils slightly dilated from the lack of light. I can see its ribs though its fur and skin, but its tail swishes back and forth energetically. Before I can blink, it gets up and walks down the path towards the light.
I look at the other two paths, leading between two-story and three-story houses, neither of them having any sort of light like the path in front of me. No other person is near me, save that drunken man from where I first woke up. It seems like I have a decision to make regarding where I go next. Do I step out into the light that I know nothing about, or remain in the darkness that I at least have some sort of familiarity with?
The cat draws my attention back to it with a loud hiss. It's just about to enter the sun-lit path, but it looks back at me. I feel a tug rise in my chest, like a string that connects to the cat, pulls me with the cat. I take one step forward, then another, and then several more in quick succession, my legs moving faster as the cat darts into the passing crowds of dark-clothed people.
I emerge into the light, and almost instantly press my back against a wall to my left as a man with a belly far too large for his britches wobbles past me. A rotund cigar bobs in his mouth, the smoke from that cigar shrouding his black bowler hat. I hold my breath to avoid coughing from the smoke; it burns my eyes like the alleyway's air.
There are more people than this fat smoker out here, which I notice a moment after he moves on. A few women in brightly-colored dresses, and uglier faces, stand in a group at one corner. Predatory grins are on their faces as they watch the men walking by. I don't hear anything they say, but they point to a few men's legs, and what's between them, as they talk. I don't think I should get involved with that.
Two burly, shirtless men talk among themselves in front of a butcher shop, close by to the evil-looking ladies. These men don't notice the attention they're getting from the females. Or, they could just be ignoring it, I don't know.
A distant tune comes from across another corner, but I can't see the source of the music from where I stand. The notes sound scrapy and messy, like the player needs more practice. Again, I don't think I should get involved.
The buildings, now revealed under what sunlight I can see through the smoke-filled sky, all look the same. They all have aged wood and stone, peeling paint, spiked roofs, and chimneys that spew more black smoke into the air. So, that was the smoke I was tasting in the alleyway; it hasn't reached the streets, yet, but the air tastes bad enough already. The few windows I see on the buildings are shrouded in darkness.
Nothing feels safe, here. I feel like a fish out of water, afraid to step into this strange place.
My feelings are shoved aside as someone pushes me against the wall with an angry, 'Leave off, you mongrel!'
This comes from a tall, black-suited man with a bowler hat, stubby chin, and wild brown eyes who seems to be smoking a cigar. We lock eyes for just a second, but that second is enough for him to step away from me with a frightened expression and a muttered, 'Bloody fuck!' He looks around, and then jumps as he notices something I don't see.
'Oy, 'e's seen us,' a deep voice shouts out. 'Stop, in the name of the law!'
Two very muscular men charge towards the two of us from within the crowd, one closer than the other. I look them over in just a few moments. They both wear navy blue uniforms made of tail coats, top hats, trousers, and black boots. Their footsteps sound like giant's stomps to my ears. I shouldn't be near them, should I?
The black-suited man next to me barrels through the crowd with wild abandon, away from the uniformed men, and me. I see his cigar falls to the street out of the corner of my eye. I don't get a breath in before the closer of the two men starts shouting from behind me.
'You little cur! You're under arrest for helping Jack Splatter escape!' This man has a rough voice and a deep frown, as he grabs my suit, whirls me around, and raises a fist towards my face. I look away and shut my eyes from what he'll do next.
'Hold your tongue, Williard, you're scaring the wee kid!' I open my eyes as the second uniformed man, with a thicker black mustache, holds the younger 'Williard' back from going full out on me.
'We'd almost snuck up on Splatter, Charlie,' Williard desperately comments without letting me go. 'But, this tyke had to alert him to our presence. Now, that waste of mother's love's gone back to whatever hole in the ground he calls home!'
'You think this urchin deserves harm because of our incognito plan? 'E just appeared, that's all; 'sides, Splatter will turn up again, like a damn termite. Now, what's your name, lad?' The question is directed at me by 'Charlie', who I now turn to face and answer.
At least, I try to answer; for some reason, I can't recall my actual name. Fear makes my throat freeze up and block any words I could say to solve this problem.
'E's afraid to talk,' Williard quickly notes to Charlie. 'E probably knows something about Splatter, at least. Splatter panicked only when 'e appeared!'
Charlie doesn't respond. My fear spreads to my eyes, which burn as my hands start to shake. Charlie's eyes widen in the same way the drunk man did, but he also frowns at something I can't see.
'You're right, Williard,' he states. 'There's something off about 'im, something that needs further looking at. Come on, lad, a rest in a gaol cell will open your mouth towards what you know.'
Charlie's hand rests on my shoulder; his touch makes something inside me break with tremendous force, force that I use to scream, 'Wait!' to the men, and struggle out of their grip. I don't know why I'm doing this, but the image of being trapped somewhere, against my will, frightens me to the core.
'Please,' I breathe out, my voice sounding high-pitched to my ears. 'I… something's wrong. My head… I can't remember things…' I clutch my head as it pounds in quick sequence, opposite to my heartbeat.
'Ay, don't lie to us, lad,' Williard snarls as he grabs my arm. 'You're coming with us!'
The constable's grip is like iron, now. Charlie grabs my other arm before I can break away a second time. The pounding becomes too strong for me to muster any force against their actions, and I slump to the ground in defeat as they drag me away.
The gaol is a three-story building in an area with a cleaner air, and more sunlight, than where I first woke up. The building has large white pillars supporting the floors, with rows of brick and large windows between the pillars. We enter the first floor, which has a large lobby with simple tiling, and pass a few people sitting in seats with dejected or upset expressions. However, we quickly move past them and up a flight of stairs to a cell with a wooden floor, peeling white wall, thick metal bars, and one of the windows I saw earlier providing sunlight. Williard unlocks and opens the door while Charlie holds me from running away—not that I want to at this point.
Charlie forces me inside, my body falling before the window as he slips out. Williard quickly closes and locks the door again, from what I can hear. I don't rise up from the floor, the pounding in my head transitioned by this point into an overall cold that makes me shiver, despite the fact I'm lying in direct sunlight. My eyes are clamped shut as I feel sweat run down my body, my shakes increasing as I crunch my legs to my chest again.
'Lad's pretty young, eh?' This comes from Williard, and I can barely hear his words through the roaring in my ears.
'Mmm,' Charlie agrees. 'A young one, fresh off the slums, I suspect. Makin' his way into the world, but sadly wasn't prepared for it.' A groan escapes my throat as a new spasm of shivers makes me slam my foot against the floor like the drunk man from the alleyway tapped his stick on the ground. I have no control over it, I'm too occupied by my pounding head and picking up whatever Charlie and Williard are saying.
'You think he's another insane case,' Williard asks. 'Should we send him to Rutledge?'
'The asylum? That damn place don't need another broken mind, though they would certainly take care of 'im. Take 'im off of London's streets, for sure. I mean, they cured that one girl last year who'd been in there for ten years, or so. Man, that's a story for the papers there, curing that Alice Liddell.'
At the words 'Alice Liddel', I freeze up. My eyes snap open and stare at a small hole in the nearby wall. Charlie continues to speak, but I don't hear anything from him as, to my growing horror, a large, yellow eye with a slit for a pupil emerges from the hole, glances around the room, and then settles on me. The eye blinks once as a deep, firm voice whispers sing-song words into my ears.
'Ah, Alice. What have you done?'
The eye melts into a pool of blood. I scramble back towards the bars, afraid to touch the red liquid. The guards shut up from whatever they were talking about as I roll over to face them. This time they both back up with surprised expressions when I look at them. Clearly, there's something about my face that people here don't like to see.
I clutch the bars with a hand, my strength returning rapidly as I hoist myself to a standing posture, the headache and cold replaced with a determination that fills me to my center. This determination has an identity, a name, a person it is connected to, a person I must find if I am to calm this chaos in my mind.
A single question comes to my lips, which I ask to the two confused guards in a focused tone. It's so different from the fear I had before, I'm not completely sure it's my voice. But, the question is certainly mine.
'Where is Alice Liddell?'
I sit on the cell floor, the name 'Alice Liddell' the only stable point in my head, the only thing that keeps me anchored to right now, and not drift off into some other realm in my imagination. The rest of my mind flies around in a storm of confusion and ideas, concepts forming and then breaking apart almost instantly afterwards. This storm isn't painful, really, just annoying to have, especially when there's nothing in this cell to draw my attention towards.
Williard and Charlie hadn't answered my question. Actually, they hadn't said anything before walking out of sight. They had also looked at each other in confusion. I had shouted the question to them again as they left my field of view, but they remained silent. I had stayed there for several long seconds as someone in another cell I couldn't see started laughing his head off. I didn't think my question was funny.
Now, I sit before the window as the sun lights up the sky a bright orange. Its heat warms my body and keeps me calm against this mental storm.
One thought that keeps coming up in the storm is that I can't remember my name, if I ever had one to begin with. Should I remember it, though; what if it's a name that gives me more problems? Those two officers, Williard and Charlie, wanted to capture that suited man who had ran into me, a man named 'Jack Splatter'; what if I had a name like his, a name hated by the law? Would I have given my name up for a reason, then?
Does my losing my name connect to that alleyway where I woke up? Did I experience some trauma that led to me being there, like a physical injury? Is that why my face makes people back away in fear? But, what if the injury is a mental one, instead? Is Alice Liddel connected in some way to my injury?
The storm breaks apart as I hear someone approach my cell. I turn from the sunlight to see Charlie say to me, 'You've got a visitor, lad. He says he can help you.'
I quickly stand up, powering through a wave of dizziness that comes from my rapid rising as Charlie nods to someone out of my view. Another man moves beside Charlie, but he isn't a member of the constables.
This man looks older than Charlie, but his figure is slimmer, his shoulders broader. His face is quite long and thin compared to the people I've seen here, his chin quite pointed and his cheekbones easily visible. A quick glance at his uncovered hands shows they are quite bony, as is his nose. His eyes are small and pale, but they seem to have a glimmer of power inside them I can't define, but I know is there. A full dark brown beard and mustache add to his similarly-colored hair.
He wears a brown coat and top hat, black trousers, a white shirt and gray waistcoat, and a red tie. Large round-rimmed glasses rest on his face and further accentuate his eyes. He looks at me, and actually isn't scared away by my focused gaze. This automatically sets me on edge, though I don't know why. I just catch Charlie step away from the cell, but probably not too far away.
'Good afternoon.' The unknown man says this to me, his voice smooth and elegant compared to the officer's deep tones. 'My name is Dr. Angus Bumby. I am the psychiatrist, and head manager, of the Houndsditch Home for Wayward Orphans. I was informed of your specific wants a few hours ago by the Constables who work here. However, I want to make sure that I am understanding the situation correctly. Could you please explain to me exactly what it is that you want?'
The doctor's ending question makes me flinch; I hadn't planned an explanation yet, the mental storm being too discordant for me to speak what I want to others. However, if he is willing to listen, then I can't ruin this one chance I have to leave this place. This cell doesn't seem to have any problems of its own, but it offers no help to figuring out where Alice Liddel is. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, doing my best to calm the mental storm and form the words I need to say.
'I don't remember anything about myself,' I slowly speak while trying to recall everything that's happened to me. 'That part is clear. I woke up in an alleyway, next to a drunken man, and followed a white cat onto a brightly-lit street. I then bumped into a man named Jack Splatter, who then noticed he was being followed by Williard and Charlie in an incognito plan to, I suspect, arrest him. Jack ran into the crowd, and the constables began to question me. I couldn't answer anything they said, so they brought me here and called me an insane case.
'One thing is certain, Doctor,' I say as I open my eyes to meet his own. 'I must find Alice Liddell. I don't know why, but I am certain that it will help me remember who I am. Can you help me do that, Doctor?'
Dr. Bumby doesn't speak for several moments; he strokes his chin with his hands as he looks me over. I feel the cold from before start to return the longer I remain paused like this, but I try my hardest to keep from shivering in front of this man. He seems to be judging me with his eyes, but I'm not sure whether he's trying to find flaws or benefits.
'You seem very determined to find this person,' he then says while crossing his arms over his chest. 'How can you be so sure she, if this is a girl you're talking about, is even in London?' I bristle at this question, but do my best to keep a straight face.
'I will find Alice Liddell, no matter where she is. I have to, if I want any chance of figuring my own past out.'
'What if she's in an asylum, like the nearby Rutledge, or even overseas? You may have to risk life and limb to find her, and she may not want to see you when you do. She might even be dead, you know.'
'I won't believe she's dead until I've seen her fucking corpse!' I scream this at Bumby, gripping the bars with anger-fueled strength. The picture of the one person I know to be true being dead is one my body, and mind, violently reject. Bumby blinks once at my sudden anger, and I release my grip after a few seconds, giving my hands a chance to recirculate their blood.
'Let's make a hypothesis,' Bumby then says while adjusting his glasses slightly. 'Suppose I know where Alice is, and I bring you to her. What would you do, then?'
My answer is instant, not needing any time to craft: 'I would ask her to tell me, honestly, who I was in the past, if she remembers it. I would not try to harm her, or upset her, unless she is upset by my former self.'
'And, what if she can't help you, after all?'
'Then, I'll start a new life, with a new job, and wherever I choose to go to live. If Alice doesn't want me around longer than need be, that's fine. However, I need to hear from her that she can't help me, no one else.'
'Right then, time's up, Dr. Bumby,' Charlie suddenly says as he walks back into my view. 'It's getting late. While this conversation is interestin', and all, we have a schedule to keep.'
Bumby doesn't respond, but leaves with Charlie without giving me a second glance. Part of me feels like Bumby won't help me, that he'll take me to this 'Rutledge' place he and Charlie talked about. Either that, or he'll just let me rot away here in gaol. But, another part of me says I've broken through to him, explained my faults, and can trust him to help me out.
Neither side completely trumps the other, though, which makes me crouch down against the cell's far corner in a mixture of despair and impatience. My head bows as sleep consumes me.
A scream wakes me up, and doesn't stop as I realize I'm not in the cell, anymore. The yellow eye from before dominates a black horizon, the pupil darting around wildly as it screams without end. The ground beneath me pulses yellow ever few seconds, which prevents me from standing up as the scream starts to make my ears throb.
Gibbering words come through the scream's discordant noise. I try to crawl away from the eye and the rumbling ground, but I don't get far before the ground all around me begins to shake, even stronger than before. I start to panic as I now see some kind of black liquid covering my hands, more of it emerging with every shake of the ground. I try to brush it off, but that only spreads it onto the surrounding ground, and my clothes. I get covered in the muck very quickly, the smell of it extremely fowl to my nostrils.
'Alice!' The eye cries this out as I turn my head back to it and see it is being covered over by the same muck. 'Save us, Alice! Save us all!'
The ground beneath me breaks open before I can ask the eye how it knows Alice's name. I tumble through flashing yellow air into a pool of the same black muck. It sucks my body in, its smell and taste eye-wateringly foul. My screams turn into gargles as an inhuman face appears far above the muck.
The face laughs at my misfortune without a voice.
I gasp fresh air into my lungs, and feel liquid on my hands. I brush it off for fear that it's more of that black stuff, but it's actually a clear, sticky substance.
It suddenly clicks that I'm wiping my own drool, which makes me shudder in disgust at my own actions before I wipe them on any space I can, not that it helps me get any cleaner. Sunlight streams in from the window to show a new day. I'm not pleased to see it.
Footsteps resound down the corridor outside my cell, and I move to the bars to see Charlie and Dr. Bumby come up to me. They look a bit happier than yesterday.
'Alright, boy,' Charlie says as he unlocks my cell door. 'Dr. Bumby's bailing you out, not that you had much of a bail to begin with.' Charlie shoots me a lopsided grin at his remark, to which I try to smirk back, but don't get more than a raise of my lips. I slowly step out of the cell, and Bumby quickly takes my hand. His touch seems firm, but his grip feels like iron.
'Come,' he quickly says. 'You've been enrolled at Houndsditch. You're frankly too young to live your life in a gaol cell. I can help you find what you're looking for, but only if you let me help you recover your memories, in turn. Do we have an agreement?'
'I trust you, Doctor.' I shake his hand as I say this, my heart pounding in joy that I'm finally on the right step to finding out who I once was. We walk down the stairway together, but Bumby releases his grip on my hand when we reach the ground-floor lobby.
'Remember,' he then says as we through the now-empty room. 'I'm here to help you. Recovering memories is a tricky buisness. I just want to make sure you understand that.'
I nod in response as we enter into the outside streets. Even though they don't look clearer, I feel better about my situation, in general, as we head towards Houndsditch.
Alright, that's all I'll put for now. I hope you have liked what you've read so far. I will do my best to set up a schedule for posting new chapters, but that will depend on the chapter's length and how distracted I am with other important things (like work, and all that).
Please review, comment, and constructively criticize as you wish.
Draconos is taking off!
Chapter 8: Finding A Lost Memory
As Alice opens her eyes the world around her is very blurred and distorted. After a few minuets her eyes adjust and she realizes that she is back in the real world. She then notices that she is in a carriage with her former nanny and Arthur who is also walking up from being unconscious as The Mangled Mermaid burns behind them.
'What? The blood in my mouth tastes like bile! Where's the brute that hit me, Nanny?' Alice asks upset.
'Nasty prat's out cold. Not dead, and more's the pity' Nanny replies.
'What did he want?' Alice asks.
'What they all want, money he didn't earn. What were you thinking, butting into that mess? You could've been killed!' Nanny replies, 'And who are you?'.
'Arthur Kirkland i'm a friend of Alice's' Arthur replies shaking Nanny's hand.
'A friend?' Nanny asks smiling.
'Were just friends' Alice quickly replies.
'Alright' Nanny replies.
'Nanny, my mind is in pieces. I have terrible visions and I need to know-' Alice begins.
'About the fire, same as always. You need to move on Alice. So do I' Nanny replies.
…
'Well at least she's not spewing that asylum nonsense. 'My past is dead, I killed them, I should have saved them, I should have died!' Her mind was in shambles. Radcliffe thought familiar faces would bring her 'round, after a year he lost interest in her inheritance, greedy sod. Still always asking his bizarre questions, a heavy dose of madness I'd say, but honesty's never the best policy in this life. When she wasn't comatose she'd gape with eyes like pinwheels, drooled, occasionally screeched, never uttered a sensible sound. And like the child she was, she kept her secrets close' Nanny's voice is heard saying as numerous events in Alice's life is shown.
…
'Gonophs and lurkers! Common as cockroaches. And those poor tykes are food for perverts. Like the blameless ants that wasps consume, or a spider's feeble prey' Nanny says noticing what appears to be grown men surrounding little boys.
'That is sickening' Arthur replies, 'What has this bloody world come too'.
'You visited my room at Rutledge. What were you?' Alice asks ignoring the situation.
'You recall that? Radcliffe paid me, for a bit. A woman alone sometimes does what she doesn't particularly feel like doing, as you know' Nanny states.
'Nurse Witless said you'd fallen on hard times' Alice says.
'I'm no drunk like her. I'm hurting no one. Hooking's not a bad life' Nanny replies.
'Except for the pimps. She also said you might have my rabbit. Please Nanny, talk about-' Alice begins before Nanny cuts her off.
'The damn fire! Never seems to help. Look Alice, I can't give you what I don't have. Radcliffe wrote the inquest report, I'll take you to him. Besides, he's got your damn rabbit, you should remember that' Nanny replies.
'Alright, but Mister Radcliffe's useless!' Alice states
'Don't I know it' Nanny replies as the carriage stops and Alice and Arthur get out.
'It was nice meeting you' Arthur says to Nanny.
'You too' Nanny replies and waits until Alice is out of ear shot, 'Promise me you'll take care of her, she may think she doesn't need someone looking out for her but she does' Nanny replies.
'I promise i'll protect her with my life' Arthur replies.
'Thank you' Nanny says as he rushes off after Alice.
'So who is this Radcliffe fellow?' Arthur asks reaching Alice.
'A greedy asshole who tried to steal my inheritance which was practically nothing to begin with so he lost interest' Alice replies annoyed, 'He was my family's lawyer'.
'I haven't met the bloke yet and I already don't like him' Arthur replies.
'Trust me its impossible to actually like him' Alice replies as they approach a rather large house. Alice and Arthur walk through the gate and up the front stairs before Alice knocks on the door. The intercom then comes to life.
'Yes, who is it?' a man's voice asks.
'Alice Liddell, Mister Radcliffe' Alice replies.
'Ah, you're back. I suppose you'd better come up. Mind the latch' he replies disinterested as Alice opens the door and walks in with Arthur following her.
'Just wait down here I need to speak with him alone' Alice says.
'I'll be right here when you come back love' Arthur replies as Alice walks up the stairs. Upon reaching the second floor Alice walks into Radcliffe's office. Radcliffe is a fat man with white hair and glasses. As Alice approaches a chair to sit down she spies her stuffed rabbit thats missing an eye on his desk.
'You do have my rabbit!' she exclaims angrily.
'Forgotten your manners? And what else I wonder. You abandoned it at Rutledge Asylum, my dear. We've been over this before' Radcliffe states condescendingly.
…
In a huff as usual, oozing with attitude and accusatory flummery. I've 'stolen' her rabbit! Ridiculous pretext. She's here about the fire, again. All the mad child wants to talk about. My report found her family dead by misadventure, she won't accept it, goes on and on about her killing memories, and her need to know the truth. The alleged truth is the fire began in the library when the cat knocked over a lamp. The blaze trapped her parents and sister upstairs. Sister Lizzie never even unlocked her door, died in her bed. The guilty cat always sets her off, she denies it, 'It makes no sense, it can't be, etcetera...' Agreed. From the outset, Alice was my candidate for the pyromaniac. The girl has a fixation with fire. I once remarked that I thought she might have had a larger role in causing the tragedy. She suffered some sort of psychotic episode' Radcliffe's voice is heard saying as various images are shown.
…
Alice wakes up in a daze holding her head.
'Did I rip his head off? I... wanted to…' she asks aloud as she notices that Radcliffe's house looks like it has been abandoned for years, 'What's left of my brain will explode. Is it mad to pray for better hallucinations? Perhaps I'm fated to expire, right here…' Alice states last she hears footsteps coming towards her. She turns around and sees a frantic and panicked Arthur. Upon seeing her, he lets out a sigh of relief and pulls her into his arms.
'Oh love thank goodness your okay, I was so worried something happened to you, one minuet everything was fine then there was this blinding light followed by complete darkness and the the house transformed into this plus its snowing outside and its a little too late for snow' Arthur rambles panicked as Alice blushes and hugs him back.
'I'm fine Arthur, everything is fine…' Alice replies, 'I think' she adds on still confused about her new surroundings. She then blushes again remembering how he said he was worried about her. It confused her, how could he care about her even though they only met recently, even the people who knew her for years stopped caring about her considering her a lost cause…but he doesn't, he's seen how mad she is, he's seen other people's reactions to her, hell he went to Wonderland with her and wasn't the least bit terrified…maybe, maybe he's just as mad as she is. But that can't be right, he's intelligent, he's caring, he's kind, he's handsome-. 'Wait where did that come from…of course he's handsome thats just a fact I mean its not like I'm attracted to him right? i'm just admiring his good looks I mean what would he even see in me. He's got his whole life ahead of him why would he even give a girl whose going nowhere but a possible early grave a second glance' Alice thought to herself as Arthur's grip on her tightened. 'He was terrified when he thought I died back in The Radula Room …wait he said he doesn't want lose me again…I interpreted it as he wanted me to warn him about my abilities to he could be prepared next time but what if…I have to know truth' Alice thought pulling away from Arthur.
'Love whats wrong?' Arthur asked confusion covering his face.
'Do I know you?' Alice asks as Arthur stares at her confused.
'Love if this is kind of joke it not funny, Amnesia is a serious thing' Arthur says.
'I'm not joking Arthur, do I know you personally I mean' Alice replies as Arthur finally understands what she means.
'You mean you remember me?' Arthur asks.
'I don't know' Alice states confused, 'There are bits and piece of broken memories that i'm trying to piece together but I need your help…now please tell me do I know you!?' Alice asks crossing her arms and getting upset.
'You know I never liked how when I was little if one of my friends wanted to have a tea party they always pretend to have tea when really they were drinking nothing but air' Arthur states randomly.
'What the hell does that have to do wi-' Alice begins before it all comes back to her.
…
'Hi do you want to join my tea party?' she asked smiling big. Arthur wan't in the mood for a tea party...but something about this girl made him feel different...they way she smiled, the way she laughed...her big beautiful green eyes full of innocence and child like wonder. He smiled at her and walked over.
'Sure i'd love to join your tea party' Arthur said sitting down.
'I'm Alice Liddell' she says holding out he hand.
'Arthur Kirkland' he says placing a kiss on her hand.
'Welcome Arthur' She said pouring him a cup of tea.
'You brought real tea with you?' He asked curiously.
'Of course...whats a tea party without tea' The girl stated.
'True but usually people pretend that the tea is real' Arthur said.
'They do?' she asked confused making Arthur realize she must not have very many friends.
'You don't have many friends do you?' Arthur asked.
'Of course I do…I have Dinah' She said motioning to the black cat who stared at Arthur with curiosity, 'and of course ...rabbit' she said motioning to the stuffed rabbit, 'I also have loads of friends who live in my Wonderland' she finished.
…
Alice stands there as the memory floods her mind. She shakes her head and stares at Arthur before tackling him in a hug.
'Oh my god I never thought I would see you again' Alice replies tears forming in her eyes as she finally remembered her best friend that she hasn't seen in twelve years. She then realized something and began blushing in embarrassment, 'I can't believe I forgot you…i'm such a horrible friend' Alice states as she is about to pull away but Arthur wraps his arms around her and pulls her closer to him.
'Its okay love I understand why you forgot me and i'm not upset' Arthur states.
'But I forgot you, I forgot my own best friend…how can you forgive me after what I did?' Alice asks.
'Because you are not a horrible friend' Arthur replies, 'You went through something absolutely horrible and traumatic' Arthur says, 'If anyone was the horrible friend it was me for not being there for you'.
'Thats not true, how could you have known…its not like our families knew each other' Alice states.
'I looked for you, for a while anyways…I waited in our spot in the woods for weeks and when you didn't show up I went out and tried to find you…but after a while I thought you left me like everyone else' Arthur replies on the verge of tears.
'I could never leave you…your my best friend' Alice replies before remembering something, 'What did you mean like everyone else' Alice asks.
'You were so lucky to have a sister like Lizzie who loved you unconditionally' Arthur replies, 'My older brothers hate me and I mean they really hate me especially Dylan. When I was little they pelted me with stones, Dylan made it his mission to turn every friend I tried to make into an enemy by telling them I was weird for talking to imaginary friends which drove any potential friend I had of making away' he says starting to cry with anger, 'He even made Alfred and Peter my own younger brothers hate me as well telling them that I had wished they were never born' he says tears flowing out of his eyes in anger as he turns around and punches a hole through the wall, 'That manipulative bastard made my own family hate my guts just because he wasn't the baby anymore, did you know what he got me for my last birthday?' Arthur asks.
'No what?' Alice asks growing enraged as the seconds pass.
'I opened the box and there was a noose with a note that said 'No one would even miss you'…' Arthur says his voice getting angrier as his eyes flash blue and pink, 'I SWEAR IF HE WASN'T FAMILY I WOULD KILL THAT BLOODY NINCOMPOOP!' Arthur yells infuriated his eyes turning blue with pink swirls before turning back to green. He then hears a loud crash which startles him. He turns around and sees the abandoned desk had been thrown to the other side of the room and smashed to pieces but what shocks him even more is Alice. She's in Hysteria Mode. Her Vorpal Blade appears out of nowhere and she turns to Arthur, her blood red eyes staring straight into his startled green ones. She then opens her mouth and what comes out terrifies him.
'Where. Is. Dylan?' she asks him her voice completely distorted. It sounds like three voices at once. Alice's, another woman's voice that sounds similar to Alice's but different at the same time and a demon's voice all rolled into one. Arthur immediately realizing whats she wants to do runs towards her and wrapps his arms around her.
'Let. Go. And Tell. Me. Where. He. IS!' Alice demands getting angry.
'Love as much as I want him dead I am not going to let you kill him' Arthur states.
'HE DESERVES TO DIE!' Alice yells breaking free of his hold on her but he quickly wraps his arms around her again.
'Love you will get caught if you try and hurt him and I won't lose you again now that your remember me…I don't want to lose my best and only friend' Arthur says tearing up again as Alice feels a pang of pain in her heart that calms her down. Hysteria Mode deactivates as Alice now back to normal pulls a crying Arthur into her arms comforting him. After a while he stops crying and looks at her.
'Thank you for being my friend Alice' Arthur states sincerely.
'Thank you for being my friend Arthur' Alice replies just as sincerely as they hug again. Arthur then stands up off the dirty floor and helps Alice to her feet.
'Come on love lets get out of this depressing dump' Arthur comments.
'Gladly' Alice replies as they walk downstairs only to find the front door blocked by a toilet, 'There's an exit around back follow me' Alice replies as they head out the back door only to see that it is snowing. Before the door closes Arthur snags an umbrella that he saw standing near the door. He quickly opens it shielding himself and Alice who he pulls towards him from the snow.
'You don't mind sharing, do you love?' Arthur asks.
'N-Not at all' Alice replies blushing as a small smile graces her face. She then stares at the snow falling as a look of pain crosses her face.
'Whats the matter love?' Arthur asks her.
'It was snowing the night of the fire' Alice replies as Arthur holds her closer comforting her. The two then walk forward and come upon a small statue of The Mock Turtle.
'Love I don't think were in London anymore' Arthur states as the two walk around the corner and find a giant burning mushroom.
'We are defiantly not in London anymore' Alice replies as they hear a loud metallic screech. They both look up and see the train driving into a red vortex in the sky. A blinding light appears before Arthur and Alice find themselves in a destroyed world. The sky is a huge red vortex and there is lightning and thunder crashing in the background. Alice and Arthur are once again wearing their classic Wonderland attire.
'This bloody Ruin! It's corrupted nearly all of Wonderland!' Alice replies disgusted.
'Seeking refuge from the wicked world? Perhaps things only look like they've gone to hell' The Cheshire Cat says appearing with a twisted grin on his face.
'You're not that good a liar, and I'm not that stupid. But something a bit less calamitous would have been welcome' Alice replies.
'I concur…this is stressful enough, do you really need to add onto it' Arthur asks annoyed.
'This unmitigated disaster is your doing, and it will get worse. Your train keeps a hellish schedule. Get moving. Time waits for no one. The change has begun' The Cat replies.
'The train is perfectly capable of terrifying us, Cat. You should find another job. Is there really so little hope?' Alice asks annoyed.
'There's even less. And if fear paralyzes you, we are lost' The Cat replies disappearing as several Insidious Ruin and a Menacing Ruin appear and attack Alice and Arthur who pull out their Vorpal Blades and prepare to fight. After quickly dispatching the Insidious Ruin, Alice pulls out her parasol and deflects the Menacing Ruin's attack destroying its arms allowing Alice and Arthur to finish it off together. After killing it Alice notices a hookah cover in ruin. She quickly walks over to it and smashes the ruin with her Hobby Horse. She then inhales the fumes.
'Arthur quickly inhale' Alice replies coughing.
'Love we shouldn't be smoking its unhealthy' Arthur replies.
'Its not real where in Wonderland or whats left of it' Alice replies.
'Good point' Arthur replies inhaling as well.
'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step' a voice is heard saying
'A single step of London Bridge could end my journey' Alice replies as Arthur wraps his arms around her again comforting her.
'Failure as an epitaph? I'd hoped you were more courageous' the voice responds.
'Love I want you to know, I know what your going through with the suicidal thoughts…believe me its impossible to not think them when your brother's are practically begging you to do it anyways, please promise me if you have these thoughts again you'll come talk to me first' Arthur states.
'Only if you promise me the same' Alice replies.
'Deal' Arthur replies as they hug again. As they pull away a look of confusion crosses Arthur's face, 'Whose voice was that?' he asks.
'Caterpillar, come on lets get this over with I can only stand being around him for so long' Alice replies as she and Arthur jump to a floating platform that leads them to a ledge on the other side of the platform they were originally standing on. Upon reaching it they pass a broken statue of a crying Alice and a destroyed train station.
'I feel as if we have been here before' Arthur replies.
'We have' Alice replies emotionless to hide her pain. Arthur knowing better grabs her hand and squeezes it letting her know he is here for her. She smiles at him as the two best friends continue on. Upon reaching the second hookah they both inhale again and hear Caterpillar's voice.
'That vaporous ledge only appears as flimsy and insubstantial as your confidence. It will hold you. Trust me' he tells them as they jump to another floating platform that brings them to a clearing where they find two Teapots that are surrounded by a messed up table that is spiraling like a snake and numerous floating chairs.
'Teapot Cannons…well at least we know Hatter wasn't completely useless before his demise' Alice replies chuckling as her and Arthur each pick up a Teapot Cannon. Just then the ground begins to shake as a Colossal Ruin digs its way out of the ground. Arthur and Alice immediately pull out their Pepper Grinders and begin attacking the numerous heads. The Ruin then lets out an angry scream and a massive head appears plus four pipes that shoot out fire.
'Shoot the head with the Teapot Cannon NOW!' Alice yells taking out her Teapot Cannon.
'On it' Arthur replies as he follows suit. They both shoot the giant head before it can get close to them. The Ruin then leans over and Alice rushes towards it attacking the massive head with her Vorpal Blade as Arthur follows suit. They both quickly finish the ruin off allowing them both access to the third hookah.
'I'm devastated. Look what's become of my beautiful valley!' Alice states after they both inhale.
'All things change in the fullness of time. Often not for better' Caterpillar's voice tells them as they move forward.
They then reach another hookah and both inhale.
'It's not only about you, Alice! Look at the destruction around you! Consider its cause. Then, come join me' Caterpillar's voice says again as both Alice and Arthur notice what looks like life among the destruction as there is a waterfall and greenery. They both walk towards to and see a tiny mountain with a shrine on top.
'You are familiar with the saying, that 'smoking stunts your growth?' Caterpillar's voice asks.
'Adults assault children with that adage, usually while they've got a pipe stuck in their mouths' Alice replies smirking as Arthur chuckles.
'Father used to do that, he'd warn us about the dangers of smoking while he was in the middle of it' Arthur says reminiscing.
'I won't ask either of you to inhale, let the smoke envelope you Caterpillar's voice says as the smoke envelops Alice and Arthur as they slowly shrink.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter…originally I wasn't gonna have Alice remember Arthur until after she killed Bumby but I decided it would be better if she remembered here…R&R and tell me what you think…Alice and Arthur ascend the mountain next in search of Caterpillar…have a great day:)