Chapter Four

        Alice was sure she had never walked so long in her entire life.

Though the great flowers had seemed fairly close when she had left Eden's garden, Alice had spent what felt like another agonizing hour foraging through the overgrown Wonderland, ducking under large, low-hanging leaves and carefully stepping over slick moss-covered stones.

"How much longer will my legs last?" She thought tiredly, her calves aching as she trudged uphill. "I'm not athletic enough for this..."

That wretched pocket watch- its hands hadn't moved in ages, the chain dangling uselessly from her hip. Alice restrained herself from flinging it into the thicket where it could no longer mock her- she had become fed up with its lack of guidance.

Despite her exhaustion and growing frustration, she persisted.

Shaded by a canopy of tall ferns and large, cordate leaves, the cool air smelled of rich soil and fresh flora, soothing Alice's stinging lungs and sore throat. Delicate spiraling vines cascaded from the branches of magnificent weeping willow trees, with red and white-spotted toadstools sprouting from the ground like large umbrellas.

It was like something out of a fairy tale.

With her legs feeling ready to give out, Alice had finally reached them- the monumental flowers that she had noticed from miles back, towering over her as if she had shrunk to the size of a pixie. With lush, colorful petals and brilliant green stems, they were truly something of another realm.

Swaying in the breeze, the bluebells chimed melodically, and the dandelions seemed to almost purr, their bright yellow florets forming thick, fluffy manes. With long filaments that resembled whiskers, the tiger lilies' orange petals were striped with black, twitching like a cat's ears.

Marveling at her surroundings, Alice stopped to rest, sitting on the edge of a small boulder. As she gazed up at the sky, she found it painted that same shade of brilliant blue, with powdery white clouds drifting overhead.

Had any time passed at all? It had felt like the same mid-afternoon hour for ages...

Something fluttered from behind her. No sooner than she had turned to look, a blur came flying at her face. Gasping, Alice ducked- just as a flurry of creatures whizzed past her head, the beat of wings pounding in her ears.

Their wingspan had to exceed the size of dinner plates, and the wings themselves must've been at least half an inch thick- it was inconceivable how they managed to lift themselves off the ground. With curled antennae, the outmost edge of their wings were a solid brown that rimmed cream-colored interiors, which were spattered by large, pale yellow blotches.

"What weird butterflies..." Alice mused, watching them flounce through the air. "Their markings are asymmetrical..."

"Bread and butterflies." A disembodied voice corrected her.

She leapt from the rock, her heart skipping a beat.

Someone was there.

"Wh-Who said that?" Alice whirled around, but she saw nothing but wildly flourishing plants- nothing that could speak- and her pulse only quickened. "...Where are you?"

"See for yourself." Replied another voice from behind her.

There were more of them.

She spun to see whoever had spoken, but no one was there. Her eyes instinctively followed the bizarre butterflies, which flew in a single-file line. They gracefully landed one after the other, and as each settled, its wings folded upright, lining up like slices of buttered toast.

In an instant, they had formed a great loaf of bread, and Alice couldn't help but gape at the sight.

How curious.

Still sensing that she was being watched, Alice had only just stepped forward when she heard a high-pitched buzzing in her ear, and a gust of hot air blew against the back of her neck.

"Augh!" She yelped, springing away from whatever had been behind her- it snorted and whinnied, and as she turned, it reared back in the air.

The creature's wings were long and translucent, vibrating at a speed that was audible, like that of a mosquito whizzing by. With a long muzzle, four legs, and a flowing tail, it was decidedly not an insect.

"A tiny horse?" She blinked, reaching out towards it. The creature snorted again, sniffing her hand curiously.

Its ridged body was that of a miniature stallion, with a brown and black coat of fur and flowing mane. The creature's eyes were a strange iridescent green, consisting of dozens of tiny hexagons, and its long legs ended in hooves that seemed fused to a pair of arched skis, which it rocked back and forth upon despite being midair.

"A flying horse...a horsefly?" Alice mused, stroking its muzzle.

"A rocking horsefly." The disembodied voice corrected her again. "Don't you see?"

Her heart skipping a beat, Alice jumped- which startled the rocking horsefly. Letting out a high-pitched neigh as it reared up, it hurtled into the depths of the lush garden and vanished before she could even blink.

When had this whimsical world become so eerie? Who was out there?

"...Why are you hiding?" She asked, her eyes darting around uncertainly. "It's creeping me out..."

"But we aren't!"

Alice whirled around again, searching for something- anything- that seemed out of place among the dense greenery, but nothing caught her eye.

Was her mind just playing tricks on her? Or was someone really there?

"...Would you please come out already? I can't see you!"

"...Rather dim, isn't she?" Someone else murmured.

"Excuse me?! You're the ones who won't show yourselves!"

"You're simply looking past us."

"How am I-?! Ugh, never mind..." Alice muttered, massaging her temples. "I can't believe I'm shouting at flowers- don’t tell me I’m already losing my sense...”

”Well, you can’t lose what you don’t have.” The snide voice jeered. "Though perhaps a fool like you could still manage that."

"...Whatever- I don't have time for stupid arguments." She scoffed, feeling foolish as she continued to speak aloud. "I don't suppose any of you know the way out of Wonderland, wherever you are?"

"Wherever we are?” It inquired. “Why don't you look up, clever one?"

Lifting her head to gaze at the flowers that towered over her, Alice felt even more foolish- as magnificent as they were, she didn't see what was so special about them. The roses bloomed in vibrant shades of pink and red, and the daisies' pristine white petals starkly contrasted their sunny yellow centers, with tulips coming in nearly every color of the rainbow.

Her gaze gravitated to the largest of the roses, with lush petals in bright crimson.

"Well, my dear?"

Alice gasped, her eyes as wide as saucers.

It had a voice- but what shocked her more was that it had a face.

An elegant, humanoid visage stared back at her from the center of the blossom- there was a long nose, a smiling mouth, and kind, intelligent eyes- all framed by spiraling red petals.

"So, you finally see!" It said.

The ground seemed to sway beneath Alice- as she spun around the garden, she felt eyes everywhere, the flowers' mysterious, beautiful faces watching her from above.

“...Y-You can talk?!” Alice’s jaw dropped, her pulse pounding in her eardrums.

”Of course we can!"

”…If there’s anyone worth talking to, that is.” An Iris retorted snidely.

"Or about!" Giggled a Daisy. ”Say, what kind of garden do you come from?”

...Did they not realize she was human?

“Uh…” Alice rocked on her heels, unsure of how to respond. “…I’m not really from any garden, actually.”

”Oh, my!” The daisy gasped, turning to its peers. “I suppose she ought to be a wildflower then! How fantastic! I’ve never seen anything quite like her!”

”Um…I’m not a wildflower either...” Alice tried to clarify, though her voice came out strangely unconfident on the matter.

“What genus do you belong to, then?” Inquired the Rose.

”Genus?” Alice echoed, trying to recall what she had once learned about taxonomy. “Genus...um...it's 'Dear King Phillip came over for good spaghetti,' right?"

"Or is it 'daring knights prance confidently on fair, gallant steeds?'" A Violet asked.

"No, no! It's 'divine kings play croquet on fine grass slopes!'" Said a Tulip.

"But 'queens' would be more fitting, really!" Giggled the Daisy.

What were they even saying? This conversation was already spiraling off-course...

"...I guess it doesn't really matter." She said reluctantly. "You can just call me Alice- Alice Liddell.”

”Ah!” The Daisy gasped, gazing at her in awe. “I’ve never seen an Alice bloom like that! What a striking blossom she is!”

”…I don’t recall ever seeing an Alice before, though." The Iris mused.

”Oh, just look at her petals! How peculiar! I’ve never seen white on top and blue on the bottom!”

”And banded stems!” A Tulip leaned closer to inspect her striped stockings.

“She doesn’t seem to have much of a fragrance, though!”

”…Quite the opposite, really.” The Iris’ face crumpled, its petals reminiscent of someone wrinkling their nose.

Did she really smell that bad?

”Well, excuse me!” Alice snapped, face reddening as she wrapped her arms around herself. “I’d like to know how fresh you'd smell after a few near-death experiences!”

“Quite pugnacious, aren’t you?” The Iris drawled, regarding her coldly. “In fact, you might as well be a common mobile vulgaris.”

A chorus of shocked gasps filled the air, and Alice gawked at the flower.

”Oh no!”

”She’s not, is she?!” Cried a Lilac.

”How terrible!”

Though she didn’t quite understand the insult, Alice still took offense.

”The hell did you just call me?!”

”Since you’re so dull-witted, I’ll put it simply- you're just a nasty little weed.” The Iris condescended.

“Huh!?” Alice gawked, heat rushing to her face. “No! I’m not a weed, you overgrown-!“

”Well, I guess a weed wouldn’t admit to being one…” A Tulip muttered to another, studying her warily.

"I suppose not!" It exclaimed.

“Hey!” She snapped, glaring at them. “Listen, I’m not even a plant- flower or weed or otherwise, alright?!”

”Do you suppose she’s a fungus then?” A Lilac wondered.

”Hell no!” She shouted.

”Well, she certainly has the foul presence of one.” The Iris remarked snidely.

”What the hell is your problem?!” Alice’s hands balled into fists. "I haven't even done anything to you!"

“We don’t want pests like you in our garden- you’ll just bring trouble our way.”

”Goodness!” Exclaimed a Violet.

”Pests?!” Alice grit her teeth, ready to pop an artery. “I’m a person, can’t you tell?! Or are your eyes not working?! I’ve got half a mind to pluck you of all your petals- maybe that’d teach you how to act right!”

”Oh, my!” Gasped a Morning Glory.

”Half a mind is right- I’d like to see you try, pest.”

”You bitch…!” Alice seethed, her knuckles turning white from how tightly she clenched her fists. “I-!”

”Quite a rotten one, isn’t she?” The Iris mused, leafy arms crossed as it tilted its petalled head. “…As pretty as she may seem, it’s no wonder she doesn’t belong to a garden.”

Alice bristled at this, her breath catching in her throat.

Why did it feel like they were really talking about something other than gardens?

“I’m perfectly happy without one, actually!” She retorted, glaring at the Iris. “If all of those who belong to gardens are as miserable as you, I’d rather wither away alone!”

“Both of you, that’s enough!” The Rose cried out. “You’ve gone and exhausted us all with your back-and-forth bickering! I won’t stand for any more!”

Clenching her jaw and digging her nails further into her palms, Alice silently seethed.

Why was she being scolded? It was utterly unfair- the Iris had been nothing but nasty to her from the start! She hadn’t done anything but defend her pride!

”…With a volatile temper like that, the Queen very well may find herself out of a role.” The Iris muttered lowly, leering down at Alice.

”…The Queen?” Alice begrudgingly asked, pretending not to have heard the first half of the remark. “What’s the deal with her?”

”You don’t know about Her Majesty?!” The Daisy shrilled.

”You truly are dense…” The Iris massaged where its temples would be. “Honestly, have you been living underground?”

“I’m not from here!” Alice snapped. “And I spent quite a while in a rabbit hole, actually!”

”Really?” Gasped a Tulip.

”How peculiar!”

“No wonder you’re so clueless…” The Iris lamented.

”Well, how do you even know about the Queen?! You’re growing out of the ground- don’t tell me you can walk, too!”

”We have no need for walking- we hear everything we could need to know through the grapevine.” The Iris sniffed haughtily.

“…Doesn’t sound like the most reliable source...” Alice muttered cynically.

“Oh, but it is!” The Rose interjected, quick to diffuse the growing tension. “You can always trust in whatever you hear through the grapevine- especially when it comes to the horrors of Her Majesty!”

”Horrors?” She echoed. “Is she some sort of tyrant?”

”You poor fool…she’s beyond anything the likes of you could comprehend…” The Iris muttered solemnly.

”…How so?” Alice asked through gritted teeth, trying to suppress her irritation.

”She’s a bloodthirsty one, Her Highness- she’d have your head if you ate one of her jam tarts!” The Daisy reported.

”Seriously?”

“Oh yes! I even heard she executed her gardeners, the poor fellows…”

“What for?" She grimaced. "Did they kill all her plants or something?”

”No, nothing of the sort! You see, Her Majesty has quite an affinity for roses and maintains a grand garden of them- much vaster than the likes of us, though nowhere near as tall.”

”Just roses?"

”Of course- but not just any rose will do!” The Daisy looked eager to have someone new to gossip with. “Her Royal Majesty only tolerates red roses in her royal garden- not pink, not orange, but red!”

“What about it?”

“Oh, but her poor gardeners! One day, while the Queen was playing croquet in her garden, she found white roses blooming, and oh, she was furious! The gardeners apologized for accidentally planting the wrong color and vowed to replace them- but she would hear none of it!”

”…You said she executed them, right?” Alice asked, though she already knew the answer.

”Indeed she did, the unlucky souls!" The Daisy professed. "Her Royal Majesty sent them to the guillotine, and then- to set an example- had the white roses painted red with the blood she ordered to be spilled! That’s what the grapevine told us, so you’d better believe it!”

“That’s awful!" Alice exclaimed, covering her mouth in horror. "She’s barbaric! How’s someone like her still in power?!”

”No one dares challenge Her Majesty- she’d have your head if you tried.” The Iris said.

”Aren't there any nearby kingdoms to overthrow her?!” She pressed. "There has to be!"

The flowers averted their eyes and stood wordlessly, unresponsive to her impassioned outburst.

”...I’m afraid not…” The Rose finally spoke, shaking its head.

"...I see." She bit her bottom lip, the reality of her surroundings truly sinking in.

Beyond its fantastical inhabitants and mystical scenery, it seemed this Wonderland was much more cruel and unforgiving than it initially appeared- Eden had certainly been benevolent not to hide that fact from her, and a part of her regretted relinquishing the security he had offered.

Even so, Alice could not bring herself to turn back after coming so far. Regardless of what dangers lurked ahead, she had vowed to return home to her older sister- and no matter the cost, she wouldn't let her efforts be in vain.

"...Well, thank you kindly for that information on the Queen." She sighed. "I should really get going now, but I'll be sure to steer clear of her, if at all possible."

"You're most welcome." The Rose smiled warmly, a twinkle in its eyes. "I wish you safe travels."

"...Incidentally, would any of you happen to know-"

A low, rumbling growl interrupted her question, and Alice's blood ran cold.

Snarling and spitting, the dandelions' muzzles wrinkled into masks of aggressive fury, their flowery manes growing in size like great pufferfish. With lips curling to reveal sharp canines, the tiger lilies' petals stood on end, their whisker-like filaments twitching as they hissed and spat.

In the distance, she heard footsteps and the rustle of grass- as the sound grew louder and more intelligible, the feline flowers' eyes narrowed dangerously, clawing at the soil with leafy paws.

Something was coming.

“Oh dear…” Whispered the Rose, worry overtaking its features as it looked around.

Alice's eyes widened, her throat seizing up.

“...Get out of here.” The Iris ordered, looming over her.

”Wh-What?” Staring in bewilderment, her heart thumped wildly in her chest. “What’s hap-“

”Get. Out. Now!”

It swung at Alice- yelping, she stumbled back in her effort to avoid its leafy arms, barely catching herself.

What was going on?! What was coming?!

”Shoo, shoo!”

”You need to hurry!” The Daisy shrilled.

”Hide!” Whispered a Violet.

Eyes wildly darting around as she searched for cover, Alice dashed away. Panic filled her veins, her boots pounding against the earth as she leapt over bushes and ducked under branches, crushing leaves underfoot. Hurriedly, she dove behind a willow tree and pressed her back to the trunk, holding her breath.

Yowling and growling, the dandelions and tiger lilies became louder and more restless as the foreboding footsteps grew closer- Alice could clearly hear them now, and as the flowerbed gasped in horror, her heart stopped.

“Well, well!” A cheerful male voice sinisterly mused. “It seems I was right about where to find a chatty lot!”

”You…” The Iris growled.

”Wh…What brings you here?” The Rose tried to be diplomatic, but Alice heard its fear.

“Not the warmest welcome, hm?” He remarked, almost to himself.

”I suppose not!” He replied.

No, no- though it sounded nearly identical, Alice knew that wasn’t the same voice as before.

Quivering, she covered her mouth, her heart pummeling her ribcage.

“Regardless, since you asked so kindly, we’re here courtesy of Her Royal Majesty to apprehend the fugitive who runs free in this Wonderland!”

”Fugitive?!”

”Oh dear…” Said the Rose.

"How frightful!"

”Would you happen to know the current whereabouts of Miss Alice Liddell?” Asked the second voice.

The flowers gasped and so did Alice- her throat went dry and her stomach knotted, constricting painfully.

Why on Earth was she wanted by the Queen?! She hadn’t been in Wonderland long enough to do anything wrong! How did she even know she existed?!

“Don’t even think about feigning ignorance, either.” The second voice warned with an audible smile. “We know she came through here.”

”H-How could you possibly know that?!” Demanded the Daisy. “I-Impossible, I say!”

”You couldn’t know!”

”Indeed!” A Lilac insisted.

”Oh?” He mused dangerously. “I wouldn’t sound so sure if I were you- after all, you can always trust what you hear through the grapevine, isn’t that right, Rose?”

Alice's head spun- had he heard everything?!

“M-My goodness…” Whispered the Rose, its voice trembling.

“…We never should’ve let her into our garden…” The Iris lowly cursed. “…I knew she would cause us great trouble…!”

”A shame, really!” The first voice cheerily lamented. “Now then, where is she?”

”W-Wait just a minute!” Cried the Daisy. “While it’s true that she was here, I-I really couldn’t say whichever direction she went! I’m not certain whether she went to the right or left!”

”Ah, but wouldn’t that be your own fault?” He mused. “After all, you drove her away when you heard us coming! One could argue that you purposely didn’t pay attention to where she fled!”

”No! Th-That’s-!”

”Pity…” The second voice spoke. “Her Royal Majesty doesn’t take kindly to negligence- or should I say conspiracy?”

“She’s sure to punish you all when she finds out!” Said the first voice. “I imagine she’ll have you cut down and chopped into hundreds of little pieces! Perhaps she'll even use you as fertilizer for her own garden!"

”N-No, please!”

”Don’t, I beg you!” Shrieked a Morning Glory.

”Have mercy!”

The world seemed to spin around Alice, her pupils blown wide. Wicked- the Queen and her minions were utterly wicked.

As they screamed and cried and desperately begged to be spared, the heart wrenching wails of the terrified flowers filled Alice with a sick sense of dread- they were being threatened because of her- it was her fault that their lives were in danger. The sound of her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and as her chest tightened with guilt, she could bear it no longer.

She wouldn’t stand for such injustice.

“That’s enough!” Alice shouted, clambering to her feet and coming out from behind the willow tree, dashing to the flowerbed. “I’m right here, so leave them alone!”

Her footsteps pounded against the ground as she tore through the thicket, adrenaline pumping through her veins so rapidly she swore her heart would burst- but just as she had made it back, Alice tripped over a gnarled tree root.

Thud.

Lifting her head as she lay sprawled on the ground, she forced a fierce expression to her dirt-streaked face, glaring up at whoever had come to take her away- but her eyes instantly widened.

With dark hair and red irises shimmering in barely-contained glee, the young men had to be brothers, twins even. Invoking a sense of authority, their old-fashioned military jackets were the same garnet hue as the peaked caps atop their heads, where a silver insignia glimmered. Though the peculiar heart-shaped buttons of their uniforms were a cutesy detail, the gleaming axes they wielded betrayed all pretenses of sweetness, menacingly looming over her.

As mirror images of one other, they were identical in every twisted aspect.

”Why, if it isn’t Miss Alice Liddell!” The first one chirped, with a cheery grin that looked far too genuine. “How kind of you to finally join us!”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Wanted-Fugitive.” The second one bowed to her, placing a gloved hand over his heart. “You’re even lovelier than I could’ve imagined!”

”Isn’t she!”

”Alice! Oh, goodness!” A Violet cried.

”She’s back?!” Shrieked the Daisy.

”What are you doing, Alice?!” The Iris gawked down at her, its petals practically standing on end.

She ignored them, glaring at the twin guards as she got to her feet, brushing the dirt from her clothes.

“Just who are you supposed to be?" Though her tone was controlled, Alice’s pulse pounded in her eardrums. "...And why am I wanted by the Queen?”

“Where are our manners? Forgive me- I’m Tweedle Dee!” The first man bowed to her, placing a hand over his heart.

”And I’m Tweedle Dum!” The second man bowed again. “As the wardens of Her Majesty’s Royal Guard, we have come to escort you to the Palace of Hearts to stand trial!”

”Trial?” Alice’s eyes widened, and her composure faltered, heart skipping a beat. “The hell am I being tried for?! I haven’t done anything!”

”Her Royal Majesty believes otherwise, Miss Alice!” Tweedle Dee straightened upright. “You would be wise to cooperate!”

”You’re not gonna tell me what I’m being accused of?! What a load of nonsense!”

”I’m afraid Her Royal Majesty did not provide us with details, Miss Alice.” Tweedle Dum responded, lifting his head. “We’ve been ordered to bring you to the palace at all costs- don’t complicate matters for yourself.”

”How awful!” Cried a Lilac.

”Alice, you mustn’t!” Said the Rose. “The Queen will have you killed!”

”Don’t be a fool!” The Iris shouted at her. "Hurry! Get out of here!"

What should she do? What could she do?! It wasn't just her head on the chopping block, but all of the flowers'!

Alice's teeth sank into her bottom lip, heart hammering violently in her chest- the tyrannical queen intended to have her punished for something that she had supposedly done, and now that the warden had found her, it seemed she had little choice but to play along.

Her hand closed around the silver pocket watch, her mind racing as rapidly as its hands had once turned, the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her eardrums.

"...I'll come willingly, on one condition."

"Oh?" Tweedle Dee tilted his head. "And what might that be?"

"You're to leave this garden in peace." Alice replied, her blue eyes narrowing with resolve. "The Queen doesn't need to hear whether or not these flowers saw me- I'm the one she wants to punish, not them."

Now that she had put her cards on the table, she could only hope for the game's favor.

"My, my..." Tweedle Dum mused, stroking his chin. "I've never heard such a selfless request from a fugitive before!"

"But Alice!" Gasped the Rose. "You're playing right into her hands!"

"Why would you turn yourself over to them?!" The Iris cried in indignation. "They'll make a dead fool out of you!"

"...I'm making things right." She replied, taking a deep breath. "...I never wanted to cause you such trouble."

It was all she really could do.

"Oh, Alice!" The Daisy wailed, covering its face with leafy hands. "You're a doll! An angel, even!"

"Hm..." Tweedle Dee turned to his mirror image. "What do you think of her offer, Dum? Shall we humor Miss Alice?"

"Please!" Alice begged. "It's not their fault! I'm the one the Queen wants punished! Spare them!"

Even if her own fate was sealed, she couldn't bear to drag the flowers down with her.

"Why not, Dee?" Tweedle Dum said, grinning wryly. "It's not everyday that our target is such a character!"

"Very well, Miss Alice Liddell!"

The twins faced her simultaneously, opening their mouths to speak in unison.

"We humbly accept your condition! In return for your cooperation, Her Royal Majesty will hear of nothing concerning this flowerbed- cross our hearts and hope to die!"

The flowers cried out in shock, and Alice's eyes widened, her heart stuttering as it rapidly sunk to her stomach.

"You're our savior! Thank you! Thank you!"

She had managed to save their lives, but only by forfeiting her own.

Time seemed to stand still, her heart pounding as the weight of her impending doom pressed down upon her shoulders.

"...I guess this is goodbye, then." Alice said numbly, and as she lifted her head to meet the astonished and tearful eyes of the flowers, her lip involuntarily quivered.

"We'll never forget you, Miss Alice!" Vowed the Lilac.

"Th-Thank you!" The Violet bowed its head.

"...Why did you have to play heroine...?" Whispered the Iris, its petals drooping somberly. "...What a tragic fool you are..."

She took a shaky breath, the cool metal biting into her palm as she clutched the pocket watch for dear life.

Tik. Tok. Tik. Tok.

"...I'm so sorry, Alice..." The Rose whispered, its face twisted in guilt. "...If it weren't for-"

"It's not your fault." She tried not to let her voice tremble. "...I knew what I was signing up for when I came back."

"But our petals are stained with your blood!"

"...If it meant saving all of you, I wouldn't have it any other way." She replied, her eyes resolute.

"Oh, Alice..." The Rose whispered.

Tik. Tok. Tik. Tok.

Taking a deep breath, Alice turned to face the Tweedles, who had been watching the ordeal with great intrigue.

As quickly as the pocket watch had started, it had gone silent again, stopping at 6:08.

"...Take me to the palace- I've got an appointment with the Queen." She let the watch fall from her hand, resting comfortingly against her hip.

"Very well, Miss Alice!" Tweedle Dee linked her left arm with his. "Let's be off, then!"

"Indeed!" Said Tweedle Dum, grabbing onto her right side. "To the Palace of Hearts!"

Before Alice could even blink, the twin wardens were marching her away from the flowerbed. She nearly tripped over her own feet as she turned to look over her shoulder, the flowers wailing out in desperate despair.

"Alice! Oh, Alice!"

"Have mercy on her!" Cried the Rose.

"Please, don't let the Queen take her head!"

As the Tweedles dragged her further and further away, the flowers' voices gradually faded from earshot, and their vibrant petals became nothing more than splotches of color in the distance. A droplet trickled down Alice's cheek- for a moment, she thought she had unknowingly started crying- but then another landed on her hand, and more came pouring down.

Did it really have to rain at a time like this? What kind of cruel trick was Wonderland trying play on her?

Alice glared up at the sky, expecting to see it covered in thick grey clouds, but from what peeked through the canopy of the tree they walked beneath, it was as blue as ever. Dripping from its cascading vines, more droplets fell from the branches above, spattering her skin.

"The weeping willows are always so emotional these days!" Tweedle Dum remarked, tugging her along. "Come quickly now- watch your step!"

Picking up the pace, the twin wardens led her out from under the tearful tree and through the thicket, where no droplets could rain down on them. Even so, that didn't stop the ones that fell from Alice's stinging eyes, leaving behind a dull, throbbing ache in her chest.

What a horrible place this was- from the moment she had fallen down the rabbit hole, this world had done everything in its power to break her mind and body, to cut her life short- to leave her trapped inside a nightmare.

Alice lowered her head in defeat as she silently trudged downhill, barely processing the way her calves grew sorer and sorer the longer she walked. With a strong hand wrapped around each of her arms and sharp, glimmering axes on either side of her, there was little she could do but accept her fate as a dead girl walking

She'd give anything to see her sister one last time...