Elizabeth Angel

Prologue

                I did not believe my younger sister at first. She told me stories about a world that exists alongside ours. She said that there’s a world full of wonder; a world that mocks logic and proportion. A world called Wonderland. Little Alice told me about a potion that can make one shrink, a cake that can make one grow big, a peculiar hatter, a disappearing cat, a pair of repulsive twins, an insane rabbit and a white hare, and the Red Queen and White Queen. She also told me about following a white rabbit clad in a red coat and holding a gilded pocket watch and falling into a rabbit hole. She fought the Red Queen to restore the peace and harmony to Wonderland. She said that she succeeded. She went down the rabbit hole more often than before until one day, she never came back up. I started to worry and tried jumping into the hole. I broke my legs twice. It was just an ordinary pit. There was no wonder, only land. That was eight years ago. My parents have concluded that Alice ran away into the forest and got killed by the wolves. Mother and Father held a funeral for my little sister even though they never found her body.

                It was a winter’s day. The trees have replaced their golden leaves with white snow. My feet sank into the glistening snow. I ignored the stinging cold. I walked around the gardens until I reached the forest. Alice….Where have you gone? I was thinking about Alice who was supposed to be sixteen by then. I was looking at the trees then I saw something in the corner of my eye. I looked around me. Then I saw it. A white rabbit in a red coat. Remembering Alice’s stories, I followed it.

Chapter One

Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

                The rabbit led me to a rabbit hole. I stood there in shock. It’s now my turn. I have always had a secret desire to enter Wonderland. The rabbit jumped into it. Full of sheer excitement, I hopped into the hole.

                What I saw wasn’t the bright lights and wonderful things Alice saw. I only saw ashes and blue flower petals. I covered my face to keep from breathing the ashes in. Then I suddenly landed on a soft pad. I opened my eyes. It looked like a mushroom. I looked around. It wasn’t as bright as Alice stated. The sky was gray and covered with thick clouds. There were a lot of mushrooms around me. It’s some sort of mushroom forest. They were multicolored but they were dull. A strange breeze blew towards me. I suddenly started shrinking. I didn’t recall drinking a shrinking potion. My dress seemed like a large dome. I was almost crushed by my corset. I made my way through the fabrics of my skirt. I was naked. I tried covering my body with my hands but to no avail. The mushrooms became as big as trees. I saw a bit of long moss and pulled a few of them from the ground. I fashioned myself a crude piece of clothing. I walked through the “forest” cautiously. A bluish-gray smoke came my way. I stopped in my tracks. It suddenly transformed into a peculiar blue cat with a large grin. It looked at me with great wonder. “What is your name, miss?” It asked. This color, this manner of speaking…………….This is the Cheshire Cat! “My name is Elizabeth Angel.” I answered. “He asked. He chuckled and smiled. His grin revealed his blood-stained teeth. I stepped back. “The Blue Queen would be delighted to see you.” I just stood there staring at the Cheshire Cat. Blue Queen? I thought that there was only a Red Queen and a White Queen. Cheshire held my left arm firmly. “What are you doing?” I asked. “We’re going to the village near the Blue Queen’s Castle. The village of Dinn.” I remembered Alice’s story about the oysters. She was supposed to say “dinner” but she stopped herself because of the fear of offending another creature. “Don’t move, miss.” Cheshire said with quite a sinister grin. A large cloud of bluish gray smoke engulfed me and I suddenly found myself in front of a large black metal gate adorned with green vines peppered with blooming violet flowers.