Chapter Three: The Rabbit Guide
525 Words
Alice ran.
Her lungs burned.
The endless field of roses blurred around her as the monstrous Heart Collector crashed through the kingdom behind her.
THUMP!
The ground shook.
THUMP!
It was getting closer.
"A little faster!" Scarlet shouted from her shoulder.
"I'm trying!"
The creature roared.
A storm of razor-sharp playing cards exploded through the air.
Alice ducked just in time.
Several cards buried themselves into a nearby tree trunk.
Each card was sharp enough to cut through wood.
"We're going to die!"
"Not if we reach him first."
"Him who?!"
Scarlet pointed ahead.
At the edge of the forest stood a giant white clock.
It was taller than a house.
And beside it stood a boy.
A rabbit boy.
Alice nearly tripped.
He had silver-white hair, pale skin, and large rabbit ears sticking out from beneath a dark hood.
A golden pocket watch dangled from his hand.
The rabbit boy looked completely calm.
As though a giant monster wasn't charging toward them.
"You're late," he said.
Alice stared.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?"
The rabbit sighed.
"Because you are."
The Heart Collector roared.
The rabbit finally glanced at it.
"Oh."
He looked mildly annoyed.
Then he snapped his fingers.
The giant clock behind him began spinning wildly.
The hands moved backward.
Time itself seemed to c***k.
The Heart Collector froze.
Everything froze.
The falling cards.
The blowing wind.
Even the petals in the air stopped moving.
Alice stood frozen in shock.
"What did you just do?"
The rabbit tucked away his pocket watch.
"I borrowed a few seconds."
"A few seconds?"
"From time."
Alice blinked.
Scarlet sighed.
"Welcome to Wonderland."
The rabbit rolled his eyes.
"We do not call it Wonderland."
"What do you call it?"
"The Scarlet Kingdom."
The frozen monster suddenly began moving again.
The rabbit's expression darkened.
"We should leave."
"Agreed," Scarlet said.
Without warning, the rabbit grabbed Alice's wrist.
A bright silver light erupted beneath their feet.
The world twisted.
The roses vanished.
The forest vanished.
Everything vanished.
A moment later, they appeared inside an enormous library.
Alice stumbled forward.
Rows of books stretched endlessly into the darkness.
Floating lanterns illuminated the room with soft red light.
"What is this place?"
The rabbit released her hand.
"The Library of Lost Memories."
Alice's heart skipped.
"Lost memories?"
The rabbit nodded.
"Every memory stolen by the Red Queen ends up here."
A chill crawled down Alice's spine.
Thousands.
Millions.
An entire kingdom's forgotten lives hidden inside books.
The rabbit finally turned toward her.
His silver eyes studied her carefully.
For the first time, he looked nervous.
"There's something you need to know."
"What?"
The rabbit hesitated.
Then he spoke.
"The Red Queen isn't looking for you because you're a threat."
Alice felt her stomach twist.
"Then why?"
The rabbit's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Because you're her daughter."
Silence.
The lanterns flickered.
Alice's eyes widened.
"What?"
Far away, inside the Crimson Castle, the Red Queen stood before a stained-glass window.
She held an old portrait in her hands.
A portrait of a little girl.
A little girl named Alice.
And for the first time in seventeen years—
The Queen smiled.
- Writer
