Chapter 46

**Cayden **

*Four Years Ago…*

Alice is here, but this isn’t our Alice.

“How long have you been here?” I ask Hatter.

“Time is not time here. It’s a thought without confirmation or truth.” He says with a shrug.

I fight back the urge to roll my eyes at his nonsensical comment. I swear he does this to bug me.

“What is she? A copy of Alice?” I ask him.

He sighs and shakes his head. “It’s her alright, but clearly older.”

“Clearly.” I watch her mutter and pace across from me in another cell. “What happened to her?”

She is no longer the happy smiling girl I once knew. The one who would sit on mushrooms and listen as I told her riddles and stories.

“They’ve been experimenting on her. The Walrus has made an unexpected transformation of sorts and is apparently trying to create a weapon for The Kingdom of Spades. The results have not been satisfactory.” He says and I see a flash of guilt before it’s gone.

“What is your part in this?” I ask.

He looks at me and there it is again…guilt.

“They requested me to make a few brews but I had no idea what they were using them for. Not until they brought in Alicia passed out and was sick. It was then I realized they had given them all to her, but that is not all they’ve done. There is something inside her. A dark entity that seems to appear at random or when she feels in danger. She killed the doctor who performed the experiments.” He points to a body on the floor.

I hadn’t noticed it when I was dragged in, but the man is surely dead.

“Where has she been? There is no way she was top side all these years and returned. They never do that.” I say.

“Indeed. Yet here she is. I have concluded that she was being kept here. It would explain everything that’s been happening.” He says sounding oddly sound of mind.

We have only met a handful of times over the time that Wonderland began losing its luster. The kingdom of Spades has been the most vicious in this new war. They are determined to take over all the kingdoms and have come up with some very lethal ways to make it happen. Keeping Alice here and manipulating her into a weapon will be the most shocking thing they have done so far. Her body possesses an immense power that can manipulate Wonderland completely which is why it has become so dark.

Alice has been hurt somehow and her spirit corrupted so thoroughly that Wonderland has suffered like never before. If they managed to turn her into a creature of darkness there really is no hope for Wonderland now.

“We must do something. She can’t remain this way. It will destroy all of us.” I tell the Hatter.

“Agreed but how will we manage that when we too are prisoners here?” He asks crossing his arms over his chest.

He’s shed his jacket and bow tie making him look more like a human from topside except he still wears the silly top hat.

“That has never stopped us before,” I tell him with a smirk.

He chuckles. “Of course dear Caterpillar but we have always been more of a unit. The others are not here.”

Missing the White Rabbit does offer a bit of a challenge. The Cat has no allegiance but in this case, his assistance would be very much appreciated.

“How do we contact the Cat?” I ask.

“The only one who was ever able to summon him was Alicia.” He reminds me.

Hold on…”Why do you keep calling her Alicia?”

“The Walrus called her that and she responded. I’m guessing it is the new name she recognizes as hers. She doesn’t remember anything but she knows the name. Somehow they wiped away all her memories.” He shakes his head and watches Alicia with a softness not common with him. “She’s so lost.”

His brows furrow and then his eyes widen like he’s just recalled something.

“She can enter minds. She did it to me, but I forced her out because she was talking purely mad for so long that it made me dizzy.”

“She can read minds?” I ask in awe.

He shakes his head. “I don’t know the extent of it but she was talking in there. Not to me but talking. The only time she seemed conscious of what she was saying was when she was taken over by the dark entity.”

Dark entity…

“Can we bring the entity forward? It is possible it could summon the Cat.” I suggest.

The Hatter sighs. “I don’t know. We could try, but she only seems to respond when she’s threatened.”

I consider what’s at my disposal. There is much I can’t do, but I can create illusions. I focus on the body of the man she killed, taking in every detail. Then I close my eyes and create a replica of him. Alicia stops pacing and looks him over for a second. Her body suddenly becomes ridged and something looking like black ink clouds her eyes.

“I see you are correct in that you do not easily die, doctor.” She says her voice like a cold wind.

“Alicia?” I call out to her.

She doesn’t respond right away but when the doctor doesn’t speak she gives him a confused look.

“What trickery is this?” She asks.

“It’s an illusion. I needed to get your attention.” I tell her.

Her head turns in my direction. “You…”

“Do you remember me, Alice?” I ask her.

She walks closer to me and tilts her head to study me. “Caterpillar.”

I smile and shake my head. “Yes! I’m the Caterpillar.”

“The glow…you have it as well.” I give The Hatter a confused look.

“She seems to see an energy around us, but I’m not sure what it means. Only that she likes it and wants to touch it.” He says with a shrug.

Interesting.

“Alice, we need your help. Can you help us?” I ask.

“I don’t know an Alice. If you refer to me then I am Alicia. It seems rude to address me as anything else.” She says in the cold monotone lifeless voice.

“I apologize. Alicia, are you able to help us?” I ask again.

“What is it you wish for Caterpillar?” She asks calmly.

“Can you summon the Cat?”

“Cat?”

“Yes, the Cheshire Cat. Only you can call for him.” She looks unsure at least I expect she is by the expressionless look she’s giving me.

“How can do it?” She asks.

“Call out…’ Cheshire Puss, Would you tell me, which way I to go?’”

She watches me for several minutes before slowly nodding and turning to face forward.

“Cheshire Puss, would you tell me, which way I ought to go?” She says.

Nothing happens and for a moment I think that in this alternate state, she is unable to summon the Cat after all. Then suddenly a swirl of violet smoke appears and expands until a man is standing in front of her cell doors. Very peculiar. He had never taken a human form before. In fact, none of us have. Yet we can recognize each other as if we had always possessed these forms.

The Cat blinks and scans the room carefully. “Curious. I seem to have fallen into another dimension.”

What? Can he do such a thing?

“Cat!” The Hatter calls out joyously.

The Cat turns and smiles widely. “Hatter my dear fellow. How you have changed.”

“You as well.” The Hatter says.

The Cat glances down at himself lifting his hands to examine them.

“How peculiar. Human characteristics. I thought things in Wonderland had come as far from normal as possible but it appears it continues to surprise me.” He says with a hum.

“Cat. You were asked here for a reason.” Alicia says.

The Cat turns to focus on her and blinks in surprise. “Alice? What has become of you?”

“Her name is Alicia now. She doesn’t remember who she is or anything before now.” The Hatter explains to him as well.

“I see. Well, Alicia how might I be of service?” He bows low to her.

“Caterpillar?” She looks at me and waves a hand in the direction of the Cat.

“Ah yes. Cat we need to get out of here. Any solutions?” I ask him.

He steps closer to the cell door in front of Alicia. She studies him as much as he does her.

“Another glow. What is it about you three that makes you glow in such a way?” She asks.

The Cat smirks. “Perhaps we glow for you. We always have. We are yours after all.”

“Mine? Are you not a part of this world? It owns you does it not?” She asks.

He shakes his head. “No dear Ali-Alicia. Our life is in your hands. Everything we are belongs to you.”

That’s right…We exist for the Alice. In every sense of the definition, we are her’s.