Chapter 42

**Alicia**

*Four Years Ago*

Everything hurts. I didn’t know if it was possible to hurt more than this. Even my teeth hurt from grinding them as I felt the pain. I don’t know what they keep injecting into me but this one was different. Most of the stuff has been various colors like blue and green but today…today it was black. I’m not sure but it even looked as if the liquid was…alive. One of the soldiers shoves me back into my cell making me fall and slam my head on the corner of my cot. My vision spins from the contact and I slump onto the floor and curl into myself.

When will this end? Why are they doing this?

I mean I know they are trying to turn me into some sort of weapon, but why? What do these people gain from torturing me?

“If it isn’t Miss Alice…” The sound of the voice has me pushing myself up on my arms.

My body is too weak right now to get to my feet but it doesn’t matter because I can see someone in the cell across from me. It’s a man with…a top hat?

“W-who are you?” I ask.

He tilts his head at me and frowns. “Did you lose your wits? Or have you gone utterly mad? I’m the Hatter.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know who you are. Should I?”

He gives me a quizzical look. “It seems we have become strangers again. My how you’ve grown. You’re not the short person I once knew.”

“You know me?” I ask him desperately.

“Indeed. We have had many parties together, but it was when you were shorter than now. When did you return?”

“I don’t know. As far as I know, I've always been here.” I tell him and finally push myself up so I can sit against the bed. “I don’t remember anything other than when I woke up…I don’t even know what day it is.”

“You were only twelve moon cycles when I last saw you. That means you must be many years older now, or my eyes are playing tricks on me. Which is entirely possible since I’m beyond mad.” He shrugs like being mad isn’t that surprising.

“Why are you here?”

“I was caught just like you. It seems the Walrus has a plan and needs me and you apparently.”

“If the Walrus is the man who brought me here then he wants to turn me into a weapon,” I explain.

“Hmm…” He doesn’t say anything for a long moment. “I understand now why I was brought here.”

“What do you mean?” I ask feeling my hackles rise.

Suddenly I feel like I’m in the presence of someone very dangerous.

“He is using my teas on you. My apologies dear Alice for any pain you have suffered because of me.” He removes his hat and bends at his stomach in a bow.

“The stuff they’ve been injecting into me…you made them?” My voice cracks as betrayal hits.

I’m not sure why I feel betrayed by this man. I don’t know him.

“Y-you helped to make those things they’ve been poisoning me with? All the pain…”

His face falls. “They did not share what they would be used for, and I’m in dented to the Walrus. Which means I can’t object when given a request.” He swears at that. “Now I understand…he intends to go for the Kingdom of Hearts.”

My mind works over what I've been told and seen while I've been here. “This is the kingdom of Spades.”

“Correct. The Kingdom of Hearts has been weak since the death of the king and the loss of the prince. The current queen of hearts made a deal with the Walrus but the kingdom has been crumbling ever since. The young queen has no clue how to rule. She only cares about power and the subjection of the people who still live there. She sucks the life from them and those she doesn’t can not escape. She is truly mad.”

I nod along but I’m confused. Although I don’t remember most things I seem to understand basic things, like wherever I am is a land of madness.

“What happened to the prince?” I ask.

“No one knows. The rumor is the King hid him away. He hasn’t been seen in six years.”

“And the queen…his mother-“

He laughs and it isn’t the dark unnerving laugh that the man who keeps me here has. He sounds a little crazy but it’s far less threatening.

“She is not the prince's mother. The queen died a mysterious death and the king took on a new queen after she enchanted him. It is said she was the one to order the death of the king, but he knew her plans and that is why the prince was hidden. The other kingdoms have been searching for him for six years at the behest of the queen. She wants to be sure he’s dead, but no luck!”

“What kingdom do you belong to?” I ask.

Sure it’s probably not the most important thing to focus on right now, but I’m curious.

“I do not belong to any specific kingdom. Maybe once but I have been captured by all the kingdoms in one way or another. I belong to whoever has me at the time.”

That makes my heart hurt for him. “I’m sorry.”

He chuckles. “It is to be my fate. We are all slaves to the madness of kings and queens.”

“So there is no hope for me? I’ll always be a prisoner.”

“I’m sorry little…well not so little Alice.”

“Alicia.” I correct him.

“What?”

“My name is Alicia,” I tell him weakly. “It’s what he calls me. He says I am not Alice because I will not be weak like her. I will be more…whatever that looks like.” I explain.

A sharp pain starts in the back of my head. I close my eyes and drop my head back and try to breathe through the pain. Pain isn’t new for me, so usually I can breathe through it. Another shot hits and feels like it’s moving up over the back of my head.

“Alicia?” I hear the Hatter call my name but it’s as if he’s far away.

Pain shoots out like tendrils over my mind making me cry out. This isn’t the usual pain I’ve felt. I shake my head grabbing at it and slamming my hands against it as if I can knock the pain out. Darkness is everywhere when I open my eyes…wait no…red. Blood red…

The pain pulls away but something is wrong. There is only darkness everywhere except for one thing…the Hatter. He is standing now and his wide eyes are looking me over.

“Alicia? Can you hear me?” He yells but there is a sound drowning him out.

Waves of bright light start rolling off him. I till my head and try to make sense of what I’m seeing. Whatever this light is calls to me.

I want it…

I crave it…

I need it…

My hand wraps around the cell door but I remove them with a shout when they start to burn. I look down at them and see a greenish substance on them, but as soon as the pain starts it quickly disappears. Did my hands just heal themselves? That’s impossible.

“Alicia?” Hatter gets my attention again. “Are you alright?”

“Yes.” My voice doesn’t sound like me.

It’s amplified and darker sounding. Almost as if I am possessed by another entity.

“Dear me,” Hatter says sounding worried, but why?

I’m fine. Why would he be worried about me?

“Well, finally.” The man who has been keeping me here steps in front of me with a gleeful expression on his face.

Something inside me stirs and recognizes him as a threat. Before I can think twice my arm shoots through the bars, making sure not to touch them, and I grab him by the throat.

“Release me,” I demand in that unfamiliar voice.

He smiles wider. “Yes, you will do nicely. The black eyes do add an intimidating factor to this new look as well. I’m very impressed doctor.”

Another man steps into view and my eyes narrow on him releasing the the other man. Anger bubbles up inside me and a strong wave of something bigger than myself strikes. Dark tendrils wrap themselves around the so-called doctor tightening and choking him. His mouth opens but no sound comes out.

“Alicia! Let go of him!” The other man yells but I barely hear him.

All I see is a threat to me and he can not be allowed to live. The doctor’s body spasms as he gasps for breath but soon his body goes limp and the life is gone from his eyes. As soon as the threat is gone the darkness returns to me and I collapse. The darkness surrounds me like a cacoon and I fall into its depths.