Chapter 45

**Hale **

*Four Years Ago…*

Alicia has been sleeping for several hours now, and I’m starting to get concerned. I try very hard to count her breaths to make sure they are consistent but it isn’t my worries any better. What if she does not wake? Why are they doing this to her of all people? How many people had they tried this on before they tried it on her?

They could have tried it on anyone before without my help…unless…no he wouldn’t help them. He is not so easily swayed as me. He would never help them.

Movement from Alicia has me scrambling to my feet. She lets out a pained sound before rolling to her side and emptying her stomach on the cobble-stoned floor. It isn’t much to begin with but it’s…black.

“Alicia?” I ask carefully so as not to startle her.

It’s no use because she shoots up from the cot and scrambles off of it like it has teeth and might gobble her up at any second.

“No…No…It’s impossible. He was…it can’t be…” She mutters quickly under her breath.

“Alicia?”

“Alice…Alice…” She chants as she starts to pace her cell. “I can’t…I can’t get out…”

My eyes follow her and try to get her attention but it’s as if she doesn’t notice her surroundings at all. Whatever they did to her must have finally broken her mind. She whimpers and covers her ears with her hands.

“Stop…stop…get out!” Her hands turn into fists that she hits against the side of her head.

How can I help you? I think to myself. What can I do Alicia? How do I fix this?

I don’t bother saying any of this out loud because she doesn’t seem to hear me. Then something happens that has been utterly lost.

“There is nothing. I’m broken…” I hear her voice echo in my mind.

My eyes widen but she isn’t looking at me. She still acts as if I’m not here, but somehow she’s talking in my mind.

“Alicia? You can hear me?” I ask her in my mind.

“It’s so loud…too loud…” She starts to rant again but this time in my mind.

Her voice is panicked and makes me dizzy the longer she says nonsensical things. Eventually, I’m so dizzy from the constant mental stimuli that my stomach gives way and soon I’m the one sick. It takes effort but I push her out any way I can think of and finally, it’s silent. I hate leaving her alone even in silence but I don’t think hearing her madness in my mind will help her. It will only hurt us both.

The sound of footsteps has my eyes breaking from watching her so that I can see The Walrus sauntering in. How did he manage this more human form? He had been a blundering idiot with huge gums and ridiculous teeth before. Well, he doesn’t look much better with the large belly but not worse than he once looked.

“Spades. She looks mad.” He says with disapproval when he sees Alicia pacing and wringing her fingers.

“That happens when you pump dangerous mixes into a person and worse,” I growl at him.

I was never this sort of dark angry creature, but a lot has changed. My carefree tea parties are far in the past now.

He ignores me. “This won’t do. How will she follow orders if she is in this state doctor?”

Doctor?

A familiar face steps out of the shadows and my eyes widen. Didn’t Alicia kill him?

“As I explained in the beginning…there are risks involved in changing someone’s make-up for alternative purposes.” The doctor says sounding bored.

The Walrus makes a humming sound. “Well, I suppose we will have to figure out a way to work around this mishap. Any ideas? Because it will mean your head if we don’t find a solution.”

Something tells me that if they don’t find a solution they will kill Alicia, but I can’t tell them what I discovered. It’s not like she can simply project her thoughts into just anyone. She stops pacing and turns slowly toward the two men and once again her eyes have turned dark as the night.

“You still live…maybe I should try harder to kill you…” She says in a voice that sounds far deeper than her usual voice.

It also sounds like an echo…I can’t quite explain it if I tried.

The doctor chuckles. “You can try again, but you’ll find I’m hard to kill. Even by you.”

She tilts her head eyeing him like she’s considering how exactly to kill him personally this time.

“How is it that you can not die? What sort of magic have you used to make yourself immortal?” She asks him.

“That is my secret to keep.” He says.

She smiles. “Maybe, but I do love learning secrets.” Her head lowers as her eyes focus on the man.

Once again the dark tendrils shoot from her and wrap around the man, but this time she does not suffocate him. No, this time the tendrils work their way into his mouth, eyes, and ears. He makes a choking sound that quickly changes into a guttural but muffled screams.

“Alicia! Release him!” The Walrus commandos even go so far as to try and pull the doctor away.

Then red pools to the surface of the doc’s skin and is sucked into the threads of the dark tendrils absorbing it. Alicia sucks the very life force out of the doctor until he is paler than first fallen frost. Then she releases him. His body falls lifelessly to the ground.

“Let’s see if he will survive now.” She says before closing her eyes and a slow smile forms on her pink lips. “It seems the doctor did indeed have a special secret, and now so do I.”

“What do you mean?” The Walrus asks.

She smiles wickedly at him. “It’s a secret. Don’t you understand what a secret is? Let’s just say…if you try to kill me…you won’t succeed.”

The Walrus visibly swallows. “You will not do this to anyone else. Not if you wish to leave this place.”

“Your poor prison can’t keep all of me prisoner. Haven’t I shown you? My body might not be able to pass through the wicked bars but I don’t need to leave to display my power.” She laughs. “Your threats mean nothing to me!”

Her yell projects so harshly that it makes The Walrus stumble back. “We shall see.”

Then he storms out of the room not bothering to take the doctor with him. Not even a guard comes in for him.

“Well, that was fun.” She says with a smirk.

When her dark eyes find me she tilts her head again in assessment.

“Hatter. There is something about you…” She shakes her head in confusion. “I want something from you, but I don’t want to kill you. Why is that?”

I’m relieved to hear that. “Maybe you fancy me.” I offer trying for a playful approach.

She smiles at me but it isn’t deadly like the one she had on her face a moment ago. “I think so. You have a glow around you that I find rather beautiful. I wish I could touch you.”

I swallow. “Is that so? We were once friends you know. Ages ago, but we were.”

“Really? I’m sorry I don’t remember.”

Her brows furrow and she shakes her head. A gasp leaves her and she takes a step back nearly tripping over her own feet.

“No…no!” She cries out before the black slowly disappears from her eyes.

She blinks and looks at me with a vacant expression as if she is seeing right through me.

“Alicia?” I call for her but she says nothing.

“Where? Where did you go?…No. I can’t come…can’t come…where are you?” She mumbles and begins to pace again.

What is she going on about? Where is she so desperately trying to go?

“Trapped…trapped…sad…hurt…trapped…” She pushes her fingers through her hair tugging on it. “Where…where…too loud…too loud…”

“Are you hearing more voices?” I ask her.

“Voices…too much…so loud…”

She had gotten in my head maybe she was doing the same thing to others. If she how many minds was she slipping into?

This goes on for several days. Me begging her to talk to me, and she pacing like mad muttering. My heart aches as I watch the beautiful girl I once knew lose her mind a little more each day. The Walrus hasn’t come back for either of us, and for a second I wonder if maybe he has given up the plans he had. Maybe he has found another way to create the weapon he needs.

My hopes are shot when the guards drag someone new into the room tossing them in the cell next to Alicia. He curses at the guards and I recognize the voice before I see him. Once we’re alone I smile at him.

“Welcome Caterpillar.”