Wonderland,” Edith says. “Of course, I have no idea what she was talking about. Your Wonderland stories must have driven my mother crazy.”
“What else?”
“I’m telling you there is no Wonderland. Are you deaf?”
“Just tell me what Mother told you about the Pillar.”
“Some hallucinations about you collaborating with him to find his weakness.”
“Weakness?” I tilt my head.
“Eh, some terrible story, straight out of a cheap late night B movie,” She says. “Something about the Pillar killing people close to you, or maybe children, I am not sure.”
“So?”
“Story goes that the Pillar was invincible, and that you planned your revenge by befriending him, killing people all over Wonderland, hoping to find his weakness and eventually kill him.”
Chapter 5
“So I joined Black Chess to win his trust and later find his weakness and kill him?” I mumble.
“See? It’s all cheap comic book revenge crap – or a lousy excuse for you to go on a killing spree, if that’s even a true story.” Edith says.
“Did I ever find his weakness?”
“I doubt it.”
“Why so sure?”
She laughs. “Because look at you. The Pillar must have driven you insane.”
“But you’re sure she said it was the Pillar, right?”
“Of course. Mother always told us the story of when you first came, you feared him so much you could not taste his name on your tongue.”
“How so?”
“You always referred to the Pillar as ‘He’ or ‘Him’. But one day you finally confessed. Mother says that’s when you forgot everything, even telling her that little story.”
“And that’s why you warned me about him?”
“Can you imagine spending our childhood warned of ‘He’ or ‘Him’ as if he were the Boogeyman, then seeing him walk into the house?” She steps forward as if to tell me a secret. “What’s wrong with you, Alice? I mean, really? Didn’t you see he was about to kill us in here?”
I don’t argue with her. She and Lorina tried to kill me as well. Every killer in this world argues they are right, that they’d killed for a reason.
“Anything else?” Edith taps the doorframe, impatiently.
“No, thanks.” I nod and turn to walk away.
“I would call Lorina and ask her,” Edith says behind me. I can imagine the wide, ugly smirk on her face right now. “But she’s cuddling with Jack upstairs. You want me to call her?”
I continue walking, pretending I didn’t hear her. Then, when I hear the door slam behind me, I detour into the nearest alley, hold my breath so I don’t vomit, lean against a wall and wait to make sure no one is watching.
Then cry my heart out.
***
It’s hard to say how long I keep sobbing. As long as no one, especially Edith or Lorina, sees my tears, I will be alright.
I can’t believe I gave Jack to Lorina. I am so regretting saving his life right now. I’d have preferred him dead but mine, however selfish it now sounds.
Standing against the wall proves futile, as the weight of my sadness pulls me down to the ground. And there, in my darkest hours, a flicker of light shines through. It’s not a divine beam of twilight or lightning in the sky, not even an alien space ship promising to take me to a better place. It’s my phone. A message from the Pillar:
It’s happening. Everything I feared. We have no time. Meet me at the Radcliffe Asylum. Now!
Chapter 6
Buckingham Palace, London
The Queen of Hearts accidentally farted. It was a comical one, a few meaningless air bubbles floating like fish breaths in the aquarium of life. Politicians do it all the time. They call them presidential debates.
"That was a relief,” She wheezed, eyes wide while leaning back on her favorite couch in her chamber.
She'd meant to let out a moan from the pain of the wounds she had endured in Kalmykia, but it came out all wrong – and smelly. Glad she was all alone, she wondered if the citizens of Britain ever imagined their Queen being a slob
“What else?”
“I’m telling you there is no Wonderland. Are you deaf?”
“Just tell me what Mother told you about the Pillar.”
“Some hallucinations about you collaborating with him to find his weakness.”
“Weakness?” I tilt my head.
“Eh, some terrible story, straight out of a cheap late night B movie,” She says. “Something about the Pillar killing people close to you, or maybe children, I am not sure.”
“So?”
“Story goes that the Pillar was invincible, and that you planned your revenge by befriending him, killing people all over Wonderland, hoping to find his weakness and eventually kill him.”
Chapter 5
“So I joined Black Chess to win his trust and later find his weakness and kill him?” I mumble.
“See? It’s all cheap comic book revenge crap – or a lousy excuse for you to go on a killing spree, if that’s even a true story.” Edith says.
“Did I ever find his weakness?”
“I doubt it.”
“Why so sure?”
She laughs. “Because look at you. The Pillar must have driven you insane.”
“But you’re sure she said it was the Pillar, right?”
“Of course. Mother always told us the story of when you first came, you feared him so much you could not taste his name on your tongue.”
“How so?”
“You always referred to the Pillar as ‘He’ or ‘Him’. But one day you finally confessed. Mother says that’s when you forgot everything, even telling her that little story.”
“And that’s why you warned me about him?”
“Can you imagine spending our childhood warned of ‘He’ or ‘Him’ as if he were the Boogeyman, then seeing him walk into the house?” She steps forward as if to tell me a secret. “What’s wrong with you, Alice? I mean, really? Didn’t you see he was about to kill us in here?”
I don’t argue with her. She and Lorina tried to kill me as well. Every killer in this world argues they are right, that they’d killed for a reason.
“Anything else?” Edith taps the doorframe, impatiently.
“No, thanks.” I nod and turn to walk away.
“I would call Lorina and ask her,” Edith says behind me. I can imagine the wide, ugly smirk on her face right now. “But she’s cuddling with Jack upstairs. You want me to call her?”
I continue walking, pretending I didn’t hear her. Then, when I hear the door slam behind me, I detour into the nearest alley, hold my breath so I don’t vomit, lean against a wall and wait to make sure no one is watching.
Then cry my heart out.
***
It’s hard to say how long I keep sobbing. As long as no one, especially Edith or Lorina, sees my tears, I will be alright.
I can’t believe I gave Jack to Lorina. I am so regretting saving his life right now. I’d have preferred him dead but mine, however selfish it now sounds.
Standing against the wall proves futile, as the weight of my sadness pulls me down to the ground. And there, in my darkest hours, a flicker of light shines through. It’s not a divine beam of twilight or lightning in the sky, not even an alien space ship promising to take me to a better place. It’s my phone. A message from the Pillar:
It’s happening. Everything I feared. We have no time. Meet me at the Radcliffe Asylum. Now!
Chapter 6
Buckingham Palace, London
The Queen of Hearts accidentally farted. It was a comical one, a few meaningless air bubbles floating like fish breaths in the aquarium of life. Politicians do it all the time. They call them presidential debates.
"That was a relief,” She wheezed, eyes wide while leaning back on her favorite couch in her chamber.
She'd meant to let out a moan from the pain of the wounds she had endured in Kalmykia, but it came out all wrong – and smelly. Glad she was all alone, she wondered if the citizens of Britain ever imagined their Queen being a slob
Similar Books
Under Their Protection
J.A. Bailey
Troubled range
John Thomas Edson
Complete Plays, The
William Shakespeare
Copper Beach: A Dark Legacy Novel
Jayne Ann Krentz
My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend
Eleanor Wood
A String in the Harp
Nancy Bond
Forced Handfasting
Rebecca Lorino Pond
Elfcharm
Leila Bryce Sin
Waiting for Sunrise
William Boyd