Alice Won't Leave Wonderland

A Short Story

"Alice, it's time for you to leave Wonderland," the Blue Caterpillar said.

But Alice didn't want to leave. She was having too much fun.

In Wonderland, there was no school, no stuffy etiquette classes with stuffy etiquette teachers, no mocking from her older sister, no uncomfortable petticoats, and colorful pastry-shaped dresses.

This was her dream. She could do whatever she wanted, eat, and play wherever she wanted, without worrying about her mother scolding her for getting dirt on her clothes or jam on her face.

Wonderland was alive and full of color, a vast improvement from the serious, grey Oxford home where she had spent the entirety of her short life. At first, she found the talking animals and the human faces blooming in the center of the flower frightening but they soon grew on her. After all, she never had anyone so interesting to talk to back at Oxford.

Alice stuffed her face with buttered bread and glugged down sugary tea as she sat with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. They both stared at Alice with narrowed eyes, their expression carrying something in between irritation and concern.

"Alice, it's time for you to leave Wonderland." They warned her.

"No, no, no." Alice said , jolting up from her spot at the table, elderberry jam dripping from her chin. "I won't leave. I'll never leave. If you don't want me here, I'lll just go somewhere else."

Alice pulled at the tablecloth , sending all the tea cakes and tea bags and tea cups tumbling to the ground. She didn't stick around for long enough to see how the Mad Hatter or the March Hare reacted.

Alice ventured into the flower field, where the flowers grew tall enough to stare her in the face. The flowers looked at her in disapproval as she passed them, as if they hated her.

"Alice, it's time for you to leave Wonderland." The flowers told her.

"No, no, no!" Alice cried out. "I won't leave. You can't make me.:

Alice grabbed the flowers by their stem and tore them from the ground, the life draining from their eyes as they took their final breaths,

Alice wandered around the expanse of Wonderland until she came across the Cheshire Cat, who no longer wore his smile.

"Alice, it's time for you to leave Wonderland." He said.

"I'm not going to! I never will." Alice screamed back at him. "You can't make me. None of you can."

The Cheshire Cat scowled. "You don't understand, Alice. They're coming for you, the Red Queen's guards. They're coming to make you pay for all the damage you have done to Wonderland. You have to leave now."

"You're lying." Alice sneered. "You all just want to get rid of me. This is my dream, and you're all trying to trick me. I don't need you. I don't need any of you."

Alice stormed out into the woodland and walked until it more resembled a jungle. She walked and walked until her feet started to hurt, at which point she took off her shoes and threw them into a bush.

Just when she thought she was about to reach the edge of Wonderland, the edge of the world, she noticed a dark, looming figure in the distance. This figure was not colorful or whimsical like all the other beings in Wonderland, but faceless and clad in all black.

Alice attempted to run in the opposite direction to escape the figure, but no matter how far or in what direction she ran, the figure always seemed to be moving ever closer to her. Before she knew it, she was standing face-to-face with the figure.

"By the order of the Red Queen, you are under arrest." The figure said, its voice low and creaking. "I'm going to need you to come with me."

"No!" Alice screamed at him." I don't need to do anything! This is my dream. I control what happens in it."

The figure regarded Alice coldly, unfazed by her dramatics."If you don't come with me willingly, I'm going to have to take you by force."

"No! I told you this is my dream." Alice sheirked, stomping her feet "I tell you what to do, not the other way around."

The figure grabbed Alice by the hair and dragged her to the Red Queen's castle. Alice kicked and screamed and cursed but nothing was enough to make the figure release her.

Alice found herself on trial for her crimes against Wonderland, standing in front of a court of animals with her wrists shackled. But she felt no fear. After all, this was her dream. She was the one in control.

"Alice of the Upper world." The Dodo bird judge boomed. "For your crimes against Wonderland, I hereby sentence you to execution by decapitation."

Alice didn't feel her first inkling of fear until she found herself sitting in Wonderland's prison. That was when she was no longer having fun. She was ready to go back to her ordinary life at Oxford. She was ready to wake up.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up." She squeezed her eyes shut and whispered to herself as she was forced to lean over the guillotine.

She couldn't see the Red Queen, but she could feel her imposing presence from the throne room somewhere above.

"Off with her head!" The Red Queen commanded.

It was only then that Alice realized she wasn't dreaming.

Visit my website graceandersonauthor,com

Purchase my books here

Buy Me a Coffee link here

Consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the publication and gain access to exclusive content.