There standing before me are demons. I faintly recognize them as Alice’s friends. But boy, they do look like horror sidekicks. The White Rabbit is no longer white. He is blood coated with an obsidian waistcoat. McTwisp’s teeth are sharpened and could probably impale me. His once neat and idyllic pocket watch is now broken and can never be repaired.
The dodo, once salmon pink, is now grey and his beak is sharpened to the tip. He wears a red top hat exactly like the Mad Hatter. He looks very ancient and I swear blind he is going to die on me.
Mallymumkin is bigger and brawlier. The eye- no wait, eyes- are back in her net. I gulp nervously. What has ever happened to the Bandersnatch? Her sword is significantly bigger and she now has this evil smile which I never thought mice could do. Shows how one thing can turn someone evil.
The Tweedles are the worse. They both look like clowns (my fear) and blood stains are everywhere on them. Makeup is carelessly thrown at their once naïve, child-like structures. This is unbelievable. They are my favourite characters. This must be a dream. They must be here to murder me. Why else would they be here?
‘’ What are you doing here?’’ Mallymumkin cheeps. She cackles and reaches out a hand. I flick my eyes between her and her hand. I hesitantly take it and she giggles. She snatches my hand and pull. Stings threaten my veins. The pulse sharpens… Her nails scratch a long deep cut from my wrist to the elbow.
‘’ OW! Bitch!’’ I scream at her. She doesn’t care and just cackles.
McTwisp tuts. ‘’ Mally. That’s mean. But dear Venus. You are very late.’’ He smiles with all his sharpened teeth jutting out. My eyes widen again. ‘’ Sorry. The teeth are created by my Master.’’
‘’ Master?’’ The Tweedles nod harmonising. They smile in time too. It’s freaky. ‘’ Who’s your Master?’’
‘’ Why dear Alice of course! She’s the Queen of Wonderland now! Mind you it’s not Wonderland anymore…’’ The Dodo exclaims.
‘’ Well what is this place then?’’ My stomach flips.
‘’ Murderland. According to Alice and Bloody Big Head.’’ Dee says.
‘’ Wait. The Red Queen is not exiled?’’ My stomach drops. Alice has joined forces with her hasn’t she?
McTwisp staggers back. ‘’ Dear my twiddling twiskers, of course she isn’t. She’s our Second Master.’’
‘’ Let me guess. The third is the White Queen.’’
‘’ Of course child.’’ Mallymumkin chirrups. ‘’ That reminds me. We need to take you to the Master and Second Master.’’ Dee and Dum start picking me up by the arms.
‘’ Bu-but. Wait!’’ They all turn to me. I ask the first question on my mind. ‘’ What’s in my hair? Who cut it?’’
Dum chuckles gleefully. ‘’ Just red dye. We asked for blood but Master wouldn’t let us. The Knave cut your hair.’’
‘’ Wait. The Knave’s alive?’’
‘’ Of course. The Second Master and he are getting married. You’re invited of course.’’ Dodo says. They start heaving me on the floor. I don’t want to be invited to an evil wedding.
I scream and scream and scream all the way to the Castle. They all just laughed and stated how they were late. The Castle was the same as before. Just a little more deadlier and shrivelled and with a few more head steeping-stones. I say a few, I mean lots.
We carefully stepped across them while I’m still screaming at the top of my lungs.
Mally groans ‘’ If you don’t shut up you’ll be one of those stones.’’ I zip my mouth shut and bite my cheeks. I do not want to be a stepping stone.
The inside is very regal. There are many pictures of Her Majesty and Alice herself. The Queen is actually smiling with her heart shaped lips. She is very beautiful. Alice is terrifying. Her scraggly hair is all different lengths and her eyes are a putrid purple. Her smile is stretched and her teeth are sallow. Her cyan dress is ripped with blood stains bleaching through. Her lipstick is smeared across her lips and her apron is nowhere near white.
I gasp at all these photos of her. This is so preposterous. I think I am in a dream…
I’m suddenly in the throne room. They must have carried me there after I have stopped walking. The Red Queen is sat on her antique throne and Alice is by her with her equally significant throne. While Red has perfect posture, Alice has the poorest posture I have ever seen. She must be a hunchback. Good deserves it with the deaths she has most likely caused.
‘’ Bow.’’ Red said after a while. I curtsy in front of them both.
‘’ She did not say curtsy. She said bow!’’ Alice’s voice is so ragged. And screwed. I bow and show my bitchiest face I can do.
‘’ Better. You’re Majesty?’’ I sneer. The friends gasp. They needn’t do, however, as Alice laughs.
‘’ Such a rebel.’’ She stands up and walks to me. ‘’ Cute rebel.’’ She smiles showing me her rotting breath blown towards me. I try not to cough at the decaying scent as she might behead me. She walks back with a smirk on her face.
The Red Queen ignores all of this. ‘’ What’s your name, dear?’’
‘’ Venus. Venus Wayward.’’
‘’ Well Venus Wayward, how did you come by here?’’ She asks and gestures the room. Her penetrating stare strikes me. Does she ever bloody blink? I actually don’t remember. I must’ve cried too much.
‘’ I don’t remember. I only remember falling.’’
‘’ Falling!’’ Alice screeches delightedly. She gasps proudly. ‘’ Exactly how I came here! So similar!’’
The Red Queen turns to Alice and smiles. ‘’ Yes darling. Very similar.’’ She returns her gaze to me. ‘’ So why come here?’’
‘’ Your-‘’ How do I put this? ‘’ Apprentices took me here.’’
‘’ Apprentices?! Dear girl. They’re not my slaves. They are my followers.’’ Bloody Big Head gestures a crushing motion. She gazes at them.
‘’ Why do they call you Master then?’’ I stated, ignoring the panicked looks from McTwisp and the Dodo.
‘’ Because I am their Master.’’ She does not continue for a long time. The only noise is the giggling sensations of Alice. I can’t believe she is so… so ludicrous. She sounds like she has been tortured insane or something. Wait. Speaking of mad, where’s the Mad Hatter? And the March Hare? I hope they’re not gone: they’re mad but they hate the Queen. As much as Alice herself.
‘’ You may go now. Venus.’’ She waves her hand to shoo me away. Dee and Dum collect me by the arms and shove me out of the door.
‘’ Oh McTwisp, Mally?’’ Alice calls. They hop (run) to Alice.
‘’ Kill someone please. I need blood.’’ I gasp quietly.
‘’ Yes Master.’’ They bow and hurry off to the door. I can’t believe that this is how Wonderland has turned into. Murderland. That’s exactly the word I would call this land too. 288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0JN9tReIs
