8.

It ain't no rabbit hole she fell into. A bad person took her ... off with her head. But there is no queen, not at first. There is no Cheshire Cat, no Mad Hatter, well if the bad man is The Mad Hatter, then it must all be a lie, for he does not like tea parties, imaginary or other.

She sits on a cold floor scattered with straw. It's dark down here but not so dark that she cannot see much of anything. Why is she here? Is she being punished? Where is mum and dad? Surely Rei will come soon, and we can go play again, this is all I want. Yeah, her friend will come, and they will get to play again, only this does not happen. How could it?

Down here there are no multi-coloured blankets. She starts to cry, lonely and afraid, tired, and hungry, wanting those she loves. Time passed and no one came, except for him and eventually so too does the promise of a room of her own, a bed of her own and the threat that if she doesn't behave, he'll take her hands and her feet. How could a child possibly process such a threat. There is something in that to think about.

Alone she remains in her room, one promise adhered to. He returns from having been out for hours. He had left her a sandwich and some milk, so hunger didn't plague her while he was away. Someone is with him, a woman. Is it mommy? She comes out of her space on an upper level of a wooden building which has become her home, her prison.

With a want to call out for mommy, she manages to restrain herself. She doesn't want to make him angry and in order to keep to this, she remains quiet. He did bring a woman back, and soon it is clear that it is not mommy. Their clothing is soon removed and a position on the couch is taken. A little girl moves to a spot whereby she can see most of what is occurring.

She, who so far is a guest, moves on top and straddles he with whom had invited her to his abode. She stretches her arms placing her hands behind her head, her ample breasts displayed as if to rial a former lover almost to say he is mine now. Yeah, she is aware she is being watched and by one who is not old enough to be anyone's lover, not old enough by far.

At first this doesn't matter, then it does. To perform like this, in front of a child, any child let alone a stranger, is not lady like, never mind also being something lacking responsibility. She gets up off of him quite quickly, ensuring no pain or damage is done in the process, and also with movement swift enough to see to a task, she dresses.

'What are you doing?' he asks with surprise and disappointment. He had been enjoying himself and was far from being done.

'You never told me you had a daughter.'

'Where is she? ... the little brat.'

She stops still with fear and surprise at his sudden change in demeanour. His erection eases though still remains larger than most, dangling away as he moves away from his companion to go deal with the girl.

'If you are planning on scolding that young lady in any way, the least you can do is cover yourself up ...' morality more concerning now than what it had been not so long ago.

He doesn't listen and heads straight to the girl, slapping her in the face, connecting a little too high to connect entirely with a cheek and his doing so doesn't take into account for the sizeable difference in strength. 'What did I tell you about remaining in your place ...?'

The girl had been knocked clear out and this is not what had been intended. When she wakes, it is in her own bed, or at least the bed she had been assigned to in this place and at that she can't be entirely sure for her sight is blurry at best. There is a swelling on her face, and it hurts to touch. Her ears are also ringing and besides that dulcet tone, there is nothing.

She wants to cry but doesn't, doing so will only do her more harm than good. She gets up and begins to move, careful as she goes. She doesn't want to give he who brought her to this place, any reason to harm her further. Extreme caution is observed while moving down to the lower level. She has been here long enough, and on her own longer enough, that she can get by without her sight.

The coach has been reached but not before a glass tumbler has been placed strategically on a mahogany table by the main door. The hope here is that unlocking of that door should knock the tumbler over, giving her a moment's notice to react before the door opens.

There is something on the couch and she can't quite make it out. Is it a person? It would seem so, but the skin is cold to the touch, a little sticky too, and the body itself is rigid. That lady from before ... she's dead ... isn't she?

The tumbler is knocked over, not only that but it is knocked to the floor. This is not good. She should have thought things through a little more, though she is just a child, an intelligent one at that. Still, she deserves better, as any child does. His anger is clear and obvious. Her face won't be touched on this occasion.

.

If only she could have Rei with her. Tea parties are so much better, and how mice would it be to be sitting on that multicoloured rug right now? That glass tumbler, she wished it safe. A fall should have seen it smashed into many pieces, though whole it remains.

***

Have Rei and Alice really been united? Twenties may not yet have been reached by either though both have lived lives beyond the youth age suggests. The reality of the current situation is horrific to say the least. She hears a key turn in a lock. There is distance between her and the sound and though she knows what it is right away, she still feels the need to ask.

'What was that?'

Her companion may not be blind though her time here in this place has her well attuned to its sounds. 'Shit, he's coming.'

'Oh crap, what do we do?'

'There is nothing we can do other than pray ...'

Time passes and all is quiet, until she hears it ... a noise, soft and gentle. Yes, she believes she knows what it is, un-mistakable, a key unlocking a lock. There is a second lock being unlocked, then a third. A door opens, it is off to one side and behind her position. Someone has come through.

'It's him' speaks her fellow captive, fear evident in the tremble of her voice.

The door clicks closed after an entry has been made then it remains unlocked, for the time being at least. She is sure if one were to try to use that door right now, they'd get through it. If such a thing could be done unhindered, would there then be somewhere to go?

As for right now, she is sure she has come for one purpose surely. Her companion's time is coming to an end like so many before. The intention for this is there. A collection of keys is set down on that surely is a metal table, ten to fifteen feet from her current position. There is give in her chains, but is there enough of it? Possible not, right now may not be the best moment to test it.

Her companion's breathing is becoming erratic, what is he playing to do to her? No words are spoken, not by him at least. There are yelps and pleads which seem to do little to prevent an advance. A belt has been removed and he snaps it twice. Alice does not need her eyes to know that death is not the first thing on the agenda, at least in the eyes of her captor.

If survival on any front is to exist, she must remember being a child ... when she would have imagined a night sky, clear and calm. The moon is full and fixed, as the stars are too. They would guide her. What sight lacks, sound, touch, and smell strengthen. The moon and stars do not move, she does ... could this work? But even memory is being hindered, damaged, for she is sure she can see someone hiding in the shadows.

Sometimes it is best not being able to see. Are there enough tools at her disposal to embrace an escape? Only one way to find out ... wouldn't that require a change of heart?

A shadow from within steps forwards. Her chains drop to the floor. Her right arm reaches out. The palm of her hand faces outward. The captor is nothing more than a tool. He struggles. No matter how he tries, he cannot get together an intake of air. There is an obstruction, an invisible barrier and he has no control.

Is she doing this? It would appear so. Then it is just a matter of time for she is unrelenting. She has been through enough but is not he who originally took her who is now at her mercy. She created him and everything misgiving which can be attributed to him is her doing, based on he who came before.

He drops, dead, done, finished in this world, though he may not have been himself from the very instant she first invaded his mind. Mind invasion? Speaking of which.

'What have you done? You did do this, right?'

'Very good of you to notice ... Rei.'

'What? ... it really is you, right ...?'

'... I never forgot your name? I never forgot you. Don't tell me you forgot all about me? How I wished you would come play with me and you never did.'

'Alice ...?'

'Oh, very good .... You didn't forget.'

'They told me you were kidnapped. Someone had been watching us apparently, kept to the shadows ... no one knew where you had gone ...'

'How convenient ...'