Alice Adaption Part 4

“I knew I could do it, thank you for giving me the chance to prove it!” Alice whispered to him as he led her back over to his car. Two police officers trailed behind them.

“You really did, Alice. It was quite … something,” he answered, trying to keep his voice from cracking.

As he put her in the car and drove to the nearby hospital with an open lockdown space for Alice, he listened to her retell her wild story of voices, winking flowers and impossible characters. He realized giving her the opportunity to seek out this place, released the last hold reality had on her mind. She had given in completely to the delusions she had been experiencing but at least she finally looked happy and at peace - heading to her magical realm as far as she knew.

When Doctor Hightopp pulled up to the hospital, the police officers got out as well but stayed a safe distance behind them. He went to the receptionist desk and checked in.

“Good evening, can I help you, Doctor?”

“Yes, I have a serious emergency. She is critical and dangerous, awaiting trial. I need a place to hold her.”

The nurse scanned Alice up and down, probably feeling just as Hightopp had only a few hours ago.

“Right this way, Doctor.” The nurse walked with him down to the guarded ward. Alice continued to smile widely and happily.

“Are we going to another melting place? Are you coming with me to see it?” She whispered to him.

“We are going to another melting place, yes. You finally get to go back but I’m sorry I can’t join you. This nurse is going to take you to the place and there we must say goodbye. I can’t help you anymore,” the Doctor answered, trying to hide the sadness in his face.

“I will miss you, Hatter,” Alice whispered. The Doctor frowned in confusion.

“Here we are, we’ll take her and clean her up before sending her to room 118. You are welcome to visit her tomorrow if you’d like,” the nurse answered, taking Alice from Doctor Hightopp.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to just wait while she gets settled.”

“Of course.”

Doctor Hightopp took a seat in the waiting room and absentmindedly fiddled with his thumbs. He couldn’t imagine how things had turned out so poorly. He felt so guilty and as if he failed Alice. It was his risky choice that led to that poor woman’s death and Alice’s ultimate demise. Doctor Hightopp wiped a small tear from his cheek and did his best to harden his face.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, burning a hole in the chair across from him with his stare. But he jumped when the nurse came back and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Doctor Hightopp, you can see her now if you’d like.” He looked up to see the nurse was gesturing for him to follow her. He stood up quickly and walked with her down to the padded cells. They stopped in front of her room and he glanced quickly through the window.

She was sitting peacefully in the center of the room, whispering and talking to imaginary people in the room with her. In her mind she was having a tea party and it was a delightful time. Her mind had found a way to send her back after all.

“So what happened?” the nurse asked, curiously keeping her eyes on Alice. Doctor Hightopp sighed as he looked on at Alice’s state.

“Alice didn’t want to be saved from Wonderland. She wanted to live amongst the lost, mad and imaginary. I suppose she got her wish.” The animated walls seemed to shift and blend together as her cart raced down the invisible tracks. Her heart pumped in her chest and she started to shake as sweat built up around her temples. The mangled, warped cartoons danced and sang her off as the tracks ended and dropped her down into a dark pit.

She blinked her eyes open, surprised to find she was still sitting in the bland waiting room of her psychiatrist. She stared at the rorschach painting with a groan and dull eyes.

“Alice? You can come on in now,” called the familiar voice of her Doctor’s assistant. Alice looked up to see she was just barely poking her head out from behind the door as if trying to keep everyone’s secrets locked inside.

Alice forced herself up and dragged her feet across the floor towards the slightly ajar door. As soon as Alice walked through, the receptionist shut the door behind her and walked quickly down the white hallway. Alice trailed after her.

“How are you feeling today, Alice?” the receptionist called back. Alice cocked her head to the side as she noticed the small edge of a tattoo poking out of the receptionist’s scrubs. It looked almost like a bunny. She shrugged before rolling her eyes and actually using her voice.

“I’m fine.”

“Come have a seat and Dr. Hightopp will be right with you.” Alice slowly maneuvered herself into the room and drooped down onto the open chair. Alice turned her eyes to the disturbing clown painting that hung behind her Doctor’s chair. The clown looked almost familiar, like someone out of her nightmares. She hated how he tipped his top hat as if hiding a secret from her.

“Good morning, Alice, how are you doing today?” Doctor Hightopp asked, closing the door and walking across the room to his seat. He had her file in hand and Alice was a bit surprised he didn’t have it completely memorized by now.

“I’m fine,” she answered, keeping her eyes on the painting. She could feel Dr. Hightopp glance up at her from her file but she forced herself to keep her eyes away from his. His mismatched blue/green eyes always left her feeling a little uneasy.

“You know I’m going to need a little more, Alice,” he muttered, turning back to the file. Alice stifled a long sigh that had built up in her chest.

“I am feeling… good, I am still working at the CVS and… I’m taking two night classes.” Alice crossed her arms over her chest and turned her eyes down to her shoes before mindlessly trying to scrape the mud off them with the edge of the table.

“Oh that’s great to hear. I’m glad you took my advice and decided to go back to school. Which classes did you decide to take?” Dr. Hightopp asked, folding her file and pulling out his notepad. Alice resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“I’m taking creative writing and astrology,” she answered. Dr. Hightopp sighed before placing his pen back on the table.

“Those are some interesting choices, Alice. Why did you choose those particular classes?” Alice shrugged, hoping to avoid admitting the truth. Dr. Hightopp dipped his head to look at her with concern, which always made Alice feel like a child.

“I don’t know. Those were the only classes that really interested me. I like writing and you know… stars….”

“Are you sure you aren’t using these two classes as different types of outlets?” Dr. Hightopp leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Alice glanced back at the disturbing clown picture and realized in this position Dr. Hightopp bared a certain likeness…. “Alice?”

“No, why is it so impossible to think I could want to, like, write or study the stars?”

“Is that truly why you took those classes?”

Alice shrugged and cocked her head in a suggestive manner to avoid straight up lying to her doctor.

“And tell me Alice, have you been taking your medication? Do you feel this dosage is helping you adjust?” Dr. Hightopp asked, turning back to his notepad and scribbling endlessly.

“They taste funny, they make me feel funny,” Alice mumbled. The doctor turned his kaleidoscope eyes on her. “But, yeah, I’m taking them. Like I said, I feel fine.”

The man in front of her dropped his pen and crossed his arms again, causing Alice to sigh a little more dramatically than she had intended.

“Interesting that the regular in-take of ecstasy and ketamine that landed you in these mandatory sessions with me didn’t ‘taste funny’ or make you ‘feel funny’. Why do you think that is?”

Alice knew the answer she felt and she knew the truth but she also knew if she admitted it out loud again, she’d never escape this office.

“Maybe I’ve just been feeling messed up for so long so those felt more normal but the antipsychotics you put me on make me feel more normal and that’s a new feeling for me,” she answered with her best smug smile.

“Alice, I can only do so much to help you but it’s out of my hands if you don’t want to get better, if you aren’t willing to try to get better,” Dr. Hightopp answered with his condescending look of concern. Alice pursed her lips. “Why don’t you at least try to be honest with me?”

“Every time I’m honest with you about anything you tell me I’m crazy, put me on crazy pills and demand more sessions here.” Alice didn’t mean to sound as whiny and frustrated as she did, but she sighed realizing there wasn’t much more she could do to lower Dr. Hightopp’s option of her emotional state anyway.

“So are you still having hallucinations and believing in this alternate reality?”

“I don’t know what I believe anymore. All I know is there’s got to be something more than this,” she whispered, gesturing around the mundane reality that existed all around her.

“What else would you like to be real, Alice? More talking bunnies and made up creatures like jabberwickies?”

“Jabberwocky….” Alice mumbled under breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. I don’t know, Doctor. I don’t know what I want to be real. Maybe you’re right, maybe this world I went to isn’t real. Maybe it’s all an illusion I created to help myself cope with my ‘empty and traumatic childhood’ and it was enhanced with the drugs I was taking-” Alice stared off for a moment recalling the realm she had experienced and tried to help herself recognize any distinguishing attributes that would confirm one way or another it’s existence.

“Alice?” The doctor called out, snapping her back to the moment.

“But does it really matter? It still means my only flaw, my only damage is that I want magic. I want purpose and danger. I want something more than this,” Alice started, looking around again with disgust at the blandness of her surroundings. “If you want me to be honest, Doctor, I’ll tell you, I want fairytales to be real. I want kisses of true love that are powerful enough to raise the dead. I want tyranting queens, prophecies, magic powers, angry gods, and immortality. This space you call ‘reality’ pales in comparison to the point that I can’t stand it. I want to rip my hair out and scream every moment I’m forced to continue to endure. So tell me, if not drugs, and searching for alternate realities, what the hell else am I supposed to do?”

“I wish I had an answer for you. The only thing I can offer is, in the end wasting your life on poisonous drugs and searching endlessly for something that you’ll never find isn’t worth it. You need to find some healthier coping mechanisms. Perhaps if you spent more time trying to engage in reality you could find something as fulfilling as these made up places in your head.”

Alice frowned. She wanted to object. She wanted to throw her chair and get up to walk out. But she knew that the doctor was only trying to help and doing those things would only land her in more trouble and sessions with him.

“Please don’t say that to me,” she whispered, glancing at his enormous bookshelf. She examined all the medical books and informational texts of science, rolling her eyes.

“Don’t say what? Which part of that was upsetting for you?”

“Don’t tell me it’s all in my head. That’s all I’ve heard my whole life: ‘it’s all in your head, Alice,’” she repeated in a sarcastic, mimicking tone. Doctor Hightopp sighed.

“What other alternative answer do you see?” he questioned. Alice glanced at him, and their eyes met for the first time since the start of the session.

“Every time I mention an ‘alternative answer’ to you - or anyone. I end up in places like this taking more crazy pills.”

“Alright then, perhaps it’s time for a different approach,” Doctor Hightopp offered, turning back to scribble more notes on his notepad. “If you promise not to take anymore recreational or illegal drugs, or do anything that might risk your life, I will go along with the idea that your fantasy realm is real. I’ll also cut your prescription for now. Bring me conclusive evidence in the next three months, while you’re required to see me, of this place and together we can set the record straight.”

For the first time since walking into the wearisome building, Alice’s eyes lit up with hopeful sparkles.

“Are you serious?” Alice sat up a bit straighter and started thinking of all the new things she could try.

“Sure, I mean so far, conventional therapy hasn’t helped you much. Maybe this will,” he answered. Alice smiled at him before standing up abruptly.

“Thanks!” She threw her book bag over her shoulder and walked out of the office and down the hall again.

…

Alice sat comfortably in the crook of the cement troll’s arm, listening to the traffic zip by on the overpass overhead. Without looking into the bag, she reached down for another Cheeto before popping it in her mouth.

“I don’t think I can use you as definitive proof. Everyone will just assume you were made here out of cement. No one will believe you were punished by an evil queen to remain encapsulated here for all eternity. But maybe if I could find a way to free you, I’d have the proof we need!” Alice stood up excited with a new sense of determination. She stared with enthusiasm at the statue that remained blank and unmoving. “I know if you could still speak you’d tell me how awesome of an idea this is. Now I just have to figure out where to start.”

Alice sat back down and nuzzled up against the statue before continuing to eat her Cheetos. Absent-mindedly, she glanced over to her left and saw the receptionist from her doctor’s office staring at her with a slightly crazed expression. She looked like she was trying to cover up something furry behind her back and she obsessively pushed her glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose. The receptionist motioned for Alice to come and follow her. Alice glanced back up at the troll, who remained emotionless, encapsulated in granite.

Alice walked hesitantly over to the woman, watching the receptionist’s eyes shift back and forth anxiously.

“Ms. White? What are you doing here?” Alice questioned.

“Looking for you, Alice, obviously. We don’t have a lot of time. I know it is all real and I can take you to the Blue Caterpillar,” Ms. White answered. She shuffled her hands behind her back and Alice thought she saw a slight glimpse of fur poking out.

“I don’t understand… you always seem so … normal? You always seem totally disinterested in me,” Alice mumbled, trying to recall all her previous encounters with the receptionist. Ms. White glanced down at the clock on her phone and seemed to bounce with nervous energy.

“I know, I’m sorry about that. I had to in order to help you prove once and for all that it is all real. Now, come along quickly, he’s waiting.” Ms. White grabbed Alice by the wrist and started to pull her through the thick bushes lining the street. Alice hissed and cringed with each twig and branch that got caught in her hair or scrapped up along her arms.

“Don’t you know a better path?” Alice shouted. Ms. White didn’t bother to answer her or even acknowledge her. Instead she gripped tighter around Alice’s wrist and kept running through the bushes into the dark forest ahead.

Once they were in the forest Ms. White slowed down but she didn’t let go of Alice. Alice glanced all around her and saw twinkling lights and slightly glowing mushrooms along the path. For a moment Alice thought she could hear the clinking of tea cups and strained laugher somewhere in the distance.

“Is this one of the melting places?” Alice asked, stunned and in awe of the mysterious land around her.

“It is, it’s how pieces have been slipping through, like the Caterpillar. He’s most anxious to see you. The Red Queen has been causing so many problems both here and there. Oh, Alice, it’s such a mess!”

“That’s terrible! What can we do?” Alice questioned, following through the forest. There was a clearing coming up ahead, leading to a different part of town. The part she used to frequent when searching for something to take her back.

“Well, that’s why we need you, Alice. The Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat think they have a plan….” Ms. White pushed her way through the clearing and onto the sketchy back alley street decorated with wildly colored graffiti. She marched Alice right up to the large Hookah bar on the corner and sent her in through the purple doors.

Instantly, a wave of tainted smoke hit Alice in the face. She coughed and did her best to wave it away with her hand.

“Alice, my dearest, is that you?” called a familiar voice from the corner. Alice turned to her right to see the Caterpillar sitting in the corner smoking from the largest Hookah pipe she’d ever seen. Beside him was the Cheshire Cat, smoking a cigar and reading the newspaper.

“It is! It’s me! It’s so good to see you both. I need one of you to come with me,” Alice started. Thinking surely this would be enough proof for Doctor Hightopp. The Cheshire Cat lowered his newspaper and gave her a curious look.

“And where do you think we are going to go?” he asked in a purr.

“I need to prove to my doctor that I’m not crazy. I need to find a way back….” Alice let her voice trail off as she remembered what Ms. White had said. “What’s going on with the Red Queen?”

“Oh, her… it’s disastrous,” the Cheshire started in a playful tone. “She’s driving us all mad, literally.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s sent so many of us through the melting place into this realm. It’s a hard adjustment, you see. Mr. March has found the experience quite… hairy,” Cheshire explained with a soft giggle.

“Ms. White said you had a plan, Caterpillar, what is it?” Alice turned to confirm with Ms. White only to see she was gone. She must have slipped back outside when Alice wasn’t paying attention. Alice thought it was curious but turned back to Caterpillar for the plan.

“I do, you must seek out the Knave. He’ll have the answers to stop the Queen. There’s poison in the tarts, you know,” Caterpillar answered slowly. He took a long, deep breath of the pipe before releasing it out in little circles. Alice coughed again.

“Where do I find the Knave?”

“Oh, he’s here…. I believe he’s at your school…. He was the first to go a little mad,” Cheshire answered, continuing to giggle. Alice narrowed her eyes at him.

“Helpful, as always,” Alice muttered. She turned on her heel to walk out the door.

“Wait,” the Caterpillar called after her. “You’ll need some of this.”

Alice turned around to see he was holding out a small cookie. Alice looked up at him suspiciously.

“I don’t think I’ll need that here. That would only make people think I was more mad.” The Caterpillar smiled at her and kept his hand out. Alice sighed and took the cookie, shoving it into her jacket pocket. “I’ll be back when I find the Knave.”

Alice pushed open the door to the Hookah bar and made her way to the bus stop. She jammed her hands deep into her pockets and threw herself down on the bench.

“My goodness. Don’t just sit there, it’s nearly tea time,” cried a voice from behind her. Alice turned abruptly but saw that no one was there. She shook her head and assumed she must have imaged the voice. She looked down at the small patch of grass and flowers on the edge of the bus stop. For just a moment it looked as if the flower had a face that winked at her. Before Alice could examine more closely the bus pulled up to the stop. Alice shook off the curious experience as she pulled out her pass and climbed aboard.

As Alice staggered to the back, she couldn’t help but feel everyone was glancing at her and whispering about her. She saw odd sideways glances and a low murmur of secret voices throughout the bus. She didn’t recognize anyone on the bus and had no idea what all the whispering could be about. Alice huddled herself into a small ball in the back of the bus and proceeded to look out the window and ignore her fellow passengers. She pulled out the cookie in her hand and wondered if it would even work in his land. Perhaps it was worth a try, if it would keep everyone from looking at her so suspiciously. She popped the cookie in her mouth and chewed slowly. As she did the glances and whispers started to fade, as if she faded from view of all the other passengers.

After ten minutes on the bus her ear perked up when the driver announced that University was their next stop. She tried to think about where on campus she could possibly find the Knave and why she hadn’t seen him there before. Alice gathered up her notebook and Cheetos before exiting the bus. This time no one seemed to notice her at all.

Alice walked quickly onto campus and started racking her brain to think of where she might find the Knave. She hadn’t spent much time with him when she was in the other realm. He spent most of his time chained to the Queen or in prison - two places Alice took great care to avoid.

“Don’t be late, Alice. It’s tea time,” called another voice from behind her. She turned but no student looked up from their phone as they walked mindlessly through the pathways.

Alice glanced around the school and had a strange feeling that she was being watched and something was following her. She continued to glance behind but repeatedly saw nothing. She felt a bit like she was losing her mind.

“Alice, over here, Alice,” called a soft voice carried by the wind. She couldn’t tell what direction the voice was coming from. She swirled around but saw nothing suspicious, just blank faces of the scattered students walking towards their classes.

She looked down and saw a card on the ground. She reached down to pick it up and saw that it was the queen of hearts. It had a black arrow on it pointing towards the astronomy tower. Alice narrowed her eyes and picked up her pace. As Alice made her way towards the observatory, she thought she could hear her name being repeatedly called out but again - no one was there. For a moment Alice considered taking the drugs that Doctor Hightopp had prescribed but she felt certain she wouldn’t be able to succeed in finding proof if she let herself be numbed out by those reality-inducing drugs.

Alice opened the door to the tower to see red rose petals and hearts scattered all over the floor. She was here. Just as she was preparing to climb the stairs a hauntingly familiar laugh bellowed through the small oval building. She glanced up to see the Red Queen holding the Knave by the throat and leaning him slightly over the glass railing.

“I believe you are looking for him. Well, my dear, you’ve come to the right place,” the Queen cackled. Alice narrowed her eyes and instinctively balled her hand into a fist. Without a word Alice started to climb the stairs. All she needed was to kill the Queen once and for all, save the Knave and bring him to the doctor. Then she’d finally be free. The Queen continued to laugh as Alice climbed the stairs. “I must say, you were much easier to manipulate here. I thought it would be more challenging to defeat you on your ‘own turf’ as they are but you seem much more susceptible to losing here.”

“If you wanted me to continue to lose, you shouldn’t have shown me where you were hiding, your majesty.” Alice choked out the last words in a sarcastic tone, dripping with disdain. The Queen frowned.

“You are half out of your mind, seeing things, hearing things, taking all kinds of drugs you don’t even know what’s real anymore. You honestly think you can beat me in a face to face battle?” The Queen laughed and smirked but Alice could hear the fear in her voice.

“I defeated your precious jabberwocky. Compared to that, defeating you should be easy. Let the Knave go and let’s settle this, just you and me.”

The Queen tossed the knave aside and Alice urged him to run to safety. He tried to move forward to help Alice but the Queen continued to push him back. Alice pulled out the small dagger that she always kept in her bag and began circling around the Queen. The Queen pulled out her heart-shaped scepter and now it was Alice’s turn to laugh.

“You’re in a land without magic. What do you think you’re going to do with that?”

“Bash your skull in, my dear, of course,” the Queen answered with a playful smile. Alice frowned. When she had the Queen positioned over the edge, Alice launched herself at the Queen - dagger first. In one quick motion she stabbed her and sent the Queen flying over the edge of the railing. She cried wildly as she felt, looking truly pained and panicked. Alice watched, shocked at how easily the Queen was defeated.

…

“Good evening, this is Doctor Hightopp, how can I help you?”

“Yes, hello Doctor. This is chief of police, Bill Gryphon. I’m calling on behalf of one of your patients, a Ms. Alice Liddell.”

“Yes, what about her?”

“Well, I’m so sorry to inform you, she has committed murder. She’s not making any sense when we try to question her and she’s demanding to speak with you. Is there a chance you could come down to the University Observatory Tower?”

“Oh my goodness! Yes of course, I’ll be right there.” Doctor Hightopp hung up the phone before quickly grabbing his jacket and keys and heading out the door. He almost forgot to lock up as he left the building and headed out to his car.

It was sprinkling and the sun was setting behind the cloudy sky. Doctor Hightopp shivered as he shook away the feeling of the ominous setting. He tried to imagine what could have possibly happened. He knew Alice wasn’t well, but she had never been violent. Her delusions had never hurt anyone but herself. Doctor Hightopp drove as quickly as he dared in the dark, dangerous weather. He didn’t bother to lock his car as he pulled up the school and started walking towards the tower. He mentally kicked himself for not discouraging her delusions and her choice of classes. He had thought she was making progress, but clearly she was much further gone than he realized.

There were police and news crew all over the area as he approached. He started to feel a deep sense of dread deep inside. He wandered up to the yellow tape and waited for someone to acknowledge him.

“Hello, I’m Doctor Hightopp, Chief Gryphon called me?”

“Ah, yes, he’s expecting you. Come on in,” the officer answered, lifting the yellow tape for him to duck under. Doctor Hightopp clung tighter to his bag and tried to keep his eyes focused on the door in front of him. “I’m sorry to say but it’s not a pretty sight in here. I guess the two teachers were having an affair in the tower. The girl walked in on them in kind of a crazy fit.”

Doctor Hightopp glanced at the officer out of the side of his eye when he mentioned Alice. He couldn’t help but feel guilty, like his last proposal to help set her straight was the final straw that set her off the deep end. The officer pushed open the door to reveal more police officers and forensic specialists inside. Alice was sitting with a blanket and handcuffs on the stairs. There was a body covered with a white sheet that was slowly melting into red. There were pools of blood spilling out from it, soaking up the romantic scene of flowers and paper hearts. The Doctor could tell that her head had been the first thing to hit the ground.

“You must be Doctor Hightopp,” the Chief stated, moving over to shake his hand.

“Doctor Hightopp! I did it!” Alice cried out when she saw him standing there. Her smile was wide and she was glowing with pride. She threw off her blanket and stumbled over to him holding her hands out, as if highlighting the cuffs she was wearing.

“I’m sorry, Alice. What exactly do you think you did?”

“I killed the Red Queen. I saved the Knave. He’s there, you have to believe me now! The Caterpillar and Cheshire Cat told me I’d find them here. They are all here because of the melting place but now that the Queen is dead we can all go home!”

“As far as we can tell from her ramblings ‘the Caterpillar’ is a man named Chenille who runs a Hookah bar downtown and the Cheshire Cat is a drug dealer she used to frequent before she got charged last time,” the Chief clarified.

The Doctor glanced back and forth between the chief and Alice. She looked so desperate for his approval, for him to see that she had succeeded. He forced a weak smile at her.

“Who is this?” the Doctor whispered, pointing to the woman under the sheet.

“Her name is Genevieve Heart, she was one of the theater teachers here. This is Jack Card, the astronomy professor.” The Chief gestured to the broken man in the corner, crying hysterically and doing his best to answer the questions by the police surrounding him. “Obviously, Ms. Liddell is… not all there. We were hoping you’d have a facility to hold her until her trial, when we can put her in a proper institute.”

“Yes, I’ll take her, thank you. Though, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like a police escort. I never imagined her to be dangerous, but now I’d rather not take that risk, I'm sure you understand.”

“Of course, Doctor. I have a police officer follow you home and watch your house tonight,” Chief Gryphon answered. Doctor Hightopp turned back to Alice and did his best to form a smile despite the sheer terror he was feeling.

“Come, Alice, it’s time to go.” He held out an arm for her and she grabbed it as well as she could with her hands still bound in the manacles.

“I knew I could do it, thank you for giving me the chance to prove it!” Alice whispered to him as he led her back over to his car. Two police officers trailed behind them.

“You really did, Alice. It was quite … something,” he answered, trying to keep his voice from cracking.

As he put her in the car and drove to the nearby hospital with an open lockdown space for Alice, he listened to her retell her wild story of voices, winking flowers and impossible characters. He realized giving her the opportunity to seek out this place, released the last hold reality had on her mind. She had given in completely to the delusions she had been experiencing but at least she finally looked happy and at peace - heading to her magical realm as far as she knew.

When Doctor Hightopp pulled up to the hospital, the police officers got out as well but stayed a safe distance behind them. He went to the receptionist desk and checked in.

“Good evening, can I help you, Doctor?”

“Yes, I have a serious emergency. She is critical and dangerous, awaiting trial. I need a place to hold her.”

The nurse scanned Alice up and down, probably feeling just as Hightopp had only a few hours ago.

“Right this way, Doctor.” The nurse walked with him down to the guarded ward. Alice continued to smile widely and happily.

“Are we going to another melting place? Are you coming with me to see it?” She whispered to him.

“We are going to another melting place, yes. You finally get to go back but I’m sorry I can’t join you. This nurse is going to take you to the place and there we must say goodbye. I can’t help you anymore,” the Doctor answered, trying to hide the sadness in his face.

“I will miss you, Hatter,” Alice whispered. The Doctor frowned in confusion.

“Here we are, we’ll take her and clean her up before sending her to room 118. You are welcome to visit her tomorrow if you’d like,” the nurse answered, taking Alice from Doctor Hightopp.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to just wait while she gets settled.”

“Of course.”

Doctor Hightopp took a seat in the waiting room and absentmindedly fiddled with his thumbs. He couldn’t imagine how things had turned out so poorly. He felt so guilty and as if he failed Alice. It was his risky choice that led to that poor woman’s death and Alice’s ultimate demise. Doctor Hightopp wiped a small tear from his cheek and did his best to harden his face.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, burning a hole in the chair across from him with his stare. But he jumped when the nurse came back and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Doctor Hightopp, you can see her now if you’d like.” He looked up to see the nurse was gesturing for him to follow her. He stood up quickly and walked with her down to the padded cells. They stopped in front of her room and he glanced quickly through the window.

She was sitting peacefully in the center of the room, whispering and talking to imaginary people in the room with her. In her mind she was having a tea party and it was a delightful time. Her mind had found a way to send her back after all.

“So what happened?” the nurse asked, curiously keeping her eyes on Alice. Doctor Hightopp sighed as he looked on at Alice’s state.

“Alice didn’t want to be saved from Wonderland. She wanted to live amongst the lost, mad and imaginary. I suppose she got her wish.”