Allise
Legacy Name: Allise

Allise couldn't learn a lot of things from the flowers because they were all dead.

A thick blanket of snow lay on the ground, muffling the sound of her footsteps and creating a subtle, eerie glow that defied the darkness of the night sky. Blackened branches and withered brown leaves were all that remained of the garden that had once come to life. Two shriveled buds with the vague appearance of a lion and tiger seemed to be huddled together, their whiskers intact but their petals gone. Their withered leafy stems were entwined, like two close friends hugging as the fatal spew of a volcano traps them in time.

She should have known better than to follow that white rabbit a second time. She'd been having a lovely time walking in her sister's rose garden, laughing at Dina's antics. The silly kitten hadn't ever seen snow before, after all. A few confident hops turned mews of delight into yowls of protest. Allise had taken Dyna up in her arms, wrapping the little darling in her scarf and cradling her close. She'd meant to go home and fix up a bowl of cocoa for each of them.

That was before a flash of gold and a mutter of "Late again, late again, I'm late again" caught her ear. The color of his waistcoat had changed but his pocket watch was the same handsome contraption as ever. (Apparently no worse the wear from its encounter with the Mad Hatter.)

"Mr. Rabbit! Oh Mr. Rabbit, do let me invite you in for tea. My sister wouldn't believe a word when I told her of my adventure but I knew I had really seen you. It was Dyna, you see. She saw you too, I'm sure of it."

He took no notice of her pleading, continuing on his way until he disappeared down a large hole in the ground.

Dyna almost seemed to sigh as she was settled into the hollow knot of a large oak.

"You stay right there, Dyna. I intend to get a real answer out of him this time, you'll see."

Allise stamped her foot. The rabbit had conveniently disappeared and the only sign of life she could see was a thin curl of smoke coming out of a red brick chimney. She would have gladly knocked on the door of the residence to ask for directions or perhaps a cup of peppermint tea but there was one rather significant problem.

The chimney's top was sticking out of a mound of dirt. She could not locate so much as an attic window to peer into. Whoever lived in the underground house was clearly content to remain there until the ground thawed in the spring.

"You don't want to go that way, you know."

Allise sighed. On a list of helpful beings in to run into in Wonderland, she would not rank the Cheshire Cat high. "I must go somewhere. I haven't any time for your riddles right now. I'm trying to find the rabbit."

"Ah, but where are you in time? What part have you to play in that which has happened and that still to come?"

"I've no idea what you're talking about, Sir Cat."

"The Then, the Now, the Then and the Unknown. You can shape them or they can shape you. But first you must choose a path."

There are no signposts here. How am I to know which way I should go."

"You could go this way." He pointed a claw at a hill that rose into a reddish light, one that blocked her view of whatever may be on the other side.

"Or that way." This time he drew her attention to a winding path. A number of birds with trumpets for beaks were intent on eating what appeared to be glowing blue thimbles.

"I suppose you could also go that way, but I wouldn't recommend it. That's the queen's own special garden, you see."

"Why can't you just tell me which way the Rabbit went? Oh, bother. I suppose he would be on his way to see the queen."

"There, you see? You've already taken your first step in the Now to change the course of the Unknown. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

He chuckled low in his throat until nothing but his smile remained. Within seconds, it too was gone.

"What a peculiar cat. Nothing at all like Dyna. She doesn't go vanishing unless there's a storm...or it's time for her flea bath. I do hope she's right where I left her. I really should be getting back."

It had been the queen whose boisterous cries of "Off with her head!" who had brought Allise back to her own world before. Perhaps another visit to the queen was just what she needed.

It was a logical plan, but logic doesn't have much power in Wonderland.

The Mad Hatter and the Hare didn't seem to be aware of the fact that the tea in their cups was frozen solid. The Hatter stared gloomily at the contents of the jam jar. There were tear streaks on his cheeks.

"Ah, dear un-birthday. Why must you leave me to this cruel fate?"

The Hare patted the Hatter consolingly on the arm. "Come now, dear fellow. It's only for one day of the year. Think of all the un-birthdays you'll have stretched out in front of you."

"Excuse me. Have either of you seen which way the White Rabbit went?"

The Hare flicked his ears in Allise's direction. "My cousin is on his way to the palace, of course. My dear friend here isn't the only one unfortunate enough to be having a birthday."

The Mad Hatter groaned and sank his head into his hands, upending the jam jar in his lap. "You see what you've done? You've gone and multiplied the birthday curse by telling some strange girl about this awful, terrible day."

The Hare cleared his throat. "Yes, well...maybe you should get going. Any other day, I'd invite you to join in the un-birthday celebration, but...enough has been said."

Barely anything had been said but Allise was well used to non-answers at that point. She continued in the direction the Cheshire Cat had pointed out, passing bulldogs with tuba bodies and great colored blocks having a rolling contest. She was forced to stop rather abruptly before a set of gates topped with metal spikes in the shape of spades.

The fence protected a courtyard that was just as barren and colorless as the rest of Wonderland...save for a rose bush on which grew a single, perfect red rose.

Allise knew better than to trespass, of course. The polite thing to do would be to follow the little cobbled path until she reached its end. The bright flower was so lovely after hours of dreary surroundings. The gate creaked inward at the slightest pressure from her hand. She would just smell the blossom, give herself a little cheer to brace her for the next part of the journey.

The fragrance was too much. Without thinking about the action, she reached forward to pluck the flower from its parent bush.

Spade Knights seemed to pop out of the air, their slender bodies a dark contrast to the powder that exploded upward in grand arcs. They surrounded her instantly and while they never placed a hand on her, she had no desire to argue when they started marching her in the direction of the palace.

The queen perched on the edge of her throne, scowling as if one of her teeth pained her greatly. The White Rabbit stood to her right, scribbling on a long list.

"To the Baron Von Waffle, My Lady bestows the gift of a new set of croquet mallets."

The baron was grinning from ear to ear as he accepted two flamingos wrapped snugly in winter scarves. The queen released them reluctantly.

"A gift for you, good citizen, on my birthday. May they bring me many happy birthdays to come."

Chatter over who had received the best gifts and how marvelous the queen looked died away as the court realized the identity of the newest arrival. Allise found herself staring at the queen down the length of the central aisle. Her escort had stepped aside to give the queen a good view.

The queen's smile was wolfish. "Ah. Now here is a gift I don't mind giving. To this girl will go the gift of her own head!"

The White Rabbit began to fidget nervously. "A splendid idea, my queen. A head would surely make a lovely coaster. But...there is the Golden Birthday Rule to consider..."

The queen scowled. "Am I not allowed to make a joke on my own birthday, scribe?"

"Ah, of course. Forgive me, forgive me. It's a very important rule."

"So it is...for a citizen of Wonderland." The smile started small and crawled up the queen's cheeks. "But this girl is not from our borders. There is no record of her birthday, nor has she ever celebrated an un-birthday in our royal honor. Therefore, the Golden Birthday Rule does not apply, and I say...OFF WITH HER HEAD!"

Allise once again found herself in a mad dash where angry card-thin knights and walruses and carpenters seemed to float by her and above her and all around her. She thought this time she would surely perish...

...until a set of twitching whiskers made her sit up in bed with a gasp. Her sister was seated at her side, dabbing her forehead with a cool cloth.

"You must learn caution, Allise. To go out playing in the snow and fall asleep. It is fortunate Dyna made such a noise to draw me to you. You might have caught your death of cold, lying outside in a snowbank like that. Now that you're awake, I'll make you some soup."

Allise might have believed it was all just another crazy dream, if not for the bright red rose she spotted lying on her bedroom floor. She watched in horror as the tiny ice crystals on the petals slowly melted, leaving a little puddle on the carpet.