1
Present: The Wonderland War, London
T he March Hare's words hurt my ears. Did he just say 'I remember tomorrow ' when I asked him about how I am supposed to save the children?
This doesn't make sense. I've had enough with the nonsense. We've been through so much to get to this point where he is supposed to remember.
The mushrooms are erupting from the earth and bending high all over the buildings like Godzillas. In my mind, the Wonderland War will end soon if there is no way to stop the earth from cracking up by these vicious and giant plants.
What the heck is going on?
"What do you mean, March," I shake him. "What tomorrow do you remember? How can you remember tomorrow?"
"I can explain," he says but then his eyes widen and he grips my shoulders. "Duck, Alice. Duck!"
I listen to him and do as I’m told. Something swooshes right above our heads. The smell of fire and ashes lingers in the air. I hear screams everywhere. A few seconds later the building in front of us explodes and tumbles to the ground. Whiffs of dark ashes spurt back in our direction. The sky starts raining in black.
"Was that a missile?" I utter in disbelief.
"The world's gone crazy," the March says.
"Come with me". I take his hand and stand up. "I need to find you a safe place. If the world only knew how precious you are…”
The March follows me as I stumble in the ashen streets. I'm like a blind pied piper misleading everyone who thinks I’m the one who knows the way. What else can I do? I'm trying to play my part of 'Hero Alice' in a world that has become too confusing to live in. I wonder if the asylum was my best bet in the first place.
What was wrong with living with the mad in a contained place where insanity was defined and recognized, not like the world outside where I can't tell which is which?
"I need to tell you so much, Alice," the March says. "I remember…"
"Trust me, I have to know," I grip his hand harder. "But I can't risk you dying before you tell me…"
It's still puzzling how an old man like the March still acts like a child. The way he presses back against my hand like a kiddo in need of his mother.
Suddenly, I stop in my tracks. I have glimpsed the yellow bus flipped on its side. It's a dimmed yellow, plagued by the ashen air all around it. Fire flickers nearby. I wonder if it will eventually explode like I see in movies.
I feel the March's hand squeeze harder.
"It's not your fault, Alice," he says. "You were trying to save me."
I shrug.
What does he mean?
Are they dead?
Did I kill them?
Why was I driving a yellow bus again? Is it true that I killed my classmates in a similar scenario in the past?