• That Livy, always flaunting her good looking men around me. While I’m stuck with the… less unfortunate brother. I was not so very good with the younger brothers of the Duke’s and the Lords even the peasants. I’m not mean or anything I’m just jealous of all the attention my sister gets. But then again, why wouldn’t I? My sister was defiantly the pretty one out of us. Perfect flawless skin (no blemish ever!), beautiful wavy red hair and a curvy body (we’re talking hour glass here, with the bust size of a melon). While I have pale blond hair, pale skin, not so hourglass body, and size C in a bra! The only pretty thing about me that makes me stand out from the rest; are my eyes. Deep green that changes to light green and light blue whenever my eyes feel like it. My mother used to say that whenever they change it means that my Grandmother is getting healthier each day, but I knew that was a lie, even as a kid. I make my way down to my Grandmothers large double door and knocked, time passed slowly as I waited for a reply.
    “Come in” Alice croaks from the inside.
    I open the door and find my grandmother standing in front of the window looking out to the rose garden.
    “Grandmother, you know you’re not supposed to be out of bed.” I scolded. I led my Grandmother back to bed. Alice hesitated but being escorted, she couldn’t refuse.
    “Grandchild you need not worry about me. You should be more cautious of yourself. There are many dangers out there in this world…And that…” The last sentence my Grandmother said was barely audible.
    “I know Grandmother, just get some rest. Please?” It was more of a soft command then a question. But my Grandmother didn’t take it to heart. I bent down and kissed her wrinkled forehead.
    “How about a story Charlotte? You know the one about Wonderland?” My Grandmother asked.
    I hadn’t heard about that story since I was ten, “Alice, you know I’m too old for that silly old story,” I tell her, feeling a bit guilty.
    “You always loved that story,” Alice spoke softly, symphony washing over her voice.
    “Well…. Maybe later, for sure.” I tell her.
    I give my Grandmother a smile. She returns the smile. I walk towards the door and left her room.
    I started to make my way back to my room felling in a glum mood. I never seen my Grandmother so sad before. Images of her sad face nearly brought me to tears until I stopped in front of the library. The door was ajar and a strange glow illuminated from inside. The curiosity got the better of me, so I consciously started to move my feet into the library. The library was a spacious room, the floor was deep red and the walls were light brown and the ancient bookshelves were polished to look brand new. To the right of the room there was a grand brick red fireplace with very few embers lit. Maybe that was the light I saw outside? I thought to myself. No. the light was much more bright than that. Maybe it was the sun from the window instead. I look ahead at the window, the sun was setting, and the bright orange and yellow light the sun gave off started to fade, dawn was approaching quickly. The light from the sun was dim there's no way that could be it either. So what was it? A flickering light caught my eye, it was coming from the desk in front of the window. I walk over to the desk and looked on top of it.The desk was a mess! It had scattered papers and broken pencils, pen without its ink inside (but happily spilled on paper) surrounded the surface, but the one thing I was more interested in was the old leathery book. I picked up the book and read the cover of it; Alice In Wonderland, the Oraculum. Alice In Wonderland... The story my Grandmother always told me? I flip open the cover to start reading inside, the book had a strap that un-clicked with ease. Maybe it was broken. The paper look old and worn out, like the book has been read over and over again. I flipped through the pages until I found short little poem with crimson letters. It read;
    On the day you find me here, beneath the trash I'm under.
    You will be one step closer, to finding the land of Wonder.
    The land of wonder? Wonderland? So this is the story my Grandmother always told me. But whenever she reads to me the story, she never uses the book. Alice recited the book almost as if...she lived it... I heard a slam behind me, stopping me form my train of thoughts. I turn around to see the Duke of Ridgewood standing in front of the door.
    "D-Duke? What re you doing here?" I shakily ask. A little to creeped out by the fact that his Good boy looks now looks like her crawled out of a well... I waited for an answer from him, but still never got one
    "I asked you a question Duke, this is place is off limits, What are you doing in here?" I asked, more sternly.
    "I don't have to answer to your questions, your not the one to boss me around." His eyes seemed cold and distant at least form where I was standing. Why was he staring at me so... Weirdly? "Anyways," he started, "It seems you found the oraculum..?"
    I look at the book I was still carrying in my hands. "So it seems," I answered to his rhetorical question, "Why?"
    "Do you even know what the Oraculum does?"
    I hesitated. Waiting for an answer to pop in my head but I shook my head.
    "Do you have any idea what it is capable of?"
    Again, I shook my head.
    The Duke started to roar with laughter, "BUAHAHAHAHAHA! Silly Humans, you are both weak and foolish!" The Dukes low and deep voice started to have a hint of squeakiness added to it.
    "But aren't we both human?" I shouted to him.
    "Well if you put it that way, I guess we are aren't we? The only thing is you humans can bleed to death right?"
    "I-I don't know..."
    "Well then, lets test that theory". Quick as lightning the Duke dashed towards Me with top speed across the library floor. What would of taken me 10 minutes took me less than 3 too get to where I'm standing. Near the window. The Duke forced his full body into my chest, making the air escape from my lungs. As I fell I lost grip of the book along the way to the ground and Duke wasn't to hesitant to take an advantage of a falling girl. He sat atop my stomach pinning my arms above my head with one hand. He reached into his back pockets to retrieve what looked like a dagger then pointed it to my throat.
    "Don't worry," He shouted at me, with wild eyes "this will only hurt... A LOT!" His voice became more squeakier that that last part!
    "Noooooo" I shouted as loud as I could!
    CHARLOTTE!
    Crash!
    The window glass shattered. Falling shards landed fast towards the ground. One of the larger shards from the window hit Duke right in the middle of his forehead. Blood trickled down past his eyes, as if he was crying blood. He screeched a blood curling screech and loosened his grip on my arms. This was a chance for my escape. I lifted my leg and kicked him in the stomach which made him fall backward. I scrambled to my feet and retrieved the book from the floor. Now What? I asked myself. The only exit was the door but the Duke was the only obstacle, any minute when I walk past by he can spring to his feet and jump me again. The only other exit was... The window. I ran to the windowsill and looked down. Nothing but a circular bush would catch my fall. Plus it doesn't look SO high up.
    Jump.
    Said the voice in my head. I looked back, the Duke was already struggling to get on his feet. Now I wish I took the door but I went with the voice in my head. I sat atop the windowsill and threw my legs over.
    "Here goes nothing." I say to myself.
    I use my arms to push my body off the windowsill and felt the wind through my hair. I waited until landing. It only took less than a minute too reach the bottom. I lost my footing but quickly gained it back. Still holding on to the book I ran away from the mansion and into the rose garden. Away from Duke.
    I walked for what seemed like hours, passed the roses, passed the weeping willow trees, even past the beautiful but damaged fountain. The bright sun that once lit up the sky was now replaced by the white light of the moon. Images of the Duke seemed to complete run through my mind. Making me look back every ten seconds to see if he's there watching, following. Thinking of other things started to ease my mind though, things like my father and mother. And about my sister Livy. Do they even realize I'm gone right now? I think I might be lost. I thought. Lost, but at least I'm away from Duke.
    "CHARLOTTE! WHAT ARE YOU?" A voice echoed through the garden. Not any voice though. HIS voice.
    I spoke to soon. I deserved a blow to the head later for that one but right now I need to hid and get out of his sight. I bent down and started to crawl underneath the bushes. His faint footsteps coming from behind me seemed to be getting louder. He was approaching eache long stride of his brought him closer to my death. His footsteps got much louder and from the corner of my eye I noticed his brown boot walking, slowly past me.
    "I know your here Charlotte." He shouted, "I can smell, your fear." SO much for smelling me. He walked right passed her. "HAHAHAHA," His laugh filled the garden , "DON'T BOTHER HIDE! YOU KNOW I WILL FIND YOU! LONG. LIVE. THE QUEEN!"
    The Queen? I thought. What Queen the Queen of England? Your mother, the Queen of Ridgewood? Oh well it doesn't matter now does it? I told myself. All that matters is that hes gone and I'm ready to go home. I crawl out from underneath the bushes very slowly. Peeking to make sure he was in far sight. Once I find his head bobbing up and down I crawl out fully from the bushes. I slowly rose to my feet making sure he still hasn't spotted me. With my luck he still hasn't turned his head or hid=s body which means I'm free to run to the opposite direction.
    "I wouldn't go that way if I were you." A voice around me shouted. I quickly whipped my head around to see if it was The Duke's voice I heard, but to my surprise, no one was there.
    "Down here!" Shouted the voice.
    I looked down and locked eyes with a white rabbit...In a waist coat? The rabbits eyes never left from mine.
    "Uhhh how cute. You even have a little red waist coat." I lifted up the rabbit. He was so soft. And is completely a rabbit so there was no way he could of spoken to me.
    "Unhand me you buffoon!" The rabbit squirmed free in my hold and leaped free. I was baffled to hear worlds coming out of a rabbits mouth.
    "Am I hallucinating?" I said to myself quietly.
    "No your not, but you are terribly late?"
    "How did he hear me? And late for what?"
    "I have hypersensitive hearing and no time for questions lets go."
    "OHHHH CHARLOTTE!"
    I gasped.
    "The Duke, I forgot all about him."
    "Oh dear looks like you got yourself in trouble."
    This maybe strange but I get a felling from the rabbit that says he has a plan to help me.
    "Can you help?" I asked him.
    The rabbits ears twitched with delight. "Why of course I can help! They don't call me ------Rabbit for nothing!"
    "Excuse me?" I asked not quit catching that last part.
    Crack!
    "No time, we're late. Follow me."
    In a blink of an eye, the rabbit was already hopping into the direction of my freedom, who was I not to follow? I ran after the rabbit with my head ducked.
    "Wait Up!" I shouted, not to loudly enough for the Duke to hear me. I ran along the tracks the rabbit made with his footprints. His little tail wagging in my face the whole time
    Finally catching up with the rabbit. I fell to my knees. Exhausted.
    "What-Now? I asked between breaths.
    "We go down there." The rabbit pointed towards a tiny rabbit hole.
    "In... There?" I asked making sure I heard him properly,"I can't fit into that tiny hole." I said comparing it's size to my body.
    "Nonsense. I'm sure you will fit." Said the rabbit he started reaching into his pocket searching for something.
    What are you doing? I asked curiously.
    "I-Am...Ahh, where is it," the Rabbit said pulling out random items from his tiny pocket. "Ahh, here it is."
    I watched as the rabbit pulled out a small golden watch from the pocket. he checked the time.
    "As I thought," he said, "Right on schedule."
    Before I could say a word the rabbit hopped behind me and pushed me into the rabbit hole. Nothing could be heard but the echoes of my screams.

    -Down the rabbit hole Alice went.