Novel Dream of Alice Bagian II

Alice, along with the others who had stood up and cheered, would raise her hands in the air, shouting with pride resembling a queen leading her people: “WHAT A FANTASTIC SHOW!”— and come to think of it, she never knew why that sentence was said, all she understood was that it needed to be said, and the others would repeat after her as well; “WHAT A FANTASTIC SHOW, INDEED!”

While stuck reminiscing on the last time she arrived here, her daydream was interrupted by a rabbit’s paw that slapped away all her dreams. Alice winced in pain and caressed her cheek. He finally noticed her! How grateful she was, she immediately jumped to hug him like a baby koala. She missed him, really, she missed everyone there. Vernie squirmed in her embrace, “I can’t breathe” was what he attempted to say, but he failed to understand how suffocated he was.

It took a moment for Alice to let go, placing him down on the ground. In comparison to her, he was quite short, merely reaching her shoulders on his tip toes. But she was not one to judge; she’s only 4’9, which is short for a sixteen year old. Is she sixteen? Was it seventeen? She couldn’t remember. Regardless, she’s short for her age, which means Vernie was even shorter than that. What can you expect from a rabbit?

“Oh Vernie, how I’ve missed you so!” Her eyes glistened with each word, clasping her hands together and holding them to her chest. There was no feeling better than the embrace of an old friend, as if time had stopped ticking and even the hands of Vernie’s clock had ceased any movement. It felt eternal. A forever sort of existence in the hands of the other, despite the uncomfortable rustling of the rabbit’s body attempting to escape the tight, warm, encapsulating arms of Alice. A strong push later and her arms finally gave up, Vernie landed on his feet and brushed down his coat.

He scoffed, ears perked up like towers of disbelief. “As always, Alice! Still disturbingly cheerful and awfully touchy, so lovey-dovey! And you’ve grown forgetful as well! How.. How ridiculous!” He spat out as he was crossing his arms and stared up at her. He tapped his oddly giant feet, like the flap of a wing, up and down it patted down the grass. It worked sort of like an angry wag from a dog’s tail though less annoying and more hilarious.

Naturally, Alice got a bit puzzled. Why is her dear Vernie so hostile towards her? She held her hands behind her back, eyebrows pushed to the middle and her head hung low. Sadness and guilt of a crime she doesn’t know, it was tearing at her from the inside out. She was excited to meet him, and his name slid from her tongue as tea poured from high quality kettles, yet hers seemed to be razors that went down his.

“Why, I remember you always being a bit strait-laced, Vernie, but why are you so.. angry? Are you angry? You seem angry. You must be angry, aren’t you? I’m sorry about whatever it is, Vernie.. Vernie, I swear—”

“It is BERNIE! My NAME is BERNIE, my DEAR FRIEND ALICE.” He scolded, nearly every word was enunciated through a microphone of blind rage. Or was it more of disappointment? She knew not what it could be, but it’s definitely negative.

She could only cup her face in the soft palms of her hands, Alice had never been the kind of gal to remember names correctly. A few months earlier, she swore it was Barnie, and a few years back it was Henry! Despite the disappointment that was swelling in her heart, she tried to make light out of the dark. Apologies are always good to carry with you, simple as water to a burning building. She swept her right leg behind the left and bowed her head down with hands crossed over her waistline. It was then she noticed how thin her body had grown, at least in this dream.

“I’m so, so, so, so, so sorry, Bernie.”

“You might as well add ten more so’s. 15 is my favorite number.”

He was jesting. In the end the sarcastic remark bit him on the backside and she immediately followed his recommendation. Ten so’s later, she finalized her apology. She could not tell the difference between sarcasm and genuine sentences, only noticing the distinction after her action was taken. There’s really no knowing whether he thinks she’s a good companion or not, his eyes seem to flash an intelligent glance that flickered between endearment and utter disgust with each second to run by. The blonde haired girl would squirm in place as if trying to escape two invisible walls closing in on her figure. A question presented across her face, ‘what to do next?’, though her tongue could not capture the shape of the inquiry. Still in an apologetic pose, as if to try and seek whether he was still furious or not.

Bernie must have cleaned his spectacles before this encounter, he read her mind as clear as he did when they first met. “We should go to the Queen,” he intuitively said, a wisdom she never saw anywhere else, “this place has changed while you were.. absent.”

Surely his eyes must have grown older along with the rest of his face! He definitely didn’t buy himself a new pair of glasses, still crooked the same way they were back then. Alice finally straightened herself and her foot felt a little sore from holding the position for so long. The wind pushed her forward, and now she was trailing along the grass, feeling the softness of it. She’s fully aware that grass in the real world – when she finally feels it again – is not a blanket that feels like cotton. It’s sharper, they stab into your skin, horrible in every way and itches like a demon— no, she’s not there. She’s here, so she should focus on being here as well.

The pitter-patter of their feet would continue on, progressing through the field and coming across an enormous tin can on its side. Bernie’s face turned darker upon noticing it, his eyes only fixed for a split second before his legs began moving at a high speed, obviously trying his best to pass by the can, unnoticed by something. Alice’s curiosity piqued at this, why would Bernie ever hurry over a can? It might be a horrid, expired can of pineapples– but canned foods can never expire! At least that’s what she knows and she’s sure this dream does not include expiring foods.

“What’s that?” Alice pointed her pinky at the can’s tab, to which the rabbit only quickened his pace.

TO BE CONTINUE …