Alice in Hell

Judgement Day

My vision danced around the room, blurred by the blood-encrusted into my eyelashes. Despite a fire roaring behind a large desk, I was chilled to the bone. A black leather armchair fit for super villains sat, waiting for its owner to return. Another large wooden table sat on the far end of the room. It was stacked neatly with files and papers. Two deep voices murmured behind me. I couldn't turn to see who they were as a woman with a head adorned with snakes took another step forward. I tried to steel myself against the interrogation, failing miserably as my whole body began to shake.

"Why are you here?"

"I already said I don't know." My voice hushed as my stomach roiled in fear. The woman's perfectly manicured eyebrows arched as she imposed upon my personal space, her snakes hissing and rattling in my ears. The rough grain of the rickety chair dug into my spine as I shrank. For a split second I could've sworn the largest serpent smirked at the tears I refused to let fall.

"Stop toying with the poor thing Medusa. She obviously doesn't know anything." A woman with copper hair and a linen dress to match spoke up, "Here, let me try something."

Medusa stood straight and took a fraction of a step back, making sure to keep looming over me. Ready to strike at any moment. Medusa? Vague tales of a young woman with snakes for hair whispered across my memory.

The copper-haired woman seemed to float and sway as she made her way over to me and knelt. "Hello sweetie, my name is Somina. You must be so overwhelmed." Her voice caressed my shoulders, relaxing them from their defensive position. Her kind eyes and warm smile melted the remainder of my tension. All of the pain in my beaten body, the throbbing in my head, and even my bloody blurred vision cleared. Looking into Somina's eyes, I felt as though I was thinking clearly for the first time through this entire harrowing process. My shaking stopped and warmth bloomed in me, chasing away the chill. Why was I so afraid in the first place? The frightening snakes are gone now. Nothing can hurt me.

A soft whimper escaped my throat as the adrenaline left my system and was replaced with exhaustion and pain. Somina's deep eyes swirled, drawing me in I whispered, "Is it over now?"

The woman bathed in kindness nodded eagerly, "Yes child, it's over now. Your fight is done. You must be so tired. Would you like to rest?"

All I could manage was a meager nod as my vision swam. The warmth consumed me as everything slowly went dark.

"You're safe now. Sleep and dream. Dream and remember."

~~~

Darkness stretched before me. An endless void of silence and inky blackness. I tried to look at my hands to see if some light was coming through but there was nothing. Nothing to see but...it smelled like summer. Deep grass tickled the sides of my feet as they walked of their own accord. They seemed to know the way through the darkness that surrounded me. Other footsteps rustled through the grass in step with my own. Those footsteps were the only sound. No conversation, no birds chirping, nothing.

It seemed to stretch on forever. My feet were beginning to ache as I marched. Something told me it would be a bad idea to stop, yet, it seems like bad ideas are what I do because I stopped.

"Hey!" a hushed jibe set off warning bells in my head as a solid wall crashed into my back. Grumbling and murmurs echoed behind me.

"Why are we stopped?"

"What is she doing?"

"Awe, is the poor wittle thing scared?"

"Gods she must be a changeling."

"Someone push her forward!"

They can see me? How? Everything is so dark, I didn't mean to stop whatever is happening. I just want to see my way.