Garden Of Memory [OUAT]

Chapter Ten. The Things You Love Most

Jefferson sits with me on top of a high tower "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

"A riddle! This will be fun. Let me think about it."

"Who is Rumplestiltskin?"

"Where, when and how did you see him?"

"I heard of his name, why?"

"He is a bad omen, don't listen to him if you ever met him" I nod smiling still thinking of Rumplestiltskin words "You do know what tomorrow is."

"The Frabjous day. How could I forget? Oh, I wish I'd wake up!"

"You still think this is a dream?"

"Well, it can't possibly be real. This has all come from my own mind."

"Which would mean that I'm not real."

"No, I'm sorry to say. You're just a figment of my imagination. I would dream up someone who's half-mad.

"But you'd have to be half-mad to dream me up."

"I must be then" We lean against each other, secure in the comfort of our own mutual madness "I give up. Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

"I haven't the slightest idea."

I amused "I'll miss you when I wake up"  I approach his face giving him a soft quick kiss on the cheek "Truly"

He smiles and I turn lean on his chest watching the moon in silence.

*Garden Of Memory*

The Frabjous day, Dawn at the courtyard. The White Rabbit blows his trumpet "Who will step forth to be champion for;the White Queen?"

Jefferson steps forward valiantly "That would be I!"

The Cheshire Cat says "You have very poor evaporating skills. I should be the one."

Tweedledum says "No, me!"

Dee pushes Dum behind him "No, me!"

The White Rabbit holds up the Oraculum and the illustration of me slaying the Jabberwocky. Everyone falls quiet.

"No other slayer, nohow."

"If it ain't Alice, he ain't dead.$

All eyes turn to me. The feeling is not unlike the pressure of that moment under the gazebo.

The white queen says "Alice, you cannot live your life to please others. The choice must be yours because when you step out to face that creature, you will step out alone."

Overwhelmed, I run. I fall onto a garden bench and weeps.

"Nothing was ever accomplished with tears."

"Absolem?"

"On the leaf." He's hanging upside down on a leaf, spinning a chrysalis.

"Why are you upside down?"

"I've come to the end of this life."

"You're going to die?"

"Transform." The chrysalis begins to cover his body.

"Don't go. I need your help. I don't know what to do!"

"I can't help you if you don't even know who you are, stupid girl."

"I'm not stupid! My name is Alice. I live in London. I have a mother named Helen and two sisters named Edith and Lorina. My father was Charles Liddell. He had a vision that stretched half-way around the world and nothing ever stopped him. He would have liked it here" with revelation "I'm his daughter. I'm Alice Liddell."