Susan in Wonderland

Chapter 9

"So, my dear," coughed Alice, letting her hair down and reaching into her satchel, "how are things?"

"Good as ever I suppose," I replied.

Her great-grandmother kept her head down as they ventured through the Tulgey Wood, her voice at almost a near whisper.

"It seems a pity that we cannot speak so loud, but I only do so because the GPS coordinates will start to play soon."

Annoyed, Susan responded, "GPS coordinates? This is a fairy-tale world, not a silly simulation."

"More like a simulation, and less like a 'fairy-world,'" explained Alice. "Really, hadn't your mother taught you anything? This is not one of your fairytales. I have had MANY descendants, not just you. You know what happened to them?"

Susan went slack-jawed, thinking this through. It was true that there were no discernable relatives.  Anytime Christmas or another holiday would roll around, her mom would act as if she had no clue what anyone was talking about.

"It's a tricky business," explained Alice. "Being on the inside of the Earth? It's why so many people had tried to make stories. They're in the business of warning others you see. Take one wrong move, and you've stepped into someone else's story. Why, there is the Underworld on the other side of this chess board. Oh no..."

A purple mass began bobbling up and down above us, before finally revealing itself to have a loopy and twisted grin.

"It's him," whispered Alice, cowering.

A giant smile appeared above us, flashing his brilliant teeth and staring at us all wide-eyed.

"Why, it's only the Cheshire Cat," I said, recognizing his ears and whiskers anywhere.

"That's not just any cat," said Alice. "He's one of the game bosses, and you will have to play."

Susan felt herself fall off the horse while Alice rode off on Starlight into the distance. She brushed the dirt off her dress and stared up. Cheshire had gotten bigger now.

"Tell me little one," said Cheshire, "Why is it that you are so keen on escaping to anywhere but your reality? Why not stay in the present of where you are?"

Susan rolled her eyes.

"Reality is B-O-R-I-N-G! Really, if you were in a day of my shoes, you would see how utterly despicable it is. The most fun I can have been watching the squirrels chase back and forth up and down the trees. Really, there are better ways to spend one's time."

"Like writing? I do see that you've written a lot of poems in your notebook. Tell me dear, why do you want to become a writer?"

Susan thought for a moment and said, "I don't want to be insignificant."

"You can't help that," tsked Cheshire. "Really dear, we are all utterly insignificant. If you think of us as people that go ahead and leap off the page as heroes of the story, you are going to be for a lifetime of disappointment. Tell me, WHO ARE YOU, and why are you here?"

Susan thought for a moment, then started to cry.

"OH GOD, not this again! Really, tell me more...."

"I think... I think.... I think I am not real."

"What makes you say that?" implied Cheshire, staring harder at her.

"I think I'm a character in someone else's story," confessed Susan.

"REALLY? I am highly interested in this, please go on."

"I.... I.... am in the fanfiction of a 14-year-old girl. Someone who is so bored with her life. She decided to write this story in order to feel more interesting than her other friend, a girl who had actually completed a story. She wanted to up-end that girl by writing a story that was better than hers. So, she created this Mary-Sue character. She named me after her... Sue..."