Who's Alice? (A Black Butler/Ciel Love Story)

Chapter 16

I opened my eyes only to be blinded by sunlight. I groaned loudly and sat up. Could no one have closed the blinds? I thought grumpily. I paused after that thought. Blinds? The house I had claimed the other day didn't have blinds.

I was sitting in my bed, wearing my green nightgown. The white walls around me were all too familiar. My room. It was my room in my house. I wasn't in Wonderland.... I was in London, England!

My name was Alice Husher. I was born on February 6, 1875, and fourteen years old. I lived in London with my mother and father. I had a family! And I remembered them! I remembered everything I had forgotten!

I thought I heard footsteps and looked towards my door. "Hello, Mother," I smiled. She was frozen in the threshold and stared at me like she had seen a ghost. My smile dropped. "What?"

"H-Howard!" she called down the stairs. Heavy feet pounded up the stairs.

"Is she alright, Lillie?" he asked as he passed her into my room. He gave me the same look.

I wondered, "Is there something I should know?"

He walked towards me and whispered, "Is it really you? Is this a dream?"

I frowned, "I sure hope not. If it is, it's extremely vivid. And not very random. That makes it boring."

"It is you! You're awake! Alice is awake!" he cheered, grinning wildly. He crushed me in a hug, and my mother joined him.

I laughed, "What's going on? You're both acting so odd!"

Mother pulled away from me and revealed, "Alice, you've been sleeping for a very long time." They both sat on the edge of my bed.

"I can see that. It must be noon! Why didn't you wake me sooner?" I asked.

"No, Alice. That wasn't what she meant. You've been sleeping for three weeks. You wouldn't wake up," Father elaborated. He put his large hand on my small one.

I froze, "Pardon?"

She began getting teary-eyed, "We tried everything, but you wouldn't wake. The doctor said you must've been in a coma. There was nothing he could do. He said we had to sit and wait."

I demanded, "Well, what was wrong with me?"

She shrugged, taking a handkerchief out of her apron pocket, "We don't know. You started coughing that night and had a fever, but we thought it was just a cold. We gave you some medicine and put you to sleep, and sleep you did." She dabbed her eyes. "Oh, Alice, we were so scared! It was horrible! You know, we lost you once! You stopped breathing, and your heart gave up. It was only for a few seconds, but I managed to get it going again. We didn't think you were going to ever wake up!" My father put a comforting arm around her. That explained all the coughing I was doing in Wonderland. And why my heart suddenly stopped and started up again.

"I'm so sorry. I... I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble."

He assured me, "It wasn't your fault, Alice. There was nothing you could have done. We're glad you're finally awake."

"I feel absolutely fine. And I-" I began, but froze when I saw something red at the foot of my bed. I pointed at it. "What is that?"

"Oh, it's a book. Someone left it in front of the door. It was for you," my mother told me as she picked it up.

"May I?" I asked. She handed me the book. It was a red leather bound book. Alice in Wonderland was the title inscribed in gold lettering. It had been my favorite story since I was a little girl. My entire family loved it. That was why I was named Alice. "Did you read it to me while I was sleeping?"

She nodded, "Every night. It's strange. We had lost the book the week before you got sick, and then suddenly this showed up on our doorstep. I'm not sure who sent it, but it was very kind, don't you think?" I opened the front over and saw something written in black ink on the first page. In beautiful cursive, it said, "To the darling, dying Alice Husher." I ran my fingers over the lines on the page. "What's wrong, Alice?"

"It's nothing. This makes so much sense. I had the strangest dream about this place. You'll barely believe it," I told them with a smile. I went on to tell them about Wonderland and the boy I had met. I knew I was missing half of what happened, but I couldn't remember it for the life of me. It was all fading fast.

Father wondered when I was finished, "And what was the boy's name?"

I pouted, "I haven't the slightest clue. I feel he was of nobility, but his title, name, and face are gone from my memory. It doesn't matter, though, yeah? It was just a dream."

He winked, "Well, if you'd like to make that part of the dream come true, I wouldn't object! My daughter marrying a proper Englishman? I can't think of anyone better! It sure would get you to a higher part of society." That was my father. Always thinking about how to make my future brighter. I appreciated it, but sometimes it really wasn't welcomed. Especially when he told me I'd need to keep my notions to myself and lips sealed tight to find a good husband.

I smiled sadly, "Yes, well, best not get your hopes up. Not yet, anyways."

Mother smacked his arm, "Look at you! Our daughter just got out of a coma, and you're stressing her with the thought of marriage!" I laughed a little.

He sighed, "Alright, alright. We'll leave you alone, Alice. We're glad to have you back." He patted my leg and stood with my mother. They both kissed my forehead before leaving my room and shutting the door.

I still couldn't get over Wonderland. It had seemed so real! From the people to the plants, I felt I could go back right then, and it all would be the same. Perhaps the boy would have still been there. What a shame he wasn't real. I had really fallen for him. Maybe I'd meet someone like him one day.

I looked over at the chair by my bedside. No doubt Mother had sat there, watching me those past few weeks. In the seat, a newspaper laid. I picked it up and looked at the front page. The date said it was March 3, 1889. I assumed that was the day I woke up. I read over it.

The Return of Phantomhive!

Last month, Earl Ciel Phantomhive left London for Paris, France just before the fire that swept away most of the city began. While on his trip, he caught a terrible and unknown disease. He fell under a coma for weeks, and doctors were not sure if he'd make it.

Just yesterday, the young Earl returned to his mansion like nothing had ever happened. He was well and unhurt. His butler, Sebastian Michaelis, stated, "There was no doubt Earl Phantomhive would wake. He's been through worse, you know. He's doing just fine now and is glad to be home."

While what caused his long sleep to begin and end so quickly remains a mystery and has doctors baffled, I think we can all agree that we're happy to have Earl Phantomhive healthy again.

Earl Ciel Phantomhive? That's so familiar to me, I thought. When I looked at the picture of him, I added, He looks familiar, too. How peculiar.

In the end, I shrugged it off as nonsense. I must have read about him before. That was all.