Cheshire: The Exile

Chapter Fifteen

Scarlet and I stop at branching paths within the dungeons of the Red Castle. It is easy to get in to the dungeon just not out.

We turn to face each other.

"I need you to take the Orcaulum to the White Queen."

Scarlet looks hesitant to do such and I smile crookedly at her, "Hey no worries, I'll be fine. And besides, we only have a certain amount of time until Frabjous Day."

Scarlet nods and before I can turn to go down the path I chose, Scarlet reaches out and hugs me.

"Thank you so much Cheshire."
She whispers before releasing me and sprinting down her own way.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Winding down the path way, Cheshire is silent for once, but I can feel her pacing underneath the surface.

Not a good sign.

Reaching for her, I can tell she isn't feeling social by the way she retreats farther into the depths of my mind. Well then.

I trace my hands over the walls besides me, and I hiss when a sharp pain runs up my arms.

Lifting them into my line of vision... a dark liquid coats my fingers.

"Come here kitty cat. Let's play...."
I can easily tell who this voice belongs to as it sounds nearly identical to mine. Joker.

She wants me to reply, but I do want to keep living, thank-you-very-much.

"Kitty, your not being very nice."

Joker's voice is in front of me now and I unsheathe my claws and blindly slash them down, hearing the ripping of skin and a loud, "Ow!"

Hands wrap around my throat and my breathing becomes labored very quickly.

"You have taken everything from me, Cheshire. My friends, my family, my right to a future. And for that, I am going make sure that yours is cut short."

Lifting my hands up weakly as she begins to chant a spell, I press my bloodied fingers into her face thinking of all the things I was truly sorry for.

One, I never went back to my parents.

Two, I never wanted to return to Wonderland after I was exiled.

Three, I still haven't forgiven Hatter.

Four, I haven't visited my parents graves.

Five, Joker and I never had a sisterly relationship.

Six, I wished death on Alice.

Joker's screams rip through my ears when she lets go of my throat and clutches her face in agony.

"You want a future? How about the fact I never had a choice in the matter?"

She looks up at me. Her face a gruesome sight as finger and claw marks mar her pale skin and blood is quickly drying.

"You got everything!" She yells.

"You got a choice!" I scream back.

She lunges at me and we tumble backwards.

Instead of hitting a wall...we begin the journey through a gateway.

And that's where we leave off...for now.