Chapter One

(6 YEARS LATER) CHAPTER ONE: Hard Landing

 

"Ashton, wake up!"

 

A smile pulled my lips as I scribbled the final words on my paper. Susan didn't know I was up. I slid the papers inside a folder and tossed it onto my desk. I raked a hand through my long, thick black hair and stood up. I had been awake since 3 a.m. that morning. I woke up with a horrible nightmare:

 

The Glass Sea was truely made of glass. The fish that swam beneath the surface would occasionally come up to the edge and bump against it. Like normal water, the surface would ripple, making whoever was walking on it trip, unless you were swift.

 

But, in my nightmare, one particularly wicked fish bolted up to the top, and hit the glass with such a force that it broke. Of course, it's proposterous to think that the Glass Sea would break. It's impossible. But, my Wonderland has a habit of proving the impossible.

 

You see, everyone has a Wonderland. It's crafted by experiences, dreams, memories, ideas, and worst of all, nightmares. It takes alot of skill to get to your own Wonderland. Everyone's is in different places, different times, and had different enterances. Mine is the ocean. I still live on the same block that I did before the fire. The same beach that I was on when Mishell came to get me and take me to the burning building, is where I found my Wonderland.

 

When I was 13, I went swimming. I was at a point that I didn't care if I had drowned, so I swam deeper than lifeguards probably reccomend. I saw a little coral ring at the bottom of the floor, and I managed to swim through it before I lost breath and conciousness.

 

Wonderland was beautiful when I arrived, but monsterous when I left. I hoped I never went back. Anyway, in my nightmare, I had been sunk under the surface, and the water pulled me under like a snake. Quite scary.

 

"Ashton!" Susan screeched again, "Get you're behind down here this instant!" I pulled myself from my thoughts, and pushed out my chair. I grabbed my bag and took a glance at myself in my full-length mirror. My black hair fell in messy layers around my pale, ivory face. My eyes were pale green, like moss with black, thick-rimmed glasses sitting on the bridge of my nose. I was tall, slender, and pretty darn clumsy.

 

I turned and began to walk down the stairs, more than half of them creaking eerily. My worn black boots that came to my knees felt comfortable on my feet, as I saw Susan at the bottom of the stars. I pulled down the sleeves of my gray over-sized sweatshirt and sighed.

 

"How long have you been awake?" she asked.

 

I shrugged. "Since 3, I guess?"

 

She rolled her eyes, "I don't even want to know why you were awake that early." A smile pulled my lips as she turned and walked into the kitchen. "Eat your breakfast. Head to school."

 

"I'll skip breakfast," I muttered softly, "I really want to go to the beach. Can I?"

 

"Whatever gets your day started, alright?" Susan punched a few buttons on the stove and turned back to me. I inwardly smiled as I saw gray hairs streaking here head. "I love you, Ash."

 

"I love you too, Susan."

 

---

I wish I had taken my boots off so I could feel the foamy water sloshing against my ankles, and the foam brushing against the tops of my feet. I wanted to feel the coolness of the sand early in the morning. The sun had already risen, but the view was still breathtaking. I stared ahead, and let the sound of seagulls, the lapping water, and the loud wind consume me. For a moment, I was able to forget as I closed my eyes. I was good at losing myself.

 

But just as easy to be snapped back to reality. Well, somewhat of a reality.

 

"Ashton!" A vague voice hissed. I opened my eyes and stared ahead, as my heart lept. No! Was the first thought in my head. HOW?! His eyes were piercing and dark, He had messy hair that fell in his face and pale skin. He was tall. Really, really tall. He was wearing a black trench coat, and a black fadora atop his head. He pulled the pipe out of his mouth as a smirk pulled his full, pale lips. I'll admit, he was attractive. He had grown. But I wasn't exactly focusing on that at the moment.

 

"Sherlock. . ." I gulped. "How- how did you get out? You're not supposed to be able to get out!"

He rolled his eyes. "You really should stop expecting things to be normal, Ashton. But I'm glad you remembered me. You look different. Older." I stared at Sherlock Holmes with a shocked expression that he let out a chuckle when he saw. "It's like seeing you for the first time again." He grabbed my hand and grinned. "Come on. You're going home."

 

Home. In one word a flood of memories came back. The fire. Wonderland. In one word I knew exactly what he was talking about. I shook my head as I felt like I was about to burst. I couldn't go back. I could not go back. Ever. Never again would I go back. That was my home, my heaven, before I left it in ruins. Before I destroyed everything.

 

"NO." I growled, pulling my hand from his grip, but he grabbed my arm harder, and sneered at me.

 

"You have no choice." he snarled, pulling me into the water. I was getting soaked, but I didn't really care. I screamed, but I was already underneath the surface. He walked through the water like it was as stable as concrete, while I floated behind. Noone would believe me: Sherlock Holmes was dragging me underwater. He was in my Wonderland because my father used to read his adventures to me as a kid.

 

I saw the coral ring, and realized that Sherlock was really going to do it. He was forcing me to face my past in my Wonderland. I screamed and thrashed, but he pushed on as if he didn't need air.

 

We soon reached the doorway. I closed my eyes and stopped fighting. It was no use. He was stronger, faster, a whole lot smater, and just all around better than I was.

 

I didn't remember what it was like to fall through the ring when I was 13, but two years later, it was very memorable. It felt like falling through a vacuum. More like being pushed through one. Or it felt like walking through a wall of water, into a blizzard. Wind rushed around me, and colors were distored and moving. It wasn't suprising to look at Sherlock and see him unphased. He just pressed on and made sure I was following behind.

 

It only felt like an hour I was there, but it was only a few seconds, really. In an instant, I felt the hard ground hit against my back, and I groaned. Sherlock let out a laugh.

 

"You should've landed on your feet, Princess," he leaned down and grabbed my hand, then hoisted me to my feet. I shook off my clothes, and then gasped. When I looked down, I wasn't wearing my sweatshirt or skinny jeans. I had red and black dress that went out from the waist and came to about my kness. It had playing cards sewn into it, and on the back was a bow with a skull charm. Luckily, I still had my knee-high boots, but they were newer, and had red hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades going down the sides.

 

I stared up at Sherlock, "I don't remember the outfit change."

 

He looked around absent-mindedly, "Can't have you dressing like they do in the Overworld, now can we? You'll stick out easily, and draw very unwanted attention from very unwanted guests. Now, Ash, where are we right now?"

 

"Cavern of Tears." I said simply, looking around. There was a statue of an angel, with water streaming out of one eye, and blood out of the other. I flinched when I saw bits of guts in the pool. I walked up to the angel and a faint smile came onto my face. I had known her when she wasn't concrete. I felt Sherlock come up behind me.

 

A breathe touched my ear, "How do you feel, Princess?" he murmured, making me shiver.

 

I didn't answer for a while, but he stayed right where he was. "Stronger."

 

He moved back and chuckled. "Good. You're going to need that strength." Something cold pressed against my cheek and I gasped, then I saw the hilt of a blade. I stared at it. There were Celtic designs going down the hilt and the blade itself. There was a slight blood stain. This was the Featherblade. My knife. Though I was glad to see it in tact, I hesistated when grabbing the hilt.

 

"I'm not looking for any fight, Shelock." I said.

 

"That's a shame," he said slyly, gesturing behind me. "One's certainly looking for you."

 

 

Author's Note

YAY. SHERLOCK! I've already made a reference to Alice: Madness Returns, and Sherlock Holmes. MORE FUN STUFF TO COME. Thanks for reading and all.

By the way, I recommend reading Sherlock's voice in a posh English accent.

Reviews

[Brenden Bow]

Oh, I like your writing style. It's informal and fun. :D The Sherlock references are great! I see a few grammar mistakes, but nothing I feel obligated to point out. Your dialogue is wonderful, no doubt; and your work is, overall, interesting and entertaining. I'd adore finding out what happens next, so, yeah, keep doin' what you're doin'!