Prologue

The beginning I suppose?

    It was chilly. And quiet. Alice noticed the quiet more than the chill from her habit of walking in the forest alone. The moon was full though, providing enough light to see things in shades of grey and dark shadows. She had walked this path many times, and couldn't remember a time when she hadn't heard the sounds of toads, crickets, and the howling song of the lone wolf in the distance. But tonight the sounds she had come to listen to like music were absent, creating a chill to add to the chill of the night, raising the hairs on her arms.
    Brushing her fingers against the trunk of the willow tree she passed regularly, she didn't notice that the branches seemed to droop lower as she continued on.  Walking down the beaten path, she started to hum, a longing lonely hum, swaying side to side. Trees, bushes, and flowers alike seemed to start to sway as well, emitting a soft, whispering harmony to her voice. Time passed, shadows grew darker and longer, while her song and swaying steps carried her further into the heart of the forest.
    As she continued deeper into the forest, Alice became more aware of her surroundings, not realizing just how far she had gone. But something was different. Something....new? Picking up the pace, Alice hurried down the path, feeling much like a piece of metal being pulled to something magnetic. Soon enough she was running along the path, feeling breathless and a bit dazed, focused only on reaching whatever it was that was drawing her, not seeing how the plantlife around her started rustling, shifting, turning on their roots, watching as she raced by. If tthere was a sound for plantlife holding it's breath, this is what it would've sounded like.
    As cliched as some things may be, a root appeared in the path, and while Alice wasn't fully paying attention to her surroundings, naturally, she managed to catch the root with her foot and ended up sprawled along the dirt and pebbles. Panting, her head turned slowly so she was no longer nose to ground, rather cheek to ground instead. Her rapid breathing stirred the dirt before her, making her sneeze and create a larger stir of dust. Spitting out what she could of the grit that had decided to take up residence in her mouth and between her teeth, she managed bring her knees up enough for balance before lifting to her hands and knees. Twisting her head from side to side, a popping sound could be heard almost like gunshots through the silence as some of the tension in her neck released.
    Getting to her feet, she staggered a little as the aches of sprinting for however long she had and the sudden trip made themselves very well known. Biting back a groan, she once more continued down the path, this time at a much more subdued walk.
    'Alice....'
    Her head snapped up from her dazed perusal of the ground as she heard a whisper of her name call to her. Rather than coming to the stop that most would when hearing their name, she started running again, this time actually aware of her surroundings and realizing how vibrant everything around her seemed to be....almost like that of a pulsing glow.
    Gritting her teeth, she dug down past the aches of her body, pulling forth more energy from her center and kept going. Moments later, after stumbling over yet another cliched root, but managing to catch her balance this time, she paused, hunched over, and catching her breath when she heard it again.
    'Alice.....'
    Warily she raised her head, but otherwise remained in the hunched over position with hands braced on her knees, and stared out at a clearing towards a tree that stood in the middle of it. It took her a moment to realise that she was no longer on the path, and after straightening up, she turned a full circle, but there was no path to be found.
    'Alice......'
    Jumping a bit in surprise as this time the voice seemed to have come from directly behind her, she eased around...only to find no one there. Once again she was facing the clearing. Brushing her hair back, she started forward, her steps falling softly and silently on the grass as she approached the tree in the clearing. As she got closer, she was able to identify the tree as a giant weeping willow, its branches swaying in some unfelt breeze. Letting her eyes close for a moment, she took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of nature, and of the peace that seemed to surround this place. Without conscious effort, she kept moving forward, until finally when her eyes did open, she was standing less than an arms length from the trunk of the tree, its branches creating a safe haven.
    Taking one more step forward, she reached out and let her fingers brush against the somewhat rough bark.
    'ALICE!!!!!!!!'
    Giving a shout of shock, she yanked her hand away, to find that her fingers seemed to be stuck, even as she seemed to feel her name vibrate from her fingertips to her shoulder and up to throb in a mad tempo at her temples. Continuing to pull at her hand, she could feel her eyes start to roll into the back of her head as a mad pounding arrowed through her head for what felt like an eternity.
    Some time later, she groaned, shaking her head as she sat up, quickly catching her head in her hands in an attempt to keep it from rolling off of her shoulders. Whimpering quietly she eased her head back, slowly cracking her eyes open and cursing roundly when the even the pale moonlight shot needles of pain into her eyes. Cringing from the pain, she shifted around until she was facing the tree once more.
    It wasn't until she felt branches against her back that she understood she had scuttled as quickly as possible away from the tree...and the face that was staring back at her, blinking slowly.
    'Alice...please...dont be afraid....' the voice sounded once more like a caress on the breeze. Somehow she knew that it was the tree talking to her. Unfortunately, words didn't want to be working with Alice, and all she could do was move her lips much like that of a fish.
    'Alice...please....remember.....'
    And Alice knew no more as darkness overcame her.