To Face The Future

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Blood.

The broken glass snags at her arm. It bleeds, sticky and red and hot – almost as hot as the jumping flames – on her hands, her clothes, her face, her face

Screams.

Filling the air, ringing in her ears. Echoing, echoing, echoing high and desperate and accusing.

Heat.

It surrounds her, licking her skin, searing into her flesh.

Murderer.

Even in the asylum, there is no safe haven, no hiding place from the awfulness of that night. No lie can cover up the truth. It was her inaction that cost her family their lives, her – her – detachment. The cries of the dead echo in her mind and she embraces her punishment, hiding in it, far away from the world.

Numb.

Years slip by her one by one but the cries of her family never cease. The nightmares and memories follow her into the daytime and she finds that she's never really woke up. There is no more life in those large, green eyes - only a burning house with her family trapped inside.

Friend.

One cold, dead night, the White Rabbit appears. He is dirty and starved, his eyes bloodshot – the only really familiar thing about him is the watch he consults before jumping up and hurrying off. She falls down the hole after him, falling, falling, her hair flying, wind stinging her eyes. Cold fingers clutch her thundering heart tight the entire way down.

Thaw.

It's been so long since she's felt this alive. As she fights through the waves of enemies, making her way deeper into the heart of her ruined Wonderland, warmth slowly spreads through her limbs. Her heart beats, her eyes see and her lungs burn for cool, fresh air.

Guilt.

Perhaps the hardest trial is accepting that she should have none. The idea is abhorrent to her, a mockery to the sound of the raging inferno that will never fade from her memory – or maybe it can and will if only she would let it and that is the most frightening part.

Awakening.

The Queen of Hearts is defeated. For the first time in years, Alice opens her eyes - really opens them - and sees an old man clad in a white robe, peering down at her.

Free.

She stands at the open gates, the sunlight pouring down on her its warmth. A smile forms on her lips as she hears, somewhere a little ways off, birds singing their morning song. Clutching her bags, she takes the first, tentative step forward - and then another, and another.

She does not look back.

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Author's Note: Yes, I know I should be working on either 'Anathema' or 'Just One Thing', but none of my drafts of them felt right and finally, I began typing this out. I only ever watched a Let's Play of the game a few years back so I'm not really that familiar with the fandom. Please, forgive me for mistakes in the narrative.

Thank you for reading this fic!