“Let me go, you freak!” Alice screamed, pushing him off as he crashed into a tree.

Sitting up, Alice saw a boy soaked in blood, wearing hearts and diamonds patterned across his clothes, and a ruffled neck.

His eyes were a deep red with hearts in them, which seemed unnatural to Alice, but then again, so was everything here!

“W-who are you—?!” Alice demanded, more scared than anything.

Shaking away his surprise, he stood up, grabbed his bloody knife, and walked closer to her.

“I’ll kill you…. I’ll kill you.” Hyperventilating, he kneeled over, scratching his head.

“I need to paint the roses red….” His hands were soaked in blood that dripped to the ground.

Snapping, he stepped forward and stabbed at the air, hitting the tree next to her as his eyes spun.

“But what if you’re Alice?! What if I kill Alice Oh no! I can’t do that!” He looked more scared than she did.

“I-I’m Alice, well…that’s my name…what do you mean?” Trembling, her back pressed against the tree as the two heard a howl or hiss or whatever that was in the distance.

“Oh no…the Cheshire, we’re going to be late…” The boy whispered.

Grabbing her, he jumped into the trees with a single hop.

“What are you do-“ Alice tried to yell, but he covered her mouth and the two watched as mist began to flood the forest beneath them.

Purple fog crept around, it looked like cats if anything, yowling they scratched at trees, broke branches and worst of all, sucked the life out of any animals near them.

What even is that?! I can already tell I’m going to get tired of wondering that….

Placed on the branch, Alice watched as the bunny boy scooted away, nervously fidgeting and mumbling to himself, he didn’t look fully there to be honest.

“What’s your name…..anyway?” Alice asked.

Looking up at her, then to the left, then right, then tapping his foot, and twitching his ears, he said. “R-Rooney— You’re Alice right? T-the Alice? A Alice? Oh no, this is very bad— This world doesn’t like Alice— or maybe it does? What if it doesn’t?”

Anxiety seemed to be his middle name, the first Rooney, Rooney the Red Rabbit, how strange….

“What do you even mean? What’s so important about my name anyway?” Alice said, frowning as he looked over at her.

“What? You don’t know?” He mumbled, and when the fog faded, he didn’t take a moment to answer, jumping down from the tree, he ran away.

“I’m late, I’m late!” Rooney screamed, and Alice gasped.

She couldn’t let him get away! He seemed to be the most reasonable one here! So far at least, even if he did try and kill her! Now wasn’t the time for that!

What did Alice mean?!

Falling from the tree, she twisted her ankle, but bit her lip and ran after him, he couldn’t have gotten far!

And frankly….she didn’t want to be alone in this place….

Huffing, she ran, watching as lollipops grew in place of flowers, and how stuffed animals lived like real ones.

“You should never chase the red rabbit.” A strange voice said, and turning, Alice saw a cuckoo clock mounted on a tree.

“Why not…?” She asked.

“He’s mad…with a desire for red…..” It said, an eye peeking from the hole where the little bird would pop out at twelve.

“You’re all mad here….” Alice huffed, ignoring it as she walked forward and saw Rooney again, smiling as he tore up corpses.

One by one, he slaughtered the living, and painted himself red…..

Yet out of everything she had seen here, it was somehow the least sickening.

“Rooney, I need your help….” She whispered, and he turned her way, everything now red, blood drenching his body.

“It’s Alice….Alice…Alice why? Why my help? Are you late? Do you need the time? No, why would Alice need the time?” Mumbling to himself, he looked more pitiful than anything.

A hunch is what she’d call it, but Alice walked up to him, with how much blood she’d seen today, this was nothing…..

“I need answers to my questions Rooney, can you help me?” Taking his hands in hers, they were fur-coated to her surprise despite looking humanoid.

Looking into his eyes, she could see her own reflection. “Please Rooney….?”

Stopping, he almost forgot to breathe as he took a quick gasp and looked down.

“The Queen has answers, she always does, I-I can take you to her….”

“Really?! This queen would know who I am? And why I’m here?” Alice exclaimed, and Rooney’s ears shot up as he shivered from the loud noise.

Nodding promptly, his chest twisted in a strange way…for once, he didn’t have the urge to kill…was it because she’s Alice? A new Alice….?