Alice watched in horror as plumes of fire and smoke consumed her neighbor’s houses. Townsfolk screamed as they fought back against or fled from the attacking invaders. They’d long been dreading this day, but now it was here. The war between the Kingdom of Hearts and Kingdom of Spades would ravage their small corner of the world, seeking to devour everything in its path. It didn’t matter this was a poor community of less than two hundred people, many of whom were women and children. The Mad Hatter King was relentless in his conquest and his methods were without mercy.

Alice’s nose scrunched as the smell of blood and death filled the air. With tears in her eyes, she turned from the nauseating stench and ran toward her house on the outskirts of the village. Thankfully, the fighting had not yet come this far. Alice burst through the front door, quickly gathering anything of value she could carry.

“Roger! We have to leave! The town is under attack!”

She dashed into the kitchen, grabbing two small, stale loaves of bread and a pouch of roasted chestnuts. She threw them in her purse as she ran into the living room, throwing on an old wool cloak her aunt had lovingly made for her some years ago.

“Roger! Did you hear me?” Alice snapped. ”It’s time to go!”

In her bedroom, Alice frantically rummaged through her drawers until she found her most cherished possession: a pure gold, heart-shaped locket left to her by her parents. At last she paused, placing the valuable trinket carefully around her neck.

Alice caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The gold sparkled in the light of the setting sun, casting a delicate shimmer across her skin. Even after twenty one years she had no recollection of her parents. Yet she felt close to them whenever she wore the locket. However, at her aunt’s request, she promised never to show it to anyone, for fear it would be stolen.

“Please! Spare me!” a woman cried outside her bedroom window.

Alice’s mind came crashing back to reality as she saw a young woman being dragged from a neighboring house. Three more soldiers emerged from within the wreckage, swords in hand.

“Search for more survivors!” one bellowed.

Uh oh!

Alice ducked to avoid being seen. She heard the group advance down the lane, breaking down the door of every house that escaped the flames.

“Roger!” Alice hissed. “Come here this instant or I’ll leave you behind!”

The pitter-patter of tiny feet turned Alice’s attention down the hall, where her pet rabbit popped his head out from behind the cellar door.

“Oh Roger, you’re so clever,” Alice giggled, kissing him on the forehead. “I forgot about Aunt Dinah’s secret passage!”

The rabbit’s floppy ears twitched with delight. Alice kissed him again before gently placing him in a gathering basket she could carry on one arm. She jammed the cellar door shut from the inside with an old broom, then made her way downstairs. Her aunt had forbidden her from ever using the secret passage, but if memory served, the entrance was right…

CREAK!

“Here,” Alice exhaled, opening the trap door hidden within the wall.

Alice crawled inside the passageway just as she heard men break through the front door. As they searched the rooms, toppling her aunt’s furniture, Alice tried not to panic. Shattering glass and the sound of stomping echoed through the cramped tunnel as tears welled in her eyes.

Alice used to dream about the day she would go off to explore new lands and meet new people, but after her aunt passed away, she found herself less eager to venture beyond the only home she’d ever known. And, well, let’s just say this wasn’t how she pictured her exodus.

Alice reached a hand down to stroke her rabbit’s soft fur. “Roger, starting today, the two of us are going to have to stick together. We’re all we’ve got left now.”

A damp darkness engulfed Alice as she made her way through the tunnel, not knowing where it would lead her. After a few minutes, she saw a faint glow ahead. Alice bolted toward it, glad to find freedom from the stifling darkness. She lifted the trap door and found herself in the woods on the outskirts of her village. Jumping out of the hole, Alice took a few deep breaths, savoring the taste of fresh air. Then using the setting sun, she marked her location and headed south.

The evening chill set in. Alice wrapped her aunt’s cloak around her shoulders and tucked Roger’s basket under her arm. She followed the main path through the trees until she came to a fork in the road. One direction led to a town south of her village and the other led deeper into the forest. The only problem was, she couldn’t remember which her aunt had warned her to avoid…

Roger began to scratch at the basket restlessly. “I hope you’re coming out of hiding to help me figure out which way to go! And not just because you’re hungry.”

The rabbit jumped down and nibbled on the corner of Alice’s apron.

“Hey! You can’t eat that.”

Before Alice could understand Roger’s tantrum, she heard a deep voice in the distance.

“Over there! I see a girl from the village!”

Roger squealed and took off running down the left path at the fork in the road. Alice chased after her rabbit, hoping he’d sniff out a safe place to hide. It was difficult for her to see his white fur in the grass, but thankfully Alice was well equipped for such a situation. Since she was a young girl, her nose had been extremely sensitive to smells associated with the emotions of the people around her. Her Aunt Dinah always smelled like warm apple pie, and when she was happy, like the time the blacksmith offered to fix their fire poker for free, the essence of vanilla was also present. When her aunt was sad, like the day her oldest friend moved away, the scent of wet leaves accompanied her normally sweet smell. It was a concept most people didn’t understand, and some even found it strange, but on a day like today Alice was ever grateful for her odd ability.

Roger smelled like fresh carrots, his favorite food. Alice followed his scent along the path until she came to a clearing in the trees. She saw Roger waiting for her by an old, mossy tree trunk. She approached him slowly, mindful of his nervous state.

“There, there,” Alice whispered as she pulled out a piece of bread. “I won’t let those men hurt you. I promise!”

Roger jumped into Alice’s arms, craned his neck to lick her face, then chomped on the gift she had extended. Soldier’s footsteps were approaching, so Alice stood up quietly to leave. As she did, something extraordinary happened! Her heart-shaped locket began to glow, and she heard what sounded like a creaking door behind her. Alice spun around to find the top of the tree trunk had opened, much like the trap door of a secret passage. The moss on the tree was also glowing as brightly as her locket.

Alice felt her body pulled forward by an invisible force. Suddenly, she and Roger were suspended above the open trunk. She glanced down to discover a bottomless pit within. She screamed as the force released its hold, dropping the two of them inside.

Alice closed her eyes, imagining this was the end for her and Roger. Little did she know she was being thrust not into the hands of death, but onto the path of a handsome stranger who would change her life forever.