French lace waved along the bottom of Alice’s skirt like kisses from a fairy. It looked just like magic. This was the most beautiful dress Alice had ever worn but as she looked at herself in the mirror, all she could see was a stranger. Her mind shouted at her to take it off, it wasn’t her.
‘Ah, your mother’s dress. How much you do look like her,’ said Alice’s father smiling sadly.
Alice smiled but the voices in her head wouldn’t quieten. This was wrong. Something in her head was tugging at her. A feeling that she’d forgotten something important. Something that should stop the voices that said, you’re an imposter, your mother’s gone, it should’ve been you instead, then father would have been happy. That last thought terrified Alice.
‘Perhaps, I’ll just get some air before the party begins,’ said Alice.
‘Of course, just don’t wander too far,’ said her father leaving the crook of her doorway.
Alice felt immediately more at ease as soon as she stepped barefoot in the grass nearby her home. She tried to resist the urge to venture into the forest, and instead stuck to the safety of the meadow.
Laying back beneath an old oak tree, she looked to the clouds in amazement. She spotted so many creatures, some that were real like fuzzy bunnies, lizards, a koala. Some she found that were not real but make believe like a dragon puffing out smoke, a fairy, and a mermaid.
Alice wondered if they would all get along and be friends or if the mermaids would dislike the lizards and the fuzzy bunnies would try to attack a gentle dragon.
Her eyes grew heavy and she drifted asleep. The adventures of these cloud creatures danced in her dreams in a swirl of multicolour lights. But still, those voices came back, you’re an imposter.
When Alice did feel herself stirring awake, it was because she felt a furry tickle on her face.
‘Are you Alice,’ said a timid looking white rabbit. Alice thought perhaps she had not awoken yet and said, ‘Yes I am, and who might yo be?’
‘Late, please come with me!’ said the white rabbit.
Alice thought this peculiar and chose not to follow. Instead, she closed her eyes and the rabbit was gone when she woke.
Hoping she wasn’t too late to her father’s party, she ran to the house. There were lot’s of carriages already arriving. Sneaking in the backway, she ran up to her room to fix herself up.
The mirror reflected her pale skin, and her mother’s silk dress. Thankfully, there wasn’t a crease to be seen despite Alice’s sleep. Now that was some magic, thought Alice.
Alice stared at the lace trim, it looked so sparkly and the flowers were so detailed. As she continued to stare she thought she saw something white and furry hop from behind her. When she went to look behind, something grabbed her. Alice was pulled into the mirror.
‘Oh my!’ Said Alice.
‘Who are you?’ Puffed a deep voice. A swirl of coloured smoke flew into Alice’s face.
‘There must be something terribly wrong,’ said Alice looking at the large caterpillar.
‘Perhaps with your mind,’ he said wriggling gracefully about a mushroom.
‘Certainly not, I’m perfectly-‘
‘Fine? That’s the problem then,’ said the caterpillar
‘You’re confused,’ Alice said.
‘You’re unravelling, Alice,’ said the caterpillar.
Alice left into the woods with a huff. How does one leave this place? She couldn’t remember.
Alice asked some flowers, a March Hare and the White Rabbit. No one knew. Everywhere she looked things were upside down. Before she knew it the fabric of herself was becoming undone; her hair, her fingertips and worse still her mother’s dress. She wriggled around in a ribbon form. It was a frightful sight.
‘All would seem lost,’ said the caterpillar looking rather crossly.
Alice could speak no more. The furry caterpillar picked Alice up in a bundle and found a nice quiet corner in the woods.
‘Find the quiet, and you shall find yourself.’
Alice took three long breaths and when she opened her eyes, she was in her room staring at herself in the mirror. Although she was shaken by her adventure, she took three more breaths.
The party downstairs rang loud. Clinking of glasses and shouts of people sang. Alice took another breather, deeper this time. The people still grew loud but her mind was quiet and those thoughts that had shouted at her were gone.
Alice looked into her deep blue eyes in the mirror and promised to always try to find this quiet place, the one that lived in herself. She looked at her mother’s dress and made piece that she was still here, in Alice.
Written by Stephanie Kentepozidis
Photo by Moldy Vintages: https://www.pexels.com/photo/food-wood-people-woman-8052702/
alice in the clouds 