Like A Fairytale

[Neku]

Wonderland [♂] & Alice [♀]

Alice, Alice, Alice…

Words on the wall; bright red ink – he had no pen but there the words read, bright and glistening, as clear as the ink that had stained the walls of their home. They’d come with their white coats and their stale scents and they would wash his beautiful, shimmering ode to her – they’d coo and they’d yell until he promised to keep the red off the walls. But in the end he would crack and he’d break and he’d spill his ink once more, smearing her name in endless tribute.

Alice, Alice, Alice…

Sometimes he'd forget what that word represented. Somehow he remembered that it was said the more you repeated a word, the less sense it made. Maybe that was a good thing; maybe if her name stopped making sense to him, it would stop making sense to the doctor's. Maybe then he could go home. Back home, to where the walls and floors were all splattered with ink - at home the doctor's would not come to wash the ink away. It would just be him, him and her; but she was not at home anymore. And nor was he.

Rabbit...

An abrupt bump in the otherwise smooth, red road. No sense could be made of these sudden additions – Rabbit, Hatter, Queen, Cat….they’d be snuck in randomly and without explanation before being buried beneath the repetition of her name. But despite his attempts to hide them the doctor's would see them; the doctor's with their squinty eyes and pushy noses.

Were those your childrens names?

Don’t be stupid. What kind of psycho would name their child ‘Rabbit’?

Pause.

.--------------.--------------.

Is that what he was?

A moment of clarity was upon him as he sat back and stared at his art, the writing so lovingly spelt in bright red ink. But a sudden throb in his arm and dizzy sensation in the back of his head brought the sudden realization it wasn't ink; blood. Who's blood? His blood. Not her blood? Not their blood?

Of course not. They could not bleed anymore. They were dead.

Dead, dead, dead...

Only a psycho would name their child 'Rabbit' - he had said so himself. And certainly 'White Rabbit' was not much different from just 'Rabbit'. And what of 'Cheshire Cat'? Or 'Mad Hatter'? No person in their right mind would name their children such things.

So was he mad?

Of course. That's why he was here, wasn't it?

W h y--------------d i d--------------y o u--------------s t o p?

A sudden start; a pang of fear. He had let his mind wander to far from the job at hand; he could feel her now, bright red with hollow eyes, glaring up at him accusingly from where she lay on the living room floor. Guilt bubbled up in his throat, threatening to suffocate him - how dare he let himself get sidetracked? His painting still wasn't complete...

Alice, Alice, Alice...

[Neku]

The "Red" Queen [♀] & Forest [♂]

She was a quiet girl; not shy, just quiet.
One of those 'fade into the background' types.
I'd seen her in class before - everyone had.

Sometimes I found myself watching her; wondering what kind of person she was behind the shadows. My question was answered when the two of us were partnered up for a science project. Looking back, I wonder if the fates weren't having a good laugh at me.

Her name was 'Red'. Well, 'Red Queen', actually, but she preferred 'Red'.

I could understand why - it was an odd name to be stuck with, and not one she seemed particularity proud of. Apparently her whole family had bizarre names; well, except her mother, but it had been her dad's job to name the pups. From what Red told me, her dad wasn't quite all there - which explained a lot. I never had the pleasure of meeting her father, since Red was never inclined to bring me home, but that was fine with me.

We started going steady only a couple months after getting to know each other - and I discovered that, beneath the shadows, Red truly was an amazing person.

She told me she dreamed of becoming a nurse - not a doctor. A nurse, specifically. She said that nurses were often seen as nothing but lackey's for doctors; all 'Yes doctor', 'No doctor', 'right away doctor'. But she saw so much more to them then that - a nurse was a doctor's lifeline. A doctor depended on their nurse for valuable equipment to save lives, to always be there with exactly what the doctor needed to keep a patient breathing. A nurse was invaluable.

Red wanted to be invaluable.

And she was - to me. As the months passed on, Red became my world; there was still so many secrets she kept hidden behind her glassy eyes, but I didn't care. I loved everything about her that she was willing to share, and that just made them all the more precious to me.

Red was invaluable.

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

"...sir?"

"Is she alright?? Please, god, tell me she's alright!"

"Sir, I...I'm sorry sir..."

"No...damn it no! I'll kill him! I swear to god I'll kill that sick-!"

"Sir please! Sir, you have to calm down! SIR!"

"Let me go! I'll rip his throat out, I swear to god-!"

"SECURITY! Sir, sit DOWN! SECURITY!"

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

Red never got the chance to become a nurse; she was found murdered on October 14th, laying cold and dead in the living room of her house with her siblings and mother.

Red had always said her father was a bit crazy - but I don't think either of us realized how deep the insanity sank.

I never forgot her; even now, six years later, married and a proud father of three. My beloved Lilac was actually dating Red's brother, Cheshire - we bonded over a feeling of shared loss. We both understand each others pain; Lilac doesn't get jealous when I visit Red's grave, and in return I raise no complaints against the picture of Cheshire she keeps framed on her bedside counter.

One other thing keeps us bonded; one shared desire...

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

"They can't keep him locked up forever."

"And if they do, we'll just have to pay him a visit."

"But of course; don't worry my love. He will pay."

"There was never any doubt in my mind."

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

Upon reflection...
Maybe we're all a little crazy.

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

"So Mr. Wonderland...ready to pay the piper?"

[Neku]

The White Rabbit [♂] & Dune[♂]

Note: Dune's Mom is a hermaphrodite - a male who can give birth. Thus why Dune refers to his Mom as a "he" - because his mom's male ;3 (This may not be how hermaphrodite's actually work, but for the sake of my plot, it is. Don't correct me on this)

For first intallement: Click
For second installement: Click

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

"Son? Who are you talking to?"

"I'm talking to Abbi, dad."

"...Dune, we've been over this.."

"Oh let him alone dear..."

"It's not healthy! I won't stand for people calling my son a loony-!"

"He lost his best friend, Dusk! And if this will help him cope-!"

"Cope!? He's talking to a bloody mirror Eve! That's not coping, that's down right insane-!"

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

Mom and Dad are fighting again. They've been doing that a lot lately; Kave tells me they're just adults being adults, but I think it's my fault. I don't think dad likes me talking to you....I'm not sure why, but I think it has something to do with that day you got taken to the hospital, cause your father comes up a lot in the conversation.

Mom doesn't like your dad much - he says he hopes your dad 'rots'. I've never heard Mom say something like that about a person before; but he can't be that bad. I mean, he's your dad, right? Your dad has to be an amazing person, cause...cause he's the reason I have my best friend.

He's the reason I have you, Abbi...

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

"Heya squirt, whatcha doing?"

"Oh! Hi Kave! Me and Abbi were just talking 'bout his dad."

"Abbi's here? I thought I heard Dad ranting..."

"Yeah...He just went to get some things from his house, then we're gonna play Cops and Robbers!
You can join us, if you'd like?"

"Wish I could, but I've got lots of homework to do. You and Abbi have fun though, alright?
Don't let Dad get you down; he's just jealous of your guys friendship."

"I know...Thanks Kave."

"Anytime, shortstuff."

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

Hey Abbi - long time no talk. Sorry I haven't been able to hang out with you much lately; dad's been bringing me into see this man name "Dr Johnson". Dad says the Doctor's gonna help me get better - I didn't know I was sick. But if Dad says I am, he must be right.

Dr Johnson talks about you a lot, Abbi; weird, huh? He's supposed to be helping me, but all he wants to do is talk about you. I keep saying that he can just talk to you if he wants to know more, but he says that he wants to hear from me..

I'm just confused. Everyone's acting so strangely lately.

Ever since....

...you went to the hospital.

Things have been so different...

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

Why don't you invite me over anymore Abbi? I want to play at your house; I don't like my house anymore. We always play at my house. Dad's so angry all the time now, and Mom keeps looking at me funny and he cries a lot. Kave keeps trying to tell me everything's alright, but I don't think it is Abbi. Something's wrong with them.

...With me..?

....With you?

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

"...Mom?"

"Yes dear?"

"...Abbi's dead, isn't he?"

"....."

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

You never came back from the hospital, did you Abbi?

Mom never liked your dad; I know why now.

Your dad sent you to the hospital.

He sent you to the hospital, and you never came back.

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

"Yes."

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

Your dead Abbi.

And the dead can't talk.

The dead can't play Cops and Robbers.

The dead can't wield guns.

...But the living can, right?

.------------------.------------------.------------------.

"Hey there little guy, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see Mr. Wonderland. Why are you here?"

"....we're here to see Mr. Wonderland as well..."

"Well isn't that something..."

[Neku]

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