The Lost Chapter

by

Katie Billham

As Alice rounded the corner, she saw a young lady on her hands and knees, drawers in full view.  Stifling a laugh, Alice approached her and asked “Excuse me ma’am, but could you tell me the way out of this wood?  I am dreadfully lost!”

“As a matter of fact, I can!  My field is over that way somewhere,”  she exclaimed.  “I was looking for my sheeps’ tails but I haven’t found one!”  she told Alice before bursting into tears.

Alice found it slightly odd that she was looking for tails, but decided to comfort the lady anyway for she seemed rather upset.  “There, there.  I am Alice by the way, but I feel obliged to ask who you are!” she asked, though she was quite certain her companion was not listening.

“Why! I happen to be Little Bo Peep actually!” she said rather haughtily, even through her tears, “The shepherdess. Or I would be if my sheep had tails!” Bo Peep said, starting to cry again.

Alice rolled her eyes and watched as the purple sky darkened.

“Now," she said, “What on earth is the matter?”

“Well, one hot, summers day I was resting in the shade of a crab apple tree, and I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew I was awoken by an apple pinching me on the leg, but my sheep had gone!”

As more tears poured from Bo Peeps eyes, rain started to fall, mingling with the salty drops dripping off her nose.

 “When I found them they had no tails! I have looked everywhere but no luck!” Suddenly her eyes widened and she turned pale. “My sheep!  The Jabberwocky will have eaten them by now!”  And with that she left Alice alone, a chill creeping over her skin...

A dark shadow prowled through the trees, heading after Bo Peep. Her worried expression hung in Alice’s mind, she had to warn her.  This was something big and Alice was right in the middle of it...

Katie

‘The Missing Chapter’

 By Charlotte Vincent

Alice was beginning to get very lost.  Suddenly, she saw a female figure a metre or so away.

“Good morning, madam.  I was wondering if you could direct me in the way of the White Rabbit?”  Alice questioned , “I was sure he came through here.”

The figure turned around and spat at Alice;  “You! Why do you care what I think?  No-one ever does.”

“Jill?”  Alice couldn’t quite believe it.

“What, come to gawp have you?”  Jill narrowed her watery eyes.

“Um, no. I’m sorry if you thought so.  I just thought I’d check with you.”  Alice bowed her head humbly. 

“Cheque with me? How very rude! I bet you were going to post me off in return for a new book!” Jill accused.  Alice was getting very frustrated by now.  “Not in the slightest! Oh,  never mind !”  Alice huffed.   Jill gazed dramatically into the distance.  “Oh poor old me, sitting here by myself!”  she wailed, picking up her muddy, tattered apron and fraying, crinkled dress. 

“My gosh, you are soppy!  Now I don’t wonder why Jack left you!”  Alice snapped, “You are rather stupid, aren’t you?”

“Jack!  How very dare you mention him!”  Jill snarled, imaginary anger steaming off her. 

“I’m sorry!  You get all grumpy at the slightest mention of  your brother!  I think you’re just embarrassed that he has a life, and you just spend your days skulking around!”  Alice scrutinised Jill with narrow, ratty eyes.  Suddenly, a Scottish voice filled the hollow wood:

Beware the Jabberwock,  my son

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch

Beware the Jubjub bird and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch

Jill stiffened, her eyes unnaturally wide, pupils small and scared. 

 “I have to be going.  Goodbye!”  And with that she picked up her skirts and pelted away.  The voice was the Hatter; a friend of Alice’s.  He burst drunkenly through a clump of dead, spindly trees, still talking.

 “Hatter!” Alice shouted to bring him out of his trance-like state. 

“Wha-who?” the Hatter looked around the clearing before announcing

” I dreamt I was drinking Fonderberry Jui...”  and collapsing on the ground, quietly meowing.

        The lost chapter.

                                   By Jack Broad

“Hello Alice what are you doing in these here parts?” questioned the old man. 

 “Eer…hello, how could you tell I was coming when you could not see me?” said Alice puzzled, as she was round a corner out of view when the old man said her name.

“I’m not a monster!” the old man shouted, feeling very offended!

“Sorry.” replied Alice, scared at the thought that that was what she had just been thinking about.

“I really didn’t mean any harm.” Said Alice apologetically.

 “I know, I can tell.  May I ask why you are thinking of flying pigs as it is well off the subject?”

“Yes, sorry,” Alice quickly replied.

“Anyway that will happen in about one hundred years and when it does you can tell your friends ‘I told you so’.”

“Say wha’, oh never mind.  How did you get here?”

  “I can’t hear anything and neither can you!”

“No, I mean how did you get here.”

“I got here.”

Alice sighed in annoyance at his logical thinking.

“How can you tell what I’m thinking?” Alice asked the old man as she slowly made her way towards him.

“I’m magic!” and at that moment there was a clap of thunder and the man disappeared then reappeared just behind her.  He then turned into two men , then three, four, five and then six men before turning back into one man!

“Wa...w-w…h-how did you do that?” Alice sheepishly asked astonished at what she had just witnessed.

“Well, I have my ways,” The old crooked man replied casually.

“No, I mean how did you become, magic?” Alice said, picking herself up off the floor, she was starting to gain some confidence.

         Alice was expecting some long scary story but all the old man said was “ I won a war against a wizard.”

“ Please tell me more, please,” begged Alice.

“Fine.  Just before the evil wizard died, he cast a spell saying that a riddle would be created that would have to be solved by three people me, the Mad Hatter and you Alice.  I and Hatter have already solved it but the problem is we can not tell any one the answer until you have solved it. Once the riddle is solved by all three of us, all things evil will be destroyed, but until then the bloody red queen of hearts will rule over wonder-land,” the old man said, showing no emotions, “That’s right, your coming with me…”    

“Bother, bother, bother.” Alice muttered to herself, she was walking slowly along a white chalky path, not noticing the sky steadily getting darker.
“Why do I have to be so curious?” Suddenly she spotted a rather ancient looking woman sitting on a crooked chair, reading an old book. “Excuse me ma’am, but have you seen a little key anywhere?” Alice asked politely. For she knew she had to get out of wonderland one way or the other.
“Of course any living creature with a brain knows where it is, oh yeah you’re a child, children don’t get brains till they are seventeen,” She replied rudely.
“I’m sorry ma’am, I didn’t mean to be rude,” Alice said, rather taken aback, because she didn’t know what she had done.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” she snapped back. “Children,” she muttered to her self, “they’re all the same!”
“Excuse me ma’am but, what’s your name?” Alice Questioned.
“My name is, Rosemary.” she replied as proudly as if she was a Queen. Then her hands moved as if she was picking up and putting on a crown. “And your Name is?”
“Alice ma’am.”
“Um, Rosemary,” Alice stuttered, “Are you the old woman who lived in a shoe?”
“Are you saying, I look old?” she sniffed.
“No, but um, never mind, so do you know where the little key is then?” Alice asked carefully, so not to offend the old lady.
“Urm, yes,” Rosemary took out a crumpled piece of paper and pen and wrote:

Alice,
You walk until you see the sea, then turn right when you see a tree that stands out (it has purple leaves.) Here you’ll see a door. knock on it three times and open the door ;there you’ll see a bed stay there for one night and one night only. When you wake up, get up and out of the little room as soon as possible ,and get on your way. Follow the path and then you’ll see the Quay.

ROSEMARY
The old woman who lived in the shoe.

Alice walked away, carefully reading the letter. Suddenly, Alice saw the word she had been dreading, ‘Quay’. she couldn’t believe her eyes; she and Rosemary had been talking about two completely different things the whole time. Alice was about to turn around to talk to Rosemary when an ice chilling scream rang through the air. Alice ran back to the place were Rosemary was sat but there was no trace left of her…

Alice  and the Tin Man r

By Isaac Silver

Flames were licking at Alice’s legs, and while darkness still engulfed Wonderland, she could see the Mushroom forest below her, burning.  “Is anybody there?” Alice called out nervously, afraid of the approaching flames, and the people that could be trapped by them.  (She was a kind hearted girl.)

“You’re scared.”  A mechanical voice broke over the eerie crackling of the fire-scorched Mushrooms.

“Who… who are..?” Alice stammered, turning to face the direction the sound had come from.

“I thought you would remember an old friend like me.”  The voice said again, sounding tinny and metallic.

“We’ve met before? Show yourself! Let me see you!” Alice demanded. One red circular light came on, and out of the shadows stepped a man of metal.

“B-b-Borseman! Mr Borseman!” Alice choked the words out. Mr Borseman’s face was grey, and blood was dribbling fro, his grit covered lips. The mechanical part of his face was dented, and the eye piece was fractured.

“Please, call me Tin Man.” He said, attempting to gesture only to find his arm had misfired and seized up. 
“Who are you working for, the Queen of Hearts?” Alice asked, stalling for time.

“Aye,” he said simply.

“She’s dead, you know.” Alice lied, trying to off-foot him. Borseman didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he didn’t care.

“Really? What a pity.  She was as mad as that Hatter fellow.”

“But you are mad too!” Alice exclaimed, surprised that he didn’t know.

“So I am. Newfound honesty seems to bee in the air today, so I might as well tell you that I am going to ‘eliminate’ you.” He said without a hint of emotion.  He raised an ornate pistol.  Alice could hear a faint creaking. He laughed, but it turned into a strangled choke. Something in his left leg exploded, smoke rising up into the air.  It was now a battle of endurance, which person could last out against the other.  The creaking was much louder now.   Borseman heard it too.  He steadied the pistol.  Alice suddenly heard a rush of wind and dived backwards.  She just had time to see Borseman express a mild look of surprise before the Mushroom came down on him.

Alice just stood, staring numbly at the protruding arm of Borseman, the gun still clutched in his lifeless hand. The fire was closer, much closer. She winced at the heat and begun to drag herself slowly away.

Tin Man is alive. He knows that the augmentations will survive.  It will take a lot more than a giant mushroom to kill him. He stands, surveying the scene.  He is dimly aware that he is burning. He takes a step forwards and something in his chest grinds and sparks.  Oil spills from the damage.  It doesn’t matter.  He will hunt Alice down.  Nothing will get in his way.

She will perish.  They all will.