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Alice's phone buzzed in her pocket. She ignored it in favour of making out with Deb.
"You gonna get that, Ali?"
"It's probably dad."
"What time is it?" She took out her own phone. "Shit, it's seven thirty."
"Stay a little longer?" She moved back to kiss her.
"I can't, baby. I have to get back home to make dinner for the boys." The boys were her three younger brothers. If she didn't make dinner for them, no one would. "Besides, your dad must be worrying."
"Let him worry." She frowned.
"Ali..."
"It's just so awkward with him."
"He's trying."
"I know, but..." She sighed. "It's just hard. Why did he have to leave mom in the first place?"
"I know, but give him a chance." She kissed Alice's cheek. "I'll see you soon, okay? Have fun at your mom's."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
...
"Hey, Alice." The relief in his voice carried down the phone as she rounded the corner to the neighborhood. "Just wondering where you are. Dinner's ready."
"I'm coming now."
"Alright. See you soon, bye bye."
"Bye." She hung up, and opened the front door.
"Alice, is that you?" He called from the kitchen.
"Yeah."
"That was quick." He appeared with a smile. "Come on in, dinners just ready."
He vanished back into the kitchen while she kicked off her shoes.
They sat in silence as they ate their pasta. Bill kept trying to ask about Alice's day, or tell her some stupid thing Ted had done, but she would only make non-committal responses of "Good, Sure, Ha."
"Off in Wonderland, Alice?" He smiled warmly.
"Hm." She frowned, drinking from her glass of water.
"Excited to go back to your mother?"
"Mhm."
"I have an idea for tonight."
"Hm?"
"I got tickets to Mamma Mia in the Starlight theatre. I thought it could be fun."
"Mamma Mia?" She raised her eyebrow.
"Yes, because you like musicals." He grinned, pleased to have gotten actual words from her.
"I like some musicals."
"You like Mamma Mia, though, right?" His grin faltered slightly.
"Yes." She sighed. She did not, but remembered what Deb had said about trying.
"Thought so!" He grinned again, relieved.
"Can Deb come."
"Yes." He nodded. "I got three tickets."
"Great." She smiled, pulling out her phone. "I'll let her know."
"Alright."
...
"What was that?" Alice jumped, shaking. The theatre had just been knocked down by something from the sky.
"It was a meteor, I think." Deb answered, reaching out to hold Alice hand.
"A meteor?"
"Mamma Mia!" Bill yelled, not realizing his pun. "That's crazy. It came out of nowhere."
"It came out of the sky." Alice replied.
"Well, yeah, but it was unexpected."
They all stood and watched the burning building. If they had arrived even a minute earlier they would be in there. They shook off a feeling of dread, and went back to their houses.
...
"You just don't like Deb." Alice frowned, grabbing her bag.
"Yeah, maybe I don't!" Bill snapped. "You could do so much better. Why not someone like Grace Chastity?"
"No, Grace Chastity is a nerdy prude!"
"One, I said date someone like Grace Chastity. Two, that is not a very nice thing to say."
"You just want Grace Chastity to be your daughter!"
"At least she's nice to me at church!"
"I hate you!" She stormed out of the house.
The bus to Clivesdale left in fifteen minutes, but she didn't want to go. She wanted to see Deb. She could get the evening bus.
"Deb!" She called when she found her at her school.
"Alice? Why aren't you on the bus?" She was surprised, but let Alice fling herself into her arms.
"Me and dad had a fight." She cried.
"What about?"
"You."
"Me?"
"He doesn't want me to go out with you anymore. He wants me to out with Grace Chastity!"
Grace Chastity, who had just come over to hand out her 'cancel home-cumming' leaflets, gave them a disgusted look and left.
"Oh, Ali..."
"He's so horrible!"
"He just wants what's best for you, baby."
"But you're what's best for me."
"He's just scared. We just have to show him that I am not a bad influence on you." She laughed kindly. "I promise, it'll be okay."
"I missed the bus."
"You can stay here today."
"Won't the teachers mind?"
"They don't know who does and doesn't go to school here. You'll be okay."
"I told him I hated him."
"You can see him before you get on the bus. Let him know you didn't mean it. I'm sure he already knows though."
"I don't think so. I just left after saying it. He looked so hurt." She was beginning to cry again.
"It'll be okay. He'll understand. Take a deep breath, love." She gently ran her fingers through Alice's hair, and held her tight until she was calm again.
"Thank you. I love you."
"I love you too."
...
They sat in the maths classroom waiting for the rest of the class to turn up. It was the first class of the day, so some people were generally late. But what was weird was that not even Chastity, Spankoffski, Lipschitz, or Fleming were there yet. Even the teacher was missing. It felt weird. The school was too quiet.
"Is something happening today?" Alice whispered after five minutes.
"I don't think so? This is really weird."
The door opened.
Kelly and Nate from Smoke Club appeared. They were... singing?
"Where's everyone?" Deb asked them.
They didn't reply, just sang.
Alice was terrified. Something felt horribly wrong.
"Deb, I'm scared."
"Me too." She murmured. "You two, beat it."
They didn't acknowledge her.
"You're not cool. You're acting stupid."
They just got closer, still singing.
"Alice, go hide in the English classroom."
"What?"
"Go!"
Alice did as she was told. Deb stayed in the maths classroom, trying to reason with Kelly and Nate.
Alice locked the door behind her.
She didn't know what to do. Something was wrong. Horribly and terribly wrong.
She did the only thing she could think to do.
She took out her phone and called her dad.
"Alice?" He picked up on the second ring. "I've never been more happy that your mother left me and moved you to Clivesdale."
"I'm not in Clivesdale."
"I saw you get on the bus."
"I got off."
"You got off? To go see Deb? God damnit, Alice, if Deb jumped off a bridge-"
"I'm scared dad!" She started crying. "I'm scared. Please help me."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know you're scared."
"Deb's at the door." She whispered. Deb had just appeared. "Something's wrong."
"What's wrong with Deb?"
"She's singing." She murmured, listening to Deb sing softly through the door. Deb was singing about how she loved her. To let her in. Alice felt uneasy.
"She's doing what?"
"Singing."
"Alice, listen to me." He spoke sternly. "You get away from her. You get far away."
"Is this because you don't like Deb?"
"No, this nothing to do with that. You need to get away right now. You need to run and hide. Okay? Where are you?"
"I'm at the school. I can go to CCRP-"
"No, no, you stay there. I'm coming to you."
"Dad, I'm so sorry." She sobbed. "I didn't mean it when I said I hated you. I don't. I-"
"Alice, it's okay. Don't think about that now."
"Am I going to die?"
"Everything going to be fine." His voice broke. He was acting strong. Alice knew it wasn't going to be okay.
"I love you, dad. I love you so much."
"I love you too."
She hung up.
Deb broke down the door.
"Alice, baby."
"Deb, please. You're scaring me."
"Alice, baby. Don't you wanna go? Follow the rabbit, down below?"
"Please stop!" She begged as she stepped backwards. Deb approached her.
"Wonderland's waiting. All you gotta do is..."
Before she knew it, Deb had her hand clamped down tight over her mouth, preventing her from breathing. Some sort of gloop filled her airways. She passed out.
...
She woke up a minute later.
Everything was different. The world was bright. Everything felt free. Everything was beautiful.
Wonderland.
Deb grinned at her and held out her hand.
Alice kissed her.
They heard Bill from down the hall.
"Alice? Alice, sweetie, where are you?"
They shared a glance and headed for him.
"I'm the reason they trapped her!"
"Listen to me, Bill." Paul forced Bill to meet his eyes. "This is not your fault."
"Yes it is." Alice chimed in.
"Alice?"
"It's all your fault." She grinned. "That's the last thought I had before they broke down the door."
She didn't know why she was lying. Her brain forced her to. She wasn't in control of herself. All she could do was watch.
Trapped in Wonderland, as a viewer of the outside.
She found herself singing.
Cruel things she didn't want to say.
"Alice, I'm here to take you home." Bill begged. "You're going to be okay."
She just kept singing.
Deb and Kelly joined in.
"Alice whatever I said this morning, I'm sorry." He was crying. "You can break out of it, I know. I know you can."
Paul had to hold Bill back away from her.
She couldn't break out of it.
Bill dropped his gun.
Alice bent to pick it up.
She screamed at herself to stop, but she couldn't stop her body. She wasn't in control anymore.
The bullet pierced his heart.
He dropped dead.
He would wake up again, she knew. But he would be trapped too. Trapped in Wonderland.
There was no way out.