Prologue
A group of young girls stood on the sidewalk laughing and playing in the late afternoon sun which was just starting to set behind the tall stand of trees in the rear the row of houses lining the opposite side of the street. One of the girls, Nancy bent over and picked up the jump rope that was lying on the ground near her feet and said, “Come on, let’s go over to the field and jump rope now” as she turned and started to run towards the grassy field across the street. Marge glared at Nancy and said, “You just wait your turn Nancy Jane. We’re going to finish our hopscotch game first, sore loser!” Nancy stopped and snapped around and said, “Marge, I know that you just can’t stand to lose either and you’re just a chicken ‘cause you know that I can out jump you any day of the week!”
Marge tensed up and cocked back her arm and hurled the hopscotch stone she was holding at Nancy. Nancy could hear the stone whiz right past her ear as she ducked. Then Nancy threw the jump rope down at her feet and started running as fast as she could back across the street towards Marge screaming, “I’m going to get you for that Maggie.”
“My names not Maggie and I’m here waiting for you, Nancy Jane” Marge countered.
Nancy was running as fast as her little feet could carry her when her tiny frame slammed into Marge with a loud ‘smack.’ Marge felt the breath crushed out of her lungs as Nancy smashed into her chest with her crossed arms. Marge was gasping for her breath as Nancy hit her again with her shoulder knocking Marge to the ground.
Marge was writhing on the ground in pain and wheezing for breath when she felt Nancy jump on her and begin to slap her face with her open hands. Confused, hurt and gasping for breath she cried out, “STOP, please stop.” Marge began sobbing and whimpered, “Please, stop Nancy.” “I’m sorry.”
Stunned by Marge’s words, Nancy stopped and said, “Marge, you said you’re ‘sorry,’ you never tell anyone that you’re sorry about anything!” “Girls, girls!” Nancy yelled, “Did you hear that? Did you hear that? Marge said that she was ‘sorry!’” Nancy jumped up and yelled, “She’s sorry, she’s sorry, Maggie said she’s sorry!” ”She’s sorry!”
Brandy came running over to the group and grabbed Nancy’s arm and said, “Nan, LOOK!” Jane turned around pointed her finger up the street and giggled, “Here comes Alice.” Nancy could feel the hair on the back of her neck start to stand up as she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists so tight that her knuckles started to turn white from the lack of circulation.
Nancy stepped in front of the rest of the girls and stood tall with her legs slightly spread and her fist clenched arms resting at her side. She watched Alice coming closer and closer, her head down and not really paying attention to what was going on around her. Suddenly Alice stopped in her tracks. She looked up across the open field and felt and icy chill run up her spine and she shivered. At the same time Nancy felt an identical icy chill race up her back.
Unbeknownst to any of the girls, a soft red glow was emanating from deep within a rabbit hole near the edge of the tree line along the open field and the entire street went eerily silent. On August 20th many years in the future, Alice would feel an identical chill race up her spine and this time she would actually see the red glow from deep within as the rabbit hole opened up and swallowed her into the dark depths of madness far beyond that of any Wonderland. The monstrous worm from deep in the bowels of Wonderland would eat into her mind, twisting it, manipulating it and changing her forever and always. Fear and insecurity would be her guide the rest of her days, dragging her deeper and deeper into the darkness. Feelings of abandonment will be her constant companion and lover.
Suddenly a shrill voice cried out, “Alice Deborah Harmon, you come home right this minute!” Alice yelled back, “Yes, mama.” “I’ll be right there.” “I’m coming.”
Nancy yelled and her voice startled Alice, “Yes, mama, yes, mama!” “Alice you are such a sissy and I am going to get you!” The shocked Alice looked up and saw Nancy for the first time and shivered in fear as she ran across the street and home as fast as her long lanky lags could carry her.
As the running Alice approached the curb her sandal slipped off of her foot and she skinned her long index toe on the edge of the concrete.
Marge tensed up and cocked back her arm and hurled the hopscotch stone she was holding at Nancy. Nancy could hear the stone whiz right past her ear as she ducked. Then Nancy threw the jump rope down at her feet and started running as fast as she could back across the street towards Marge screaming, “I’m going to get you for that Maggie.”
“My names not Maggie and I’m here waiting for you, Nancy Jane” Marge countered.
Nancy was running as fast as her little feet could carry her when her tiny frame slammed into Marge with a loud ‘smack.’ Marge felt the breath crushed out of her lungs as Nancy smashed into her chest with her crossed arms. Marge was gasping for her breath as Nancy hit her again with her shoulder knocking Marge to the ground.
Marge was writhing on the ground in pain and wheezing for breath when she felt Nancy jump on her and begin to slap her face with her open hands. Confused, hurt and gasping for breath she cried out, “STOP, please stop.” Marge began sobbing and whimpered, “Please, stop Nancy.” “I’m sorry.”
Stunned by Marge’s words, Nancy stopped and said, “Marge, you said you’re ‘sorry,’ you never tell anyone that you’re sorry about anything!” “Girls, girls!” Nancy yelled, “Did you hear that? Did you hear that? Marge said that she was ‘sorry!’” Nancy jumped up and yelled, “She’s sorry, she’s sorry, Maggie said she’s sorry!” ”She’s sorry!”
Brandy came running over to the group and grabbed Nancy’s arm and said, “Nan, LOOK!” Jane turned around pointed her finger up the street and giggled, “Here comes Alice.” Nancy could feel the hair on the back of her neck start to stand up as she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists so tight that her knuckles started to turn white from the lack of circulation.
Nancy stepped in front of the rest of the girls and stood tall with her legs slightly spread and her fist clenched arms resting at her side. She watched Alice coming closer and closer, her head down and not really paying attention to what was going on around her. Suddenly Alice stopped in her tracks. She looked up across the open field and felt and icy chill run up her spine and she shivered. At the same time Nancy felt an identical icy chill race up her back.
Unbeknownst to any of the girls, a soft red glow was emanating from deep within a rabbit hole near the edge of the tree line along the open field and the entire street went eerily silent. On August 20th many years in the future, Alice would feel an identical chill race up her spine and this time she would actually see the red glow from deep within as the rabbit hole opened up and swallowed her into the dark depths of madness far beyond that of any Wonderland. The monstrous worm from deep in the bowels of Wonderland would eat into her mind, twisting it, manipulating it and changing her forever and always. Fear and insecurity would be her guide the rest of her days, dragging her deeper and deeper into the darkness. Feelings of abandonment will be her constant companion and lover.
Suddenly a shrill voice cried out, “Alice Deborah Harmon, you come home right this minute!” Alice yelled back, “Yes, mama.” “I’ll be right there.” “I’m coming.”
Nancy yelled and her voice startled Alice, “Yes, mama, yes, mama!” “Alice you are such a sissy and I am going to get you!” The shocked Alice looked up and saw Nancy for the first time and shivered in fear as she ran across the street and home as fast as her long lanky lags could carry her.
As the running Alice approached the curb her sandal slipped off of her foot and she skinned her long index toe on the edge of the concrete.
