The Lost Child

 Blues, whites, greens and reds. Red. So many shades of red. And colours that couldn’t be named bouncing, shimmering, shining off that long metallic blade. So many shapes – they danced their wicked dance up, down, along that edge. Again and again. Again.

 She tilted her head crazily watching the metal as she continued to walk along that cavern. The lights were emanating from all around that place – the rocks, the walls and the ceiling, continuing to bath her from head to toe. Psychedelic. ‘Psychodelic? ‘Truly maddening to say the least’ Alice was thinking to herself she as took in her environment. So mesmerised was she that she didn’t notice what was laying in the cavern.

‘My goodness, what was that!’ she suddenly exclaimed under her breath finding herself losing her footing and tumbling onto the ground which was awash with the myriad of hues. She had stumbled across an object that had been sitting slap bang in the middle of her path and grabbing her knife tight she spun on the ground, her icy jade eyes focussed on the small heap.

A little brown pile of rags – well it would have been brown if it hadn’t been for the thousands of colours swirling over it. ‘Bizarre’ she said a little more loudly this time and she cautiously gave it a prod with a finger. And in one sudden movement the pile moved to reveal a head, a little head with two glimmering blue eyes. And a little button nose. A little face.

 Alice’s eyes widened in surprise and she saw the girl looking back at her but she didn’t know what to make of the child for those eyes were staring straight back into hers; stretching ever so wide so that those irises seemed to extend into an ever stretching ocean, its calm surface never touched by a single thing for such a long time - times unimaginable. And then suddenly there seemed to be a wave.

Once again a sudden shocking movement – a flurry. In fact she jumped at Alice stopping inches before her face, again turning into a statue, this time her head tilted to the side, her face changed to an expression of deep interest bringing the curiosity only a child can bring.

‘Well… hello there little one’ said Alice taking a cautious step back not sure what to do with this strange little thing. ‘W-what is your name?’

The child was motionless, seeming to continue staring at where Alice had been. And no other movement of any kind followed.

Alice walked around the little child, talking the opportunity to examine her. She was very young, wearing tattered rags and her hair was simply a wavy brush, although it seemed to be missing at one point where there seemed to have been a small incision of some sort into her head.

‘Ann’.

A sound. An outtake of breath was it or had the child said something; Alice moved herself back in front of the statuesque figure and kneeled in front of it. And there it was, her tongue was there between her teeth as if she had pronounced an ‘n’ before she has succumbed to the stillness once more.

‘Sorry little one, please say that again if you can’ Alice said, moving her hand to her head, placing it tenderly on the girl’s brow.

‘A child frozen in time sees none of the pain, none of the horror – is it not a blessing, a beautiful gift and certainly not a crime?’ purred the deep deliciously dark voice from behind her.

‘If it is, why do I feel this salty taste on my lip cat?’ said Alice, her fingers stroking the child’s hair ever so gently.

‘Frozen not forever, but only for the time being. The green ice will melt the blue for her sweet destiny will come, from all that you will endeavour’ was the creamy reply.

‘Ann’ the little girl said once more ‘I need to get home’ she continued before abruptly stopping once more, her lips this time clamped together ending with the ‘m’ sound.

 Alice stepped back and wiped away her tear, her hand gripping her knife even tighter. ‘How do I save her cat, her mother must be missing her – from the look of things, she has been here for some time!’ Turning for the first time to the Cheshire Cat, she continued ‘and if her mother is anything like mine, she’s in a lot of trouble for being so late!’

‘Was’ replied the Cat.

 Alice’s eyes widened as she looked down at the disgusting scrawny creature before her. She felt the warmness around her shoulders and up her arms – the million colours seemed to help her blade mix with her arm and they seemed to be one. And in a movement that would have challenged Ann’s flurry, she had the cat by the throat and her blade against its thin neck.

‘What did you say pussy?’ slithered Alice, her tongue sliding out from her mouth like a serpent trying to escape from his master.

Without a single change in tone somehow managing to retain the same nonchalant arrogant voice, the Cat replied ‘the truth hurts but ‘they’ are in a better place as will you be as will this child, as will us all’. And then lifting one tattered paw it pointed back to the little girl. ‘Look’.

Alice threw the cat to the floor turning her gaze back to the girl and there she was. Facing Alice, her face in a beautiful smile, her eyes looking at her with a trust indescribable and with her arms extended before her, her palms outstretched, Within which lay one pristine yellow daffodil.

Alice took the flower from those hands, her own shaking slightly. ‘The daffodil, it brings hope doesn’t it’ she said to herself. There stood Ann, a figure of inspiration in a land of distraction and madness; a child that wished to simply get home. She pressed the cool silky petals to her forehead, letting the calm feeling wash over her, its sweet scent remind her of glorious meadows and butterflies and a sun that never seemed to set.

‘Let’s go cat, this little angel won’t have to wait much longer’ said Alice suddenly and with that, she continued her walk along the cavern, the only movement left being the dancing waving rainbow lights flowing around the little child.

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