The White Queen

Hissing like a snake, he chastised me roundly. “You bad, thankless, Alice. There will be no more tea for you!”

I could see in him an impatience I had not noticed in our earlier play

time. Had his skin not been grey and dusty, I am sure it would have burned red in anger.

The bloody woman had kept me up all night the previous evening, the laughing man stealing my sleep the night before that. I was tired, and heartbroken there would be no tooth fairy in my future. In a tantrum, I threw my teapot, happy to see it roll and bounce over the floor.

Instantly I sat full of regret.

The handle had broken off. Even with it lying all the way across the room, I could see a great chip in the spout. My tears fell for another reason.

What had I done? My favorite toy was spoiled.

A great roar and the man was standing over me. “Open your mouth, Alice, and I’ll shove your precious tooth back in. I’ll then tell the boys to come. Oh, how they love to play with you.”

“NO!”

He was not done with me, not by a long shot. “The Red Queen then? Is it her company you prefer to mine?”

This night was not going right at all. The Hatter was the funny one who liked to share my tea and lean over side of my bed as I slept. He was the one who always wanted to pat my curls, and offered over and over to tuck me in. It was not his part to yell and scare me.

That was what the others were for.

“You want the Cheshire, the fat man? He can drive you as mad as he is with that laugh!”

I fell to my knees before my friend. “Please, I just want my tooth back.”

His chin went to his chest, eyes blazing. “I’ve already lost it.”

I pointed to his clenched fist. “Sir, it’s in your hand, there.”

His boney fingers uncurled and it was there, my stolen tooth and a little mark of my blood resting on his cracked palm. “So it is.” His viscous mouth turned into a half-cocked smirk. “I’ll tell you what, child. I’ll trade it to you.”

I nodded, earnest to have my chance at the fairy. “Yes.”

The turbulence was gone from his barking. He’d grown contemplative and sedate. “I want to kiss your cheek.”

I had never particularly enjoyed it when the Hatter put his icy touch on my pinky. Every time he’d handed me a teacup he would trace my baby finger over and over before I was allowed to hold the saucer myself. I had definitely not at all liked his finger in my mouth, and was certain if his face was near mine, his breath would reek of dead things. Even so, I turned my head and presented the side of my face.

There was no kiss, not at first. Instead, I heard the clink of my stolen tooth being dropped into my cup. Before I could turn my head to make sure he was not playing some trick on me, the Hatter clicked his tongue. I remained still, my eyes, of course, locked upon the white rabbit.

I jumped at the touch of ice on my face, fingers colder than death tracing the bones of my jaw and eye socket.

“Do you know how many years I’ve been coming to visit, Alice?”

One? Maybe two? It was hard to say. One night bled into the next... an endless loop of sleepless murk.

“An eternity, sweet Alice.” He was utterly indulged, touching my face as I’d never let him before. “Are you not happy to have me?”

I favored him immensely over the others. “You are the only friend I have. I even told Mama and Papa about you.”

“Yessssss, yeeeeesssss, that is what I am. I am your friend.” His stole his kiss, but he missed his mark, pressing his lips to the corner of my mouth instead. “And friends give presents to one another, do they not?”

His mouth had been wet and I’d shivered, longing to wipe the back of my hand over the smear of spit he’d left behind. “They do.”

“Then will you not give me the tooth as a token of our friendship? It would make me very cheerful.”

He had taken his seat again, his knees high and his hat crooked. I turned away from the horrid rabbit and looked to my cup. In the small porcelain bowl laid my bloody tooth.