Lost in Wonderland

Sierra Lockheart. 16. Alive.

[wesley-bates-deactivated2020011]

“Anyone wanna catch me up to speed on what the fuck I’m doing here?”

[sierraxlockheart]

“Well, someone put us all here and no one really knows who did, but Im assuming you were somehow connected to the asylum?”

[wesley-bates-deactivated2020011]

“Anyone wanna catch me up to speed on what the fuck I’m doing here?”

[sierraxlockheart]

“Well, someone put us all here and no one really knows who did, but Im assuming you were somehow connected to the asylum?”

[akosdamore-blog]

“I… I don’t know anyone by those names… but are you sure you’re not just..?”

[sierraxlockheart]

“Arent just what...?” She asked innocently, looking over to him, “Am I sure Im just not mad? Then yes, I know Im not crazy.”

[akosdamore-blog]

“But those are just… characters; they don’t actually exist…”

[sierraxlockheart]

“Don’t be daft, of course they do. Knave goes by David here, Hatter is Jax, the White Queen is Karla. They don’t go by their normal names here.”

[david-burke-blog]

He barely managed to resist the urge to snap back as she kicked at the door, his irritation over the hatred he’d earned seeming to grow as time went on, an unusual reaction when compared to his normal responses. Grudges didn’t often come easy to him in the long term, and only three inviduals had ever managed to garner his absolute hatred for longer than a few weeks – he couldn’t usually muster the emotional energy for anything beyond that. Instead of answering her demand directly and risking his anger revealing itself in his tone (it’d probably frighten her), he merely stood his ground, figuring it’d be enough of an indicator that he wouldn’t be listening. “Of course I didn’t listen, Alice! She was controlling me, my thoughts – everything. She didn’t stop with you, either she–” He broke off, as though he’d remembered something particularly unpleasant, though it was merely a piece in his current performance. He couldn’t comprehend guilt and while feigning it was possible, the feeling itself managed to escape him. “She’s stronger than both of us and you know it… and she’s been in my head longer.” He sighed as she referenced his statements about how false her delusions were – he’d meant it at the time (still did, though her disordered version of the world tended to benefit him) but he’d hoped expressing that it hadn’t been him would’ve fixed things. 

[sierraxlockheart]

Sierra didn’t want to believe him but her delusions were so strong. They latched onto every word twisting them into thoughts that stuck in her head. He was a great actor and that skill alone allowed him to continue to play a role in her life even after he had broken her trust. “I-I can’t let her hurt me anymore Knave...You were free of her for so long. You were my friend. And then we went back to the hospital and its like--” She hitched her breath and tucked her head in her knees. Crawling towards the door the blonde opened it just enough so that they could see each other. “I don’t trust you, K-knave. I can’t.” Her eyes fell to her wrists which still held fading marks from the chains that had locked her to the wall. 

[akosdamore-blog]

“Wonderland? Isn’t that just… from a children’s book? It’s not real…”

[sierraxlockheart]

“Its very real. Its alright that you don’t believe me though, Im used to it. Knave knows...Hatter knows..the White Queen knows...Im not making believe.”

[akosdamore-blog]

He squinted as the teenager spoke, his confusion obviously having grown. “I’m… I’m sorry, what are you talking about?”

[sierraxlockheart]

“Why Wonderland silly!. Thats why this castle doesnt bother me any, Im used to them. Im used to a separate world you see.”

[david-burke-blog]

His shoulders slumped as she shut the door on him, a soft sigh escaping his lips – he’d expected a worse reaction, if he were honest, but he couldn’t help the flicker of disappointment he felt at her rejection. It wasn’t the least bit fair, in his not-so-humble opinion, that he’d been blamed for the one crime he hadn’t (not really) committed. “It wasn’t…” He paused in his protesting, leaning against the door as he worked through what he could say that might begin winning her over – he settled on playing into her delusions, as per usual. “It was her, Alice. I know you don’t trust me right now, and I don’t blame you, but I’m not going to stop trying to fix this.”

[sierraxlockheart]

Sierra sat shaking slightly as she stared at the closed door. Behind it was her old friend. She wondered for a moment if he had gone for there was a tense silence that sat in the air. But of course he hadn’t and somewhere in her mind Sierra knew that for she hadn’t heard footsteps fading. “Go away!” She snapped harshly kicking the door. The blonde was both angry and upset. How could someone who was once so close to her become so astonishingly cruel before becoming kind again? His comment caused her breath to hitch. “I...I knew it was but you wouldn’t listen! You didn’t listen to me when I tried to bring you out of it! You-y-you just became cruel.” She screeched, kicking at the door again in frustration. “Besides...” Sierra continued her voice softer, “according to you Im just a foolish girl who knows a world of Wonderland. Don’t think Ive forgotten what you said.”

[akosdamore-blog]

“That doesn’t… bother you at all?”

[sierraxlockheart]

“Well of course not. It reminds me of my old home in Wonderland. I stayed in the White Queens castle for a while, and the red Queens dungeon.”

[itscodybiiitch]

”Stop tellin’ everyone I’m dead.” Cody said, his voice like venom as he looked at the dunegon’s door. Finally he was out of it after a year, and had more or less grown actually annnoyed at the archdemons. Honestly, it’d been a long ride and he was tired.

[sierraxlockheart]

Upon hearing a voice from the bottom of the stairs Sierra was sitting. “Hello?” She called down, standing and staring at the face that came into light. “Cody? B-but the note...why have you? Who put you down there?” The young girl asked. 

[akosdamore-blog]

“–Hey, uh, you, where the hell am I?”

[sierraxlockheart]

“Youre in a castle, silly. No one knows quite where however so its really strange.”

[david-burke-blog]

He released a breath he hadn’t know he’d been holding when the door creaked open, however slight the movement may have been – it was an encouraging start, if his last attempt at apologies were anything to go off of. “I didn’t expect you to believe me… but it’s the truth,” he replied, reaching upwards to scratch awkwardly at the nape of his neck. He’d never properly internalized the skills that went into fixing broken relationships, having never felt the need for the skills – it was unusual for him to fight to keep others in his life, and in most cases he watched them leave with a sarcastic wave and apathy towards any suffering they’d been put through. 

[sierraxlockheart]

Sierra kept herself poised at the door, somehow overriding the feeling of panic that had rooted itself in her chest. Her soft blue doe eyes locked on the confused man in front of her. She wasnt sure that she was okay with letting him back into her life; after all, he had fractured her fragile mind. Closing the door she stepped back sinking down and staring at it. Knowing that he hadn’t left she continued to speak. “Y-you hurt me Knave. I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t trust you.”

[david-burke-blog]

He might’ve made a few mistakes in his targeting while the archdemons had influenced him, he’d admit as much, despite his adamancy that he remained entirely blameless. Still, regardless of his personal feelings on where the blame should’ve been shifted towards, he’d been dealing with the consequences of their actions for months, and he wasn’t sure how to shift things back towards his favor – if he could. Given his recent failures with Bradley, and his punishment by Genesis, he’d avoided searching out the others he’d figured might’ve survived… until then, of course, but his expectation was that a similar outcome would arise from his attempts. Judging by the tone of the girl hiding within the room, he figured he wasn’t incorrect. “I just want to talk…”

[sierraxlockheart]

Sierra remained seated in the corner of the room, her body tensed after hearing his voice. It was the Knave. It was the man who she had trusted and believed in. It was the man who had betrayed her fragile state of mind and trust. Still her delusional state had her stuck in an internal battle. She was a forgiving person and he is her closest friend. Was her closest friend. Walking over to the door she opened it just enough so her eye was showing. “I d-dont believe you.”

[sierraxlockheart]

Sierra had kept herself distracted since returning from the strange series of events that had landed them in the old hospital. She had gone through something she was never thought she would. Knave had hurt her. He took a knife and tore through both her fragile skin and mentality. So naturally when she heard someone approach her door her body tensed and she slid into the corner. Holding her breath she stared at the doorway, “Go away..” She said softly.

[davinawagner-deactivated2017090]

“It is, isn’t it?” Half the time he missed hitting the ball; he could never get the timing right. “Hm, what do you mean? Is that a good thing or bad thing?”

[sierraxlockheart]

“Maybe we should just give up.” She suggested after trying to hit the ball again. “It depends on who you ask I guess. I think its a good thing.” 

[reasonturnedregret-blog]

“I can’t speak for anyone else, but for me playing catch with my dad was the best. It’s all about who you’re playing with. We can stop now if you want?” Logan offered, holding onto the ball once he’d caught it again. He didn’t know many people who had never heard of catch before – and if that alone wasn’t enough to make him curious about her, her answer including Wonderland certainly was. Was she being serious? “Do they look anything alike?”

[sierraxlockheart]

“Yes please. I mean we could continue but I think Im going to break something.” She explained laughing at herself. “Wonderland and connecticut? No absolutely not. Connecticut has a lot of open little towns and trees and changing weather, Wonderland is magical.”

[arya-cooper-blog]

“Marbles? You’ve never heard of marbles? Pretty sure it’s one of the oldest games there is. It’s sort of the same movement as flipping a coin, you can’t just toss it.” Zach said with a small smile. “Use your index finger to wrap around your thumb and then aim. Though, most people prefer flicking it closer to the ground.”

[sierraxlockheart]

Sierra shook her head. “No I haven’t.” She listened to his explanation before nodding. “Alright.” The blonde did as he said flicking the marble into the crowd and smiling as it hit the others. “Like that?”