Page 93 of Madness

“What is it?” Red asks, tilting her head questioningly.

“It’s thee Alice’s escape plan,” I say, dropping the book onto the wooden surface in front of me.

“You had it all this time?” Red shouts, “I’ve been desperate, thinking she was going to get me at any moment, and you had the key to my escape this entire time?”

“There was a plan, but I no longer care about that. All that matters now is you and the baby in your stomach,” I say sternly, refusing to argue about the past when all that matters is the future that is sitting in front of me.

Red stands, her eyes locked onto the book, “Can I see it?” I nod, handing it to her, and sheopens the cover, inhaling sharply, “Have you read it?”

I shake my head, “no.”

“What’s Al’s surname?”

“Lowe, why?”

She slams the book down in front of me, her finger tapping the name scribbled onto the first blank page.

Alice Lowe

Escape from Wonderland

“Well fuck,” I sigh, rubbing a hand down my face.

My body feels as though a heavy shroud entangles it, the weight of countless burdens press down on me, and it seems as though it’s suddenly too much to bear.

Hare sits happily on the floor, his pencils scratching against the paper, and guilt overwhelms me.

I’ve failed everyone – most painfully, I’ve failed him.

“Is thee Alice his mum?” Desmond inquires, his gaze fixated on the signature before me as if it might summon her ghost from the shadows.

“Seems to be, but why did he not tell us?” Dusty asks, hurt lacinghis voice.

“He did not know,” I reply, determined to shield him from their misdirected anger. “He was aware she was a patient in Wonderland, but he believed she was that only. He has no clue that she became a legend. I had no clue that his Alice was our Alice.”

I flip open the pages, hating how much of a mess the writing is but knowing the plan is almost foolproof in making sure Red escapes here.

Bander watches us all with a careful eye, his prosthetic one doing little to minimise the damage to his face as it collapses on itself gradually, “The plan goes ahead then? We get Red out.”

“It does. I’ll need a week to get everything set up. Can you give me that?”

“Wait!” Red exclaims, “What about everyone else?”

“They’re coming too,” I rush to reassure her, hating how her eyes well up with tears.

“And me?” Hare chirps from the floor.

“I won’t leave without him. I will not leave him here for White to tormentagain,” she hisses the last part, and I wince, knowing she’s seen his file and all it entails.

“Hare comes too,” I promise her, “As do the others, but you need to stick to the plan and doeverythingI tell you to.”

They all murmur their agreement, and I sigh in relief, knowing that I can finally get her out ofthis place – that I can give her a chance to heal before our baby is here.

“We need to tell Al,” Dusty interjects, “he needs to know he’s getting out of here too.”

“Bander, can you take Red and Dusty down tonight to tell him?” I barely begin to ask him before he nods his head.

“Anything. As long as we can finally leave this place.”

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