Alice opened her eyes, allowing the light from the window next to her bed to rush into her. She stretched and yawned as she sat up. Books and pencils dropped to the floor when she got up. She drowsily walked to the bathroom, kicking clothes off the floor as she went.

She brushed her teeth and combed her tangled blond hair into place. She changed into a simple yet comfortable blue dress, then set off to the table that was placed at the opposite end of the room. She stuck her hand into the pile of forgotten sketches, failed experiments and crumpled manuscripts and came out with a thick brown novel. The book was dog-eared and the pages wore a shade of rusted yellow. On the broken spine were several fading alphabets etched in gold.

“Alyssia!” Her mother's voice sounded from below.

“What?!” Her sister shouted in harsh reply.

“Bring your sister with you!”

“WHY?! She's not six, y'know!” Alyssia groaned.

“Just do it!!!”

Alice listened to the series of shouts, groans, mumbles and insults which were followed by a full minute of silence. A minute which Alice used to place a hair band in her hair. She waited for a few more seconds before the predictable stomping-up-the-stairs began.

“Alice!!!” The door flew open to reveal her angry sixteen year old sister. “Let's go already!”

Alice rushed to follow her sister out of the house. The journey that followed was silent as their relationship usually was. They walked for 20 minutes before reaching the black gates of St. Charles park.

They followed th yellow path that led through the park. They passed by laughing children and chatty parents. Happy couples walked around the park without a care for the rest of the world. A group of old men and women did their morning exercises under a tall apple tree.
As far as Alice could see, the world and everyone in it was at peace. But the dark void between the two sisters seemed to destroy this peace.

Once they reached a certain part of the yellow path, they parted ways. Alyssia sat on a wooden bench on one side of the path while Alice went to sit on the roots of a tree on the other side of the path.

Alice watched her sister sitting so gracefully on the bench. She wore a black top and mini-skirt that showed off the womanly curves that Alice seemed to lack. Alyssia's face was fair and her raven hair framed her face perfectly.

Every boy that passed by looked at her with such lust. Alice was practically swallowed by a pool of green envy. Furious thought fled through her mind like angry bulls let loose. Why couldn't they look at her like that? Why did she have to be so incredibly dull compared to her sister? Alyssia radiated beauty and confidence, yet Alice was forever invisible, concealed by a shell of insecurities.

A boy approached Alyssia. A bouquet of pink flowers he held in his hands. After a short conversation, they started kissing each other passionately.

That was Alyssia's latest boyfriend. Bob? Ben? Alice had forgotten his name. But that idn't really matter. By next week he would be gone. Never to be heard of ever again.

“Why do you so long to be like her?”

Alice almost jumped in surprise. She looked up to see a boy with bleach white hair leaning next to her against the tree. He wore a white hooded shirt and a pair of baby blue three quarters as well as a pair of white sneakers. Chains of gold hung from his pockets.

“Who-who are you?” She asked, but he did not seem to hear.

“Are you not satisfied with how you are now?” He asked. He seem disgusted by Alyssia's public display of affection.

“Who are you?” She asked once more, curious to know whether the long white rabbit ears on his head were real or just a weird accessory. He looked down, as if noticing her for the very first time. After a few seconds of thought processing, he seemed to realize that she was really talking to him.

He smiled a wide and friendly smile and introduced himself.

“My name is Whyte Rabbit. Pleased to meet you.”

“My name is Alice.” She said.

“Great! Then let's get going!” He smiled even wider.

“Wha-?”

He grabbed her by the hand and pull her to her feet before she could ask any questions.

“Hold on tight!!” He gripped her hand tighter and started running in full speed.

“Where are we going?” She asked.

“No time to talk! Late enough as it is!” Still running he pulled her close and held her by the waist. Then, he began to hop. Before she knew, they were 20 feet above the ground.

“Please stop screaming! You'll lose your breath quite quickly!” The Whyte Rabbit told her. But she did not listen and continued screaming. Soon, she found his advice to be true.

“How ridiculous!! Don't these people know how to make way for a rabbit?” The Whyte Rabbit said in an annoyed tone as he landed in a cluster of gaping people.

“Put me down!!” Alice cried.

“Oh, not just yet!” He said as he took off once more. They were so high in the sky, all the people of the world seemed like little termites only in a variety of shiny colors.

After several more jumps, they landed directly in front of St. Charles lake. Pigeons fled as the rabbit boy landed on his feet.

“Can you put me down now?” Alice struggled to be free. But he did not put her down. Instead, he took out a gold pocket watch with its chain of gold hanging loosely from his pocket.

“It seems we are right on time.” He said with a very relieved and contented expression. Exactly a second after he pronounced the last syllable, the clock made a sharp ringing sound.

“Alright then. In you go! Into the looking glass! Head first!!” He shouted with a sort of mad joy. He threw Alice into the water, as he said, head first. The last thing Alice heard from the realm of reality was a voice not from reality.

“Fight hard.” he said.

She splashed into the ice cold water. As she sunk down, she saw a very strange sight. She saw another girl. Going the opposite direction. She saw herself. And yet, it was not her.

This girl, she wore a pair of denim blue hot pants with ruby sequins embedded into it. She wore a scarlet tank top with the word “REBELLION” written across the chest in gold.
Whereas she, Alice, only wore a simple dress of day-sky-blue.

The other girl, with her long black hair and ruby red eyes, was everything Alice had always wanted to be. Beautiful and confident. Seductive and dangerous. Everything that Alice failed to be, this clone was.

Alice sank down while that other girl floated up.

The girl. She mouthed two words Alice was not sure of.

Fight. Hard.