entranceway | M e s s a g e 3 8

[The first thing anyone sees, even before the person posting...is a little pig, in one of the tea rooms. It snuffles and sniffles and sweeps the room for signs of danger, and once it is satisfied it trots away.

Then in a blink, Alice is standing in the middle of the room, pig cradled in her arms. And for the first time ever on the network, her face has wide blue eyes. She's a bit frantic, but otherwise unharmed.]

I think I'm starting to get used to doing that on purpose... Ah, hello everyone! It's...been some time, hasn't it?

[Even Alice can't seem to hide the fact that it's rather awkward to suddenly have eyes when she did not before. The pig squirms and she lets it down, as she's discovered it's wisest to listen to what the Duchess' pig wants.]

I'm so sorry to interrupt everything, but I need to warn you all! Something-- something terrible is going to happen soon! I don't want to cause anyone alarm, but it may very well be the worst thing that's ever happened to you.

[It's all distressing, and Alice crouches down to the pig's level so she can play with it's ears absently as she talks. It lets her.]

I'm afraid I still can't explain how I know, and the details are...rather distressing. But I promise, I'd never lie to all of you! I could never!

[She's adamant about that much at least. Even if her message isn't clear, there's more clarity in the way she speaks about it - she understands the importance of these messages now, in a way she'd forgotten for so long.]

Please, everyone. Take care of yourselves this weekend. I think it may be all you can do.

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[Alice shrugs.]

She had it the last time I saw her, when she gave me the Duke here.

[The pig oinks, confirming the story. He is a trustworthy source.]

[AND SHE'S ONLY MENTIONING IT NOW THIS CASUALLY WHAT THE HELL.]

Did she say how she'd gotten it back?

I didn't ask and she didn't offer, though I suppose I should have...I was thinking about other things at the time.

[Like surviving the Queen of Hearts' wrath.]

I guess you would have been. [She tilts her head.] What's it like? Having lost your memories and regained them?

[She thinks about it hard, picking her words very carefully.]

It's...exhausting, really. When they were gone, I didn't feel anything about it at all. People would tell me and I remember them telling me now, but at the time I always thought they were talking nonsense so I'd talk nonsense back...

So now...now, it's a weight I never knew I was carrying, except suddenly I can feel it now, and now it's crushing to know what's gone and what was gone.

I'm sorry. [It's a terrible thing to have torn away from her. In some ways it's worse still to be aware of the violation, but at least she's herself again. That's something, right?] Do you know if any of the other more permanent residents are in the same situation you were in?

Unfortunately not. They've been that way the entire time I've known them, but given how long Wonderland's held me I suppose that doesn't mean much.

[It could have happened long ago after all.]

I suppose not. [She gives Alice a nod.] Well, if you find anything else out, let me know. I suspect there are resources you can reach that I can't.

M e s s a g e 3 8

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