The Lost One in Alices' Garden

The ride on air has been a pleasant trip, just forget about the blast of strong cold wind that coming to her.

She passes many small town and villages, almost empty, at least has twenty or thirty people living in. Unlike her trip between Ghost Town and that small village with cattail plants that lasted a day, the miss able to travel over the villages and towns for over just an hour, and it was all thanks to Hatter that uses some mechination to make her shoot to the sky.

She admits, it is a good experience, that she notes in the back of her mind to give her thanks to Hatter the next chance they'll meet.

Other than the strange three moons, there are no other weird things in the sky; stars and night sky are both normal.

Soon, she notices something as time passes she's in the air, slowly, little by little, she's descending!

Quickly she checks her landing point.

There's wall that she cannot see the end, it is acting like division between a place full of unrecognizable plants, the small village still inside the Flower Country and a small forest of beautiful shimmering wisteria trees, which really such a beautiful sight.

The miss, who having a great difficulty of remembering her own name landed safely at the entrance of the small village, without her straightening her legs. It as if the power to lift her lend by Hatter has reached its limits.

She blinks first, looking down at her foot, she landed so nicely and perfectly—that she started to think that Hatter set up the lend power to be like this. Again, she notes that it is a must to return the favor for sure.

She raises her head and look around, (Sweetpea search). And since it is such a small village, even she's in the edge part she could see the dwarf willow with the same plants around it, which according to Cheshire is the center of the villages and towns in Flower Country.

Now that she landed, observe the new place, mesmerize everything, her brain now is all free to think other things, such as her lost memories.

No matter how she tries to dig in the bottom of her mind, she couldn't find what is she looking for, even just her name. Familiarity in mouth is not existing within her, which making it more difficult.

All she knew is, she's not from this world, she knew what standard normal to not, for example the number of moons at the night sky, and the last memory she could dig out is the time that she woke up in this world; that's all. Sighs escape from her mouth, she just getting headache the more she tries.

Her thoughts abruptly halted when she hears someone moans in pain. With frown she curiously looks over where is that sound coming from. Soon, she found out that It is coming from the inside on a horse's barn that just behind her.

She drags herself inside seeing no one, but lines of horses.

Step by step she scanned the barn and finally found the source. A person wearing rug for clothes, groaning, frowning, eyes close, lying on the haystacks.

Some people said once that: You shouldn't disturb someone sleeping.

But isn't disturbing seeing a young man full of bruises on his exposed skins? Did someone beat him? For what reason?

—Is something she chose not to pry on.

What would she needed to care? Who knows what this young man have done to beaten to this extend. He might deserve it—who knows?

He stirs awake, and slowly opens his eyes… seeing his eyes unbuttered like the rest of his body, the miss remembers an old people words: "Only eyes are not beaten". He probably covered his head and face during the beating.

The miss then realized and question herself internally: "Why do I remember such things but not of I am?" That really made her think and curse.

"Please… no more…"

The miss shifted her attention towards the young man—now thinking about it, he is actually not that look much older than her, and obviously he is much younger than Cheshire or Hatter.

She crouches down at him but didn't utter a word and just watches him going delirious, "Please I need help…"

Now she doesn't know if he is actually delirious or actually asking for her help.

"Help me…" he extended his beaten hand but not to her, but above him—yep, he is still delirious. "I don't want to die…"

Now that pique her interest.

The light that she lit up upon entering the stable has catch the owner's attention and there found the miss, and the young man that still muttering words of plead.

Rage rouse inside the owner that yell atop of his lungs, that hurt the miss's ears. She's jump in surprised quickly turn to him, questioning look written all over her face.

"Good evening mister!" She's trying to be polite while trying her best to calm down, "May I know who this man is? And what happened to him?"

"I don't know! But he is bad omen!"

'He answered me despite angry—more than that, he didn't even ask who I am first and what I'm doing here…'

"What do you mean 'Bad Omen'?"

"He brought the man-eating tiger here!"

"Man-eating tiger?"

"Don't you know Lady? The man-eating tiger is the nefarious monster from Clover Forest, it eats whatever it lays its eyes on, humans or animals. And this bastard brought it in Black Country, and now that he is here then the Man-eating tiger will soon come here too!"

After finishing explaining things to her, the owner has walk towards the lad and pulled him harshly, uncared on the bruises he has.

"What about those bruises? Did he come here with those already?"

"Huh? Ah… no we did it!"

"You—you mean you and the citizens here?!"

"Of course! He omits calamity by coming here! At first, we talk to him to leave as we all are scared to be ransack by that monster, but he insists on asking for help—"

"He asks for help because he is scared too!"

"Believe me Lady, I understand him! But just what do you think we must do?"

Still—hurting him is too much.

The Lady has no longer say a word. She understands where the citizens have stand, and as well the lad's, both sides are just scared and the citizens chose to protect their lives—that's normal, that's acceptable—what is not acceptable is how they treated the young lad! Shushing him is fine, but beating him? Is like offering him to that nefarious monster!

"By the way Lady… who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Just passing-by… anyways what are you going to do to him?"

"Throw him out, what else? If he stays here more, then that monster will come here soon!"

She breathes deeply, swallowing the curses she wants to spout at the man who is still holding the lad on his bruised arm. She then—for some reason unknown to her—probably just out of empathy—she took the lad away from the old man.

"What are you doing miss?"

"I was about to leave this place anyways, so I'll just bring him with me."

"Aren't you afraid that monster come at you?"

Of course, that's scary misfortune, indeed a calamity.

She also has problem on her own, and lending a hand has never been her forte—never been? Has her memories back—? No, she just has a feeling, that's all. She might can fight against some rebellious teens but against to a fucking infamous nefarious man-eating tiger?

Considering all that, she still takes the lad—really why? Maybe it is really just out of empathy.

She has smaller build, and obviously the lad is bigger than her, so it is almost—not almost—she's actually dragging him, while his arm is on her shoulders and her hand is supporting him on his waist, his feet is being drag like a broken doll.

When she was about to go out the stable, she could hear defeated sigh from the old man.

"Lady!" the old man.

She didn't stop at her tracks, while the old man continued calling her, until he grabs her shoulder whilst she finally halted and look at him.

"Wait up I said!"

"The no longer we stay, the chances the man-eating tiger appeared here, isn't that so?"

"I know, I know! But at least let's treat his wounds. How can you two run away from that monster if you are dragging him. I will also have my wife cook something for you two to eat, so you could have strength when that monster appears!"

With help from the old man, they lay back down the lad and he left only to come back quickly with basket full of accessories for treating wounds. They both treated his wounds, and put at ointment at his bruises, soon a woman as old as the old man came in with casserole. It contains still steaming white soup—which unknown to the missy.

The old man slaps the lad on his left thigh, and harshly pushes him to sit.

The missy could say that the old man might harsh and rough in treating people, but he is also kind and nice, making her to understand more of his protective nature.

She accepted the bowl of soup offered by the woman, while the lad received the soup that the old man shove at him.

Too rough!

Seeing this, the wife slaps her husband on his back and apologized to the two. The miss shook her head, telling her she doesn't mind it at all, even though she actually does.

"No longer delirious mister?" The miss asked, after hours later.

The couple has already left them, giving their words that they'll leave once he's fine walking, without forgetting to thank them. The wife and husband bid them farewell hoping for their safety.

The lad nodded, staring confusedly at the miss sitting with him on the haystack.

"What should I call you?" Encountering many weird people with strange names the miss chose this line of words seeing it more fitting rather than asking name.

"I'm… you can call me White ."

"White ?" It is because of his white hair? She wants to ask but chose not to.

"Where do you live?"

"In Clover Forest."

"Clover Forest? Where is that?"

"It is the forest outside the border, way pass the wisteria forest." He looks confuse, after all it is a common knowledge about the Clover Forest, and yet here she is asking where is it, like she really doesn't have any idea.

"Why not go back there? Someone might help you against that the man-eating tiger."

White look down before answering, "No one," with hint of sadness on his tone, "I'm living alone."

She hummed, if it is the case, then it is the best course of action, since no one will get hurt if ever the man-eating tiger appear.

"But what are you doing here?"

"Running an errand…"

"For whom?" Since he is living alone, it is kind of weird that he came all the way here in Flower—Black Country just for an errand.

But she didn't get an answer to lad, as he tightly close his mouth, and no intention to answer.

The miss shrugs her shoulder, and changed her question, "Do you think you could walk?"

"Umm… I kind of confuse… who are you?"

What should she answer to that question? The miss has no memories, so she doesn't have any correct answer.

Heaving a breath and sigh she response, "Just someone with amnesia. I have no name, nor even aware of this place. I'll be going on the next place after this one, which is what you call it again? Clover Forest? So, I decided to bring you with me."

Eyes widen in pure shock, "But why?! You know that the man-eating tiger is chasing me!"

"I don't know. Probably, if you didn't moan in pain when I found you, I might have no care at all. But since I already promise to that couple that I'll bring you with me, then I bring you with me. At least there's someone who will drag you once the man-eating tiger catch up." With narrow eyes, she gave White a sidelong glance. "So, can you walk?"

White hesitated, she will be in danger by accompanying him. It just doesn't make any sense! Man-eating tiger is literally a beast that would devour anything, and yet just because she going to the same path, she will go with him?!

Someone! Someone please explains it to him!

"We will be going together; I will go with you. Want it or not. Beside like I've said we will run away; it isn't like we will fight that tiger." She threw a few pieces of hays to him, "So, stop thinking too much!"

The lad discovered by then that he actually has no choice but to be with her. Weird—there's a weird warm feeling on his chest and doesn't know the cause.

After testing if he can walk, they finally left the stable and went towards the walls of the small village.

Beyond this wall is Wisteria Forest that the miss has first view during her flight, then the Clover Forest which is not that far.

There are no guards or house that close to the wall itself, and so the miss and White able to be passed by without a hitch. Together they open the gate by themselves.

Her jaw drops in amazement, what greets them are beauties of petals dancing and weeping vines filled with purple radiance as if it has lights on.

Viewing it from the sky cannot be compared when you are inside the forest itself. It so beautiful that It made the miss forgets everything she went through way back at Black Country, and her having no memories.