Alice Unknown

Alice, a clearly distrubed girl's life of abuse and neglection soon becomes overwhelmed with hope when she finds herself falling for the neighborhood boy. After falling inside her own dreams, Alice enters a wonderland filled with bloody thirtsy creatures and helpless wonderers who desperately need Alice's help. In order to stay in wonderland or return back home, Alice must retrieve 7 keys and find herself along the way without dieing or giving up.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Alice UnknownBy Alaina CummingsAuthorHouseCopyright © 2009 Alaina CummingsAll right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4490-4126-7Chapter One There's always something wrong when things happen the way they are expected to. Things are wrong when something that sounds so good, comes true. Something so good, can never be as good as it seems. I take a seat in the hard wooden chair watching my father cut the thick binds of trees. Chop after chop the trees split in half and fall to the soft grass surrounding a wide tree bark, used as a holder. My father looks over at the window and gives me a stare. "Alice, would you make yourself useful and pour me a glass of water?" My feet touch the ground and I walk over to the wooden cabinet to fix him a glass of water. I place the cold glass in his hands watching him as he takes gulps of his drink. "Father, I'm writing a new book. It's going to be quite interesting," I say. As he finishes the few drops of water left he gently places his cup onto the ground and places a piece of tree onto the cutting bark. I slowly turn as my head faces the ground and I move forward to my room. I open up my blank book and take out my feather, ink pen. As I gently push the pen onto the paper I stop as if something were bugging me these past minutes. I get up and walk to my stand and reach for the picture. She was so beautiful. I couldn't have asked for a better mother, but I was so young, so how could I have really known her? I was only 6 when my mother died and so curious. One night I came home from a trip to the market when I noticed an officer's car was parked in front of my house. He gave me one hard look and told me my mother was slaughtered; slashed by a murderer and died instantly. My father was heartbroken and unusually stiff about the whole thing. He quickly got over it and told me if I ever talked about my mother again he'd lock me away. I've never mentioned my mother once. I sure wish she were here. Maybe, she's protecting me from the horrible things he does to me. He hits, beats, and stomps me whenever I've done something wrong or said the wrong thing. That's why most of the time I lock myself away in my room until dinner or go to the tree. I know he doesn't mean to hurt me, he's just upset that mommy's gone forever. I place my mother's picture back down, for I had heard a voice. Could it be? Could it be the one I think about uncontrollably? I run to the window to see who my father was talking to. It's him. His name is Nokto and he isn't your average boy. His tight abs, his long brown hair that seemed perfectly placed made me think what a girl would do to have him in her arms forever. I hold my hand onto the glass of the window looking out at the two in conversation. You see, Nokto repairs our house whenever it needs repairs and so he checks on us from time to time. "So how's everything going Mr. Anlien?" "Well our cabin needs a little fixing. A few patches of wood right in front would do us a big favor," My father offers. "Well, I have plenty of spare time on my hands. How's about ..." Nokto suddenly stopped and his eyes drifted, then he turned his head toward the house, my father did the same. My cheeks blushed and my heart stopped when he looked at me. "Alice, what are you doing?" My father asks giving me a strange look. "Uh, I was just, seeing what the weather is like," I say. "Alice, you know it's sunny out." "Well I was just checking," I say as I run to my room. I jumped onto my bed grabbing a pillow and hugging it. He looked right at me and smiled. I take my blank book and run to Render's Hill. Render's Hill is where I release any of my feelings, or just escape to write in my book. As I approach the trail to the tree I stop and smile. The tree on Render's Hill is my shade and comfort. As I sit down onto the grass I place my back against the bark of the tree and open my book. I begin to think about what I should write about, when suddenly the sky turns gray. A sound of thunder erupts and small then thick raindrops pour from the sky above. I hold my book in my dress and rush home before the book gets wet. When I walk into the kitchen my father is eating a sandwich. "I don't know why you girls think that watching boys will get you anywhere," He says as he read the paper. "I wasn't watching him, honest," I say. "Nonsense, who do you think I am, your mother? I'm not dumb Alice, don't let me see you around that boy, I don't know what kind of mess you'll get into. You're only 16. Working is what you should be concerned about, like him. He's my worker not a doll you can just stare at. Now, don't let me catch you again, you hear me?" "Yes." "Now go do something other than being a pain." I run to my room and throw my book onto my desk. I dry off with a towel and rest my head on my bed. Even though Nokto has no feeling for me and barely even notices me, I feel as if he does sometimes. Every time, it just gets me. I get up from my bed to go prepare dinner for me and my father. As I approach the kitchen my father pulls out a pot from the cabinet and places it onto the stove. "Are you making dinner tonight?" I ask. "Yeah, I was thinking about making something special. You don't know how to make it and there is no time to teach you so I'm going to make it," He says as he lights the stove. I turn away and take a seat at the table. I watch the rain fall and watch as it hits the leaves of a tree. The dirt road turns into a messy path and the grass just drinks the water ever so calmly. It must be nice to be grass. To have no care in the world, to just drink its water ever so calmly, but then again, it gets stepped on constantly, constantly by the unknown person, kind of like me. Stepped on by everyone who doesn't even care about me. Chapter Two As I wake up from my long rest I hear men talking outside my window. I look out to see who is talking. I see my father hand Nokto a piece of wood. I smile and fall back on my bed. I listen closely to the conversation. "So you don't mind if I run out for a bit?" My father asks. "No, that's fine with me. I'll just get started on the wood," Nokto replies. I hurry to my closet to find something to wear. I put on my dress and rush outside. As I watch my father leave, I walk over to Nokto who has just placed a piece of wood onto the hold. "Hello," I say. "Hello, you must be Alice," He says as he puts out his hand. I shake it almost feeling as if I were touching something so soft. "Yes, nice to meet you," I say. "You too." He cuts the wood in half with one big strike. I walk around him a little bit as I smile. Soon I decide to leave. I begin to walk the path to Render's Hill when suddenly Nokto asks me something. "So, where are you going?" He asks as he picks up half of the wood. "To the tree." "The tree?" "Yes, the tree of Render's Hill, I go there from time to time." "Alice!" I hear a voice within the distance. Suddenly my father appeared. "Father?" I call out. "Alice, what did I tell you about interrupting my worker?" "Oh, it's ok Mr. Anlien, Alice was just introducing herself to me," Nokto tells. "Are you sure, that's all she's doing?" "Yes, she was just about to leave to go to Render's Hill," Notko says as he puts a piece of wood onto the hold. "Alright then, go on about your way Alice." As I begin to walk I suddenly remember I don't have my book. I hurry inside to get it and head through the back door so that my father and Nokto won't see me. Nokto is very shy and speaks very little, but his words mean so much for so little. After retrieving my book I take small steps to the tree. I reach the top after a long walk upwards and take a few breaths in. As I begin to sit down I suddenly realized it had rained a little bit earlier and I feel the wet ground soak the back of my dress. I stand quickly, wiping the wet dirt off the back of me and open my book to read the very little I had written. "Mom, why did you have to leave me? I don't understand why you're not answering me. All I wanted in life was to be loved, why did you leave me? Why won't you answer me? Why do you keep ignoring me?" I cry out. I start to weep as I throw the book at the ground. I hold my head and just wait for something good to happen. For hours I stand there just watching life pass by. I could do this all day. I take naps in the tree or just look at the houses in the distance. As the sky turns dark I hear something in the distance. There is something making a noise in the trees, a loud noise that's bothering me. I jump out of the tree that I'm in and stare off into the woods ahead of me. I see nothing, but darkness. I get a better look and I see a man standing in the path in the dark. He's just standing there, but suddenly he begins to move on his way. As soon as the man leaves I decide to go home, for it is very dark, too dark to even see my hands. It scares me to know I'm on my way home through dark trees while a man was watching me, but I have to get home sooner or later. "Alice hurry, dinner is ready," My father calls me in as I walk into the room. "Yes father," I place my book on the table as I take a seat. As we both eat dinner in silence I think about my mother. She would always start a conversation about how her life was and then my father would get mad and leave the room. I don't know why, but my dad gets angry very instantly. It's like the voice of my mother messes with his head. It's like every time she speaks he suddenly wants to just get away from her. It was very devastating the way my mother died. They couldn't figure out why someone would do such a thing to such an average, caring mother. They think someone just lost their mind and wanted to take their anger out on her. They must have been walking and found our house. My mother was cooking at the time and that's why, when they found her, the house was almost hugged with flames. My dad was smiling as he watched my mother's body be carried out. "May her soul rest and her killer be found," He repeated. My mother was killed by a man whose mistake was his own. She was cut so many times it almost seemed as if she wasn't real, her face covered with blood, her clothes the same. My father recovered, but I, have not. Chapter Three "Yes, for how long," Again I wake to Nokto's voice. I carefully walk over to the window to be sure it's Nokto and smile. As I search for my blue dress with the careful white lace under, I also search for my book which always gets lost. I slide my thigh high white socks on. As I get into my clothes I hurry outside to see him. I carefully walk out into the kitchen and open the door slowly. "Alice, Nokto's going to be here cutting trees, no interruptions. I'm going out," My father says. He turns around and I smile a little bit. "Yes father," I say as if I were in his command. My father hurries down the path and I make sure he is gone. When he is gone I stare and I watch Nokto. He cuts piece after piece of wood without even stopping to take a breath. "Hello Alice," He says not taking his eyes of his work. "Hello, Nokto. You're doing a very good job even though I know nothing about cutting wood," I say. "Thanks." He smiles as he brushes off his sweat. I smile and decide to move inside to pour him a glass of cold water. I do so and I place the cup slowly on the table and pour as I watch Nokto continue with his cutting. I finished and walked back out to give him his drink. "Here you go," I hold out the water. He smiles and holds the glass in his hand. "Thank you." He slowly sips the water and I begin to head for Render's Hill. "Bye," I say turning slowly and smiling dashingly. "Well, where you going?" He asks. I turn my head, but still walk. "To the hill." I point at the direction I was heading. "Oh, that's interesting. You don't mind if I come with you, do you?" My heart stopped. Nokto wants to come with me to the hill. I slowly smile as the inside of my body jumps. "No, you can come with me," He puts down his glass of water on the hold and takes off his working gloves. We both walk down the rock path till we finally reach the tree. Nokto sits down on the soft grass by the tree, leaning against the bark. I do the same and open my book to the page where I left off. "What's that, if you don't mind me asking." His knees are pressed against his chest and he's looking at my concentrated face. "It's a book I'm writing." "You write stories?" "Yes, I find it rather enjoyable." "Yes, it must be enjoyable. I have no time to write, my father has me so wrapped up in work I have no time to even enjoy a break." "Well, a man's job is never easy, am I correct?" I ask. "Yes." He looks at me and smiles. He moves closer to me as he holds his knees. "So, what's it like being a man anyway?" "Oh, it's just great. Working nonstop, having your mother argue with you about who you should be and what you shouldn't. Sometimes I wish she would just lock herself away for a while." "Well, you're lucky Nokto, you have a mother." "Yes, I am lucky. I'm so sorry Alice. It must be hard for you. Never feeling your mother's warmth again, it must be hard." "No, not really. It's been 10 years now, I forgot what warmth feels like," I said staring into his eyes. He smiles at me and gets up. "Well, it kind of feels like, you know no matter what happens something great will come for you because you always have someone that cares about you." "Not in my case, no one cares about me," I say as I kick a rock. "Alice doesn't your father love you?" He's shocked to hear what I've said. "No, he does not." "Why do you say such a thing?" "You don't understand, my father does not love me. I do not know what it feels like to be cared for and I don't know what it's like to be loved." "Alice, no matter what, there is always someone that cares about you deeply. If it's not family, it's a stranger, or someone you barely know. No matter what Alice, someone cares about you. Now, what is your book going to be about?" "My book, well, it's going to be about a world. It's a world out of my head that no one knows. If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be like it is because everything would be what it isn't. What something would be, it wouldn't and what something wouldn't be in our world it would be in that world. You understand?" "Everything opposite, I believe," He says. "Yes, everything opposite. Like a cat would bark and a dog would meow. Men would curtsy to women and women would bow to men. In my world rabbit's would live in fancy houses and flowers would sing and talk for hours. In a world of my own night would be day and day would be night because it's a wonderland. You see?" "Yes, Alice. You're completely out of your mind and it's very interesting and lovely. Alice, your mind is so lovely it makes me think about what you'd be like if you didn't have such a mind. Objects would talk and ceilings will be floors. Things will be different and the world is yours." "Yes, exactly. What do you think?" "I think your absolutely crazy, but everything seems so right." Nokto pulls me up with his hand. I look away from him as he tries to stare at me. "Yes, everything in that world will be alright." Nokto suddenly wraps his arms around me and we begin to hug. I was so surprised that I didn't know what to do. I stood there. Soon, I bring my arms up to his shoulders and hug him tightly putting my head on his chest. I can hear his heart beating normally and wonder if he feels the things I feel. Of course he doesn't feel the way I do. I'm falling mad for this guy and he barely even knows me. Why does my head hurt so badly? "What does warm feel like Alice?" He asks. "It feels like home." Suddenly I look up and see someone standing within the trees. I wonder if it was the same man that had been watching me yesterday. Nokto takes his hand and pushes back some of my blonde hair that had been pressing on my face. I fix my bow and he holds my hand. I couldn't believe what he was doing. He's holding my hand as if he knows me and it feels like we've known each other for some time. He must be one of those people who are comfortable with anyone once they get to know them. "Well, can I help you write some of this story now?" Nokto asks. "Of course," I say as I bring out my pen. For hours we write about strange stuff and things out of control. This book now, means a lot to me and is absolutely interesting. When we finally got tired we stretched out and lay down. "Well, I can't write all of this for you." He says folding his hands and putting them behind his head. "Thanks so much. You know sometimes I come here to talk to my mother." "Does she tell you how much she misses you?" He closes his eyes. "No, she never answers my questions." I look down at my feet. "Everything would be what it isn't," Nokto repeats to me. "Yes." He gets up and stretches. (Continues...) Excerpted from Alice Unknownby Alaina Cummings Copyright © 2009 by Alaina Cummings. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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