“HE’S A TOTAL DOUCHE bag, Al. I don’t know why you talk to the carrot top anyway.”

Alice looked up from refilling the ketchup bottles to see her sister Lory tossing her apron into the laundry bin and grabbing her keys. It was after eleven, and the bathrooms still needed to be cleaned as well as balancing the register.

“Please tell me you aren’t leaving,” Alice couldn’t hide the disappointment in her tone.

Lory eyes evaded her older sister as she walked towards the door, “I told you I had that thing tonight.”

Alice barely repressed an eye-roll, “That thing that you have, could you be a little more specific?”

“Oh,” Lory’s voice was unnaturally high, “Um, you see, I made that promise to... yeah, so I have to go.”

“You are shitty ass liar, Lory,” Alice walked over to where her younger sister stood poised to escape from the café. “Why don’t you give that another try?”

Lory’s lips pinched together, “Look, just because I’m not a dried up old maid like you doesn't mean I don’t want to live my life before it’s over, and I missed being young.”

Alice’s jaw dropped, “We are two years apart, Lory—not twenty.”

The peach stain on Lory’s cheeks deepened, “Might as well be twenty, Al. You are no fun anymore. All you want to do its work all the time. Well, I don’t. So, I’m out of here!”

“Hey Lory!” there was decidedly male voice beckoning from outside.

“Who is that?” Alice felt her stomach tie in knots when she didn’t recognize the voice.

“It’s Darius,” Lory lied and they both knew it.

“My voice is manlier than Darius,” Alice scoffed, “Who is out there?”

Before Lory could slip out of the door, a tall young man with slicked back brown hair and shifty eyes entered the lighted archway.

“You ready, Babe?” he said to Lory.

Alice choked, “Babe? Who in the hell are you to call my sister, Babe?”

Lory blushed and glared daggers at her sister. Alice ignored her and pushed her way out of the door so that she could see who Lory had been hiding.

“Easy there, Cougar,” the man’s eyes lit in appreciation as he followed the hourglass curves of Alice’s body. His eyes lingered on her generous breasts, hips, and ass. “Hot damn!”

Alice punched him right in the nose. She knew that when you took on an opponent that was larger than you were, which most people were to her diminutive size. You hit first hard and then got the hell out of the way.

Grabbing Lory, she yanked her back inside of the café and slammed the door. The lock had barely slid into place when the man pounded on the glass. His eyes had narrowed, and blood gushed from his nose.

“Fucking bitch!” he screamed, “Wait until I get my hands on you. You are going to be sorry you ever messed with the Arctia Caja!”

“What did you do, Alice!” Lory shrieked! “You can’t go around punching people!”

Alice wasn’t impressed, “Get your punk ass out of here! And don’t think about coming back.”

The man slammed his fists once again against the door causing the glass to shudder. And then whipping his nose on his arm, he slumped away.

The sisters stood there in silence for half a second just processing what had happened.

“Really, Lory,” Alice’s voice was tired even to her own ears. “That is the kind of person you want to hang around with?”

Lory hung her head, “He seemed nice when I met him before.”

Alice tried counting to ten and eventually decided twenty was a better idea.

“Lory, you are a beautiful girl,” Alice began, but Lory cut her off.

“No,” her laugh held no humor, “Once guys get a look at you I don’t exist! I just wanted to go out and have some fun. Is that such a terrible thing, Alice? I don't want to grow old in the kitchens of this place!”

Alice tipped her head back releasing a long breath. She looked at her pretty younger sister who in all honesty didn’t have a lot of time to relax and hang out with friends.

“I’m sorry,” the girls both said in unison.

“No,” Alice put her hand on Lory’s arm, “I am sorry. Listen, while it was dangerous and stupid to bring that idiot here.”

“Apologizes from you are always so uplifting,” Lory interjected, but Alice ignored her.

“I understand your need to be with friends. Maybe we can work something out where you have some afternoon’s off?”

Lory’s eyes lit with excitement, “Are you serious, like really and truly, serious? Al, I love you so much! You are the best sister, I have ever had.”

“I’m the only sister you’ve ever had,” Alice replied dryly.

“Well there is that,” Lory grinned.

“Who was that jackass anyway and what in the hell is an Arctia Caja?” Alice asked in exasperation.

Lory snorted, “It’s just a fancy name for caterpillar, that’s what Carlos can shift into.”

A great burst of laughter escaped Alice’s lips, “His spirit animal is a caterpillar? Ass wipe.”

Lory nodded, her eyes dancing.

“That is most likely that he has down his pants as well, Lory. Stay away from the creeps like that, okay? I don’t mind if you want to hang out with Darius, he’s a good kid.”

Lory wrinkled her nose, “He is in love with me, and smells like moldy Tupperware.”

Alice bit her lower lip to hold back another laugh, "He's a nice boy."

“I can see it in your eyes, Al,” Lory continued, “You think that Darius is safe. Well, I think he is boring, and I don’t want to hang out with him.”

“You could do a lot worse than Darius, Lory. That guy, Carlos, he could have really hurt you. You have to be smarter.”

Lory could feel her temper starting to rise again, “When are you going to trust me to make my own decisions about who I spend my time with.”

Alice’s blood boiled, “When you stop bringing pricks around that are greasier than the Thursday night special at Adrienne’s.”

We both winced. 

Adrienne’s Diner was across town, and besides being one of their biggest competitors they were uptight, selfish, snobs who only served certain members of Wonderland. They wanted to keep their clientele pure, Alice felt like they were a bunch of Hippocrates.

“I really am sorry about Carlos, Al. I just feel trapped here, restless. We do the same thing over and over again. When is life going to start? This can’t be all there is.”

The salt shakers started clanking together on the table tops, and some tipped over. Alice and Lory grabbed each other and held on as the entire building shook. The electricity blinked twice before deciding that it would remain on.

“What was that?”

Alice felt dread at the pit of her stomach. It had been a long time since the world tipped on its axis. She couldn’t respond to Lory as she stared out the front window at the massive dragon that was breathing fire. The electricity popped again, and Lory screamed.

The Jabberwocky was back.