Epilogue
HOOK
Now, where the hell are we?
The sun beats down hot. Above us, a tree sways, leaves rustling in a gentle breeze. Everything's too bright, too normal. I squint, the light painful after the darkness of the Queen's chamber.
Alice is beside me. She sits up, her clothes torn and filthy. Blood and dust mark her skin like war paint. "I'm home," she says. Her voice barely above a whisper, disbelief coloring each syllable.
She gets up. I try to follow. Pain radiates through my body, but I push against it. Her eyes meet mine, and for a moment, everything stops.
"Hook?"
Pain cuts through my side, sharp and sudden, taking my breath away. Like fire spreading through my veins.
I put my hand inside my jacket. It comes away red, slick with blood. Our eyes lock again, and this time I see the fear creep in. It washes over her face like a shadow.
"Hook...."
"I think she got me. I'm bleeding." I laugh, short and bitter. "Fucking queens. Always have to get the last goddamn word."
The End