When I was diagnosed, my parents sent me to a special reform school. This school was a place where students with special needs could go to get their education, and also be treated for whatever problems they might have.

It wouldn’t change, though. Autistics still have autism, bipolars are still bipolar, Alices still have Alice Syndrome. We just have to adjust ourselves, so we’re ready to go out into the world. Our conditions won’t go away; we learn to make due with them. To turn a negative into a positive.

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“Haruka-chan, this is Sakura. You two are going to be classmates in the Alice program.”

The first time I met Sakura, she was still innocent. Her Mad Hatter persona had not consumed her. She was a happy girl, and was honest. As the two of us were part of the Alice program, we spent a lot of time together. We were best friends.

“Wow~ Sakura-chan, that’s an amazing drawing!”

“Thanks!”

“What is it, exactly?”

“It’s an apple house.”

“Haha, how funny! I wonder what it’s like to live inside an apple.”

“As long as there are no giant worms! Hahaha!”

Our lessons throughout the day were normal. Sakura found them boring, always doodling in her notepad, which usually got her in trouble. And she also liked taking naps in the library. Gym wasn’t her best subject, either, and definitely not her favorite.

Me? Personally, my favorite class was music. I loved singing, even as a child. Singing was always what would calm me down.

“Sakura-chan, once we graduate from here, what do you wanna do?”

“Hmm, I dunno. What about you?”

“I’m not sure. I guess I’d want to do something that will help people. Maybe I’ll go to Tokyo University and study psychology, or maybe go to medical school and become a doctor.”

“That sounds amazing… Good luck, Haruppi.”

At that time… I still had no idea of what was really going on.

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When I turned 15, my family was moving to Tokyo, so I couldn’t be part of the Alice program or see Sakura anymore. I’d be going to a new school, starting a new life. I wanted to say one last goodbye to Sakura…

Knock knock!

“Sakura-chan? Are you home?”

I opened the door, seeing a horrible sight. Sakura, standing in the kitchen… covered in blood.

“Sakura-chan..?!”

She just looked at me and laughed. Her eyes, which were once bright… were empty.

“What did you do? Sakura-chan…!” I walked in slowly, and saw Sakura’s parents lying on the floor, stabbed to death and bleeding out.

Their red blood stained the white kitchen floor… and the sight was making me sick.

“Haruka… Mama and Papa said that they were going to take me somewhere… Someplace to… ‘fix’ me… Hahaha…”

“Sakura-chan?”

“They were so blind! So stupid! I’m not broken… I’m not broken at all! Hahahahaha! I wasn’t going to let them take me from you… Alice.”

The person I saw in front of me… was no longer Sakura. She was the Mad Hatter.

“Alice, let’s run away! Before the Red Queen finds out!”

“Sakura, stop!” I tried to talk to her, tried to reason. “We need… to go to the police. You need help. Your AS is--”

“AS? Alice Syndrome? No… Hehe, no, Alice. I’m not an Alice. They misdiagnosed me!”

“Eh?”

“I’m the Mad Hatter! And we’re the rebellion! Up is down and truth is lies! Riddles are knowledge, and madness is all that keeps us sane!”

“Sakura?!”

“Don’t call me by that name!” she yelled angrily, slapping me. “Where are you, my Alice? What has the Red Queen done to you?”

“Sakura… I’m sorry!”

I ran away from her. I ran from my best friend… Or, really, what I was running from…

Was a stranger with my best friend’s face.

I ran to the nearest police station, telling them about what happened and what I saw. The incident had me shaking, my hallucinations started surfacing…

“Someone, get this girl some medicine and tea. Calm her down.”

After that, I was alone with another officer. We didn’t speak for a long time, he just sat and let me slowly calm down from everything that happened.

The first thing I asked was…

“Why did Sakura do this?”

The officer had gone through a background check, and told me everything I didn’t know about my best friend.

Sakura’s parents were abusive. They despised the fact that their daughter was mentally ill, and they were going to throw her into a mental hospital to try and make her “normal”.

It was an awful thought… It was horrible, how they treated her.

But…

“But she didn’t have to do that!” I started crying.

“I’m very sorry, Kodama-san.”

After all that happened, after all I learned about Sakura, I finally made a decision. I wanted to be the one who helps those suffering from their madness. I want to set them free before it’s too late.

So I joined the White Rabbit, at age 16.

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Years later…

“I’m here to see Jurina-san.”

“Of course. She’s in the lobby.”

Jurina’s condition has gotten exceptionally better. She’s stable now and back to her old self, the only catch being she lost a year of her memory.

She doesn’t remember Rena-sensei’s death or about Sakura being a serial killer. I plan to tell her in the future, but not now.

The doctors say she’ll be discharged in a week, and back to her normal life.

I made it to the lobby and saw Jurina eating lunch happily.

“Ah! Haruka-chan,” she waved at me, seeing me approach her. “Nice to see you again.”

“You seem to be in a good mood.”

“Yeah. The doctors told me I could leave in a week, so I’m happy.”

“That’s great. I’m really happy for you.”

“And, I was wondering,” she set her spoon down, “We’ve been spending a lot of time together now, and I’d hate for it to stop once I’m discharged, so…”

“So?”

“How about after I leave in a week… could we go on a date?”

I blinked. “D-Date? Like, what boyfriends and girlfriend..?”

She just giggled. “Of course, I don’t mean the romantic kind! Just as friends!”

“Ah, right. If that’s the case, then I don’t mind at all.”

“Thanks. I really do like spending time with you, Haruppi.”

I nodded. “I like… being with you, too.”

Madness will never go away. But as a member of White Rabbit, and as someone with Alice Syndrome myself, I will act as a guide through this Wonderland.