Episode 7-9

Episode #7: ARE YOU READY TO GO AMONG MAD PEOPLE? 

Once again Black Rock is under cover of torrential rain. Alex thinks back to that last sunny day and can’t help but long for the sun again. He and Alice have made their way in to the city centre, hoping to find some clues about his mother’s whereabouts. Although neither of them really know where to start looking. His mother is truly an enigma, not unlike a ghost. Perhaps she did die in the fire? Alex shudders at the thought, but then he reminds himself that his mother is missing. Even Alice confirmed this and she knows everything.
Rosa storms through the police station, bursting in to the chief of police’s office. The chief doesn’t seem at all surprised by this; in fact he claims he had been expecting Rosa. Rosa tells the chief that she needs Alex to be brought back in at all costs. The chief questions her, asking why she’s so desperate to get this one patient back when there are two escapees from the asylum. Rosa claims Alex is a danger to himself and those around him, more so than the other patient. It’s clear to Rosa that the police aren’t privy to the knowledge of Thom’s escape, they only know that more than one patient has escaped. Had they known Thom was the other escapee he would most certainly be a priority. After some coaxing Rosa convinces to make Alex’s capture a priority. Before the chief can make his announcement Rosa points out that there is a young lady attempting to prevent Alex’s return to the asylum, claiming this person is a criminal and must be stopped. The thought of getting Alice out of the picture puts a cruel smile on Rosa’s face.
Alex can barely even see the sky for all the umbrellas in the plaza. A chill of claustrophobia runs through Alex’s body and for a brief moment he freezes. Alice continues on, unaware of this. Alex remains frozen to the stop, shivering uncontrollably. In the periphery of his vision Alex spots a familiar figure. Alex turns and is faced with the hideous grin of a particularly large cat with backwards human hands; Cheshire. The cat asks him if he’s ready to go among mad people. Without giving Alex much chance to answer the people around him begin to transfigure into some of Wonderland’s most hideous denizens. Alex collapses to his knees and covers his head. He feels someone grab his arm. Alex looks up begging to be released but is quite surprised to see Alice. She helps him up off the floor. Alice worries about Alex’s sudden relapse. After all the progress she’s made with him it seems odd that Alex should suddenly break down in public.
An announcement catches the attention of everyone in the plaza. The police chief’s voice blares out of a speaker and a large screen powers up. The chief states that they are currently looking for a particularly dangerous escapee from the asylum. A picture of Alex appears on the screen, much to the dismay of Alex and Alice. Without waiting to hear the end of the announcement, Alice grabs Alice and they run out of the plaza in to a dark alley. 

 Episode #8: CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER 

The rain pours heavily again. Alex and Alice emerge from a dingy alleyway. The densely packed neon signs make it quite obvious that the pair have emerged in China Town, that and the Chinese writing. Alex wonders if it would be safe to seek shelter back at the abandoned factory, but Alice believes it would be best to avoid the rest of Black Rock for a while. The two of them are taken by surprise when a nearby shop owner calls out to them, asking them to take shelter in his shop. Whilst Alice is unsure if it’s safe to trust anyone at the moment, she is certainly tempted to get out of the rain. So, she and Alex head in to the shop.
Upon entering it becomes quite obvious to Alice that this is a fireworks shop. Alice’s mind races with suspicions and questions. So, without much hesitation she begins to question the shop owner. The owner claims that he doesn’t get much business these days and the last big order he had was over a year ago. Alex instantly becomes interested; just over a year ago Alex wasn’t in the asylum and his family home had not been torched. Alice asks if the owner has any idea who made the order. The owner thinks back and remembers that the order was made in person by a woman. He describes this woman as tall and beautiful with cold eyes and a threatening presence. Alice doesn’t need any more information, it’s clear who made this order; Rosa. Could it be that Rosa had something to do with the fire? Did she cause the fire? In one particularly rare moment, Alice is utterly confused.
Before any more questions can be asked the sound of a helicopter outside interrupts everything. A searchlight floods in through the windows. Without a moment of hesitation the owner pulls Alex and Alice through to a back room. He opens up a secret passage underneath an ornate jade statue and tells them to go. Just before the owner closes up the passage he calls out to Alex, assuring him that he will be reunited with his mother soon. This confuses Alex as not only had he not given the owner his name, he had not even mentioned anything about looking for his mother. But it’s too late to ask questions now. Alice pulls him along the dark, leaky passage.
The passage leads Alex and Alice out into a shrine surrounded by trees. Seconds after they climb out of the passage the pair hear a boom off in the distance. On the horizon Alex spots the aftermath of an explosion in China town. It’s quite obvious to both Alice and Alex where this explosion came from. For a moment the pair stand in silence, completely bewildered. Why had the shop owner just given up his life to save them? How did he know Alex? How did he know about the disappearance of Alex’s mother? Just how was he connected to the fire? But the question that truly weighed heavily on Alice’s mind; what was Rosa’s involvement in all of this? 

 Episode #9: JUST A DAYDREAM 

The rain has let up today, but the clouds are still a gloomy, ever present threat of a downpour. Alice and Alex make their way along a dirt road in a dense forest. After a while the forest opens up to reveal a park. The area seems very familiar to Alex. But Alex doesn’t have much time to think about why he remembers the place; he becomes too distracted by an odd looking man in a top hat. The man sits facing away from Alex, but Alex knows exactly who it is. He calls out to Hatter. Alice is about to stop Alex, telling him he can’t just shout out to strangers, but the man stands and turns. It is indeed Thom. Thom grants them a brief, twisted smile before running away; parting with the words, “Follow me, little orphan!”
Alex and Alice give chase to Thom, who runs back in to the dense forest. It becomes quite a task to weave between the trees and branches and it’s not long before Alex becomes separated from Alice. As he runs, Alex begins to notice things in the corner of his eyes. He looks to the side to see the sinister grin of his old friend, The Cheshire Cat. Cheshire does not run with Alex, but he appears in a new place every so often, keeping up effortlessly. Alex also notices the dim glow of the white rabbit who runs slightly ahead of him. This provides all the confirmation Alex needs; following Thom will lead him to the answers he needs to find.
Eventually, the forest clears away and a beautiful manor comes in to view. Alex stops running; he can’t see Thom anymore anyway. Alex looks around, but Alice is nowhere to be seen nor can he find the Cheshire Cat or the white rabbit. Alex turns his gaze back upon the manor. His parents stand at the entrance, smiling and beckoning him to come closer. Alex takes only one step forward and his parents fade to ash, carried away on the breeze.
Alice comes out of the forest and heads over to Alex. She asks Alex why he stopped running, but he doesn’t answer. Alice looks in the direction that Alex is staring. Lay before them are the remains of a burnt manor. Alice instantly knows where they are; Alex’s old home. Alex is speechless, filled with all kinds of emotions, but none more so than sadness. So badly he wanted that vision to be real, for his time in the asylum to have just been a day dream and for his parents to be waiting for him to return home. The white rabbit tugs at Alex’s jeans. Alex looks down to see the rabbit pointing towards the manor before it runs off and heads inside. But Alex doesn’t follow it this time. Instead he turns away, back towards the city. 

Episode 1-6 synopses

This is going to be a lengthy post, but bear with it if you can!

Episode #1: THE ESCAPE 

In the heart of a dark, dreary city there is an equally drab asylum; home to some of the most deranged and damaged denizens of Black Rock City. The asylum is also home to Alex, a damaged young boy that can’t quite remember why he’s even in the asylum. In his miserable solitude, Alex attempts to remember something, and important event that led to where he is now. Alex shivers, sat on the middle of his bed all curled up in a ball. A sudden flash of a memory appears before him; a large house, a manor. But the manor is burning and a man can be heard screaming out Alex’s name, telling him to run. A clap of thunder from outside pulls Alex out of this memory, much to his annoyance.
Alice sits in her office, writing up a report on Alex. She goes over his case over and over in her head, finding herself less and less interested in Alex’s mental state and more interested in the events the led up to his current state; a fire that led to his father’s death and his mother’s disappearance. Not a single explanation as to why these things have happened. Alice reminds herself that it’s not her job to look for conspiracies, but she can’t help but feel slightly sympathetic for the poor boy. A particularly loud thunderclap bellows through the asylum and the lights begin to flicker. Alice sighs heavily.
The lights go and Alex’s room Is plunged in to darkness. Alex looks around, terrified and confused, hoping the lights come back on. The only light in the room is the slight glow from the electronic lock on Alex’s door. Another thunderclap sounds. In a most unlikely turn of events, despite all the fail safes in place the lock on Alex’s door fails and the door sinisterly creaks open. Suddenly, a white rabbit hops out from underneath Alex’s bed. The rabbit emits a slight glow as it hops towards the door. When the rabbit reaches the door, it turns back to look at Alex and crooks a finger, beckoning him to follow. Without hesitation Alex reaches under the bed, pulls out his copy of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and follows the rabbit.
Alice sits calmly in the darkness of her office. Her calm exterior doesn't do well in portraying her sheer frustration and rage at having been interrupted from her report. Calmly, Alice reaches in to her office drawer and pulls out a torch. Alice marches out of her office in to the darkness. She lets out a banshee like scream, calling for the two security guards. Just like that, her cool, calm façade is shattered.
Alex wanders the labyrinthine hallways of the asylum following the white rabbit every step of the way. But something catches Alex’s eye. A shadow on the wall, a very cat-like shadow points in the direction Alex has come from. Disturbingly, nothing seems to be creating the shadow, but even more disturbing are the human hands on this cat-like silhouette. Alex turns to see what the shadow is pointing at. Facing away from Alex stands one of the two security guards at the asylum. He could easily snap Alex like a twig, whether Alex should give him reason to or not. The white rabbit tugs on Alex’s pants and points towards an open window. The rabbit hops out of the window and with little hesitation Alex follows. 

 Episode #2: DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE 

Power has returned to the asylum. The corridors are flooded with the sounds of hurried footsteps as nurses rush to the rooms of various patients in order to ensure their safety. Alice calmly yet briskly walks through the chaos of it all with two particularly large security guards in tow. She quite openly and obnoxiously mocks the state of the asylum, referring to it as a backwater dungeon. Eventually Alice reaches Alex’s room. She commands the guards to wait outside as she enters. Even as she realises Alex isn't there Alice doesn't lose her cool.  She sits down on the edge of the bed and pulls out a pair of ornate spectacles. She dons the specs and presses a button on the left arm. For a moment Alice sits in silence, seemingly starring in to space, until eventually she takes of the glasses and exits the room, uttering the words “found you,” as she goes.
Alex runs through the asylum ground, soaked to the bone from the pouring rain. Behind him he can hear the shouting and frantic calls of the nurses at the asylum. Alex reaches the asylum gate, but his luck has run out. Unlike the window back in the asylum, the gate isn’t open and waiting for him. Alex drops to his knees. The book Alex holds begins to shake. Alex looks upon it in confusion and is shocked when a white rabbit slips out from between the pages, the same white rabbit that led him out of the asylum. The rabbit hops off to the left of the gate, beckoning Alex to follow once more. So, without hesitation Alex does so.
Alice enters Director Rosa’s office. Rosa paces up and down, but stops as Alice closes the door behind her. Rose makes it clear that she is already fully aware of Alex’s escape and states that she’ll be sending the guards to bring him back in. Alice has another plan. Alice suggests that she should go to find Alex and treat him outside the asylum, pointing out that he has made little to no improvement in the year that he has been in the asylum. Rosa strongly disagrees with this preposterous idea. Alice ego kicks in here, leading to a rather loud argument. In the end Alice is unable to convince the director, and so she sets out anyway, storming out of the office. Just before Alice leaves, Rosa warns her that she will be sending out the guards and that if Alice is to hinder them in any way she will be severely punished.
Alice heads out of the asylum and in to the pouring rain. She puts on the spectacles and presses the button as she heads out of the gate. Alice briefly looks back at the asylum, weighing up her options, but comes to the conclusion that her only option is to go after Alex.
Back in her office, Rosa ponders her course of action. She knows that Alex is a priority and he needs to be brought back at all costs. She picks up her phone and calls one of the security guards to inform him of his mission. When Rosa calls him she finds out that another patient has escaped, a man named Thom Jenniel; another patient that Rosa needed to be kept in the asylum. In a fit of rage, Rosa throws her phone at the wall, causing the phone to shatter. Using the asylum’s built in communication system Rosa calls the security guards to her office. 

 Episode #3: A MAD MEETING 

Alex places a hand on the rusted gate of an abandoned factory. The gate falls off its hinges with a thunderous clang. After recovering from the shock of the noise, Alex looks around in slight confusion. He doesn’t quite remember how he arrived at the factory, but he feels a sense of familiarity in being there. For a moment Alex hesitates, something about the factory seems sinister but a sudden clap of thunder compels Alex to take shelter inside.
Alice steps out of a dingy clothes shop with a couple of bags in tow. The rain is still pouring quite heavily and it shows no sign of letting up. Worried that Alex may not have been able to find any shelter, she dons her glasses to locate him. It doesn’t take long for Alice to pinpoint Alex’s location, so she sets off hastily.
Alex sits in a dusty old office, swivelling in an office chair. He hears someone enter the factory and his heart stops. Without a moment’s hesitation Alex leaps under the nearest desk. The footsteps of this mystery intruder draw nearer. Alex plucks up the courage to peer over the desk. The shadowy intruder gets closer and closer, but Alex is unable to make out the face. Suddenly the room is flooded with the light, followed by a clap of thunder. In the brief moment of brightness Alex is able to recognise the intruder as Alice, his doctor from the asylum.
Alice already knew where Alex was before he stepped out from behind the desk, but she humours him in an act of surprise. The pair have a brief conversation; Alice half reprimands Alex for fleeing the asylum, but then reminds herself that this could potentially work out well for him. Alice presents Alex with the new clothes she’s bought for him. She also presents Alex with a photograph, claiming it was the inspiration for the outfit she chose; a photograph of Alex with his parents.
Alex changes his clothes in privacy. As he is changing he hears some unusual sounds coming from the shadows of the factory. A strange, hunched over man in a ripped up straight jacket shuffles out of the shadows. Alex is too scared to call out for Alice. The man identifies himself as Thom, but tells Alex he may call him Hatter. Alice hears the sound of talking and rushes over, standing between Thom and Alex. Thom briefly mutters about a fire at “the big house”, which instantly grabs Alex’s interest. However, before Alex can question him Thom flees, leaving the pair alone and confused in the dark. 

 Episode #4: CAT AND MOUSE 

Something Thom mentioned about the fire bothers Alex. Thom had mentioned something about a fireworks shop that was related to the fire. However, Thom hadn’t made it particularly clear how this shop was related to the fire. Alex still isn’t entirely sure what this fire means to him or why he feels compelled to find out about it, but he knows he wouldn’t be having dreams about it if it didn’t mean something to him. So, Alex and Alice make their way to the only place that one might find a fireworks shop in Black Rock; China Town. As they leave the abandoned factory, Alex and Alice don’t realise that they are being stalked by a mysterious woman. The young woman laughs slightly at their ignorance and pulls out a phone.
Rosa sits in silence in her dimly lit office, swilling a glass of whiskey with her hand. She appears a little dishevelled as if she hasn’t slept for a while. A new phone lies on her desk, it begins to ring. Rosa downs the glass of whiskey and picks up the phone. A woman on the other end of the call tells Rosa that Alex and Alice have been located. Rosa tells the woman to pursue them.
The giant oriental gateway that separates China Town from the rest of the city is not far off now. Alice uses the walk as an opportunity to question Alex about what he remembers of his parents. Alex tries to remember, but he finds himself unable to recall much of anything. Alice questions further, asking why they are looking in to a fire, not mentioning that she herself knows all about the fire. Alex can’t even answer that.
Not two minutes after Alex and Alice have entered China town two large thugs show up on either side of them. They look a lot like the two guards at the asylum, but these thugs are clearly of Chinese heritage. On a nearby rooftop Alyssa surveys the entire scene. She lightly tosses a firework up and down in her hand. She lights the firework and throws it towards one of the thugs. The explosion provides Alex and Alice with an opportunity to escape. Alex looks back at the woman that helped them escape. She very briefly smiles, but uses a grappling hook gun to zip away before Alex can figure out who she is. 

 Episode #5: A STORM OF MEMORIES 

The heavens open and a particularly heavy thunderstorm engulfs Black Rock City. Alex’s fear of thunder and lightning leaves him feeling vulnerable and scared, so he and Alice take refuge in the abandoned factory. The sound of rain drums heavily on the roof, echoing through the factory. Out of nowhere, memories begin to flood back to Alex. He begins to tell Alice what he remembers.
Alex recalls sitting in his father’s office as a child, swivelling in the desk chair. The sound of thunder bellows through the factory. Alex is completely unafraid of the thunder in this memory. His father walks through the office, ruffling Alex’s hair as he goes and giving a slight smile. Alex struggles to remember his father’s name, before eventually coming up with Rory. Rory seems bothered by something; there is a tired look in his eyes. Rory goes in to a back room. In the back room, Alex catches a glimpse of well-dressed woman, but Alex can’t make out her face. Still, there’s something familiar about her. Not long after the door closes Alex can hear a particularly loud argument, but can’t quite make out what is being said.
Alex snaps back out of his memory. Alice is impressed by the sudden leap in progress that Alex has shown. It’s not hard for her to join the dots; being in the factory during a thunderstorm sparking off a memory of being in the same situation, albeit in a considerably less decrepit environment. Alice acknowledges this as proof that she was right, Alex needed to be out of the asylum.
More memories come to Alex. This time, Alex remembers the fire. But it’s not like the recurring dream he’s been having. This time, Alex lies on the floor outside the manor and he remembers specifically that the manor was his home. The screams of his father telling Alex to run haunt Alex. But something puzzles Alex. He remembers specifically now that he lived with both of his parents. So, why can he only hear the screams of his father?
Alex returns to the present once again. There are tears in his eyes, threatening to betray his emotions. Alex tells Alice that he remembers how his father dies. But he can’t remember anything about his mother. Alice tells him that his mother, Alyssa, has been missing since the day of the fire. Alex wants to remember his mother more than anything. So, Alex vows to find his mother. 

 Episode #6: ASSASSIN OR SAVIOUR? 

For a change, the sun is shining over Black Rock City, albeit through a cloudy cover. Alice and Alex take the opportunity to go out looking for leads in order to track down Alex’s mother. Little do they know that Alyssa is stalking them in the shadows. Alyssa is particularly interested in finding out who Alice is and whether or not she can be trusted to take care of Alex.
The unusually bright day makes it difficult for Alyssa to stay hidden. She wonders why she chose today of all days to do some recon, but then she remembers how much she’d missed the sun. Alyssa snaps a photo of Alice as she turns her head. With the photo she is able to confirm that Alice works at the asylum. However, she doesn’t appear to be particularly threatening. In fact, it seems that she’s helping Alex. Alyssa is a little confused by this. She knows that Alex was kept in the asylum by Rosa. While Alyssa doesn’t know for certain, she believes this is because Alex may know the truth behind the fire that killed Rory.
In the distance the mystery woman that’s in contact with Rosa watches Alyssa’s movements. She’s almost impressed by the graceful way in which Alyssa floats through the city using her grapple. The enigmatic woman is already fully aware that Alyssa is tracking Alex and Alice, but she has no idea why. Intrigued, the woman sets off to confront Alyssa.
Alyssa stops in a deserted courtyard to catch her breath and compile the data she’s collected on Alice. Alyssa decides she’s learnt enough about Alice to know that for the time being she’s not threat to Alex, but she can’t rule out the possibility that Alice’s link to the asylum could be troublesome. Alyssa’s train of thought is derailed when a woman drops in to the courtyard with a kick directed at Alyssa. In a swift movement, Alyssa gracefully jumps backwards, flipping in the air and launching a throwing knife as she does. The knife just misses its target, but tears the shirt of Alyssa’s attacker. Alyssa lands with a knife at the ready, prepared for anything. The mystery woman reveals herself as Dinah and asks why Alyssa is tracking Alex. Alyssa doesn’t give her a straight answer; instead she asks why Dinah is interested. Dinah laughs off the question. She claims that if Alyssa’s safety cannot be guaranteed if she continues to follow Alex. Then, without warning several thugs drops in to the courtyard, surrounding Alyssa. Before any of them can make a move, Alyssa points her grapple gun and within a millisecond she is soaring through the air.
The sun is setting. From a distant rooftop Alyssa watches Alex and Alice making their way back to the factory. She wishes she could go and see Alex, but she knows it would be far too dangerous. A single tear falls down her face. She wipes away the tear, points her grapple and zips off to her own hiding place, praying for Alex’s safety. 

One last character

Cheshire

The legendary feline guide of Wonderland. What is Wonderland without him? Every now and again when Alex and Alice are separated The Cheshire Cat  will appear to Alex. Everything about him is twisted, from his haunting smile to his backwards human hands. His bushy tail is tied up at the base with a piece of parchment. Written upon this parchment are a list of riddles that could potentially unlock Alex's memory, provided Alex can solve them. If only Cheshire weren't a figment of Alex's twisted mind, he'd probably just give Alex all the answers he desired. But alas, he's bound by the limitations of Alex's mind. For now at least...

It's all about accessorizing!

Because my characters need some cool stuff, then I can make more merchandise!!

Of course, this means more illustration work... Oops.

Tools

Each main character has their own tool that is completely unique to them. It helps them to acquire their goals and get to where they need to be. A tool could help a character navigate the city, track another character or get them out of danger. Things like phones don’t really count. Who doesn’t have a phone these days? 

Alex: ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

Alex carries this novel around with him wherever he goes. It has no practical use in the real world, other than to calm Alex down when he reads his favourite passages. In a way, its uselessness is quite befitting of Alex’s reserved and vulnerable nature. However, in Alex’s wonderland he is able to use the book more practically, such as conjuring up weapons (anyone for a Vorpal Blade?). However, such conjurings are representations of the real world, so that Vorpal Blade is more than likely a length of steel piping in the real world. So really, the seemingly useless novel that Alex carries around with him is actually a useful tool that provides Alex with the mental strength to fight back and defend himself. 

Alice: GLASSES

Alice’s glasses are a strange pair. They’re actually a device that only Alice is capable of using, however Alice intends to tweak the device so that it can be mass produced for the use of other doctors. The device in question is used to see what another person can see, provided said person is wired up to the device. In using the device Alice has been able to gain a deeper understanding of patients’ minds, particularly those suffering from hallucinatory conditions. However, the device requires a very strong mind, or one might find themselves lost in another’s twisted mind. This is the main reason only Alice is capable of using the device for the time being. Alice’s device is currently calibrated to Alex. As well as peering in to Alex’s mind, Alice can also use the device to track Alex’s location should the pair become separated. 

Alyssa: GRAPPLING HOOK GUN

There’s not a great deal that can be said about Alyssa’s grappling hook gun. She points it at something, fires and then zips away in a flash. It’s a great way to get out of danger in a pinch. The wire in the device is even strong enough to carry more than Alyssa, should that be necessary (and of course, if Alyssa has the strength to carry more than just herself). As a fugitive, the tool is practically essential for Alyssa. It’s pretty quiet too, so Alyssa can be as stealthy as she needs to be. 

Rosa: HENCHMEN

It might seem a little odd to refer to people as tools, but then that mentality just about sums Rosa up these days. She’s very single minded and completely lacking in compassion and empathy. The henchmen in question are two very large, very strong twins that work as security guards at the asylum. They essentially carry out any “dirty work”, such as tracking the young, innocent boy that Rosa seems hell bent on imprisoning. The two of them are essentially controlled by Rosa. There’s no mind control involved, but a set of microchips implanted in their brains provide Rosa with the leverage she needs to put them up to any task. 

Dinah: LOCK PICKS

What’s a journalist without a set of lock picks to break in to all of those places she isn’t supposed to be? Provided a good kick won’t permit entry, Dinah carries around a set of lock picks. There’s even a nifty digital pick that can be used to open electronic doors. As a bit of an inventor, Dinah designed this one herself. Simple really; door won’t open? Find the lock. Make it open. 

Dinah has a few connections too, henchmen of her own in a way. Seems almost unfair that she’s got so much assistance, doesn’t it? To be fair, lock picks aren’t very cool.

The briefest of brief episode synopses!

One liners, that was the plan. Then they become two liners, three liners...four liners. But they're a good start. All 13 episodes for series 1 of Wonderland! American series format! Because I don't quite have the time to write fifty-something episodes.

Episode #1: During a freak storm Alex manages to escape from the asylum in to the city. Alice realises Alex has fled the asylum. It is announced that another patient has also escaped. 

Episode #2: Alice and Rosa have a heated discussion about Alex and the course of action for his treatment. After the argument, Alice storms out and sets out to find Alex.

Episode #3: Alex and Alice meet in an abandoned factory. Alex seems to remember the place, but he can’t quite figure out why. They find the other escaped patient, Thom Jenniel. Alex sees Thom as The Hatter. 

Episode #4: Alex and Alice travel to China Town looking for leads on something Thom told them relating to the fire that killed Alex’s father. They are attacked by two large men, but a mysterious woman helps them without revealing her identity. 

Episode #5: Another thunderstorm has left Alex feeling quite scared and vulnerable. Alice suggests they take refuge in the abandoned factory. In the factory Alex starts to remember some of his past, including the days leading to the fire. 

Episode #6: Alex and Alice make their way out in to the city on a surprisingly sunny day. Whilst they attempt to track down leads, they are stalked by a mysterious woman. She seems particularly interested in Alex and finding out who Alice is. 

Episode #7: Rosa has a meeting with the chief of police. She insists that Alex is dangerous and needs to be brought back to the asylum alive. Whilst out in the city, Alex and Alice hear an announcement about this. They are forced in to hiding. 

Episode #8: Alex and Alice are lying low in China Town. A friendly shop owner grants them shelter from the rain. He tells them about his fireworks business. He also tells them about a deal he had with a woman from the Asylum. Alice deduces this woman was Rosa. 

Episode #9: Alex and Alice come across Thom (The Hatter) again. He speaks in riddles about the fire and his involvement. He flees quickly leading to a chase. He leads Alex and Alice to an abandoned manor. Thom flees, but Alex is much more interested in the manor.

Episode #10: The tabloids have now well and truly latched on to the story of Alex’s escape. A female journalist, Dinah, is particularly interested in the story. Alice journey’s through the city alone. In her travels she comes across Dinah. Alice recognises her. After a quick confrontation Dinah flees. 

Episode #11: Alex and Alice return to the factory after a day tracking down clues. However, when they get there they discover Rosa along with several of her lackeys; a trap. Alyssa shows up to help Alex and Alice escape. It is revealed she had been tracking them and some of Rosa’s motives are revealed. 

Episode #12: Alex and Alice make their way back to the manor where Alex begins to remember more about it, remembering it as his family home. However, the structurally unsound manor gives way trapping Alex in an underground passage and separating him from Alice. The passage leads Alex to a beach house, an old holiday home. 

Episode #13: Alice is forced to use her device to discover Alex’s location. Back at the beach house Alex has been found by Dinah and her lackeys. After some taunting from Dinah, Alex loses his temper and viciously attacks them. Alice reaches the location just in time to stop Alex from attacking Dinah. Alex and Alice leave whilst Dinah is frozen in fear. 

Well, they need fleshing out, but it's a nice start, aye?
Murder mystery sci-fi steampunk psychological thriller fantasy action adventure is go!

Character profiles

These should make things just that little bit easier to understand!
Read them all, they kind of work better when read as a whole... You'll see what I mean.

Alex Hart   

Age: 16

Alex is a young patient at an asylum in an industrial slum. He was institutionalised after the death of his father and the disappearance of his mother. These events led to his current mental state. That’s not to say Alex was in perfect mental condition before these events, in fact his parents had been working on medication for him. In the asylum Alex is quiet and reserved. He refuses to talk to almost everyone. When he does talk he usually speaks in single word sentences. However, Alex has made a particular exception for Alice, and exception that even Alice doesn’t understand. When Alex is in his “Wonderland” his personality is almost completely different. He has quite a sharp tongue and is considerably more eloquent than he is in the real world. Alice is quite impressed by these displays of intelligence, seeing them as potential for Alex to get better. 

Alice 

Age: 20 

Alice is a brilliant young doctor. Her level of skill for her age is beyond impressive; she even surpasses most of her supervisors. Her reputation has made her quite famous, and so her current patient, Alex, is speculation of much media attention. Alice is one of few doctors capable of using the mind reading device that allows her to see what her patients see, helping her to better understand her patients. While Alice can seem quite cold and unfriendly this is due to her time at university where she was looked down on for her background as a slum girl. However, she is particularly cold towards Alex as he has been a great source of trouble for her and he runs a great risk of tarnishing her reputation. 

Alyssa Hart 

Age: 39 

Alyssa is Alex’s mother. She was supposed to be killed in the fire that destroyed her home and killed her husband, but she managed to escape. She also managed to ensure Alex escaped, but Alex doesn’t remember this. Alyssa is currently in hiding as she knows she is a target. Whilst she knows Alex’s location, and she knows he is alive and well, Alyssa knows she cannot see him. If she goes to Alex she will be caught and killed and then Alex will share her fate. It was Alyssa that helped Alex escape from the asylum, using the storm as a cover for the power cut that unlocked Alex’s door. Alyssa provides a lot of background assistance for Alex and Alice, ensuring they come to no harm. However, in the direst situations she will directly assist the pair. 

Rory Hart 

Age: 41

Rory is Alex’s late father. He and his wife Alyssa were the founders of Hart Inc. The company specialised in the development of pharmaceuticals. Before his death, Rory and Alyssa had been working on a medication for Alex due to his mentally unstable condition. The medication, codenamed Wonderland, would not only have helped Alex recover in time, but also many others. However, it is because of this that Rory was assassinated. Someone didn’t want him working on something that would’ve led to fewer patients in the asylum… In his life Rory was caring, compassionate and loved his family dearly. 

Rosa Red 

Age: 35 

Rosa is the director of The Asylum. In her youth she was quite kind and caring, hence founding the asylum to improve the quality of life for others in need. She worked closely with Alyssa and Rory in the development of medications and treatments for patients. However, these days she has become quite bitter and greedy. When she discovered the development of the medication “Wonderland”, she knew that it would become a threat to her business. Despite their friendship, she plotted to have the Hart family assassinated, and succeeded with Rory. This began the conspiracy that surrounds Alex’s life. Rosa will do anything to cover up the conspiracy, going as far as imprisoning Alex in the asylum as bait for Alyssa. She constantly hunts for Alyssa, knowing that her secret isn’t safe as long as Alyssa is alive. 

Tohm Jenniel 

Age: ?? 

Tohm once worked at The Asylum as a member of security. Rosa blackmailed him by holding his family hostage. He was forced in to torching the Hart Manor and killing the inhabitants (provided the fire didn’t kill them). The fire didn’t actually kill any of the Hart family, and so Tohm was forced to kill Rory himself. However, after taking another man’s life Tohm found himself unable to complete his task, thus Alyssa and Alex escaped. Already in pieces over murdering someone, he was imprisoned in the asylum by Rosa in order to ensure the truth didn’t get out, and so he plunged in to the depths of insanity. Tohm managed to escape from the asylum on the same night as Alex, creating even more problems for Rosa. Whenever Alex sees Tohm he is muttering about conspiracies and murders, trying to justify what he did. Alex sees Tohm as The Hatter from Lewis Carroll’s story.

Dinah 

Age: 28 

Dinah is a famous journalist. And of course, the fame has gone to her head, rendering her proud and arrogant to boot. She seemingly only cares about herself and her own personal gain, which makes her an exceptional journalist. She will do whatever it takes to get her hands on a good story, and will go one step further to ensure that she is the first to publish a story. Dinah is truly an embodiment of tenacity. She even has a group of goons that will take care of any “dirty work”. However, Dinah is no stranger to combat, she just much prefers not to get her hands dirty. Not a great deal is known about Dinah’s past or if Dinah is even her real name. Dinah is hired by Rosa to find Alex and bring him back to the asylum for a hefty reward. 

Episodes coming soon!

:)

RE: Wonderland

Wonderland is back on track after a bit of a re-imagining.
The Looking Glass Line is officially running again!

So, I've re-written the premise, here it is:

Alex is a mentally unstable young boy, trapped in a dreary asylum at the heart of an equally drab and lifeless city. He finds himself at the heart of a tragic conspiracy that killed his father and led to the mysterious disappearance of his mother. Alice is a young doctor striving to help Alex recover, however she is completely unaware of the conspiracy surrounding this young boy. So when Alex escapes from the asylum one rainy night, Alice follows him and she is dragged in to the heart of this twisted mystery along with him. It all started with the fire; the fire that destroyed Alex’s home, his world and shattered his mind. Everything around him was destroyed, creating a chain of events that led to Alex’s imprisonment in the asylum. Alex is now on a twisted journey to recover the shattered pieces of his mind, his past and to uncover the truth behind his father’s death. 

So, now the series doesn't focus solely on Alex's visions of Wonderland or him recovering his sanity. Now, the series focuses on a conspiracy that Alex must unravel in order to recover his sanity, but also to expose a crime ie. his father's murder.
Yep, sounds like the fire was an accident, it wasn't. I need to get a few thoughts collected before I can write about that though.
So now, my series is more of a murder mystery with a bit of twisted psychological thriller thrown in. So, we've got Murder Mystery Crime Thriller Psychological Drama. My genre title needs work...

Anyway, it's going well. I've written up some one liners for the 13 episodes of season one. Yeah, I'm formatting my series for American studios. I'll get on to why I've chosen to go in that direction at a later date.

Episode #1: Synopsis version #2

In the heart of a dark, bustling city rests a dreary asylum. The asylum is the closest thing Alex has to a home. He sits alone in the confines of his room, trying to remember the event that destroyed his life; a fire that spread through his parents’ home. The rumble of a thunderstorm incessantly disrupts Alex’s thoughts. Suddenly, with a tremendous clap of thunder, the power in the asylum is cut out. In a most unlikely turn of events, despite all the fail safes and security systems, the lock on Alex’s door fails and his journey down the rabbit hole begins. A white rabbit hops out from underneath Alex’s bed, heading towards the door and beckoning him to follow. Without hesitation, Alex grabs his favourite book and follows the rabbit in to the dark, labyrinthine corridors of the asylum.

Meanwhile, Alice sits in her powerless office. She is infuriated, having been interrupted from her notes due to the power cut. However, she seems perfectly calm on the outside. She stands from her desk chair and makes her way out in to the corridor. She calls out for the two security guards in a banshee like scream that betrays her concealed frustration. All the while she keeps her calm and collected posture, creating a rather unsettling contrast.

Alex follows the white rabbit to an open window; his escape in to the dark, treacherous city. He notices a rather cat like shadow on the wall; an incredibly disturbing shadow made only more disturbing by the lack of anything creating it. The shadow points with a sharp looking claw down the corridor. Alex turns to see a particularly large security guard making has way down the intersecting corridor. The guard hasn’t noticed Alex, and so without hesitation Alex leaps out of the window narrowly missing being caught in the beam of the guard’s torch.

Power returns to the asylum, the lights flicker back on and the corridors are flooded with the sound of hurried footsteps as patients are rushed back to their rooms. Alice briskly walks through the chaos, keeping a calm and cool posture that contrasts so greatly with those around her.  She is accompanied by two large security guards that look very much like twins. She complains about the state of the asylum in a loud and obnoxious manner as she walks. Eventually Alice reaches Alex’s room and enters alone. Even upon realising that Alex isn’t there, she keeps her cool, calm and collected demeanour. With a sigh of stifled frustration she pulls out a pair of ornate yet unusual spectacles. She puts them on her face and taps a button on the side of the lens, then briefly sits on the bed. After a few moments she takes the spectacles off and leaves the room. “Found you.”

Pilot Episode Synopsis

WONDERLAND – 

Episode #1: Escape 

Time: 15 minutes 

Synopsis:
Alex sits alone on a bed in the asylum, the rumble of a thunderstorm can be heard outside. Alex shivers and shakes as he sees flashbacks of the fire that ruined his life, all whilst trying to remember how and why the fire started. Suddenly a heavy thunderclap sounds, the room is filled with a flash or lightning and the power goes out. In a most unlikely turn of events Alex’s room unlocks, and Alex’s journey down the rabbit hole begins. A white rabbit hops out from underneath Alex’s bed, beckoning him to follow. Alex grabs his favourite book before following. Alex makes his way through the labyrinthine corridors of the asylum until the rabbit leads him to an open window, where he makes his escape in to the treacherous city.
~
Power returns to the asylum, the lights flicker back on and the sound of hurried footsteps can be heard as patients are rushed back to their rooms. Alice is making her way towards Alex’s room with an air of calmness that contrasts heavily with those around her. She is not calm however, she is infuriated. She is accompanied by two large, twin security guards to whom she complains about the state of the asylum in a rather obnoxious manner. Eventually, Alice reaches Alex’s room and enters alone. Even upon realising that Alex isn’t there, she keeps her cool, calm and collected demeanour. With a sigh of stifled frustration she pulls out a pair of ornate yet unusual spectacles. She puts them on her face and taps a button on the side of the lens, then briefly sits on the bed. After a few moments she takes the spectacles off and leaves the room. “Found you.” 

I know this is a little long for a synopsis of one episode, but it's a bit difficult to tell two stories in one paragraph, no matter how short they are. The plan at the moment is to cut up this episode and use it as a title sequence for all future episodes. I'll explain that in the next post.
Hope you enjoyed anyway! Hope there are questions left unanswered! Most importantly, I hope people would want to watch more!