Character Description: Alice

     The buildings above her cast ominous shadows on the uneven, cobbled ground and the full moon illuminates her pale face.  Her lips are drawn together in a slight frown.  She wanders aimlessly in the streets, stepping gingerly, hesitantly upon the cobbles as if she is not sure of herself, slowly maneuvering around obstacles in her path.  She makes not a sound, passing by darkened houses and through alleys like a ghost.  
A glistening tear rolls halfway down her cheek, but she hastily brushes it off, leaving a smudge of dirt and mud.  Struggling to disarm the sorrow clawing at her heart, she attempts to contain the floodwaters of tears that yearn for freedom.  
A breeze chills the night, seeping through her worn cloak.  Her arms withdraw inside the little warmth it provides, and she gives not a thought to the tears and threadbare patches littering its surface.  As she casts her dark gaze upward, her brown eyes reveal the reflections of stars.   
Wasting no time, she reaches into a small, unnoticed parcel suspended at her side.  An undersized morsel of bread is withdrawn.  Her last nourishment.  She swallows it in one gulp and carries on.  
A raindrop splatters on her long, dark hair, leaving a spot of moisture.  Another follows.  Soon she is searching for shelter in a torrential downpour.
She sighs as she counts twelve cathedral bells, revealing the time.