Virgil James

“You both would’ve been safe with me if you just let Priscilla live after she told me what was going on! I would’ve stopped him from making any further advances, and you could’ve gotten help for the things you went through — you both could’ve!” “But we wasn’t safe with you, Hattie.” Alice said quietly as she attempted to brush it off. “And I had to kill Priscilla. She was brainwashed with religion, and it made her see me as a monster even though I saved her time and time again. She tried to make me believe I did suttin’ wrong, and the final straw was her suggestin’ I go to an institution when I’m. Not. Crazy. Just like how you constantly tryna assure me that I will be safe wit’chu, and that we woulda been safe wit’chu… even though we wasn’t. Both of you lied to me and hurt me constantly.”

There was more to this snippet, but it was too long and potentially triggering anyway so probably better to not have to use a TW for today. There is a little bit a murder and religious trauma talk though #WIPSnips

“You both would’ve been safe with me if you just let Priscilla live after she told me what was going on! I would’ve stopped him from making any further advances, and you could’ve gotten help for the things you went through — you both could’ve!” “But we wasn’t safe with you, Hattie.” Alice said quietly as she attempted to brush it off. “And I had to kill Priscilla. She was brainwashed with religion, and it made her see me as a monster even though I saved her time and time again. She tried to make me believe I did suttin’ wrong, and the final straw was her suggestin’ I go to an institution when I’m. Not. Crazy. Just like how you constantly tryna assure me that I will be safe wit’chu, and that we woulda been safe wit’chu… even though we wasn’t. Both of you lied to me and hurt me constantly.”

There was more to this snippet, but it was too long and potentially triggering anyway so probably better to not have to use a TW for today. There is a little bit a murder and religious trauma talk though #WIPSnips

LMAO

Alice scoffed, walked out, and pushed open the door to Priscilla’s old room. It was also empty now, but in the middle of the floor was a ripped photograph and a few extinguished candles. A closer look made her realize that it was Priscilla’s part of the picture they took on their final day here, arranged in the center like a weak memorial for her. She crouched down to pick up the picture, and stared at it for a few moments, going over memories of Priscilla in her head. As she was looking at it and remembering her, she set the picture on fire involuntarily, and stared at the flames flickering and burning away the picture, letting the flames lick her fingers. Eventually, Alice dropped the remains of the photo and walked out of Priscilla’s room. She continued walking until she got outside, where Raiyana and Rezina were waiting for her.

#WIPSnips

Alice scoffed, walked out, and pushed open the door to Priscilla’s old room. It was also empty now, but in the middle of the floor was a ripped photograph and a few extinguished candles. A closer look made her realize that it was Priscilla’s part of the picture they took on their final day here, arranged in the center like a weak memorial for her. She crouched down to pick up the picture, and stared at it for a few moments, going over memories of Priscilla in her head. As she was looking at it and remembering her, she set the picture on fire involuntarily, and stared at the flames flickering and burning away the picture, letting the flames lick her fingers. Eventually, Alice dropped the remains of the photo and walked out of Priscilla’s room. She continued walking until she got outside, where Raiyana and Rezina were waiting for her.

#WIPSnips

Yep! It's a horror and romance retelling of the original story- I'm on my second draft :)

Alice screamed in terror as she fell further and further down the hole. After maybe a minute, however, she realized that this was quite a long fall (or she was falling very slowly) and couldn’t quite be afraid anymore. There was silver glitter swirling around her like fairy dust, and suddenly the dark hole was very beautiful to her.

Didn't have "gold", so I used "silver". #WIPSnips

Alice screamed in terror as she fell further and further down the hole. After maybe a minute, however, she realized that this was quite a long fall (or she was falling very slowly) and couldn’t quite be afraid anymore. There was silver glitter swirling around her like fairy dust, and suddenly the dark hole was very beautiful to her.

Didn't have "gold", so I used "silver". #WIPSnips

“Alice!” Mary sighs in relief, sitting up again. “What happened? You okay? You… don’t look really beaten. What he do? Why… why is there blood runnin’ down ya leg?” Alice said nothing. She sat down on the ground, and dug up the medicine for her sister. When she was finished, she walked over to Mary and dropped the bottles in her lap. “Ion know what they do.” Alice said monotonously. “So, just try one every day.” “Okay, but Alice, what happened? You scarin’ me. What he do to you?” Alice didn’t answer that question either. She went over to her bed, and laid down on it slowly. She tried to process it in her brain, tried to form the words to tell Mary what William Liddell did, but she couldn’t do it, no matter how hard she tried. So, she decided that she would never say it out loud, and would never be able to. Even if she could say it about other people, she couldn’t say it out loud about herself, because that would mean facing a reality she can’t face.

TW for implied rape.

I had other instances of "brain", but only a few I already had edited in the digital copy. #WIPSnips

“Alice!” Mary sighs in relief, sitting up again. “What happened? You okay? You… don’t look really beaten. What he do? Why… why is there blood runnin’ down ya leg?” Alice said nothing. She sat down on the ground, and dug up the medicine for her sister. When she was finished, she walked over to Mary and dropped the bottles in her lap. “Ion know what they do.” Alice said monotonously. “So, just try one every day.” “Okay, but Alice, what happened? You scarin’ me. What he do to you?” Alice didn’t answer that question either. She went over to her bed, and laid down on it slowly. She tried to process it in her brain, tried to form the words to tell Mary what William Liddell did, but she couldn’t do it, no matter how hard she tried. So, she decided that she would never say it out loud, and would never be able to. Even if she could say it about other people, she couldn’t say it out loud about herself, because that would mean facing a reality she can’t face.

TW for implied rape.

I had other instances of "brain", but only a few I already had edited in the digital copy. #WIPSnips

What? #WSPit. Author Hype Event. Industry Participation Welcome. When? February 25, 2026, in your time zone. Where? Bluesky only. Authors: Do your due diligence to vet anyone who requests your materials before sending.

Hey, #WIPSnips, mark your calendar!

#WSPit returns February 25th, 2026

This is an Author Hype Event

WIPSnips is already great with hype, but this gives you a chance to pitch your work as a whole, published work included.

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity

“What the HELL IS WRONG WIT’CHU?!” Priscilla suddenly screamed from behind Alice, who stopped walking, but didn’t turn around. “I AIN’T LIKE BEIN’ A SLAVE! I JUST AIN’T WANNA DO THIS! MARY WOULDA NEVER — HELL, YO’ PARENTS WOULDA NEVER —” “WHAT WOULD THEY NEVER?!” Alice screamed, turning back around and striding up to Priscilla. “HUH? TELL ME! TELL ME WHAT THEY WOULD NEVER! GO AHEAD!” Priscilla was silent. “That’s right, you can’t, can you?” Alice continued quietly. “‘Cuz they dead. They all dead! They can’t want shit for me ‘cuz they all gone, and NO, they ain’t watchin’ over me from Heaven ‘cuz HEAVEN AIN’T REAL! HELL AIN’T REAL! GOD AIN’T REAL! NONE A’ THAT SHIT IS REAL! IT JUST FAIRY-TALES TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ‘BOUTCHYO’ SHITTY LIVES! AND YO’ DUMBASS FELL FOR IT LIKE YOU FIVE YEARS OLD OR SUTTIN’!”

I really don't have "fifth" anywhere in my book, so I used "five." And this is a snippet I recently edited which means this is technically part of the second draft :D #WIPSnips

“What the HELL IS WRONG WIT’CHU?!” Priscilla suddenly screamed from behind Alice, who stopped walking, but didn’t turn around. “I AIN’T LIKE BEIN’ A SLAVE! I JUST AIN’T WANNA DO THIS! MARY WOULDA NEVER — HELL, YO’ PARENTS WOULDA NEVER —” “WHAT WOULD THEY NEVER?!” Alice screamed, turning back around and striding up to Priscilla. “HUH? TELL ME! TELL ME WHAT THEY WOULD NEVER! GO AHEAD!” Priscilla was silent. “That’s right, you can’t, can you?” Alice continued quietly. “‘Cuz they dead. They all dead! They can’t want shit for me ‘cuz they all gone, and NO, they ain’t watchin’ over me from Heaven ‘cuz HEAVEN AIN’T REAL! HELL AIN’T REAL! GOD AIN’T REAL! NONE A’ THAT SHIT IS REAL! IT JUST FAIRY-TALES TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ‘BOUTCHYO’ SHITTY LIVES! AND YO’ DUMBASS FELL FOR IT LIKE YOU FIVE YEARS OLD OR SUTTIN’!”

I really don't have "fifth" anywhere in my book, so I used "five." And this is a snippet I recently edited which means this is technically part of the second draft :D #WIPSnips

She was walking for a while when Cloak suddenly appeared in front of her, making her jump. “What the fuck — Cloak!” Alice exclaims. “I thought you were still with Madigan and the rest of them fools…” “I was, then I followed you.” Cloak says. “Where are you off to?” “None of your business.” Alice says. “Alice, I’m very observant…” “More like you can go invisible and stalk people.” “And I noticed something. After all of this time down here… you’d think you would’ve found yourself a home.” “Real estate for me is a little tricky down here as there is mostly forest. I’m not an animal, I can’t just burrow in some hole.” Alice scoffed.

I definitely improved this conversation a little in the physical copy, but I'm not there in the digital copy yet lol so here it is for now. #WIPSnips

She was walking for a while when Cloak suddenly appeared in front of her, making her jump. “What the fuck — Cloak!” Alice exclaims. “I thought you were still with Madigan and the rest of them fools…” “I was, then I followed you.” Cloak says. “Where are you off to?” “None of your business.” Alice says. “Alice, I’m very observant…” “More like you can go invisible and stalk people.” “And I noticed something. After all of this time down here… you’d think you would’ve found yourself a home.” “Real estate for me is a little tricky down here as there is mostly forest. I’m not an animal, I can’t just burrow in some hole.” Alice scoffed.

I definitely improved this conversation a little in the physical copy, but I'm not there in the digital copy yet lol so here it is for now. #WIPSnips

“Do you like it?” He asked me as I stared at the dress, my eyes wide as I ran my fingers over it. “…where did you get this?” I asked shakily. “Oh, I found it online. It was about $3,000 on —” “Etsy?” “Yeah! I know you weren’t a fan of the white dresses, so I hoped you’d like this one. It suits you.” Of course I liked it. Even though we couldn’t afford it, I knew I liked it almost ten years ago… when Alice showed it to me. I dropped the dress back into the box, and burst into tears. My fiancé asked me what was wrong, and I couldn’t tell him, nor did I want to. So, instead he hugged and kissed me, pulling me on the couch and trying to calm me down. Even though I eventually quieted, all I felt was a part of me break away from what was already broken.

Woo-hoo, sadness! (Insert Hollywood sound effect of children yelling "yay") #WIPSnips

“Do you like it?” He asked me as I stared at the dress, my eyes wide as I ran my fingers over it. “…where did you get this?” I asked shakily. “Oh, I found it online. It was about $3,000 on —” “Etsy?” “Yeah! I know you weren’t a fan of the white dresses, so I hoped you’d like this one. It suits you.” Of course I liked it. Even though we couldn’t afford it, I knew I liked it almost ten years ago… when Alice showed it to me. I dropped the dress back into the box, and burst into tears. My fiancé asked me what was wrong, and I couldn’t tell him, nor did I want to. So, instead he hugged and kissed me, pulling me on the couch and trying to calm me down. Even though I eventually quieted, all I felt was a part of me break away from what was already broken.

Woo-hoo, sadness! (Insert Hollywood sound effect of children yelling "yay") #WIPSnips

I gestured for her to turn around, and I picked her afro back out with my fingers. She shivered as I touched her hair, wanting us to stay there, basking in the summer sun, for the rest of our lives.

This is probably my shortest one lmao

#WIPSnips

I gestured for her to turn around, and I picked her afro back out with my fingers. She shivered as I touched her hair, wanting us to stay there, basking in the summer sun, for the rest of our lives.

This is probably my shortest one lmao

#WIPSnips

Actually no she couldn't unless he was beating on her everyday- which he wasn't. I figured he was horrible enough 😭

It's 1865 💔 I mean I think she COULD but she probably shouldn't

“Why you let Edward say mean things to you?” Alice said indignantly. “Alic — !” Priscilla started to hiss, but Alice gave her a look and she went silent. Hattie heard nothing, and answered Alice. “He’s my husband.” Hattie sighed. “It doesn’t matter how he treats me. In any case, he’s right, I’m using you two to replace the daughters I can’t make.” “But that still mean.” Alice said. “If I ever married a man (which I won’t ‘cuz men are overrated), I would never let him speak to me no type a’ way.” Alice ended the last sentence with a smirk. “You won’t get married? Why not?” Hattie asked. “I ain’t say I ain’t gon’ get married. I just ain’t gon’ marry a man, ‘cuz men are overrated, like I said.” Alice shrugged. “I’d rather marry a woman, they better and more attractive, anyway. And then I won’t gotta have kids.” “Alice… you’re a girl.” “And? Who says girls can’t marry other girls? It sure sound better than bein’ wit’ a boy who don’t ‘preciate me.”

I think I've probably shared this conversation or parts of it many times, but I still like it. I think this is one of the few things I barely touched when I was marking up the physical copy. #WIPSnips

“Why you let Edward say mean things to you?” Alice said indignantly. “Alic — !” Priscilla started to hiss, but Alice gave her a look and she went silent. Hattie heard nothing, and answered Alice. “He’s my husband.” Hattie sighed. “It doesn’t matter how he treats me. In any case, he’s right, I’m using you two to replace the daughters I can’t make.” “But that still mean.” Alice said. “If I ever married a man (which I won’t ‘cuz men are overrated), I would never let him speak to me no type a’ way.” Alice ended the last sentence with a smirk. “You won’t get married? Why not?” Hattie asked. “I ain’t say I ain’t gon’ get married. I just ain’t gon’ marry a man, ‘cuz men are overrated, like I said.” Alice shrugged. “I’d rather marry a woman, they better and more attractive, anyway. And then I won’t gotta have kids.” “Alice… you’re a girl.” “And? Who says girls can’t marry other girls? It sure sound better than bein’ wit’ a boy who don’t ‘preciate me.”

I think I've probably shared this conversation or parts of it many times, but I still like it. I think this is one of the few things I barely touched when I was marking up the physical copy. #WIPSnips

Suddenly, Alice stopped falling and hit the ground. The glitter around her stopped swirling and came to a halt on the cold floor. The floor looked like smooth obsidian (my description, not Alice’s; she didn’t know what obsidian was), and when she looked down, she could just barely see herself reflected in it. The walls were the same, except they were covered in pure white doors, and one curtain the same color. There was a glass table in the middle of the room with a silver key and a glass bottle with strange liquid sitting on it.

#WIPSnips

I froze in place, and my breathing picked up again, afraid of what she might do next. Alice wasn’t listening to me. I suppose I can’t expect her to want to listen, because in her mind, I betrayed her. Had it been the other way around, I doubt I would have listened to her either. It’s human nature. I just wish humans didn’t work that way by default, I wish there was more room for reason when the mind is clouded with anger and hurt. I never meant to hurt her, and I desperately wanted her to see that I was on her side. I was — and I am always on her side, even when I shouldn’t be, even when I don’t defend her. That won’t ever change.

I actually just finished marking up the physical copy of The Descent of Alice Liddell! And I scratched out everything after "it's human nature", not because it wasn't good, but because the narrator was already yapping and repeating herself A LOT and it ended up being unnecessary to keep. #WIPSnips

I froze in place, and my breathing picked up again, afraid of what she might do next. Alice wasn’t listening to me. I suppose I can’t expect her to want to listen, because in her mind, I betrayed her. Had it been the other way around, I doubt I would have listened to her either. It’s human nature. I just wish humans didn’t work that way by default, I wish there was more room for reason when the mind is clouded with anger and hurt. I never meant to hurt her, and I desperately wanted her to see that I was on her side. I was — and I am always on her side, even when I shouldn’t be, even when I don’t defend her. That won’t ever change.

I actually just finished marking up the physical copy of The Descent of Alice Liddell! And I scratched out everything after "it's human nature", not because it wasn't good, but because the narrator was already yapping and repeating herself A LOT and it ended up being unnecessary to keep. #WIPSnips

However, this isn’t a fairy-tale, so it wasn’t quite so simple. Though she didn’t want to face it, she couldn’t deny that she loved to kill. She liked watching people — good or bad — die by her hand, especially if it was slowly, so she could watch the light in their eyes fade away, or so she could watch her victim stop moving. It made her feel powerful, like she had control over the lives of people around her. It’s just as much a part of her as the vulnerability is, which I understood even then when I didn’t know much of her true nature.

I have a lot of "control", unfortunately... #WIPSnips

However, this isn’t a fairy-tale, so it wasn’t quite so simple. Though she didn’t want to face it, she couldn’t deny that she loved to kill. She liked watching people — good or bad — die by her hand, especially if it was slowly, so she could watch the light in their eyes fade away, or so she could watch her victim stop moving. It made her feel powerful, like she had control over the lives of people around her. It’s just as much a part of her as the vulnerability is, which I understood even then when I didn’t know much of her true nature.

I have a lot of "control", unfortunately... #WIPSnips

Alice had been walking for thirty minutes or so when she figured she should probably take a break to eat. So, she sat down on the side of the road and opened her bag. Most of what she packed was pastries, because it’s all she could steal and keep in one place long enough. It’s not exactly the most healthy thing she could eat a bunch of, but it’s food, and she needs to eat. She pulled out a smashed muffin and started to eat it.

Mundane, but it works lol. #WIPSnips

Alice had been walking for thirty minutes or so when she figured she should probably take a break to eat. So, she sat down on the side of the road and opened her bag. Most of what she packed was pastries, because it’s all she could steal and keep in one place long enough. It’s not exactly the most healthy thing she could eat a bunch of, but it’s food, and she needs to eat. She pulled out a smashed muffin and started to eat it.

Mundane, but it works lol. #WIPSnips