Somewhere Out There

"Alex, are you sure you don't need a ride home?" asked one of the bouncers from the bar I worked at.
"No, I'm fine, Gary," I smiled at him, "I can handle myself if needed."
"I know," He nodded, "It's just dark and late-"
"Relax," I smiled at him while locking the door, "I've got a few things to do yet tonight anyway."
"Alright, call me when you get home," He smiled as I nodded then headed back to my apartment.

I lived not far from the bar and it was a nice night out so I decided to walk. And I was right about being able to defend myself, I could, I wasn't helpless like everyone thought. There was a lot dance and gymnastics did for me besides keeping in shape, I just never continued after high school because of the injuries. Bartending was something that just fell into my lap as I was trying to find my place in the world.

One that didn't seem to make sense. I felt as if I was being watched as I opened the main doors to the apartments but didn't make anything of it. As I quickly shut the door behind me, I made my way up to my apartment building just as the warm humid air of the air was building into a thunderstorm.

I sat my keys down on the table while pressing play on my answering machine. As I listened, I slowly rolled my eyes since it was just my mom checking up on me so I decided to change out of work clothes into a red and black active wear jacket and some black active wear pants since I was planning to work out. As I zipped up the jacket, my eyes took notice of the snipper heart tattoo that I got done a while ago. The heart was never a tattoo though, I was born with an actual red heart on my right wrist which my parents said would fade and it was marker but it never came off. I noticed it when I was 5 and now 20 years later, it was still there.

Sitting down in my chair for a brief second, I took a deep breath when there was a knock at my door. Getting up, I was just about to answer it when an envelope slid under the door at my feet. Slowly picking it up, I opened it to find a letter.

Meet me at the old warehouse by the pier in 15 minutes. I can tell you about your family. Your real family and come alone.

I looked up to the door then went to open but no one was there. Shrugging I sat the letter down to look it at, weighing my options. Grabbing my keys, I headed out the door to the warehouse the letter told me to. It was dark, the only light in the building was from the full moon that night.

"Hello?" I called out as no one was there, "I got this letter, about my family."

I started walking around the pillars looking for anyone, "Look if this is some sick joke, than it's not funny."

A noise got my attention as I seen a flash of someone run by in which I followed them, "Hey!"

I followed the person who looked as if they had blond hair but they disappeared but I was now in front of a giant mirror.

"Well if that's not odd," I mentioned as I looked at myself in the mirror, smirking as I seen my boots, "Good job wearing boots Alex."

As I examined myself in the mirror, I wasn't paying attention to anything when I felt a hand on my back and a man's voice.

"Take a deep breath," was all I heard before I felt myself being pushed into the mirror.

It was then that I realized that I was falling, trying desperately to try and stop myself but it was no use. Seeing water approach, I held my breath as I plunged into the coldness of the clear water. Surfacing, I made my way over to the bank of the shore as I caught my breath when someone stopped me.

"Well what do we have here?" A man who looked homeless looked down at me, "You're no oyster."
"Well duh," I slowly stood up, "Can you help me? I have no idea where I am."
"How'd you get here?" He questioned.
"Well first of all, I don't know where here is," I looked at the scraggely man, "And secondly, I was finding answers about my family when I was pushed into a mirror and fell into the water, and ta da."
"Oyster," He shook his head as I rolled my eyes.
"Look, I don't know what you're talking about," I followed him, "Just please, help me find someone who can tell me where exactly I can leave."
"You can't leave," He shook his head walking off.
"Listen, my name's Alex, I live at-"
"Don't help oysters."
"Will you stop calling me that?" I ran a hand through my hair as he noticed my wrist and took it, "What are you doing?"
"Where'd you get that?" He questioned looking at my tattoo.
"Tattoo artist, when I was 18," I took my hand back, "I just want to go home."
"I know someone who can help you," The guy smiled as I looked at him, "Follow me."

I shrugged then followed the guy since I didn't know wher I was in the first place. We stopped outside a building next to a phone booth.

"Wait here. Count to ten then come in," He looked at me as I raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"

Before he could answer, he ran off as I stood there, counting. Entering the building, I seen people in suits, like it was a stock market. It was strange, as if this place wasn't strange enough. I was trying to take it all in, when that guy told me to follow him to a back room.

This back room I was in, was bright, half had grass, mainly by the desk of whoever it was.

"What's your name?" The guy asked from the chair was his back to me.
"Alex," I looked at him as that scraggely guy smirked as I rolled my eyes, "Short for Alexandria."
"Well Alex," The man turned in the chair to look at me which my heart skipped a bit, he was cute, "What can I do for you?"
"I was looking for my real family," I looked at him, "When I got pushed into this world."

I reached into my pocket to pull out the letter, "This was under my door and I never fit in with my parents or anyone at home so I followed it's instructions."

The guy took the letter as I watched him look at it.

"If you don't mind me asking since I know you're name-"
"Hatter," He smiled at me as I raised an eyebrow.
"Hatter?"
"Yes," He half glared, "I'm sure you've heard worse."
"Yeah my middle name," I rolled my eyes, "Diamond."
"Diamond?" He let out a giggle as I looked at him.
"Look, can you help me?"
"How exactly did you get here?"
"I got pushed in, landed into a lake, then pulled myself out," I shrugged as I looked down, "Which is why I'm soaked to the bone."
"I see," He encircled me," Rat here tells me you have an interesting tattoo."
"Snipper heart," I shrugged, "Nothing too interesting about that."
"Can I see it?"
"Fine," I sighed as I moved my jacket while his eyes still looked me over, "And stop staring at me like that."

Hatter looked at the tattoo as I felt his warm hands on my skin as he let it go.

"I can help you."
"You can?" My eyes lit up as he went to get me a coat.
"Yes," He nodded handing me the coat.
"But I just met you," I looked at him as he gave me a smirk.
"You need to find your family," He nodded, "I know some people."
"Wow," I was shocked as I slid the warm coat around me as he went to get rid of the Rat guy.

"If you don't mind me asking," I watched as he went back to his desk, "Where exactly am I?"
"You never been here before?" He raised an eyebrow.
"No," I shook my head, "Yet strangely it seems familiar."
"Well Alex my dear," He smiled at me while standing up again, "Welcome to Wonderland."