Wonderland

I spun around to face the owner of that voice but found no-one. I frowned as I checked my surroundings, trying to calculate the nearest, and most likely, point as to where he could have gone. Realising I had no idea I turned back to the others only to find myself face to face with a man inspecting me carefully.

“You’re not what I expected.” he stated bluntly and wrinkled his nose.

I took a moment to take this new person in, judging him how he had just judged me. Weirdly he was wearing a brown suit with an extremely unfashionable, but attractive, brown shirt underneath. The shirt was decorated with an intricate gold, brown and red pattern displayed over it. It was interesting.

My gaze was fixed to his shoes, which were superbly unremarkable black suit shoes, when he cleared his throat slightly pulling my gaze to his eyes. They were the colour of liquid dark chocolate which gave glimpses of adventures he had had and secrets he held. But they were no more than glimpses. These eyes had seen everything and yet still had a lot to learn. This person had a beard that was only slightly over a morning shadow but looked soft to the touch. His hair, the same colour as his eyes, flicked out at all different angles under the rim of his hat. Overall he was cute. I raised an eyebrow.

“I could say the same about you.” I said back, looking him once over before returning to his eyes.

“Witty. How very… Alice of you.” he said and smirked.

“You never answered my question.” he stated and turned to the others. “Or did she?”

“No you’re right. She didn’t.” Dora laughed and skipped up to Hatter’s side. I frowned at her. She wasn’t to be trusted.

“Well?” he pushed turning back towards me.

“Who are you?” I ignored.

“Ha!? Me? You can call me Hatter. I run this place. Anyone you may meet in these gardens works for me or are my customers.” he laughed spinning around slightly with his hands out at his hips.

“And who do you work for?” I pushed. I wanted answers and I was going to get them.

“Everyone. And no-one. It depends who needs my services.” he shrugged.

“I’m guessing you’re a very popular person among the Kingdoms then?”

“So you know of the Kingdoms. Good. Now shall we get back to business?” he turned his back to me again.

“I wasn’t done.” I begun to complain.

“But I was. Although there is one last thing.” he said turning back to me with one finger in the air.

“Which is?”

“You have to trust me. I’m risking my life for you and if you don’t trust me then there is no point.” he pointed out. I understood his logic and bowed my head slightly.

“And what evidence can you give to prove you can be trusted?” I countered.

This time he smiled. Now this had an unusual effect on his face, lighting it up completely and changing him to an almost unrecognisable person. And he had dimples. He suddenly went from cute to attractive. But his attitude was a major put off. I couldn’t decide if he was crazy or big-headed and because of that I wasn’t at all interested.

“You’re clever. I like you. Who knows, maybe after we get you somewhere safe and the threat of your death is removed we can become friends? Maybe something… more.” he said and leaned towards me smiling.

“I doubt that. Anyway how do you plan on getting me out of here? Because if I’m honest the only safe place I want to be is back home and away from all of this.” I said waving my arms around me.

His smile dropped and he straightened up again. “Okay okay. No need to be so insultive. Who’s to say your worlds so safe anyway? This is our first war. You’ve had many more.”

“Yes but you didn’t answer my question. Who knew a Hatter could be so hypocritical.” I remarked and placed a hand on my right hip.

His gaze followed my hand and lingered there for a second before returning to my own gaze and smiling. This made me suddenly very aware of what I was wearing. I looked down to inspect my choice. It was a dark blue dress that went just below my knees and puffed out from the hips down. I had been wearing it because, before I had been rudely dragged into this, quite frankly, destroyed world, I had been on my way to a party. My best friends Birthday party to be exact. I was suddenly very grateful that I had decided to go with the blue flats instead of the heels.

“I know people. People who can get you places. Just one of the many privileges of running Wonderland’s most famous Tea Shop.” he said and leaned towards me.

I looked around with an eyebrow raised. “This is a Tea Shop?”

He threw his head back and laughed. “No no. Not this.”

He held out his arm towards me. When I just looked at it he sighed, shook his head and grabbed my hand, pulling me with him to the hedge where he proceeded to pull a section of it towards us like a door. The gap in the hedge soon grew bigger revealing a brightly lit room. I looked to Hatter who smiled at me and inclined his head towards the gap indicating for me to go through.

Soon my curiosity over took me and I stepped through but Hatter followed close behind. It was a huge room, made a lot like a bank, with a row of separate stalls each sat someone in a black suit and tie. There were queues of people lining the room all shouting and screaming at the person in front.

“What is it they want?” I asked Hatter who was stood beside me, arms folded.

“Why that would be emotions Alice. Pure, physical, human emotions.”