Wonderland

White was the first to discover my presence in Wonderland. He had been in a rush, forever glancing at the circular watch in his hand, muttering to himself how late he was.

"I'm late, I'm late for a very important date!" he had said repeatedly.

I was fascinated by this creature, him being something straight out of my wildest fantasies so naturally I followed him; right into the hands of the Red Queen.

At first, she had embraced me with curiosity of the Beyond and how I had gotten into Wonderland. She had allowed me to stay with her in the castle and often played games of Chess or Croquette. The most interesting part was that the putters were actually strange birds with long, wide beaks perfect for tapping the tiny hedgehogs that were used as balls. Her guards were decks of cards, 52 of them to be exact and would bend in a half circle to create the spaces the game required.

She had me attend balls filled with unique creatures and people and tea parties with stuffy old women, each unique in their own aspect. If there was one thing I learned to love the most was that Wonderland was full vibrant colour and forms of art.

However, after my first year in Wonderland the Red Queen grew jealous of my popularity with the people of Wonderland. I was often in the spotlight at royal balls and tea parties, receiving invitation after invitation. White, having been assigned to watch over and observe me, handled all of these affairs and taught me much about Wonderland.

Having attracted so much attention to myself, the Queen's jealousy had taken over and one day, she called for my beheading. White had rescued me, revealing one of the many paths through the castle that led beyond the walls of her kingdom and away from her guards. Unable to leave himself, he had ushered me along with instructions to find the Mad Hatter. He said he would know when I had found him.

Afraid for my friend White and for my own safety, I plunged into the forest. I followed the directions the best I could, which led me to my first encounter in the Field of Flowers and the introduction to the Wise Caterpillar.

The flowers loomed way above me like towering Evergreens with their beautifully vibrant petals. They seemed harmless at first, singing softly as they swayed in the breeze; until they captured my scent. Their heads rolled down, the petals spreading out wide to reveal the faces in the middle. Saliva dripped from their fanged teeth as they shrieked and tried to grasp me with their leafy arms.

That was the first time I met Cheshire. I only saw his eyes and his smile from a top a tree at the edge of the forest just beyond the wall of man-eating flowers. Dodging the cannibal vegetation, I followed that smile into the woods where I encountered the Wise Caterpillar.

He was sleek as he rested atop his mushroom palace, puffing on a hookah, the smoke rising in the forms of letters and pictures. With every word he spoke, the smoke reflected the letters and words above my head. Like the other creatures of Wonderland, he held the torso of a human, the rest of his body a caterpillar. Two curled antenna flowed from atop his head of ivy green hair, his almost black eyes focused solely on me.

"You are not from here," he said slowly, his voice laced with curiosity. He placed the tip of the hookah between his lips and inhaled slow and deep.

Cheshire, who had remained with me in feline form smiled at the Caterpillar and explained my story for me. He did not seem surprised that I had appeared in Wonderland. After all, he was the wise caterpillar and he saw and knew all.

"There is a touch of destiny about you," he sighed, words of smoke rising from his blue lips. "It was fate that brought you here, and for a very important purpose."

What this purpose was, he never did say. In the end he told the Cheshire Cat to lead me to The Mad Hatter and that I was to stay there. Cheshire was one for jokes and pranks but I noticed that he was oddly serious for such a devious creature. He had did as he was told and led me straight to the Hatter's Garden.

As usual, he was sitting at his lovely long table with the White Rabbit having tea and chatting away happily. Cheshire made himself known, settling himself on the edge of the fence that rimmed the garden. His eyes watched me as he gestured inside.

White had dropped everything when he saw me and rushed over to embrace me.

"Alice," he breathed with relief. "Thank heavens you made it."

At the time he was a familiar face, so I welcomed his embrace not knowing that later in my life here in Wonderland, would mean so much more to him.

I turned my attention to the stranger with the large black velvet hat. A card stuck out from the side; the Ace of Spades. His eyes were deep like the sapphire hues of midnight. Peeking out from under his hat were pitch black curls brushing over the white collar of his shirt. As I grew older, I would realize he somewhat resembled Al Capone.

His eyes had bared deeply into my own, seeming to see into my very soul. As I child, I was curious and fascinated with this unique man. I was unaware of cold, calculating gleam in his eyes.

"Alice you say..." he murmured, stepping closer with narrowed eyes of suspicion. He cast a glance to White. "Thee Alice?"

White had looked proud in that moment, drawing himself to his full height with a smug look of satisfaction. The Hatter straightened, his black eyebrows rising up on his forehead. He seemed surprised and awed as he tilted his head, staring at me.

That was the first time I had seen Cheshire in his human form. That was the first time I fell in love, not yet a teenager. He was tall with peppery hair lined with silver streaks to match the fur he adorned in feline form. Three platinum hoop sparkled in his left ear. He was chiseled like a greek god, his face all planes and angles. He had a strong jaw and nose paired perfectly with two mesmerizing emerald green eyes containing flecks of gold around the black slits.

He folded his arms, completely ignoring my open stare as he faced the others.

"She has to be the one. No one has ever been able to freely enter Wonderland," he said tilting his head. This action drew my attention to the cat ears poking out from beneath his short, yet shaggy hair.

"You said you had snuck her out of the Red Queen's castle," Hatter said to White. "You honestly cannot tell me she didn't send her guards after you."

White's ears slumped and he looked troubled as his eyes met my own.

"I managed to make up a story to the Queen that she had escaped. I don't know how she believed me because we all know I am a terrible liar," he said honestly as he shook his head.

Cheshire scoffed. "You are one of the worst liars I have ever met."

Hatter ignored them both, focusing on the matter at hand. "What did she say? Did she arrange a hunting party?" he demanded.

White gave a shrug looking worried. "I don't know, she does not let me stick around for those types of conversations anymore."

Hatter grumbled to himself while Cheshire rolled his eyes and perched himself up in the nearest tree. His silvery tail curled around his legs lazily as he checked his claws in boredom.

"She surely has sent a search party out by now," Hatter muttered, shaking his head as he paced back and forth. "Alice is a threat to her; she would never leave her to roam Wonderland."

I knew that the Red Queen was evil firsthand, but I did not understand why she would not want me to be free and explore all of Wonderland.

"Why not?" I asked, demanding some answers. All eyes shifted me in surprise.

I shrugged in confusion. "Why would feel threatened by a child?"

The three of them exchanged a glance as Cheshire jumped down from the tree. He folded his arms and gazed down at her with that all knowing mysterious smile of his.

"You are a threat to her because you can steal away her throne," he said clearly, his face inches away from my own. My breath caught in my throat at the nearness and White sighed.

"He's right, Alice," he said with a frown. "You are the one the Script speaks of."

I gaze at each one of them carefully, wondering my true purpose to why I had been chosen to enter that rabbit hole.

"Why am I here?"

The Hatter grinned then, bending down to meet me at eye level with a rare smile, that devious glint in those sapphire eyes.

"You my dear Alice," he began, "are going to overthrow the Red Queen and take over Wonderland."