‹ Prequel: Go Ask Alice.
Sequel: Welcome Home. ›
Down the Rabbit-Hole.
Down the Rabbit-Hole.
Pete and Brendon walked in the door around eleven. Dru and Ryan were sleeping on the couch, the girl resting daintily in the boy’s arms. Pete’s eyes widened slightly at the scenery. Cigarettes, a few beer bottles, an open bottle of vodka next to an empty bottle of Gatorade, white powder next to a razorblade, a bottle of pills, and a half-smoked joint. Brendon didn’t say much, just stepped forward and picked the blunt up along with a lighter, putting the first in his lips and the latter to it.
“What the hell are you doing?” Pete asked, eyes now narrowed.
Brendon looked at him with an almost patronizing look before inhaling. “What’s it look like?”
“What the hell is all this shit? Are you fucking kidding me?”
Brendon rolled his eyes and kneeled down to put the cap on the bottle of vodka. “We’re trying to help her find Wonderland.”
“Wonderland.” Pete said dryly.
“You should read Ryan’s lyrics when he’s stoned. They’re, like . . . wow.” Brendon said, standing up, almost smiling.
“They were ‘wow’ before.” the older boy said, clearly unimpressed. “Fucking coke, Bren?”
“It’s not coke.” Brendon said. “It’s powdered painkillers. They work faster if you snort them.”
Druscilla stirred, drowsy eyes opening slightly as she turned to look over her shoulder. “Brennie?”
He smiled and knelt beside her, kissing the girl softly on the mouth. “Hi, baby.” he murmured affectionately.
“Didn’t work.” she said, lowering her eyes.
“Come on,” Brendon said, scooping her up effortlessly in his arms, “I’ll tell you the Wonderland story.” He nodded at the stairs, eyes on Pete. “You, too. I want you to hear this.”
Upstairs, Brendon sat down with Druscilla’s head resting in his lap, both of her hands holding one of his, his other hand playing with her hair. “Wonderland story.” she whispered.
And Brendon started:
“One day you and me and Ryan went out to the woods to find the rabbit-hole. It wasn’t that hard to find and you found it after about ten minutes. Ryan went in first and then you and them me. When we came to edge, Ryan and I held your hands and then we jumped. You remembered to wear a dress, of course, but since there were three of us we didn’t land quite as well as Alice did.
“We went through the door without much problem and avoided that whole running around in circle in the water thing. We went to see the caterpillar first. And we all sat around and smoked with him and he got really mad when you started quoting Ryan’s lyrics to him. Then we went to see the flowers, but they weren’t really too happy about that. You looked like Alice and they thought we were weeds.
“Then the Cheshire count found us and we tried to ask him for directions to the tea party, but he wouldn’t answer like anything sane and we left. It wasn’t that—“
“Brendon?” Dru interrupted suddenly.
“Yeah, baby?” he asked, brown eyes full of concern.
“Why can’t we find it now? Why can’t we go now?” Her bottom lip trembled and she tried not to cry. “I want to go now.”
Brendon opened his mouth, but Pete interrupted. “You can only get there by accident, Dru. Trying doesn’t make it any easier to get in.”
Then she started to cry for real and Brendon tried to calm her with soft ‘shhh’ing noises while giving Pete dagger eyes from hell. ’Get out.’ he mouthed angrily.
He left the room quickly, with every intention of leaving the house, but Ryan’s figure in the living room stopped him. The younger boy held the joint out invitingly. Pete took it, coughing as he exhaled. Ryan handed him a beer. “It gets easier.” he said with a smile.
“Wonderland?” Pete asked when he got his breath back.
Ryan nodded. “Wonderland.”
“What the hell are you doing?” Pete asked, eyes now narrowed.
Brendon looked at him with an almost patronizing look before inhaling. “What’s it look like?”
“What the hell is all this shit? Are you fucking kidding me?”
Brendon rolled his eyes and kneeled down to put the cap on the bottle of vodka. “We’re trying to help her find Wonderland.”
“Wonderland.” Pete said dryly.
“You should read Ryan’s lyrics when he’s stoned. They’re, like . . . wow.” Brendon said, standing up, almost smiling.
“They were ‘wow’ before.” the older boy said, clearly unimpressed. “Fucking coke, Bren?”
“It’s not coke.” Brendon said. “It’s powdered painkillers. They work faster if you snort them.”
Druscilla stirred, drowsy eyes opening slightly as she turned to look over her shoulder. “Brennie?”
He smiled and knelt beside her, kissing the girl softly on the mouth. “Hi, baby.” he murmured affectionately.
“Didn’t work.” she said, lowering her eyes.
“Come on,” Brendon said, scooping her up effortlessly in his arms, “I’ll tell you the Wonderland story.” He nodded at the stairs, eyes on Pete. “You, too. I want you to hear this.”
Upstairs, Brendon sat down with Druscilla’s head resting in his lap, both of her hands holding one of his, his other hand playing with her hair. “Wonderland story.” she whispered.
And Brendon started:
“One day you and me and Ryan went out to the woods to find the rabbit-hole. It wasn’t that hard to find and you found it after about ten minutes. Ryan went in first and then you and them me. When we came to edge, Ryan and I held your hands and then we jumped. You remembered to wear a dress, of course, but since there were three of us we didn’t land quite as well as Alice did.
“We went through the door without much problem and avoided that whole running around in circle in the water thing. We went to see the caterpillar first. And we all sat around and smoked with him and he got really mad when you started quoting Ryan’s lyrics to him. Then we went to see the flowers, but they weren’t really too happy about that. You looked like Alice and they thought we were weeds.
“Then the Cheshire count found us and we tried to ask him for directions to the tea party, but he wouldn’t answer like anything sane and we left. It wasn’t that—“
“Brendon?” Dru interrupted suddenly.
“Yeah, baby?” he asked, brown eyes full of concern.
“Why can’t we find it now? Why can’t we go now?” Her bottom lip trembled and she tried not to cry. “I want to go now.”
Brendon opened his mouth, but Pete interrupted. “You can only get there by accident, Dru. Trying doesn’t make it any easier to get in.”
Then she started to cry for real and Brendon tried to calm her with soft ‘shhh’ing noises while giving Pete dagger eyes from hell. ’Get out.’ he mouthed angrily.
He left the room quickly, with every intention of leaving the house, but Ryan’s figure in the living room stopped him. The younger boy held the joint out invitingly. Pete took it, coughing as he exhaled. Ryan handed him a beer. “It gets easier.” he said with a smile.
“Wonderland?” Pete asked when he got his breath back.
Ryan nodded. “Wonderland.”