Mad As A Hatter (Completed 2015) [WATTY AWARD WINNER *Featured Story*]

Amazon Prime Panic Bonus Chapter: Mad as a Hatter

Author's Note

In celebration of Amazon Prime Video's newest series Panic, I am thrilled to be teaming up with Amazon Prime Video and Wattpad to write this exclusive chapter that puts my characters from this story into the world of Panic!

I hope this chapter intrigues and inspires you to learn more about Panic. Visit the #PanicWritingContest on Wattpad for the chance to put your creative writing chops to the test and learn more about the show!

To find out more about the contest, prizes, and how to enter, check out the #PanicWritingContest here: wattpad.com/AmazonPrimeVideo

Don't forget to watch the series premiere on May 28th, only on Amazon Prime Video, here: http://primevideo.com/

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POV ~ Alice Hatter

After the world ended and civilization finally came up from their hidden caves and bunkers, there was one thing I REALLY wanted to do:

Go to school.

Just for fun. Try it out and see what the hype was all about.

I dragged Isaac and Grim with me to the small town of Carpe in Texas. Grim refused to go to school because he felt he already knew everything, but Isaac agreed to tag along as a student.

He said he didn't want to go for the studying. He went for 'Social learning', which in my head just meant he was looking for new friends.

Then again - when you're stuck with the Grim Reaper and Hell's Purge/ Demon Killer, I don't blame him for getting sick of us.

We entered as seniors and managed to pass most of our classes.

But as we approached the end of senior year, we heard of this game called 'Panic' that we could enter.

One winner takes $50,000 by the end of the game.

I remember telling Grim about the challenge and he just scoffed.

"Peasant money," he replied. "This is all this town has to offer? 50K? We could steal that amount from a bank in less than a day."

"I-I-I think it'd be fun," Isaac piped in.

We sat around our kitchen counter, my legs pressed next to Isaac's as our sitting space was the biggest.

We stole an old RV back in Ohio and have been using it since to live in.

"An opportunity to make friends," Isaac added.

"Wow, so immortal legends aren't good enough for you?" Grim said.

"N-no that's not what I mean-"

"I think it'd be awesome!" I exclaimed and looked at Grim with big cheerful eyes. "Think about what we could do with the money. We could buy 40 pizzas?!"

"Or donate it to charity," Isaac mentioned.

"Or steal a bank and not participate in a dumb human game made up by a bunch of 20 something year olds," Grim chimed in.

"So that's a yes," I said and got up.

Grim shook his head and stood next to me. "What part of that was a 'yes'?" he sputtered.

"I wasn't asking for permission. You're either in or out." I grabbed my hiking boots from under the bed. "Plus, this is a great excuse to do some fun stuff. There's different risky challenges and apparently two kids died last summer from playing Panic."

Grim's face lit up. "Death? I'm in."

-

"S-s-so this is the first challenge?" Isaac looked up and watch a few of the other participants climb up the hill.

"Cliff jumping - basic human fear," Grim scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Fragile beings."

"Isaac, you've literally ripped a demon in half. This has to be the least terrifying thing you've done," I said as we made our way up.

Isaac shook his head. "B-but we don't know what's on the bottom. What if it's rocks?"

"Then death." Grim rubbed his hands together with glee.

"You're sick," I scoffed at Grim.

"You used to be. School made you soft," Grim replied and nudged my shoulder.

"Well, I learned life isn't about killing people."

"Pity."

"Guysssss. There's different cliff options. Can we please not pick a scary one?" Isaac pleaded.

We stopped along with 20 other teenagers as we huddled around to hear someone read out the rules. However, I wasn't really paying attention.

I kept flicking Isaac in the head and seeing him annoyed was just too amusing.

"And good luck," said one of the participants and people started to scatter.

I looked around a bit and leaned in closer to Grim. "Did they say something important?"

"Did you not pay attention?" He gave me the dumbest look and I shrugged.

"Alice, you are just ..." he started and then knew best to shut up.

Grim pointed to the closest cliff. "To announce our entrance in the game, we must jump off a cliff into the water."

"Oh god," Isaac whined.

"We get 100 points for entering," Grim continued. "If we jump from the High Jump, we get an extra 25 points."

"Oh math. Fuck," I groaned.

"If we jump from Suicide Leap," said Grim as he ignored me. "That's an extra 100 points or immunity in a challenge of your choice."

"I'm already immortal, why would I need immunity?" I laughed and looked at both of them in hopes of laughing with me.

Isaac just look terrified and eyed down the smallest cliff.

Grim stared admirably at the Suicide Leap. "She's a beauty," he sighed.

"Suicide Leap it is then." I marched on and heard Isaac whining in the back.

"B-but I don't want to-"

"You can just look," I interrupted. "After we jump, you can go to your baby leap."

Just as we got to the top, one kid leaped off the Suicide Leap and we heard them screaming before a loud splash followed after.

"Grim..." I watched him eye another kid down. "Don't you dare push him in. He has to jump himself."

Grim mumbled a few curse words under his breath, hugging his arms around his body.

Isaac peered over the cliff and gulped. "I don't see the guy that jumped. Do you think he made it?"

I peered down and just saw a big pool of blue. No moving figure in sight. "I don't know. Why don't you go check?"

He stared at me like I told him he grew nine heads. "W-what? Ho-"

I shoved him off the cliff and his throaty scream echoed throughout the forest. Everyone turned to the sound and I watched his legs and arms go flailing.

"What the Hell?! I wanted to do it," Grim whined.

I blew him a kiss and grinned. "Whoops."

He sighed. "That was hot though."

"You guys are sick," said one of the kids who watched the whole thing unfold.

"That's what love makes you do," Grim answered with his own dark smile. He took off his shirt and made a running start for the cliff before diving in perfect form.

I smiled and ran after him.