Hatter {H. Hook}

prologue

There was only a single light on the ceiling of the elevator that descended. The young girl clutched tightly to her father's hand whenever she felt a jump in her stomach. She wasn't at all familiar with where they were going, she just knew that she was both excited and confused.

Her father had told her, "Hollow, my darling, we're going on an adventure." midway through her tea party. Those were the only words she needed to hear before she abandoned her tea at the table. She grabbed her coat, slipped on her shoes, and walked out of the front door of their cottage.

Her confusion, however, sunk in when they stepped into a magical limo and drove across the sea. The limo then drove behind a big beautiful castle, where they were greeted by who Hollow knew as the King and the Queen. She was excited to meet them, but she was told to remain silent. To not even let the birds hear her.

"This is her?" The Queen asked as she spoke quietly.

Her father rolled his eyes, and nodded his head, "She the one, no more tricks, I swear."

More words were exchanged between her father and the royals before they were greeted by two women dressed in white shirts and pants with patches sewn into the pockets. An older man wearing glasses and a stethoscope around his neck appeared in between them.

"Doctor Dwarf will take you the rest of the way." The King said before he gave the little girl a small wave and fake smile.

Hollow smiled back at the King. Just as she thought about the words 'King' and 'Queen',' it brought a wide grin to her face. The thought of being in the presence of royalty was enough to make her giggle. Sure given where she came from, she was meant to despise them. But she didn't know any better at six years old. She was never allowed to hang out with the other kids on the Isle because of her father's paranoia. She didn't know the difference yet between good and evil. But she would find out soon enough.

The Doctor and the two ladies in white guided the girl and her father through a small, narrow hallway in the castle before they opened a small door that led into a room. It was a tiny room, the only things being a broom, dustpan, metal shelves, and trash can. But with the push of a bright button beside the light switch, the wall before they parted and revealed an elevator behind it labeled 'The Rabbit Hole.' The elevator opened and the man in white motioned for them to step in before him. The doors closed behind them and he hit the only glowing button on the elevator wall. It read 'Wonderland' above it.

Hollow gripped her father's hand and wondered what 'Wonderland' could be. The word 'wonder' made the place sound amazing to her. Like the opportunities were endless. But there was a sudden thought that crossed her mind, her father hadn't said much since they got in the limo.

"Daddy, when does the adventure start?" She asked.

"Oh very soon my darling, very, very soon." He replied and looked down at her with a smile that gave her hope. She just figured that if he was this excited, then she should be too.

The elevator came to a stop, and the light began to flicker. As the doors opened, a dim white hallway was revealed. Giant glass sheets lined the walls and looked into small rooms. As they stepped out, Hollow could see people inside some of the rooms, either curled in a ball or pacing. A few even pounded on the glass as she walked down the hallway. The noise caused her to clutch onto her father's hand tighter. She questioned herself about her father's intentions and what he considered an adventure.

She even heard a voice yell, "Hatter! Oh, Hatter, you came back for me! You did! You did!"

"Bring her in here sir." The Doctor motioned toward a small room, the ladies in white followed in too.

Hollow sat upon a table as the Doctor listened for her heartbeat, took her temperature, and checked her reflexes. Not that any of this would matter, but it was just a mandatory procedure with young residents like herself. After her full health check, the two ladies in white gave her what seemed to be new clothes and pointed to a bathroom. She walked in to change and walked out in a white gown and socks that gripped the floor. The socks were coincidentally her favorite color, forest green.

"Daddy, these socks feel kind of funny." She giggled, still confused. No one had said much this entire time during her adventure, and that greatly stumped her. However, she sensed it wasn't her time to talk, so she silenced herself.

"They are indeed funny socks my darling." He responded as he sent his daughter a fake grin.

"Alright," the Doctor began as he checked off boxes on a clipboard, "she's all set, you all can follow me this way." He held his arm out and motioned towards the door. The young blonde grabbed her father's hand again as they walked out the door and back into the creepy hallway. She could still hear the man from before shouting, along with many new voices that muttered in their small spaces.

"OooOo, a new one."

"She's only a child?"

"I wonder what she did?"

"What is she capable of?"

"I bet she came from Neverland!"

They were all led to an identical room with a sheet of glass in front, only it was the last room at the end of the hall.

"This is yours, Hatter." The Doctor sighed as he hung the new clipboard that read 'Hollow Hatter' on its nail. The door was opened and one of the ladies in white stepped inside. She coached Hollow to do the same. She stared at her strangely before turning to her father.

"Daddy? What's going on?" She questioned him. She felt her heartbeat quicken.

The Mad Hatter knelt in front of his only child and placed his hands on her shoulders. "My darling, well this is where your adventure begins! You step into this room, and you will have everything you've ever wanted. You step into this room, and you will experience magic beyond your wildest dreams."

"My darling, do you trust me?"

The small girl of course didn't know any better and nodded her head. Hollow sucked in a breath before she walked into the small room. She turned around to face her father. She put a tiny hand on the glass, "Daddy, I see you," she giggled. It was as though she could touch his hand right through it. She expected him to place a hand on the glass from the other side, but he just nodded his head at the doctor before he put his black top hat onto his head and faced her.

"Till next time, my darling." He said as he tipped his hat with a wicked grin. He turned away from his only daughter and slowly walked down the hallway toward the elevator with the Doctor.

The man that they passed earlier continued to shout, "Hatter! Oh, Hatter! Now, where are you going? Aren't you gonna get me? But we're a team, Hatter! Do you hear me?! Hatter!" But the madman continued to ignore the pleas as he and the doctor stepped into the elevator and disappeared from Hollow's line of vision.

Tears began to run down the child's face. "Daddy! Daddy, where are you going?" She cried in a panic. The young girl was left confused and upset. It took the ladies in white many long hours to finally get her to settle down enough so they could introduce her to the room. They also briefly described to her what her future days would look like.

The words however went in one ear and exited the other, she could only think of her father and how he had left her in this strange white room, with a peculiar white bed, a strange bolted-to-the-floor white desk, and two strangers in white.

The thought that he could return to her crossed her mind again and again. But there was a small part of her brain that told her that he wouldn't be back. She did not know which side to listen to. She listened to both sides argue again and again.

"He will be back!"

"He won't be!"

"He's here!"

"No, he's gone!"