Wonderland? Wonderland!

2.

12 years later.

Mom doesn't tell me stories anymore, my mom isn't even here anymore. Dad says she's gone on a little trip, but that trip has almost lasted five years. Everyone else says she went crazy, but I know better. She's not crazy, she just has a vivid imagination just like me, the only difference is that she told so many stories that she started to take them for real.

It was a hot summer day and we were on an excursion to our summer home. I loved this places, it was so beautiful and quiet, it was the only place where I could be myself, but the best part was the thought that maybe mom hade been standing right where I was standing now.

Grandfather had never had any sons, he only had mother, so when she was to be married there were many suitors, and the dowry was quite big.

This mansion had been part of my mother's dowry and was the place where she said she first came to Wonderland. But I don't like to think about Wonderland, it's a sensitive subject. Today father is having a small gathering with his male companions, apparently they were going to discuss something important so I would be on my best behavior and stay out of sight. For me this was a blessing. I hated father's companions, they always looked at me so strangely, but the worst was Mister Werry's son, he stared without being embarrassed, he was really unpleasant.

Wearing a light blue dress that reached my feet, I packed the last books into my basket. The dress wasn't new, it was the kind with a band high up at the waist that sits quite loosely around the body. It was the one I preferred to have when going out. The last thing I did before I left my room was to put my hair up with a silk band, then I was ready. I got almost all the way down to the door when I heard it.
"Y/n?"
No!
"Mister Werry!"
His loathsome gaze scanned me and the basket in my hands.

"Ohh call me Charls! Mister Werry is my father."
I laughed a little and looked down at the ground, he wasn't funny, but what else could I do.
"Where are you going?"
"Huh?"
"Your basket, where are you going?" "Well, I'm just going out for a bit, leave the men alone."
Ohh stop talking let me get out of here!
"But you're keeping us company for dinner, aren't you?"
Dinner! Would they stay that long!
"Of course."

Throughout our conversation he hadn't stopped staring and I was thankful that I wasn't wearing a diferant dress.
"Well then, see you at dinner."
"Yes."
He turned and started walking towards the smoking room and I exhaled. I hated him.

I really enjoyed the feeling of freedom I got from lying alone in the meadow and reading my second book of the day. I had just started when I suddenly caught sight of something moving out of the corner of my eye. I put the book down and saw that it was a white little rabbit.
"But what are you doing out here?"
I whispered to it. Slowly I crept closer and just as I was close enough to feel its fur against my fingertips it jumped away. It was fast and at first I was going to leave it alone, but then it occurred to me that it probably had an owner who might be missing it, maybe a blonde little girl in a blue dress. No, you can't think about her now, focus, where did the rabbit go.
And, there, yes there I saw it and I slowly started to follow.

But shortly after that I had to start running. I ran so fast that I didn't even notice that I had reached the edge of a forest. But then the rabbit stopped.
"Hey little friend, don't be afraid, I just want to help you."
Then the rabbit turned and jumped into a hole in the ground.
"No! Stop!"
I rushed over and looked down, but saw nothing. But then I heard something, no not just something,  voices. But what did they say?
"Hello?!"
If I could only get a little further down I would probably hear, I leaned forward, but then sudanly I lost my balance and fell straight into the hole.

I fell and it was dark, then I experienced an intense pain in the back of my head and everything went black instead.

"Ohh you're finally awake!"
"Mary I had such a strange dream." But when I opened my eyes, Mary wasn't there and I wasn't in my bed as I first thought. Instead, I was lying on a checkered floor and when I looked for the voice I was met only by a small door.
"Hello?"
"Yes!"

I looked around but still didn't see anyone.
"Down here!"
Then it hit me, it was the door that spoke!
"Oh my goodness, I'm as crazy as my mother!"
"Well I don't know who your mother is, but if you want to follow the rabbit you have to get smaller first."
"Smaller?"
"Yeah smaller, the rabbit went through me but you're far too big for that!"
"How did you know--?"
"Enough questions, are you going through or not."
I looked around but saw no other way out.
"It seames like I have to."
"Well! Then you take the bottle under the table and drink it!"
I reached under the table and was met by a bottle, I pulled it out and was greeted by the text Drink me.

"Drink me?"
"Yes, do you need more instructions than that!"
Then it hit me.
"Where's the key?"
"What key, I know nothing about a key!"
"Yes, yes! Your key, you're locked!" "No!"
"Yes! And the key is....It's on the table!"
I stoud up and grabed the key and a cookie from the table.
"Now I can drink it."
I said before popping the cork and taking a small sip.
"Nothing happens tho--Woow!"
I started to shrink, I became so small that the door, which before was hardly big enough for my feet, fit me perfectly.

Just one problem, my dress didn't shrink with me and I was now only wearing my petticoat.
"You tried to play me!"
"How did you know about my key! Nobody knows about my key!"
"My, my mother taught me."
"Then may I ask who your mother is!" "No."

The door was silent for a moment, but before he could recover I put the key in the keyhole, which also seemed to be his mouth. Before turning the handle I said.
"You were to no help, but thanks for the company."
And then I took a step out. I thought so anyway, I went straight into the sky and again I fell, the only difference was that now I saw, and now I screamed.

I shut my eyes and screamed, whitch meant I didn't notice that I had reached the ground, not until I heard him.
"You can breathe now love, I've got you."
I opened one eye only to be greeted by two brown eyes looking down at me. Slowly I opened the second and noticed that I was in the arms of a brown-haired, brown-eyed and very cute boy.
"You're unharmed Darling, so now come with me."
When I didn't answer, he slowly sat me down on the ground and dragged me through the woods to god knows where.

A/N
I don't know when I choose to publish this story, now it's February 8, 2024, but if it helps, I imagine Louis Partridge as this boy, but you can imagine who you want.