Wonderland? Wonderland!

9.

Only when my body hit the checkerboard floor did I stop. The pain that permeated my body made me understand why I passed out last time.
"Hello?"
Why did I shout, I could see that no one was there.
"Yes."
And there he was, the door! I leaned forward before asking.
"Are you locked?"
"Maybe maybe not!"
"Please I don't have time for this!" "And I don't have time for you!"
He snapped back. Well, then I had to do this myself. I stood up and staggered over to the table, slightly dizzy from my fall, but there was no key!
"Where's the key!"
"Which key?"
"Yours!!"
It was clear he wasn't going to help me, so I dropped to the floor to look under the table, but there was only a glass bottle. Drink me.
"If I were you, I'd drink that."
"But you're not me! And besides, why would I trust you?"
"Well suit yourself, but you won't find the key."
Without answering, I quickly searched the room, but he had been right. The key was nowhere to be found. So for lack of anything else, I opened the glass bottle and drank. But in my haste I spilled on my dress. So imagine my surprise when, for the first time, both I and the dress shrunk!

"So you kept the dress this time."
I just rolled my eyes in response. "Now where's the key?"
"There is none."
"Yes there is! I know it!"
"Oh, silly girl! Didn't your mother teach you to feel the door before you look for the key?"
Without answering, I took a step forward and turned the handle, and the door slid open.
"You mean you were open this whole time?"
"Yep."
"Why didn't you say anything!"
"You didn't ask."
"Ohh you little!"
"Now daughter of Alice, were you not in a hurry?"
"Yes, wait how did you know--".
But before I could finish the sentence, it was as if someone pushed me out of the room and I fell through the air again.

This time, however, no one caught me. Luckily, my fall was cushioned by a large mushroom, which was unfortunately crushed under me. But I had no time to waste. I said a quick sorry to the mushroom, for the gods know what does or doesn't live in Wonderland, and then ran towards the direction I thought Louis's house was.

The roads were treacherous, it was as if they were constantly changing, as if a darkness had descended on to Wonderland. But I didn't think about it, because I was finally there! Without knocking, I rushed into the house and practically screamed.
"Louis! Louis!! I'm back, I'm sorry!!"
But he did not come forward. He was probably still mad at me, that was understandable, but that wasn't going to stop me. I continued upstairs, yanking open doors and shouting. But he was nowhere to be found. The last room I checked was the kitchen, and when I saw the mess it were left in, I knew something was wrong. Everything on the shelves above the counter had been torn down, the chairs and the table were overturned, but the most worrying thing was probably that there was a broken teapot on the bench. Shor I hadn't known Louis that long, but this didn't seam like him.

Desperate, I rushed out of the house. Maybe he had gotten away from whatever had happened in the house and maybe he was now hiding in the woods that surrounded it. I ran and shouted, brambles and branches tore and tore at my dress, but I couldn't care less. Only when I tripped and landed on the ground did I realize he wasn't here. But then, behind me someone said something.
"Hello child, why are you screaming?" But when I got up and turned around, no one was there. But then, yes there! Up in a tree appeared a big smile! "Cheche sire!"
"That's not my name!"
"Sorry, sorry but have you seen--." "Louis? Yes."
"Where!"
"Where have I not seen him! At his tea-parties, in the woods---."
"No now! Where have you seen him now!"
"Now I don't see him at all, now I only see you!"
"Oh god you in Wonderland and your cursed language!"
Then the cat smiled again before he disappeared and only then did I hear the galloping steps of horse hooves!
It couldn't possibly be good.

Without wasting another second, I continued running. But not even in Wonderland a man, or woman, can outrun a horse. In no time I was surrounded by,
playing cards?
And then the rider on the horse approached.
"Who are you and what business do you have in Wonderland!"
Oh shit
"Who wants to know!"
"His Majesty the Red Prince of Wonderland!"
Double shit!
"I, who I am, I am uhh."
"Now spit it out girl!"
"My name is Lady Y/n/n and I, I can not remember what I'm doing here or how I got here!"
"Why did you run away from us!" You'd think it was a question, but I knew better. It wasn't a question, it was an order.
"Had not his highness himself run if pursued by strangers!"
Only now did he dismount from his horse. He threw off the helmet he had been wearing. He had dark hair, probably black, brown eyes like Louis, but these radiated something else, and a sharp jaw line.

With a few steps he hade reached me, and with his index finger he lifted my face up to his.
"Ahh now I can see you clearly Lady Y/n/n, you are quite beautiful."
I didn't answer and tried desperately not to make eye contact with him.
"I firmly believe that you must come with me!"
I was about to protest, but his look made me understand that it was best not to. He hoisted me into the saddle in front of him, and before we set off, one of the playing cards gave the prince the helmet he had thrown away. And then we where of.
This was not how I had imagined my return to Wonderland.

A/n
In case you don't know, by Y/n/n I mean your nickname. So I hope you have one of those🙃.