Lost In Wonderland

8. The Unlikely Pair

Weeks have passed since I ran off to the Garden of Hearts, and my lifestyle hasn't really changed. Here, I'm not allowed to be in the kitchen, roam around past dark, go into random rooms, and so on, just like at Ethan's. But this time, I was with my mother 90% of my stay. I haven't told her about Doc's plan, but I already saw how fast that broke someone's view of me.

I was sprawled out on the lawn, a rose in my hand. I was careful to make sure that I wasn't pricked by the thorns, but I was lost in thought to care. The red color reminded me of my mother's dress.

"Miss Gold!" Connie poked out of the bush and I jumped from my spot on the ground. The rose fell at my feet. Staring at the small cut on my hand, I ignored the drop of blood that began to form.

"Yes?" I retorted, looking at her hand that held a silver invite. She waved it around happily.

"We've all been invited to a masquerade party at the Hatter garden!" She was just about to hand me the invite before she noticed the tiny wound. "Let's patch that up then we'll look for a dress." Taking my hand into hers, we went inside.

-🐇-

It was roughly 5 in the afternoon, and we'd already gone shopping. Much like Claire, Connie chose a similar dress, but I decided to go with something a little more mysterious. If I was going, I didn't want my identity to be revealed. I mean, that's the entire purpose for the masks in a masquerade.

My gown was strapless, edgy, slim and a deep shade of blue. It hugged my curves perfectly and in every right place. My black mask in the shape of a butterfly wing hid my face perfectly.  I continued to look in the mirror, poking my unseemly real braids that tied in the back to reveal my curls, just as Levi began to knock on the door.

"Come in."

"Are you ready?" He asked, poking his face in the crack of my door. I nodded, and turned the light off.

Levi took my hand into his, and we formally stepped down the staircase were my mother was waiting. She dressed normally, in a dark red gown and a plain golden mask. You could easily pin whom she was, just by the thin golden crown on top of her head. I couldn't tell if she was smiling or not, behind her mask, so I tried to not screw things up.

"You look beautiful tonight." Levi nuzzled his nose into my ear and I flicked his ear.

"You're making me blush in front of my mother." I sneered, plastering on a smirk.

As my heels reached the bottom step, Connie was already inside the carriage, shouting for us to hurry up, and I couldn't help but laugh. She was so energetic in her purple gown. She was even waving her mask in anticipation.

"Have a good time, Gold." Levi waved us off, and we trolled down the street.

For some reason, I was afraid.

-🐇-

We arrived no later than 8:00 P.M. and for my sake, I walked in after Connie and my mom. Eyes were focused on me, and everyone's conversations seemed hushed. Did I look that bad? I felt conflicted on this color dress because of how it was borderline violet, but I didn't think it'd be that bad. Moving around, heads snapped my way. Uncomfortably, I sat in the corner, sipping on a glass of tea. I didn't even remember that this was exactly what I did when it was Ethan's birthday.

The classical music gave a specific vibe to the whole event. The empty hall that I was so used to seemed to expand. The mass crowd made the ornate room look dark, and you couldn't even tell who was who. Everyone remained identical. Decorations were everywhere. From balloons to streamers, the once boring hall had life.

Many people asked for my hand to dance, so I agreed willingly. None of them could waltz like Ethan. None of them held a steady conversation other than the bothersome sentence, "You're pretty" cliché. It made me kind of sad. Even though so many people opened up to ask for a dance, I felt lonely. The current man left, so I stood alone, hugging my shoulders and trying to escape the crowd, just as a warm glove taps my back. I spun around to a tall man in a maroon suit, grape vine green hat and black mask. I covered my mouth and let out a chuckle. Ethan...