Beautiful Madness, Book One: Follow the White Rabbit

Chapter 5: A Most Fortuitous Meeting

A small bronze clock ticked incessantly from the wall, tethering Lucky to her body. At least she hoped that was what it was doing. Otherwise it was driving her crazy simply for its own enjoyment.

It was almost two days ago that Lucky had first vacated her body and transported elsewhere against her will. Since waking up on the forest floor, it had happened three more times; the second and third journeys only lasted a few minutes each, but the fourth went on for hours no matter what Lucky did to try and get home. She had woken up on the floor of her kitchen with a gash across her forehead. She probably hit it against the counter as she fell, but knowing where the injury came from didn’t make her feel any better.

The trips were becoming more and more distressing, and they hadn’t been much fun to begin with.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Lucky exhaled and tried to remain aware of every part of her body. If she maintained absolute control over everything, from her thoughts to the rhythm of her heart, maybe she could stop whatever was happening to her.

Except her thoughts continued to spiral in every direction. She was quite sure that her heart had plans of its own as its pace still quickened when her mind drifted. She couldn’t escape the images of the strange places she’d visited—buildings that were taller than any palace, machines that could communicate over vast distances, people who looked at her like she should be locked away—and each time, her body reacted with panic.

But attempting to meditate was getting her absolutely nowhere. With a huff, Lucky stood up from the tattered green armchair she’d been in for the past five hours. She couldn’t stay underground any longer, tucked away from fresh air, from life. It wasn’t helping. And this thing, whatever it was, didn’t seem like something she could just wait out. She needed answers, and she wasn’t going to find them sitting still.

As she stepped outside into a warm spring day, Lucky found she had little interest in tending her garden, though weeds were beginning to sprout in the earth. No, after being cooped up inside, her body needed to walk. Her mind needed to explore.

She picked a direction and didn’t question it. She just walked.

A stroll through the forest ended up being exactly what she had needed. Not only did her stiff muscles manage to relax, but there were no unpleasant surprises. The trees of Neverwood came in a variety of types and sizes, in combinations that couldn’t be found in any other parts of Wonderland. Palm trees and oak trees grew together, though even the brightest minds couldn’t determine why. Lucky didn’t require explanations. All she knew was that the forest was the most wonderful part of Wonderland, and that was enough.

She made her way through the trees while her eyes scanned the ground for any signs of life. More specifically, for any signs of rabbits. She had tried to tell herself that her crossing paths with that animal at that moment had been a coincidence—he certainly hadn’t been in her bedroom the next time it had happened—but she couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was connected, somehow.

There had never been an intended destination for her outing, but after an hour of walking Lucky found herself near the northern part of the forest where a few of Neverwood’s small towns and villages could be found. There were four within a few hours’ walk of each other, right on the edge of the forest, and she frequented two of them for food and supplies. Usually she felt as safe there as she did in the heart of the forest where she’d grown up. It was only as she started to see marked roads and then people on those roads that she realized her absentmindedness could be putting her in danger.

If she were to pass out on the side of some unknown street, she would be completely vulnerable. But she couldn’t expect to figure out what was happening to her by hiding at home and hoping it went away.