Through The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Five: Alyssa

I shuddered as a cool breeze sent chills down my spine. Why couldn't I have fallen down that hole with a jacket? Oh wait, that's right, it was 100 degrees outside. Twigs and leaves crunched under my feet as I shuffled through the woods. The door knob's instructions seemed clear at first but, now that I'm out here, I didn't know which way to go. I remembered the second obstacle. A mad party? What did that mean? Just as that thought reached me, I heard a faint song in the background. It tinkled through the forest and barely reached my ears.

"Parties have music. Right?" I asked myself. I decided that was my best bet for now. I walked faster towards the noise and soon enough a warm glow illuminated the pathway. I walked down to the gate protecting the party. Or what seemed to be one. A guy with a large hat on and a brown hare sang a song but, I couldn't make out the lyrics. It sounded like a mixed up, more upbeat version of the happy birthday song.

"Excuse me," I tried to say over the noise but no one paid any attention. "I said excuse me," I tried again. Still no response. I kept trying to talk over the loud music and off key voices with no avail. "I said look over here!" I shouted. All music and movement stopped as they shushed me.

"He's sleeping," they said in unison while pointing at a teapot. This was the weirdest thing yet. Here they were clamoring about and they shush me for trying to get their attention. I opened the gate and walked towards the table as they pranced about. This had to be the 'mad party'. They sang while teapots whistled a tune that seemed to be easy to follow. I walked around the table trying to fall into whatever kind of performance this was.

"If you could just tell me where to go, or even where I am, that would be great," I tried to reason but, they kept singing their ridiculous song. I kept asking for directions or a description of where to go. There was no hope, though. They couldn't be reasoned with since they were this crazy.

I sat down and poured myself a cup of tea. I guess I just had to deal with it and wait for them to tire themselves out. I stirred in sugar and enjoyed myself while I was there, feasting on miniature cakes and delectable cookies. Maybe a few more than I'd like to admit. At one point they saw me eating up their treats and ran over in a fuss.

"No room! No room!" they shouted over and over again. One pulled up the chair and dropped me out of it while the other took my cup of tea. I was left on the ground to contemplate why there was no room.

"There seems to be plenty of room?" I said, motioning towards the long table of empty chairs. They looked at eachother and then at me.

"Well, it's very rude to sit down somewhere you weren't invited," the one in the green hat said. I scoffed. They were giving me lessons on how not to be rude? I stood up and dusted off my jeans.

"Fine, I'll just go then," I said, heading for the gate on the other side of the party. They both hurriedly ran up and pushed me back into the chair again.

"Nonsense! Stay! Have some tea!" they poured me a new cup and got me situated again. Were these guys bipolar or something? I sipped the tea and tried to ask my question again but, a different one came out instead.

"What was that song you were singing?" I was shocked that I would ask that instead of something else. I would rather ask where the bathroom was then that. Why did my voice betray me like that? They froze and then laughed.

"Why, it's the unbirthday song of course!" The hare said.

"I don't know what that is," I said and watched as their faces dropped. They laughed hysterically and when they realized that I wasn't joking they stopped.

"I can't believe you don't know what a unbirthday is," the hare spoke once again. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair at the thought that these dimwits knew something I didn't.

"Well, it's like, you only get one birthday every year," the mad hatter started out.

"But, there are 364 other days that aren't your birthday that you can celebrate," the hare finished. I was confused at the fact that there were people who celebrated not having a birthday. I might as well jump onto the boat.

"Well, I guess that today is my unbirthday too," I said. Their eyes got wide and they started to sing. Suddenly their gibberish song made sense.

"A very merry unbirthday to you!" they sang repeatedly. Eventually they got the better of themselves and I thought that I couldn't get much help from people who are insane. I slipped away out the back gate to continue on the path. Hopefully away from these dimwits. Not before I wished a very merry unbirthday to them though.