Through The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Eight: Ryan

I walked for what seemed to be hours before my legs gave out on me. I collapsed by a giant oak and rested my head against it. I felt something on the cool oak and, when I turned, saw indents in the bark. My fingers traced them, attempting to find out why they were there. It seemed as if someone might've attacked the tree, and considering the bluntness of the attack, they kicked it. I rested back against the tree in a pile of hopelessness. Where was I supposed to go? My muscles were weak and my throat was a desert.

I was about to fade into sleep when a sinister laugh filled the air. I thought I was hallucinating and dismissed it until a purple tail swung in front of my face. I followed it with my eyes, letting it put me in a trance before coming to my senses. I jerked up and looked questioningly towards the branch that was above me. A purple cat sat playing with its own tail. It didn't look up at me until I cleared my throat, to which he just frowned.

"Are you here to wreck the story more?" he spat at me while sitting up. When I responded with my confusion he laughed. "Don't tell me you don't know where you are either?" he hissed.

"Well, yes, but, I'm trying to find my friend. She ran off to find her necklace and I can't seem to find her," I rushed out before he could mock me more. His eyebrow perked up and he stood.

"Was she about, this tall, soft blonde hair, adorable freckles, and a sweet smile?" he snickered and got more upbeat. Apparently, mocking people made him feel better. My face grew hot and I stuttered at the fact he said the exact same words as me earlier. "I don't need an answer. I know it's her you're looking for," he smiled a wide, disturbing smile at me. His teeth sent me a friendly warning not to mess with him. I followed it. He seemed to know more about this place than anyone else.

"Well, where is she?" I kicked the ground lightly to distract myself. He leaned against the tree and studied his claws with great intent.

"She was over there, then here, then around there, and now she's somewhere," he pointed in various directions and burst into a fit of laughter at his vague response. His amusement only made me angrier.

"Can you give me an exact location?" I replied in a snotty tone. His eyes narrowed and he hopped down to rub against my leg. Despite the temptation to pet him, I stood firm in my spot. Cats were always a weakness of mine.

"She left the Mad Hatter's party not long ago and by now she's probably at the Queen's garden," he purred, enjoying himself. I let out a noise of frustration that scared the cat back towards the tree. I couldn't believe I had lost her again. The cat noticed this and relaxed on his branch.

"You know, if you just ask nicely I could give you directions there," he said confidently. I perked up a little more and walked closer to the tree. "I don't know what it is with you teenagers, but you loose your temper quite easily," his voice has soft yet rough as he pointed at the indents in the tree. Alyssa must've kicked her frustration out after talking to this guy. I'm not surprised.

"Well, can you please tell me how to get to the Queen's garden?" I said in my most sincere voice. I sounded like a child and it made me wish I was. The cat smiled. and instead of responding, knocked on the hollow tree. The bark opened up to be a door that lead to a green field with a path. My eyes brightened up and I felt more energized.

"Here you go. Oh, and the Queen has your friend's necklace," he purred before disappearing. I didn't even call out to him. I just went through the door and ran down the path towards the giant hedges.

I walked even more because it turned out this wasn't just a garden, it was a maze. I rounded corner after corner just to be greeted with dead ends. Small patches of flowers laid in some or an area with dripping 'red' roses in others. It wasn't for awhile until I heard some commotion. It sounded like a trumpet and voices until things went silent. I tried to run towards vague voices and murmurs to no avail.

I reached an area bigger than others with scattered croquet equipment, or what seemed to be croquet equipment. They were hedgehogs and flamingos of various colors to correspond with each other. The grass looked disturbed and ripped up in places. I was going to pass directly through when I spotted a playing card run from a corner and disappear into the maze. It was a longshot, but I followed him around hedges and through gardens to find where he was going.

I almost lost track of him when I found the end of the maze. It was a big clearing with a giant brown building. A crowd was gathered around it looking anxiously for something that didn't seem to exist. That was when some marching was heard off to the side and four playing cards carried a cage that held a small figure. It didn't take much deducing to know it was Alyssa. The way she rattled the cage bars and screamed for someone's attention showed perfectly it was her.

She was carried into the building and then the crowd followed. The building was a ways away so I had to run to make it. When I did reach the doors, though, they slammed in my face and locked me out. I banged and pounded for someone to open up, but my cries must've been drowned out by the court session. I sat outside of the building thinking of a way in for about 30 minutes. When my mind ran blank, I stood up, walked away, and then ran towards the door with all my power, cracking the wood and releasing the lock.