Off To Wonderland

Back To Wonderland

It was 9:30 when she stumbled in her room from the window. She had one too many and was feeling quite tipsy.

“Hey Alky,” said a voice. Amber jumped and looked to her bed. Her Step dad Jimmy looked her over. “Night out?” she nodded, eyeing him cautiously. He stood up and walked closer to her, with a twisted smile on his face. His hand reached up and brushed some loses hair behind her ear. The urge to step away was strong, but she knew that would only result in a back-hand to the face. “Well then,” he leaned close to her ear; his hot breath sending shivers up her sine, “you won’t remember anything.”

But she did.

From outside, Rocky saw the window, and a candle, lit and glowing. He nudged the man next to him.

“This is it,” he whispered the man nodded. They reached Ambers bedroom window, and crawled through. Looking around it was dark, and Rocky waited for his eyes to adjust. Something sniffled to his right and he saw a dark shape huddled in the corner. “Amber,” he whispered, “Amber is that you?”

“Yeah,” came a cracked and small voice. She sounded as if she had been crying. “Who is with you?”

“This is ‘Sparrow’, he grumbled pointing to the man. “He is learning the trade, and Mr. S said I need to show him around.” Sparrow stood quite tall, about 6 feet. The room was dark and Amber couldn’t make out any specific features.

“So your babysitting,”

“Kind of…hey can we turn the lights on? It’s really da-“

“No,” she yelled his hand froze on the light switch. “No light…” Rocky pulled his hand back, he knew something was up but didn’t want to ask.  So he sat on her bed and dug into his pants pocket.

“Here,” he held out a small zip lock with one deep blue capsule inside it. She reached for it, but he pulled it away. “ah-ah-ah,” he taunted, “Payment first.”

“But Rock, S man said she gets it fre-“ Rocky’s hand made contact with the back of sparrows head, silencing him, but the damage was done. Amber snatched the baggy from him.

“Try’n to jip me, eh Rocky?” she said coldly.

“Just make’n some extra cash. Living’s pricey.” He said before hitting Sparrow again, “We’ll be leaving then.” He said, practically shoving Sparrow out the door.

“Bye” called Sparrow, “nice to meet you, Amber,” he said in a sweet voice as Rocky closed the window behind them. Amber sat in her room rolling the little pill in between her thumb and finger. Tears welled in her eyes. She was so happy to see the pill, so happy to be able to escape. She got up and locked her door, then without even a small glass of water, she swallowed the pill dry, and sat on her bed. She waited. 5 minutes. 10 minutes. Her feet and legs tingled, then her arms and fingers, and soon she was falling. She watched the celling grow smaller and smaller. She closed her eyes and smiled. When she opened her eyes she was still falling, and the floor came fast, but she knew what was coming. Like last time she froze a foot above the floor, she adjusted, and gravity kicked in. She dropped feet first on the floor, landing perfectly.

She looked around her. The small circular room was still the same; a red, a blue, a green, and a yellow door and a curtain. Curious she checked her pockets. She was surprised when she felt a bottle and box in her pocket. She pulled them out and examined them, then looked up at the doors. She noticed that the red door’s spade was now gray with cracks in it.

“Now,” she sighed, “which one to go through next? I must choose using the most scientific method I know!” she said to herself in a serious manner, “E-nny, Meany, Mine-ey, Moe,” she sang pointing as she said each word. “And. You. Are. It.” Her finger pointed to the green door of clubs. There was a popping noise behind her; she turned to see a table and a key with a club at the top of it. “Well this is new,” she muttered. Slowly she reached out and grabbed the key, looking it over in her hand. She moved to the green door and gently put the key into the lock. Holding her breath, she turned the key. There was a soft click, and she gently pushed the door open. A minty gust of air hit her as she did, and she breathed it in.