Wonderlust

1:00

This is the story about a absurd reality. Or maybe not. Maybe there was no reality at all.

Of course I did not consider these things as I sat contently watching the scenery zoom by as the train barreled toward our next destination. I never really asked were we were going. I liked to be surprised by the new adventure that awaited me. My brother had been sleeping since we had boarded the train on that misty dark morning. He had never been a morning person, leaving our care takers at home at a lose when they got things thrown at them after trying to wake him.

I smiled lightly at the sight of my older brother who was snoring lightly from across the table. He had been named after a mighty king across the sea who had written several books that my father had overly enjoyed. Leonardo Orion Riddle. My mother had been fond of stargazing which is the origins of his middle name. Everyone at the estate had called him Leo, which he said suited him just fine.

As we rushed to our next destination, I wondered why my own name had been so strange. Allis Riddle. My parents had given me no middle name, deciding that just Allis would suffice. In school my teachers paused when checking role, asking me if there had been a mistake when the list was made. But there was no mistake. My mother had named me after her younger sister,Alice, who had gone missing when she was young. Though they wanted to respect her memory they did not want to risk that the name might be cursed and decided that it should be spelled differently. In a cruel twist of fate they did not give me a middle name that I would have gladly gone by, but instead graced me as simply "Allis".

Sighing at my ridiculous thoughts, I snatched my hat off my head. It had been custom made by the hatter in the last town we had visited. He had gone by the name John and when our hotel had mixed up the dates of our arrival, he had eagerly offered us the space above his shop. It had been cramped, but clean. On our last day he had given me the green wide brimmed thing that had more feathers than I would count. I considered it to be absolutely ridiculous, and said as much to my brother when we were finally on our way.

He had simply laughed and shook his head, "Any other girl would swoon at the chance for a new hat -and from a suitor at that. Yet you scoff as he is a fool."

"He is a fool." I said with a shrug of my shoulders, " As are you and me. Everyone in this world is a fool."

He had merely smirked at that. "Perhaps the hat will take the attention off of your hair? Why not try this instead of that cloak for a change?"

My hair could rival the color of snow it was so white. My parents had been astounded at how I could have inherited such a thing. When I was young I would not let the maids cut it. And at the age of nineteen I still wouldn't. The only part that would ever be touch by scissors were the front pieces that I myself cut to fall into my eyes and hide the unsettling blue color that had drawn me so much attention when I was younger . Some might thing that the hair that fell into my face was unkempt but when the hair fell just right it framed my eyes and face perfectly.

To avoid to much attention I wore a dark cloak that had been my mothers. My brother had shaken his head on the first day, saying that I would soon faint from the heat, but my light dress had made up for the heavy cloak.

"Allis, what time is it?" Leo asked drowsily from across from our private room on the train.

" Just past lunch time." I answered, sliding the platter of sandwiches and tea I had order so that he might have some.

"Mmmmm," He stretched his legs under the small table that was between us. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"And have you throw a violent tantrum?" I snicker, "I think not, sir."

He frowned but did not refuse the food I offered, taking a sandwich from the plate.. "At least I don't thrash in my sleep."

"I suppose we all have our bad habits," I said, ignoring the fact that the comment had obviously been a jab at my own sleeping posture.

" Indeed," He nodded before taking a sip of tea. His face twisted into displeasure. "Cold."

He stood up stiffly from his long hours of sleep. "I'll go find a steward. Stay here and keep the door closed."

I nodded, not bothering to give a reply. I had heard that warning almost everyday since we started this journey. As he closed the sliding door behind him I picked the hat up from were I had placed it on the seat beside me, and thought again about how ridiculous it was. The emerald satin it had been made of would never suit me and the feathers in the front tended to get in the way of my vision. There was no way I would have ever picked out something like this for myself. However... I admired the feelings in which the hat maker put into it. He had been proud to hand over such a thing to me, and though I did not consider it an Item that I would normally posses I did treasure the feelings and thoughts he placed into it.

One must wonder about the ideas rolling around in a mind like that. To have such talent as to take a pieces of cloth and make it into something so extraordinary. What must he have been thinking? Did I inspire him to do such things? When? How?

I myself did not find any worthy traits when I look at myself. I rarely smile. My skin was to pale. I found myself unworthy of a gift such as this hat. I was not good.

"sssssschrrr"

The sound of the door suddenly opening made me drop the hat onto the table.

"What an atrocious hat!"