Wonderland Exposed

Arien

Heidi was peaceful. Her mind wandered in perfect serenity in the black nothingness. After what seemed like ages something started nagging at the back of her mind, something she needed to remember wake up.. she heard a muted voice that seemed to come from everywhere. no she thought trying to stay in the peaceful blackness, but something was dragging her to conciousness no matter how hard she struggled.

She woke with a gasp. Breathing hard she looked around wildly, suddenly recalling what had happened, Heidi tried to lift her arms but restraints were keeping them firmly attached to the table she was lying on. Lifting her head carefully she glanced around. She was on a sturdy oak table with worn but still strong leather arm and leg restraints built into the wood, the rest of the room had a menacing feel to it, an interrogation/torture chamber she guessed, though not a very comforting thought.

"Elliot?" she tried to say, her voice coming out as merely a croak, her throat was dry and parched how long have i been here? Heidi wondered to herself scanning the room slowly again.

Suddenly she heard the sound of a key being inserted into the heavy wooden door and scraping slowly as it opened the lock. Panicking she quickly lowered her head back to the table wincing in pain when the lump on her head where she must have been struck throbbed with every movement. She shut her eyes and listened hearing three seperate sets of feet  making quick strides towards her. she could see three shadows looming over her through her closed eyelids, she forced her breathing to go deep and steady as if she were fast asleep. It seemed to work, the figures did not speak to her, just muttered amongst themselves, she caught a few sentences once in a while

"two days"

"How hard did that idiot strike her?"

"apparently very"

"She better wake up soon. The king is getting impatient."  This spiked Heidis interest, she strained her ears to catch more of what they were saying.

"Shes not asleep." The third figure spoke for the first time, Heidis breath caught in her throat. She had no idea how he knew she was awake.

"what are you talking about? Shes been like this for almost three days."

"Open your eyes, I know your awake." The silky voice said to her in an almost mischevious tone.

Heidi opened her eyes slowly, simply to sate the burning curiosity to see the source of the voice. She had no idea why she did it. If she was smart she would have kept her eyes firmly shut. What she saw took her breath away, but not with wonder, with horror.

Standing around her were the two most grotesque men she had ever seen, if you could even call them men. They were stunted, barely taller than the table she was held to, their skin was a sickly pale green filled with wrinkles and liver spots, they had huge beak noses paired with strange beady eyes and with  huge teacups that were cracked and broken in places seated upon their oversized heads. She knew immidiately what they were, they were known in wonderland for their mischevious antics which slowly turned over the years from fun tricks and pranks to having more sinister intentions. They were called simply "Mads" fitting because they were the deformed children and half children of the infamous Mad Hatter himself, whom Heidi had met only once for a brief moment. 

The Mads muttered to each other pointing at her and saying things she couldnt make out when Heidi realized there were only two Mads but the source of the third voice was not there. Glancing around carefully she twisted her head back tilting her chin up to see behind her, and saw a very tall figure in a dark grey hooded cloak, the hood threw shadows over his face making it impossible to see it. Well at least its not a Mad Heidi thought to herself, the figure looked almost human, a strange comfort to her. Mads and other small monsters had always made her uncomfortable. However when the figure stepped away from the wall and began to approach Heidi, her discomfort swiftly grew until she felt pangs of fear in the pit of her stomach.