Wonderland

~Knock The Walls Down: Part ll~

She would've opened the door herself, but before she even had the chance to lay a hand on the doorknob,it opened itself slowly, with a squeak. They looked at each other, startled, as if it was all a scene from anold, crappy, horror movie, but still reluctant to take another step forward. 

"Come on in, don't be shy," a disembodied and grating voice told them, giving the whole picture an evenmore eerie feeling. 

This time, Alex was the first one to step up, putting a hand on Annabelle's shoulder and pushing herbehind him instinctively in a protective gesture, to which she could only roll her eyes. She could handle this.So, she shrugged her best friend's hand off and entered the house, already scanning the whole place forany possible weapons she could use in case anything went wrong, and for any possible exits. But the onlything she saw was a bed in the middle of the room, a small table displaced in a corner and a closet lockedwith a padlock. No weapons.And on the bed, reading a book, sat the Mad Hatter. And his sinister smile made chills run downAnnabelle's spine. 

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" his shrill voice was even more spine-chilling.He obviously loved to pretend he was a character taken straight from 'Alice in Wonderland'. And he madean odd sight in his white gloves, stiff suit and silk top hat. At least he didn't have red hair and a monocle,Annabelle thought. 

His physical looks were rather normal, actually. Ginger hair, blue, yet devilish eyes, andhe was young enough to pass for 25 or 26 years. But whatever he was, he was definitely not human  

He put down his book, which Annabelle recognized as 'Alice in Wonderland', of course, and got up from hisbed abruptly. 

"Let me guess," he said cheerfully, his smile being the most sinister thing Annabelle had even seen in all her years of living, and pointed with a finger at Emmett. 

"Vampire," then at Alex. "Wizard," then atAmelia. "Witch," but when he finally looked at Annabelle, he paused for a few seconds and narrowed hisnavy eyes at the nymph, only to widen them in a matter of seconds, and clap his hands together. 

"Oh my, my," he whispered, taking another two footsteps forward, until he was standing closer than shewould've liked him to. "But you are exquisite." He took another step closer, cocking his head to one side and studying the nymph more carefully. "You look just like a doll." he beamed, reaching for her face, but that's when Annabelle couldn't take itanymore and stepped back. 

The Mad Hatter seemed to take no offense in that, though. 

"Oh, but where are my manners? May I offer you some tea?" he asked in a honeyed voice, still holdingAnnabelle's gaze, and hers only, pointing at the tea cups from the miniature table. 

"Oh, don't be souptight," he said when he saw that they were still not moving an inch. "What's the matter, dear? Don't youcare for tea?" It was as if the other people in the room didn't even exist. 

Only Annabelle.  

"We don't have time for this nonsense,"Emmett spoke for the first time since they had gotten here, gaininga harsh look from the Mad Hatter. 

"Mind your head," the Hatter said harshly, then fixed his attention back on the nymph. 

"I was talking to myAlice."

 Alice?The man was entirely bonkers. Not only did he speak only in quotes from Alice in Wonderland, whichAnnabelle knew because it had been one of the stories her mother used to read to her, but now hethought she was a character from that book, too. But to get something out of him, she could play along. 

"I think what my companion is trying to say, Mr. Hatter, is that our and your time is very precious, and wedo not wish to waste it. We come here in need for help."