Far From Wonderland

Chapter 1: Underground

It was a dark night in the streets of NYC. All of the alleys and back roads crawled with junkie trash and whores trying to make a quick buck. Among these prominent figures was the well known gang, Wonderland. I am one of them; the White Rabbit. Or at least, that’s the name they gave me here.

    We were heading to a meeting of NYC's underground. Every demon to crawl in the shadows would be there. The invitation was marked ‘URGENT.’ Driving in the black Silverado next to me was the Cheshire Cat, a mixed girl in her twenties with vibrant pink and purple locks, and Alice, an 18 year old blond with a skinny figure and bright blue eyes.

Behind us in a red Camaro was the Blue Caterpillar, with vibrant ocean hair and matching eyes contrasting his Hispanic heritage, and the Mad Hatter, curly red hair askew and a fashion style never before seen. This is Wonderland, like the book written oh, so long ago. I think we fit the roles pretty well.

    We arrived at an old warehouse, long forgotten by the pigs we call entrepreneurs. The sign still has faint remnants of the title ‘Macy’s.’ Trash was scattered through the lot. It was barren as if it were a desert. Cheshire got out of her car and looked at the broken windows and kicked-in door. Her face had a look of utter disgust. “Bunny honey,” she called to me warily, “are you sure this is where we are supposed to be? It’s a little…broken.” As she said this, she picked up a glass shard and examined the rainbow hues created by a street lamp.

    I took the shard from her and tossed it. Dammit, I thought. I cut my finger slightly. “Well, duh. What do you expect? It’s the underground. They always have tricks up their sleeves.” I saw a ripped teddy bear in the distance near the river. A sudden flashback to a five year old version of me. A shudder up my back. They always have a trick up their sleeves. Blue and Hatter finally got out of the car, and joined Cheshire, Alice, and me. They smelled of cigarettes and booze; typical.

    When we walked into the highly dilapidated warehouse, we found the inside wasn’t so dilapidated. There were money-hungry drug dealers, high-class prostitutes, and other minor gangs galore throughout the renovated warehouse. A crystal chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, patrons were serving an assortment of alcohol to the abusers and the first timers. The stairs leading to the head of the underground spiraled upward, draped in a carpet so fine it gave a look of red and gold lace.

    I walked in front of my group, and spun around to face them. A look of pride washed over my face to show them the beauty of the warehouse. “See guys? Always some trick.” I was the daughter to a high-class dealer of the underground, my father, and my mother was a highly valued porn star. They were the original Blue Caterpillar and White Rabbit of Wonderland; the perfect couple. Deadly. I pretty much grew up in the underground because of this. I know everyone and their brother here. And their mothers. And their fathers, and aunts and uncles and… you get the point. The others, not so much.

    Cheshire was the daughter to a fashion guru, who died when she was five from a forty caliber. She was raised by a very abusive druggie who overdosed when she was eighteen. The poor thing lived on the streets until another gangbanger gave her enough money to rent an apartment thinking she was a prostitute. She met me, and now she had a job. Funny how that worked out.

    Alice was raised by my cousin Spades since her parents, who were good friends of his, died in a car crash when she was ten. They had been drunk and crashed into a ditch. Alice still has the scar on her back from a sharp metal pole. She is the only one of uses, kind of, her real name. Of course, Alice was a nickname. A remnant to her past life she could have had. Perfect theme for the gang, though.

    Hatter was kicked out at sixteen. They met me, who had their own place, and has been my roommate ever since. After a couple years they found out and stated they were non binary, so the Mad Hatter fit him perfectly. I didn’t question it. There was weirder they could have told or asked me. They really have a thing for me though, and I found it quite funny. I started flirting back as a mutual thing. Might as well have some fun, right?