Alice in Demonland

14. Inside the Rabbit Hole

Thick, dry roots protruded from every direction within the dirty hole. I watched the rabbit hop in, under and around them, dodging expertly. For a full-sized person, the terrain rendered itself much more difficult. I clawed my way after him, scraping my hands. Oozing blood from my fingers made the roots slick. "Rabbit," I called, irritated he wasn't waiting.

It was difficult to get a sense of direction. When I'd gone into the hole, I'd been heading down, but now it felt like I was going perpendicular to the ground. At the end of the tunnel shone a bright light. The rabbit stopped and sniffed the air. Then he pulled his watch out of his pocket. "Must hurry." He turned and acknowledged me. "Stop dawdling, Alice."

My irritation rose. He knew my name? I had several choice words for the rabbit, but I held my tongue, utilizing my energy to tear at the blasted roots. Occasionally a chunk of soft dirt would fall into my hair or rain on my hands. The earth smelled strange, like sulfur and overly ripened apples. "Where are you leading me?" I asked as he exited the tunnel and leaned against a rather large elm tree in the distance. He opened his pocket watch, then gave me an irritated glare.

"It won't matter if you don't hustle," he said, obviously exasperated.

I huffed. "I'm going as quickly as I can." When I reached the end of the tunnel, I exited and stood to my full height, glancing up. The whole sky was ablaze with orange, yellow and red. It was gloriously peculiar. The landscape was just as bizarre. Giant mushrooms were interspersed with even bigger trees. Their colors like that of a color wheel. Some had black stripes while others were spotted. Tangled white foliage covered the ground and climbed up the mushroom stems as well as the tree trunks. Large gold flowers blossomed randomly. The ground consisted of a substance similar to clay and I wondered how anything grew amongst the dry cracks.

"About time." The rabbit pushed off the tree that wasn't actually a tree but the stem of an odd plant and started forward. With each step the foliage receded, creating a path.

I followed, but kept a hesitant pace as I debated the strangeness of my situation. A few moments ago I'd been lying on an slab bound to Kade. Yet I'd just climbed out of a rabbit hole, and as I scanned the strange landscape, verified he was nowhere to be found. Thinking about the gorgeous man with green eyes caused my heart to flutter. He was chock full of secrets and none of them made sense. Like the fact that he fought the way a Dark Moth warrior would, yet didn't have the marks on his hands. Then there were his eyes. They were green instead of gray. He had carried a Dark Moth blade, yet he hadn't been trained by them. For those reasons and more the Society elders had demanded he face the Trial of Three, or be killed.

Kade had agreed.

But why?

I had a feeling killing him wouldn't be easy.

According to the books I'd been required to study, the trials were meant to test the emotional, spiritual, and physical faculties. Some didn't survive. In fact, many died, the trials proving too difficult. But if one completed the trials, a trainee's true nature was supposed to be revealed.

Kade suggested he could tell them what they wanted, but the Society wouldn't hear it. I still wanted to know what he was and had a feeling the Society had known all along.

From the short time I'd spent with the man, I highly doubted he was a demon. But he wasn't a Dark Moth either. The trials were a good idea. I'd agreed to go through them as well, so that I could hopefully find out who'd sired me. Whether he was a Greed, Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony, Pride, Lust, or Envy demon. But as I glanced around I wondered if something had gone horribly wrong with the trials. I guessed my body was still lying upon the stone while I dreamed. But that didn't make sense either. I pinched my arm and felt my nerve endings respond to the pain. "Feels real enough."

"Alice, we don't want to be late," the rabbit said, rummaging me out of my thoughts.

"Where are we going?" I asked the question, but guessed I wouldn't get an answer, the same as last time.

The rabbit checked his watch again, and hopped along the path. I silently followed, studying my surroundings, wondering if I could use something as a weapon if I had to.

We passed through more mushrooms and trees. They seemed to be getting thicker. A quick look at the sky proved my point. I couldn't see past the gnarled branches. Darkness permeated and it became quiet, like death had decided to take a break. I sped up, realizing I could only just make out the rabbit in the distance. He'd hopped far ahead and fog swirled around the distance between us.

"Hang on." I jogged until I reached the edge of the thicket. The rabbit had just hopped onto a treacherously long bridge. It appeared to be made of wooden planks and rope and didn't look very sturdy. Normally I'd cross without a second thought, but as I peered over the edge something strange overtook me. Or, left me. I felt only one thing. Terror. Like the fog blanketing the landscape, the emotion infiltrated every crevice of my being. Unable to shake the horror building inside me, I forced myself to step on the first plank. The whole bridge wobbled and I screamed, scampering back. "Rabbit, wait."

"We're almost there. Keep going." His voice sounded from far away as though he were already on the other side.

I took a deep breath, focused on slowing my fearful heart. Then took a step back onto the bridge. This time, when it wobbled, I took hold of the ropes on either side, hanging on for dear life. When I reached what felt like the midway point, a brisk wind picked up causing the bridge to sway. Tendrils of hair blew across my eyes and into my mouth. "I can't do this," I said, my teeth chattering. My knees quaked and the muscles in my stomach clenched with unease. Had I not been filled with so much fear, I might have been angry. I knew the feelings I was having were unfounded, yet I couldn't make them go away. If anything, they were getting worse. And then I knew. My fears were a product of the trials. But even knowing didn't erase the feelings. They continued to buzz within my body and wouldn't stop.

"Let go," the rabbit shouted. This time his voice seemed to come from below the bridge.

I glanced back the way I'd come and then forward. A faceless figure appeared. It hovered about twenty feet in front of me, blocking my path across. Smoke gray robes covered the being, snaking around him in the wind, making it difficult to see anything beyond. My panic grew stronger. "I can't," I said, hoarsely.

"You can and you must," came the rabbit's reply.

"Ugh." I didn't know what to do.

The figure floated toward me at a slow but menacing pace.

I couldn't do this. "I'm going back," I said and turned around on the rickety bridge. Why had I decided to follow the rabbit anyway? I took one step followed by another and another, but with each step came the realization I wasn't going back. In fact, I couldn't even see the place I'd come from any longer. Another faceless figure sailed onto the bridge, its fingers made of bones, as it reached out to me.

"Please, Alice. If you don't want to become like those creatures on the bridge, let go," the rabbit shouted.

The wind became fiercer as though it were trying to convince me to listen to the rabbit too. My options were limited. I couldn't go back and I couldn't go forward. The wraiths were closing in. My only choice required listening to the damned rabbit and doing something totally out of character—giving up control. "Fine." I released the ropes. Immediately, the wind turned into a hurricane, which picked me up and flung me over the side.