Curiouser and Curiouser Were the Hunters

Chapter 1

In a land where gravity is easily defied, mushrooms grow as tall as trees, animals can discuss politics over tea, and no one questions why a woman demands white roses to be painted red, the wonderment is never pondered. The citizens of such a place simply do what they do best; wander in their madness. Madness that is so immeasurable that it is hard to believe anything is accomplished. In this astonishing terrain, it is not uncommon to find a cat who gives no straight answers playing games with a rabbit who can't seem to keep track of time.

The pink and purple patterned feline slides a pile of potato chips to the center of the table, telling her opponent that she was all in. Her opponent, a white, bespectacled rabbit, rolls his eyes at his opponent's use of edible chips instead of the usual circular poker chip. He proceeded to copy the cat and pushed forward all of his poker chips. With confidence flowing through the rabbit's veins, he turns his cards over to reveal a full house. The white rabbit's smirk fades as the cat's shit-eating grin widens. Within seconds, the cat slams her cards on the table, face side up, revealing a royal flush. As the rabbit stares in shock at his opponent, the cat pulls the chips towards herself.

"How?" The rabbit asked, still shocked.

"How what?" The feline retaliates.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"How did you win?"

"Win what?"

With every word the cat spoke, the rabbit grew more and more frustrated. Then his eyes catch the movement of the cat's tail flicking back and forth with two or more playing cards hidden in the stripes.

"You cheated!"

"Why, I would never!" She feigned innocence, her grin never wavering.

"You did! You did! I see the cards in your tail at this exact moment!" The rabbit exclaimed furiously. In response, the Cat immediately made her tail fade from the gaze of all who were watching her.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." She replied as she began sliding the chips, potato chips still included, into a bag that seemed to have magically appeared. The rabbit merely scowled in response before stomping away from the cat.

Later that same day, or what is assumed to be day because time is hard to tell in this world, the rabbit had made a very firm decision. The game between the rabbit and the cat was the last cup of tea that the rabbit believed the cat would ever spill. His anger and frustration with the feline were getting too much to handle, leading him to make the decision of giving the cat a sort of vacation so that he could have one of his own. Starting tomorrow, the Cheshire cat would be in a land that had no wonder and was anything but normal compared to that of Wonderland.