Hatter writes a letter to Alice.
Dear Alice,
I'm writing to say that I'm truly not okay.
I think you've forgotten me on the way because time has started again and I've yet to see your smile again.
I thought I saw you yesterday. But it wasn't really you. I was just imagining things again. I do that quite often lately, you know.
You know what else? My eyes aren't green any more. They don't change color. Ever. They're always gray. Always.
You learn a lot about how you look when you spend your day looking at frigid tea that you don't quite have the appetite to gulp anymore.
Why did you do this to me? You could've stayed. It's been years since you've been here. It's been years since I've been able to look into your beautiful eyes.
But I guess that doesn't matter to you. For what could a mad hatter ever offer to you? How could I ever measure up to your muchness?
I hope you've enjoyed your time with China. Whoever that is. He's far luckier than me. At least you want to be with China. At least you'll stay with China.
I'm begging here. Begging that maybe you'll leave China to come to Underland. I'd give you anything. I'd give you my muchness if it hadn't already faded away along with you. I think you took my muchness with you. And my heart. It's painful to have your heart taken away, I discovered. Please Alice, come back. Come backā¦
Sincerely yours,
Tarrant Hightopp
As Alice read this letter over and over she could feel the tears spilling like tiny crystals from her wide eyes. The tears slid on to the letter, smearing every last dagger over a word. The words knifed through her heart, and she questioned why she had left. And if she could ever return. Return to Underland. Return to her home. Return to Tarrant.
But how? She was in China. All alone in a sea of people. All she had was this letter. A letter she held close to her heart.
