I worte this for the Oncers Spread Love project for the lovely Ash (whisper-run on tumblr) I hope she likes it!
Alice was laid on a blanket in the grounds of her house, listening to the buzz of a summer garden and daydreaming contently. A strange pulse of energy pumped through the air, Alice opened her eyes and sat up, letting her eyes adjust to the bright light from the midday sun. She heard someone shriek, but she knew she had to be alone, and even if the men that worked on the garden had come in on their day off, they certainly wouldn't make a noise like that. Alice got up to investigate; she decided the noise had come from the direction of the rose garden. As she crept closer, Alice could her someone muttering and mumbling, supposedly to themselves. The voice was small and frantic. Alice sprinted round to the entrance of the rose garden and listened intently.
"I'm late!" The mysterious creature shrieked. As Alice spun around a hedge to where the sound was coming from, she froze. The creature wasn't a creature at all, he was simply a man. A very strange man, he was dress all in white except for his ruby red waistcoat, he was clutching at a pocket watch with a desperate look on his small featured face. He was quite small in his height also not that his posture helped matters, he was hunched over his precious watch, still muttering to himself, and he had yet to notice Alice.
"Excuse me..." Alice approached the man hesitantly. "Can I help you?" The man jumped with fright and stared wide eyed at Alice.
"I...I'm late." He squeaked. Alice moved closer to the man who had begun to quake.
"Late for what?" She replied calmly. The quaking man burst into tears, Alice put her arm around his shoulders. Suddenly a crackle of energy shook the ground around Alice. The small man jumped out from Alice's grip, grinning with delight.
"The portal has reopened!" He told her with glee and skittered off through the garden, Alice followed rushing through the maze of rose bushes and hedges. As she turned the final corner a wave of energy hit her, almost knocking her over. In the middle of the ground there was a swirling mass of deep purple and emerald mist with a hole forming in the middle. Without warning the strange man jumped straight into the mist. Alice didn't hesitate and launched herself in after him.
Alice lifted her head slowly, her head felt heavy, so did her arms as she brought her hands up to her face. She realised as her eyes focused gently on her surroundings that she was no longer in her garden. Not that she was expecting to remain where she was.
Jefferson strolled down the stone pathway towards the grand house of one of his clients. Once he reached the emerald green door he swung the knocker loudly. An elderly man answered, he grumbled at Jefferson as he stepped aside to let him in. Jefferson knew his way around the house having run errands for the shady man that lived there many times before. Hence the grumbling of the butler as Jefferson burst into the first room on his left. "I heard you were in need of some assistance with a certain pest of yours." He stated leaning against the door frame. The imposing figure turned from the window to stare at Jefferson unamusedly.
"This is no joking matter. I pay you to run my errands not comment on my affairs. But yes I do need you to collect a certain problematic creature for me. A white rabbit. I believe he was last spotted in Wonderland. Are you familiar with Wonderland Jefferson?"
"Yes perfectly familiar and rather fond of Wonderland sir. But I am I understanding you correctly? You want me to retrieve a rabbit for you? Why is a creature of that size and unimportance so vital to you?" Jefferson began making his way over to the uptight man.
"He's not an actual rabbit you fool." The man spat the last word, causing Jefferson to stop where he stood in the middle of the room. He didn't want to agitate him much more. Why were all of his clients so volatile? Jefferson thought to himself. At least they pay well. The other side of his mind reminded him. "He's a man, a pathetic little man. The White Rabbit is the only name I've ever known him by. He has something of mine and I want it back, I want him back too, alive of course."
Jefferson smirked slightly and nodded. "And what may I ask is this possession of yours this 'rabbit' seems to have obtained? Also how did he get to Wonderland?"
"I don't know how he did it, I just want him returned." The man stepped right up to Jefferson, looming over him threateningly. "As for the object, it is a pocket watch that has been in my family for generations, it is a greatly valued possession of mine. I need it back. You will receive your payment when I have it in my hand, however the payment will only be in full if I have both watch and rabbit with me." He took a step back. "Well, that's all you need isn't it? When can I expect you to return?"
"Wonderland is a large place sir, I will have to locate the rabbit and supposing he has the watch with him I can return straight away. However if he does not have the watch with him then I will need more time. Shall we say three days? If you haven't heard from me within a week then you will have to presume the worst has happened."
The client nodded and returned to his window. "I shall see you within a week Jefferson." Jefferson turned to leave swiftly. He didn't want to linger in this man's house with him in that mood. Once outside Jefferson removed his hat from the box he always carried with him. He threw it to the ground flicking his wrist as he did so, so the hat begun to spin in mid air and had already generated a big enough portal for Jefferson to jump through by the time it hit the ground. Once through the portal Jefferson found himself in the oh so familiar room of doors. He turned to the mirror that led to Wonderland. He slipped through the mirror as simply as usual and gazed around him at the tall apple grass and mushrooms the size of tiny houses, he had missed this place.
Alice stood carefully still taking in her surroundings; the grass in the field next to her was taller than her and smelled distinctly of apples. Alice found herself standing on a path, to her right was the giant grass and to her left was normal sized grass with huge brightly coloured mushrooms sprouting from the ground. She suddenly remembered why she was here. Where had the strange man gone? Alice thought it better not to shout out in case she attract the attention of something dangerous. She instead decided to follow the path. After what seemed like hours to Alice she noticed smoke rising from one of the mushrooms in the distance, she knew there had to be someone on the mushroom as the smoke was rising in rings, her father used to make smoke rings when he smoked his pipe every evening. Alice ran to the mushroom, it was closer than she had assumed, she passed a strange looking mirror on her way, but didn't have time to inspect it closely, she needed to know where she was. Alice stopped abruptly on top of the mushroom was a massive bright blue caterpillar smoking a pipe and making rings with his mouth. He blew one in Alice's direction; she ducked out of its way.
"What is this place?" She demanded.
"This place is a land filled with wonder." The caterpillar replied.
"And what does that mean?" Alice quizzed, growing impatient with the fat insect as he continued to smoke.
"Oh dear, have you never heard of this place before? What a shame." The caterpillar turned around slowly and with great difficulty. When his back was finally to Alice she simply stood there utterly perplexed and absolutely livid. She tried running round to the other side of the mushroom, but it turns out the caterpillar was on top of it for a reason, the grass bites. Not the insects within the grass, the actual grass. Alice jumped in the air and shrieked as soon as her ankles felt the first sharp stab. "You might find straying from the path can be rather dangerous." The caterpillar sniggered. Alice scrambled back to the path and rubbed her poor pained ankles. She decided to give up on the rude caterpillar. She must find her strange companion, so she followed the path further, being careful to stay in the middle in case the grass decided to reach across and bite her some more.
Jefferson winced slightly at the brightness of Wonderland, searching for the caterpillar who always resided near the mirror. "Good day!" Jefferson shouted joyfully in his direction as soon as he spotted him. Strangely however the caterpillars back was turned towards the path. "Not in a social mood today Caterpillar?"
Having heard Jefferson's cry the creature had begun to turn back around to greet his favourite visitor. "I was feeling in quite a lovely mood until some strange yellow girl began to ask me ridiculous questions." The caterpillar stated grumpily.
"I don't suppose you've come across a strange man too have you?" Jefferson said in a pleading tone, he didn't want to get on the bad side of this particular insect, goodness knows what he's capable of. Jefferson had found it was wise to tread carefully with everyone in Wonderland.
"I did yes, he was running and shouting, quite irritating." The caterpillar seemed calm again, despite his irritation with Jefferson's target.
"Did you happen to see which way he went at the crossroads?"
"Maybe. He was wearing red if that helps your quest."
Jefferson nodded knowingly "He was heading for the Queen's maze, thank you. Well I'd better be off to hunt down my rabbit before the Queen gets her hands on him." He grinned and started running down the path.