Alexa was sitting in a car, looking at the sky, wishing she were anywhere but here. Her older brother was trying to help her study for a history test, but even Alexa knew it was a lost cause. What was the point of a book, Alexa thought, if there are not pictures or conversations? Alexa sighed and looked out the window, cursing herself, for forgetting her iPod.
Alexa had dirty blonde hair and a young and innocent looking face, even though she was thirteen. Her green Abercrombie shirt brought out the color of her eyes, and her blue jeans were smeared with dirt from climbing the trees in her yard earlier. She was driving in her parent's car, sitting in the back, tuning her brother out. She wished she could just get away. Then a car came very close to crashing into her dad's car, and he cursed. Her dad veered over and soon another car had nailed itself in front of the family's SUV. The last thing she saw was a bright light, and then everything went black.
Alexa finally landed with a thump. She had the faintest feeling that she had been falling for a long time. She looked up, and the hole she fell though seemed very small, and Alexa wondered why it took so long to fall that far. Alexa had landed in a hallway with a black and white checkered floor, and doors in strange shapes placed wherever it seemed convenient. A beaver was jumping around like he had too much coffee in the morning. He was jumping on the walls and ceiling, literally. The beaver slid through a small door, and disappeared. "I'm early!" It cried, and that was the last she heard of the beaver.
Alexa went up to the door, and turned the knob. She realized the door wasn't a door, it was a series of doors, each one smaller than the next. The last one was about a foot high, but before she could reach for the knob, it spoke quiet clearly, "Hey, your not going to fit, so don't even bother."
Alexa was so taken aback, she asked. "Am I in the Twilight Zone?"
"Just drink this." The knob said, and dropped a bottle of clear liquid in Alexa's hand. She drank it, and shrank to nine inches, just able to slip through the door.
The land was beautiful. It was mostly green, with tree's growing everywhere, and the breeze ruffling the leaves. Alexa followed the cobblestone path, as she thought it was the wisest thing to do at the time. But soon two men were standing in the middle of the path, and seemed frozen in their tracks.
"Excuse me." Alexa said. She tried to step around the fat men, but they just moved over, so she was still blocked. She just stared. One of the mans collar's said Dumbledee and the other, Dumbledum. "Well, which way to the nearest town?" Alexa asked.
"Do you like poetry?" Dumbledee asked.
"Not particularly." Alexa said.
"The time had come," Dumbledum said, "To talk of many things. Of shoes and ships and ceiling wax, of cabbages and kings, why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings."
Alexa knew this was Lewis Carroll poetry, but didn't really want to listen to it. "I've got to go." Alexa walked away.
Dumbledee came back up. "Oh oysters come and walk with us the walrus did beseech! A pleasant walk a pleasant talk along the briny beach!" He cried.
Alexa thought. "I'd like to hear some more." Dumbledee and Dumbledum kept on quoting Mr. Carroll and Alexa quietly walked away. "Fat lot of help they were." Alexa said once she was out of earshot of Mr. Dum and Mr. Dee. Soon, she saw a Cat sitting in a tree, sighing and moaning by itself. "Excuse me," Alexa said. "Can you tell me where I should go now?"
The Cat sighed. "Well, that depends on where you want to go."
"Anywhere." Alexa said. "Just somewhere."
"You are bound to do that once you walk far enough." The Cat said. It frowned and went back to feeling bad for itself.
"What kinds of people live around here?" Alexa asked.
"There's the April Rabbit and the Merchant." The Cat said. "Visit either, they're both mad."
"You have no choice." The Cat said. "I'm mad. The Rabbit and Merchant are mad. You are mad too, if you weren't you would not of been able to come here."
"I don't get it." Alexa said.
The frowning Cat looked frustrated and sad at the same time if that was possible. "I'm mad because when I'm happy I frown and when I'm sad I smile. Its quite simple."
Alexa looked at the Cat. "But, that can't be right. I'm probably making you angry, shouldn't you be smiling?"
The Cat shot Alexa one more exasperated look, and then disappeared. Alexa smiled, because it was fun for her to annoy strangers, as she usually never saw them again.
"I'll go see the April Rabbit. Its not April, he shouldn't be raving mad." Alexa said out loud, for there was no one to hear.
Once she came upon the Rabbit's house loud music started to play. The Rabbit lived in a crooked house, but it didn't matter, the Rabbit and Merchant were outside. A huge table was set for at least fifty people, and pitchers of drinks were blowing their pipes in tune and making a symphony of music. Christmas lights were strung around the area, and blinking rapidly. Alexa sat down, and smiled.
"No room!" The Merchant cried, and the Rabbit joined in. "No room, no room, no room!"
"Don't be silly, there's plenty of room." Alexa said.
"Would you like a drink?" The Rabbit asked, changing his tone completely.
"What do you have?" Alexa asked.
The Mad Merchant smiled. "Coke, Diet Coke, Cherry Coke, Lime Coke, Diet Cherry Coke, Diet Lemon Coke, Diet Lime Coke, Diet Lemon Lime Coke-"
"And Love Potion No. 69!" The Mad Rabbit yelled as he poured the drink in a large glass and poured a carton of sugar on it. The sugar stuck to Alexa's lips when she drank it.
"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" The rabbit asked.
"Its not." Alexa said, getting herself another drink, pouring more sugar into it.
"She's no fun." The Mad Merchant said.
"Fine, how are they alike?" Alexa said.
"There not." The Mad Rabbit said simply.
"What are celebrating?" Alexa asked.
"A birthday!" The Merchant said. "She's not very bright is she?"
"Whose birthday?" Alexa asked.
"My dear, the list is too long to read!" The Rabbit said. "Now, tell us about yourself!"
"Well, I have a dog named-"
"NO!" They both shouted at the same time. A cat ran across the table, and splattered everything onto the laps of the three people.
"You had to do that, didn't you?" The Mad Merchant said.
Alexa threw her napkin down, and stomped away. A few seconds later, she came back for her drink then finally stomped away.
"If you want to leave, you'll have to go to the Queen." A voice said. Alexa turned around and saw the frowning Cat.
"Where is the Queen?" Alexa asked. The Cat simply disappeared, and a door appeared in its place. Alexa went through the door, and found herself in a maze of come sort. Soon a small group of Monopoly money came into sight, with big bottles of Elmer's glue and fake pink roses.
"Why are you doing that?" Alexa asked.
"Because if we don't the Queen will put us in jail." One said.
"And won't let us out until she rolls two duplicate number's with her dice." Five told her.
"She's obsessed with Monopoly." Twenty said, stating the obvious. "She keeps buying property, and makes us landscape it."
"THEY MADE ME PAY THE ELETRIC BILL!" A voice roared. Alexa didn't have to be told who it was. The Queen came into view, on a great white horse, and looked at the money. "ARE YOU GLUING THE ROSES ON!" She half asked, half screamed.
The Money hid behind Alexa. "Honestly," Alexa said. "Its ridiculous to make these poor things do all of the landscaping."
"I'LL LOCK YOU IN JAIL!" The Queen shouted.
Alexa stood her ground. "It's a miracle that people are still around here, because you keep put them in the jail!"
'OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" The Queen roared. More Money came out, looking fiercer than Alexa imagined they would, and holding lethal, medieval torture instruments.
Alexa ran, and the Money followed, with the Queen following her, screaming 'Off with her head' every twenty seconds. One grabbed her hair and pulled her back to the Queen. Alexa screamed.
"They'll scare you out every time." A voice said. Then The Cat's frowning face appeared, and it winked.
Alexa gasped. She opened her eyes, and saw herself in a hospital room. Her Aunt was sitting on chair with her head on Alexa's bed.
Alexa felt achy, but had enough energy to say a simple, "Suze."
Suze looked up, and saw Alexa. Then she started to cry.
"No, really, I'm okay." Alexa said faintly. "I was in Wonderland, and the Mad Merchant and April Rabbit had a tea party-"
"They said you wouldn't remember anything you dreamed!' Suze wailed. She looked very distraught. "If you remember anything, I'll sue that doctor for every single penny that he's worth!"
Then the light came back to her.
It had all seemed so real. But yet it was just a dream. A dream caused by a car crash and being in a coma, but a dream never the less. And yet…
What if she really was living neon dreams?