It has been said that madness is the key to the Happiness. But whose madness? And just who gets this happiness? In the olden days of Wonderland everyone's madness was everyone's happiness. That is no longer true. The Queens madness is her own happiness, hers and the highest bidders that is.
When the Queen become in control she waged a war with the knights, when they surrendered she did not care, she simply screamed "off with their heads..." Until there was but one knight in hiding.
That knight saved my life; he snuck me through the looking glass before the war began. But then he did the most horrible thing, he brought me back. It seems as if he lost a marble or two, he wasn't happy though. He said that the war was over between the knights and the Queen, that the Queen had been dethroned.
I did not believe him.
He dragged me throughout the town telling me to look how happy the people looked. They did not look happy, they looked frightened and unsure. "Why do you not believe me?" he asked when he seen the look upon my face.
I dragged him to a couple on a bench staring into space. "Where is the happiness on their face? I see nothing but regret and the look of fright!" he did not seem to understand, his eyes glazed over for a moment.
"I know just who will convince you!" he screamed as he dragged me throughout the town, yet again. Trying to no veil, I attempted to free my hand. "Come along dear, almost there."
He finally stopped outside a rundown, almost deserted looking building.
"Grandfather, it appears as if no one is here…" I told him as I tried to drag him away.
"Nonsense, my dear. A knight always knows where he is going." He trudged forth almost breaking down the door in his wake.
"What's going on? Cant a man have peace in his own bloody, rundown business!" came a man's voice from down the hall.
My grandfather looked excepting as he stroked his beard, nodding his head down towards the door of which the voice was heard. "Go on my dear, he has been dreadfully lonely since the fighting has ended."
I looked uncertain as I glanced down the hall, with another nod, my grandfather, the knight, gave me a push towards my destination.
I quickly gulped my fear down and reached for my cane, hidden within the skirt of my dress, I took the cover off and held my sword with certainty as I quickly but silently walked to my destination.
"Dormouse, I told you to go home, there is nothing here for you." The man sighed. He mumbled something that was incoherent.
I turned slowly, looking through a crack in the door. The only thing that could be seen was a brown leather jacket laying on the back of a chair. I looked at the door, trying to find another crack so that I could find where the man had gone.
As I crouch down to look through a mouse like hole towards the bottom, the door went rushing open causing me to fall forward on my face.
"Oh…. What's this? An ex-minion of the Queen? Sorry to tell ya, fresh out of them emotions, actually gonna be out of them for quite a long time. So scat, would ya, your bringing down the value of this fine establishment."
As the man bent to push me out of his doorway he paused and glanced around. "Hey there! Charlie? What are you doin here? "Having momentarily forgotten my presence, he let me get the element of surprise.
I shuffled to my feet, quickly fixing my dress; I slammed the door closed behind me. There would be no way they could sneak up on me, looking around I found that the jacket was oddly familiar. Picking it up, I could smell a certain scent, but I couldn't fathom what it was.
"Odd it feels as if I've been here before…" I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of someone dragging a sword through the door, trying to unlock it.
Trying to gather my wits as well as something to block the door, I didn't even realize that they had opened the door and where now staring at me. Turning to face them, I dropped the chair I had grabbed.
Staring back at me was a man I thought was long gone. But nothing seemed any different that the last I saw him. Well, except that his curly, dark brown hair was a bit longer and his light, brown, almost beige hat was a little more wore in.
His mouth was agape, and his nervousness could be clearly seen as he fumbled with his tie, not quite sure what to do with himself.
"I thought you were dead!" we both shouted at the same time.
As if on cue Grandfather comes striding in and stood in-between us. Now then, would anyone care for a cup of tea? I know I just bought some more…"
The man looked at Grandfather as if he was completely insane, "mad as a box of frogs…" he mumbled picking the chair back up.
As they went about their… duties, I suppose, they once again forgot my presence. This was fine with me, since it left me to my thoughts.
The scent on the jacket was tea, no wonder it smelt so familiar, it was the Hatters jacket. And he does always smell like tea for some odd reason. I went to go stand by the desk, when someone caught my arm and dragged me towards them.
I closed my eyes, becoming surrounded by not only an over powering scent of tea, but also strong, warm arms. Arms that I had almost began to forget.
Hatter placed his head on my shoulder, "Raine, I… I thought you were… dead," sniffling is all that could be heard for a few seconds, "I… I thought... the Queen had got to you, I'm so sorry…"
At his apology I was confused, 'why was he sorry?' I pulled away slightly so that I could see his face. "Hatter you have no need to be sorry. I know that if I needed you that you would be there."
"But I wasn't, I missed you. The Queen told me that she had you … ki…killed. I never want you to leave." His body started to shake as the crying finally came.
Grabbing his face, I made him look me straight in my eyes. "Hatter, I promise to never leave you again…" I leaned closer towards the Hatter only to be stopped by Grandfather.
"I swear I seen that tea, somewhere!" he bellowed.
"Grandfather!"
"Charlie!" we yelled at the same time.
Perhaps I was wrong. Wonderland is slowly becoming what it once was and hopefully people would once again be happy or mad, or perhaps even both. Only time will tell, but at the moment I'm quite content with how things are.