"A family vacation, aren't I a bit old for such things?" Alice thought to herself while peering out the car window at mile after mile of nothing but green pastures. It had been almost an entire year since Alice had seen her sister, Margaret, but she couldn't help but find the whole trip quite bothersome.
"At the risk of sounding like a child, are we almost there?" Alice asked her parents taking notice of the brightly lit signs that were intermittently breaking up the boring and repetitive fields. "Visit Winter Wonderland in Eclectic." "Eclectic, AL - 40 Miles." "Huntington College - 5 Miles."
"Why yes Alice, it seems we are just about there," replied her mother, a bit late.
"How long is Maggie's winter break?"
"Just about two weeks dear, you can tolerate us for that long can't you?"
"Yes mother," Alice replied, rolling her eyes and putting her headphones on. "At least I have you," she whispered almost silently to her iPod.
The music brings a smile back to her face, mouthing along to what she hears, "…I love you all but I gotta get out and change this scenery. I've got to find, what I'm living for, I've got to change this life that I'm living…" She interrupted her bliss momentarily, "Mother, you will let me borrow the car for an evening won't you?"
"Whatever for Alice?"
"I want to visit 'Wonderland'…a sign we passed, it's a winter festival of sorts…" The sound of her voice had a bit of disappointment as she spoke, already knowing her mother's answer.
"We could go as a family dear, it sounds like great fun!"
She heard what she had expected and muttered under her breath, "Forget I even mentioned it," and turned her attention back to the only thing that seemed to make her happy anymore, her music, again silently mouthing the words, "…I tried to find someplace that seemed right for me. I walked the streets until I lost my mind, and that was the best place to be. When I lost my mind the truth set me free."
As the music stopped, so did the car. Alice glanced to her left as they parked the car to see Margaret ever so eagerly awaiting their arrival. Alice sighed as she got out of the car to greet her sister. "Hi! How was the drive? Are you all hungry? Where are you staying?" Before giving anyone a chance to answer Maggie grabbed her things and hopped in the car, "Let's go. I don't get much time away from here and want to make the most of it."
Alice thought to herself, "Same old Maggie."
The family headed out to dinner then off to a nearby hotel. Alice was once again dismayed, finding out that she had to share a room with her sister.
"Maggie," Alice inquired, "Do you know anything about that Winter Wonderland festival?"
Her sister replied with an air of boredom in her tone, "Sure, what is it you want to know?"
"Well for one, when is it? And secondly, do you know where it is?"
"Alice, I'm rather surprised that someone like you is even interested. But anyway, they hold it every night throughout winter break. It's in a town about half an hour away."
Alice was getting curiouser and curiouser. "Do you think there is anyway that mom and dad would let me go alone?"
Margaret scoffed at the idea, "There is absolutely no way, but I bet they would allow us to take the car together. You know, for some quality bonding time."
"I hope you aren't serious Maggie."
"Alice, don't you know me at all? I'm not the slightest bit interested in that so-called Wonderland, they do that every year. I would however, love to be able to take the car out for a while. You have your phone right? I'll drop you off and we'll meet up again later." Maggie looked thrilled with herself as she spoke. "Just let me do all the talking."
Alice decided it would be best for her to just wait in their room while her sister spoke to her parents. She lay back on her bed and listened to some music while she waited.
After only a couple of songs the hotel room door burst open and Alice glanced over to see her sister bounding with joy, already going on and on. Alice couldn't hear a word Margaret was saying but she smiled nonetheless. The music cut out just in time for Alice to hear her sister saying, "Well, what are you waiting for? Get up and get ready!"
As Margaret came out of the bathroom Alice was finishing up brushing her long dark blonde hair, she threw on a sweatshirt and the pair headed out the door. On the way there the sisters did not say much to one another, they spoke briefly about where and when they would meet up. Before much more time passed and without a goodbye, Alice got out of the car.
Her eyes beamed with reflections of dancing lights and snow. Alice scanned the sight before her just taking it all in. There were people scattered all about, in pairs and groups, talking amongst themselves while gathered around the different spectacles of lights and characters. Alice began walking towards the displays when she became distracted by the most peculiar looking cat she had ever seen.
'Does that kitty have blue stripes?' She asked herself, beginning to walk after the cat. Alice was paying so much attention to the oddly colored cat that she didn't even notice she had walked off of the festival paths and into a dimly moonlit field. A flicker of light caught her eye before it quickly faded.
"Hmm, where did he go?" She thought aloud, looking all around her but still walking away from the lights.
"Where did who go?" Said a man's voice.
Alice finally looked up, barely in enough time to see the tall man she was bumping into. As she began to fall, he took her hand in his to catch her.
"Oh! I-I'm so sorry! Thank you for…" As Alice looked up into the man's eyes, taking notice they were the absolute brightest green eyes she had ever seen, she became a bit entranced. "…Ummm…a-a cat, I was following a cat." Alice was still a little startled and her nervousness was apparent in her voice. The man smiled at her for a moment before he spoke.
"I'm Tarrant, nice to meet you," he said, shaking the hand that he hadn't yet let go of.
"How rude of me," said Alice, while slowly taking her hand back, "I'm Alice. Nice to meet you too…Tarrant. Pardon me for intruding, but what are you doing all the way out here?"
Before answering, Tarrant put his hand on Alice's shoulder and turned her around to face the festival that was still in full swing. "I enjoy the lights much more when I don't have to hear all of the noisy people, from here it appears they are dancing just for me."
Although the lights did look beautiful from where she was standing, Alice couldn't help but be lost in thought about this man that she just ran into. He is unlike anyone Alice had ever met before, and not just because of his amazingly bright eyes or fiery orange hair. She pondered about the way he looked at her and touched her like he had known her forever. She wondered why she was so instantly comfortable around him when everything she'd ever learned told her to be very cautious around strangers - and she didn't think there were any men stranger than this one.
'Perhaps,' she thought, 'it is because I am such a misfit myself.'
At any rate and for whatever reason, she felt - happy. Alice looked up over her shoulder at Tarrant, who was still staring at the lights. The way the light was shining, she got a good look at his face. Freshly shaven, however not like that of the guys her age. He was older, but not too much, maybe 7, 8 years. Before long he noticed her looking at him so intently that he couldn't help but crack a smile, a smile that was contagious and Alice shyly smiled back.
"Alice, would you like some tea?"
"Tea?" Alice inquired, wondering where they would possibly get tea from.
"Yes, tea. Back at the festival."
"Sure, tea sounds great." She answered him with enthusiasm although it had been many years since she last had a cup of tea.
"Shall we?" said Tarrant, offering his arm.
With a slight pause and a big grin, Alice hooked her arm in his and like young children the two of them skipped through the field and towards the tea stand.
Alice took a seat at a small table in a quiet place not far from "A Spot of Tea" where she waited for her newest, yet dearest, friend Tarrant. Her eyes were practically glued to the odd but charming man, seeing him in full light for the first time. To Alice, his attire was only strange in comparison to the passersby. He wore vibrant yellow plaid pants that showed the shape of his legs, an old looking t-shirt, the words on which Alice couldn't make out because it was mostly covered by a dark blue velvet suit jacket. His outfit was finished off by a pageboy cap, fingerless gloves, and combat boots. She marveled at the sight, thinking that maybe it was more than coincidence that brought them together. Tarrant soon came back with the tea.
"Did you come here alone?" He asked.
"Yes and no, my sister drove me but we decided to part ways until later. How about you?"
"I always come alone," he responded with a smile, "I can tell you aren't from around here, what brings you to such a boring place?"
"Is there a place which isn't boring?" Alice thought aloud, realizing the words came out just a little too late, "I mean…"
Before she was able to continue Tarrant's look had changed from a calm sort of happiness to excited eyes and a mischievous smile. He practically jumped up from his seat, "Would you like to see?" He held out his hand, and Alice quickly took hold of it.
As she again became hypnotized by his gaze, a song she was listening to earlier came into her head, "I love you all, but I've gotta get out and change this scenery. I've got to find what I'm living for…"
"Alice?"
"Sorry, yes, please show me."
Alice was always a curious girl, and perhaps a bit impulsive at times, but to trust this man that she had just met was unlike her. For some reason, it just felt so right. They walked along past the lights and people until they came to a small village display. In front of her Alice saw a few little cabins, model people sledding and decorating model houses and a windmill not unlike those at a mini-golf course.
"We're here," Tarrant said with that same look of excitement.
Alice was a bit confused, "We didn't actually go anywhere."
"Ok, so we're almost there," he said, looking around to be sure nobody was watching him before opening the small door of the windmill, "Ladies first."
'Is he serious,' Alice thought to herself, 'what could be so interesting inside this thing other that how two people could possibly squeeze into it?'
"I'll go first if you'd like," said Tarrant, sensing her hesitation. Never letting go of Alice's hand he began his way through the small doorway.
Alice was conflicted, she felt she would have to be a bit mad to follow him but at the same time she had only just met the one person she has ever felt a connection with and wasn't about to let him leave her life as quickly as he entered it. Just as any other time, Alice turned to her music to help her decide what to do, the words chimed in her ears.
"..Let down your defenses, use no common sense. If you look you will see that this world is…"
With that she closed her eyes and followed Tarrant's lead. Soon she was standing, wondering how that was possible Alice opened her eyes, seeing before her a land that was more bright and colorful than the dancing lights she had just left behind. Frozen in awe, staring at all the marvels. Flowers taller than she was, streams with water that sparkled like they were filled with the stars from the night sky, grass and trees such a green that not even Crayola had a name for.
"Welcome to Wonderland," her companion whispered in her ear.
