Royal Flush
A breeze drifted past, gently fluttering the grass upon a large hill. A boy strolled up to the top of the hill until he encountered another boy, his hat tilted to cover his eyes as he slept soundly.
"Wake up Alex." The boy bent down and lightly poked Alex. With a startle, he woke up, knocking both their hats in his flurry and revealing the other boy's white rabbit ears.
"Why'd you wake me up, Peter? I was having a good dream." Alex said as he yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"To invite you somewhere special. Oh and thanks for knocking off my hat." Peter grumbled as he went to retrieve his cap.
"Sorry pal." Alex said, "So where did you have in mind?"
"Somewhere. Just follow me 'k? I was told to bring you there." Peter said as he settled his hat back on his head.
"Hmm… By who?" Alex got up to follow Peter.
"You'll find out eventually." Peter said as he and Alex walked. They soon encountered a small grove of trees. After making their way into the middle of the grove, they stumbled upon a large hole.
"Wow. Who would have thought that there was a hole here?" Alex stared down into the hole. "But anyways, what do you think dug this?"
"A rabbit. See, it's a rabbit hole." With a grin, Peter pushed Alex down the hole. "See you in Wonderland."
"What the heck was that idiot trying to do? Kill me?" Alex grumbled as he stood up.
It took a couple of minutes before he realized what had happened. However, Alex found it hard to believe that he had fallen, or was pushed, Alex corrected himself, down a rabbit hole. For one thing, his surroundings didn't resemble what the bottom of a rabbit hole should look like; instead, it resembled an octagonal room with a hole instead of a roof. Its walls looked as if it were painted an earthly brown. However on closer inspection, Alex discovered that it was compacted earth that had been finely smoothed; there was not a grain of dirt out of place. Peering up, as far as Alex could see, the walls were of the same texture as the walls of the room. A single, flickering candle was pasted on each of the eight walls. The floor was adorned with black and white tiles arranged in a random pattern. A single table decorated the bland room. It had a simple pattern, drafted with a function-over-looks design.
Alex walked over to the table. On the table was a golden chain; over the chain was a folded note-card with the words "WEAR ME" printed in bold. He took the chain in his hand, scrutinizing the intricate pattern.
"Glad to know you survived the fall." Alex jumped at the familiar voice. Turning around, he noticed Peter leaning at the joint between two walls. He glared at Peter.
"Now, now," Peter smiled, "no need to look at me with those eyes."
"How did you get over there?" Alex was puzzled.
"What do you mean?" Peter looked quizzically at him. "I was always over here. You just never saw me."
"Whatever. Then tell me what you're doing here you stupid rabbit."
"Hey now. No insults." Peter retorted.
"So anyways, know how to get back home?"
"Well, there's really no way to get out of Wonderland." Peter nonchalantly said. "Besides, didn't you always say that you were bored? Isn't that why you would wander off daily to those hills?"
"Well, yeah. But that's no reason to push me down a stupid hole. You almost gave me a heart attack from the shock."
"Trust me. You'll be happier here. I'm your friend aren't I?" Again, Peter smiled. As he did so, he pulled out a large pocket watch from his pant's pocket. "Well, looks like I'm running out of time. I gotta head somewhere soon. How's about I give you a clue as to where to go. Just go out that door and follow the path and you'll get to where you want to go." Peter pointed to the door next to him. "I can't guarantee it's the way back home, but it's where you'll want to go. I'll even give you a parting gift."
He sauntered to where Alex was and placed something in his hand. "Alright then. 'Cya and good luck, buddy." With a grin, Peter ran past Alex through a hole in the wall and down a path. Alex blinked his eyes and the path immediately turned back into a wall. Alex ran to where Peter had disappeared and placed his hand on the wall.
Strange, Alex thought, I was sure that I just saw a path…
Then he glanced down. Uncurling his fist, he discovered that Peter had placed a key into his hand. The key was the length of his hand; the blade of the key looked similar to a thin, silver cylindrical rod with a set of three square teeth, each of varying sizes, placed evenly on the blade. The majority of the bow was taken up by a large, emerald clover. Inspecting the key, Alex discovered a small hole punched at the tip of the bow and strung it onto the chain. He then attached the chain to a belt loop on his trousers.
Now… Alex thought …about this door…
Seeing as there was no other way out of the room, Alex opened the door Peter had indicated and headed down the passage.
Alex continued to walk down the dark corridor illuminated by small, flickering candles set a considerable distance apart from one another. The tunnel continued to stretch with no sign of an end. As he walked, the emerald key jingled at his side. The echo of a grandfather clock chiming 12 could be heard from a distance. A sinister, yet depressing tune played on the piano pierced the eerie quiet.
Gazing ahead, Alex stopped at a crossroad. The path split into two at this point, separated by a two-arrowed sign. One arrow pointed to the right and had the words "THIS WAY" written sloppily on it; the other arrow pointed to the left with the words "THAT WAY" printed with the same shabby handwriting. The ominous music continued to pervade from both directions.
From behind him, muffled footsteps could be heard. Turning around, Alex saw a person slowly materialize from the shadows. What caught Alex's attention were the pair of black cat ears each pierced by a gold cuff earring and the long striped tail that trailed behind him.
He stopped when he saw Alex. "Oh…" he said, "didn't think there was goin' to be someone else here. Well anyways, I'm the Cheshire Cat, but feel free to call me Cheshire. What's your name, boy?
"It's Alex." Alex continued to stare at Cheshire's ears.
"Ah… your lookin' at these ears aren't 'ya?" Cheshire pointed at his cat ears and smiled.
"Yeah…" Alex nodded intuitively "But you know? They kind of remind me of my friend's ears. Oh! By the way, do you know how to get out of this tunnel?"
"Simple. Go that way." Cheshire pointed to left. "It should lead 'ya where 'ya want to go. Anyways it was nice meetin' 'ya, Alex. Now I gotta go, alright? Plus, who knows. We might meet again."
With a grin, Cheshire left "THIS WAY" and disappeared to the accompaniment of the strange piano tune.
With no other plan to fall upon, Alex decided to follow Cheshire's advice and headed "THAT WAY". However, this path was no different than the one Alex had just gone through. It had the same flickering candles that played with Alex's shadow and dimly lit his path. There was the same muffled echo of the click of his boots as he made his way towards, what he hoped, was the exit to this dismal, unending passage.
Alex kept moving forward to the beat of the tick-tock of the grandfather clock and the resonance of the mysterious piano tune. Alex noticed the path was progressively becoming steeper. Gazing onward at the dark abyss, Alex suddenly encountered a large wooden door, partially rotten with age and disuse. The golden doorknob, however, was out of place as it looked to be new and unused.
With high hopes, Alex slowly opened the door and, as if on cue, the incessant noise suddenly ceased. Alex opened the door, noticing that it was on the side of a large, grassy hill that oddly, resembled the hill Alex had lain on shortly before he was pushed down the rabbit hole. The abrupt silence was gradually replaced by the sound of crickets, indicating night. He walked out the door, which proceeded to close with a loud creak. With a final thud, the door shut and blended into the green surroundings.
A small breeze swept past Alex. A hint of lavender and magnolia, as well as the aroma of the fertile soil, could be detected as Alex breathed the rich earthy smells. Looking down, he could just detect a worn path that indicated much use.
Following the path, Alex took note of his surroundings. A lush forest of pines and oaks surrounded him. An owl's hoot could be heard in the distance as it foraged for food. As the owl preyed from the skies, a lone wolf's glowing eyes stared unblinkingly at Alex from behind a small grove of bushes and trees. Making sure to keep his distance from the hungry wolf, Alex kept up a reasonable speed as he walked to the accompaniment of chirps.
Some few minutes passed before Alex spotted a white light pierce through the darkness. Alex increased his pace. At the end of the light was a small café constructed of wood and painted white. A row of short, white picket fences surrounded the property, separating it from its surroundings. Near the property was a short picket sign of the same color that read "BLACK RABBIT CAFÉ" in fancy lettering.
As Alex admired the cozy-looking building, the door swung open and the shadow of someone could be seen in the door's entryway.
"Why hello there." The person waved to Alex. "I didn't expect to see anyone out this late, but why don't you come in and rest yourself by the fireplace."
"Cozy isn't it?" The man smiled at Alex as they entered the domain. "Come and sit down. I'll prepare you a drink." The man stood behind the bar while Alex sat across from him.
He passed Alex a freshly made drink. "So what's a kid like you doing out so late at night?"
Alex took a sip of the drink and scowled.
"Not much your taste is it?" the Bartender chuckled.
"Just not used to it." Alex took another sip as the Bartender polished a glass, scrutinizing it every minute or so.
The silence between Alex and the Bartender was broken when the door suddenly swung open.
"Yo Bartender!" Cheshire strutted in, his shoes tap-tapping on the floor. He sat next to Alex and smiled at him. "Hello to you too, boy. I see ya' made it out of the tunnel alright."
Sighing, the Bartender put down the glass. "Hello to you too Cheshire. Must I repeat myself again? Close the door."
"Fine." Cheshire closed the door and returning, sat next to Alex.
The Bartender placed a glass of cold milk in front of Cheshire.
"Thanks." He quietly drank the beverage."Oh! And boy, I saw your rabbit. White ears right? Well, he went that way." Cheshire pointed to his right as he downed the milk.
"Thanks Cheshire." Alex stood up and proceeded to the door.
"Oh, and one more thing Alex," Cheshire mentioned as Alex headed out the door. "Watch out for the Jabberwocky."
Dawn was approaching as Alex continued down the paved road in the indicated direction.
Surrounding Alex was a sparse collection of bushes and trees blooming brightly colored flowers. Small sparrow-like birds could be seen flitting to and fro as a hawk observed them from the skies. A pack of wolves warily observed Alex as they rested.
The sun rose to a 12 o'clock position when Alex paused before a monstrous forest. At the entrance to the forest was a "THIS WAY" sign, moldy and tattered with age, pointing towards the forest.
The massive tree canopies prevented light from penetrating, while the intertwining roots formed an uneven route. The bulky tree trunks shielded most of the forest from view. Among the roots was a large silver pocket-watch, adorned with an inscribed P. W. in the center.
Alex knelt down and picked up the watch, immediately recognizing it as Peter's.
Sighing, he stood up. Succumbing to his desire to find Peter – So I can hit him… Alex reminded himself – he continued down the path into the grove of trees.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Water droplets chimed to the rhythm of Alex's muffled footsteps as he walked along the path. His key thumped against his leg, following his gait. Owls hooted as they gazed intently at Alex. Seeing him as no threat, they continued surveying the ground for prey. The thick tree canopy hovered over him, permitting little to no light from entering. The tree trunks situated to his left and right shielded much of the forest from Alex's view, only allowing him to see that of the path directly ahead of him.
The forest continued with no end in sight. Alex opened the watch. 3 PM, it read.
Enervated, Alex slumped against a tree. He dangled the watch in front of him, staring at it as if it could tell him the way out of the never-ending forest.
Suddenly, the ground shook. A deafening roar shook the tree canopies, loosening leaves that slowly drifted to the floor. Monstrous footsteps resounded as the Jabberwocky approached.
Two yellow slit-pupil eyes stared at Alex as a faint growl escaped its lips. Alex slowly walked backwards as it opened its large jaws and, with a defiant roar, slowly advanced towards him.
Leave this forest. Go Now! A voice whispered throughout the forest.
As if it too heard the voice, it stopped, lifting its head inquisitively as it sniffed the wind. Turning around swiftly, it flew through the treetops, leaving a gaping hole in which light poured in, and out of sight.
His heart pounding, Alex watched the massive black dragon fly away. He sighed as he slumped against a tree trunk.
"Hey there Mister."
"Whatcha' doing here?"
Twins curiously observed him, one clad in black and the other in red.
"If you have nothing to do…" one said.
"Then die." the other concluded. A gun cocked.
Alex tensed, adrenaline pumping, as his eyes glanced at the silver handgun, a single black stripe running around the muzzle.
He watched the trigger finger. His muscles taut, Alex was about to run at the slightest hint of movement from the twins.
"Bang." The one in black grinned as he lifted his hand in false recoil. "Just kidding. But seriously,"
"What are you doing here?" the red-clad twin inquired.
"This is private property ya' know."
"It is?" Alex continued to stare at the gun.
Following Alex's gaze, the twin in black laughed. "You still lookin' at this thing? It's alright. I won't shoot you. Promise." He put the pistol inside his jacket pocket.
"There now. Better?"
Nodding, yet still wary, Alex got up. Clearing his throat, Alex asked, "Do you two know the exit to this forest?"
"Of course we do."
"Follow us."
The two continued down the path while Alex followed suit.
"By the way, my name's Tweedledee." said the one in red.
"And I'm Tweedledum. What's yours?" answered the other one.
"It's Alex. So what are you two doing in this forest?" Alex answered.
"We heard the Jabberwocky and decided to come investigate." Tweedledee said.
"Plus, we live near here." Tweedledum said. "In fact, we're almost there. Look."
Light could be seen streaming as the dark forest gave way to a lush plain of green grass. Wind brushed past the grass, gently blowing them before they settled again.
Continuing down the path, the trio strolled past the blooming flowers and trees abundant with red, purple, and yellow fruit. Hummingbirds flitted from one flower to the next, sucking in the sweet honey from the flowers. Rabbits observed them from a safe distance.
"Oh yeah! Did one of you see a boy with rabbit ears about yea tall" Alex indicated Peter's height.
"Nope. But the boss might have." Tweedledee said.
"The boss?" Alex asked.
"Yeah. The boss. Don't worry. You'll meet him soon. Speakin' of which, here we are." Tweedledee said.
"Welcome to the Mad Hatter's Mansion." Tweedledum announced.
Alex was awed at the sight of the mansion. Even the golden gate was imposing, its elaborate ironwork present on the pristine fence encasing the whole structure as well.
"Hey there." a maid announced her presence. The twins hid behind Alex.
Alex noticed two brown rabbit ears protruding behind her maid's headdress.
"Hey there Lydia. Shouldn't you be cleaning up the boss's mess somewhere?" Tweedledee nervously asked.
"That's Lydia, the boss's maid." Tweedledum whispered to Alex. "She does all the chores around the mansion." To Lydia, "You won't tell the boss about this will ya'? We just left for a minute or two."
"Yeah. Just a minute or two." Tweedledee repeated.
She sighed. "Fine. But if he finds out, I'm not vouching for you. Now this must be Alex. Or am I wrong?"
"Nope. You're right." Tweedledee sighed in relief, as did Tweedledum.
"Welcome Alex. Follow me. He's waiting for you." Lydia opened the gates and Alex and the twins swiftly entered.
After walking past the flourishing garden, they went in through the magnificent black double doors into the sitting room adorned with expensive plush furniture.
On the couch facing the doors sat someone.
"Hello there Alex. I've been expecting you. Come sit." the man said.
"May I take your hat?" Lydia asked. Alex handed his hat to Lydia as he sat down opposite the stranger. "I'll go make some snacks." She placed the hat on a clothes stand and proceeded to what Alex thought to be the kitchen.
"Well let me introduce myself. My name is Break." the man said.
"Here's some tea." Lydia placed china teacups in front of Break and Alex, pouring hot tea into both. "Anything else sir?"
"Go make sure those two are doing their job." Break sipped his tea. Bowing, Lydia left.
"Anyways, Alex. I'm sure you have many questions to ask me. Go ahead." Break nonchalantly drank his tea.
Alex stirred his tea. "Where am I?"
"I thought you would have realized that by now. You're in Wonderland."
"Then, why am I here?"
"You were pushed down the rabbit hole weren't you? By Peter White."
"Where is Peter then?"
"Somewhere."
"Who are you?"
"I'm Break or the Mad Hatter as some call me." Break chuckled.
The key budged against Alex's side. Clutching the key, Alex said, "So what's this key for?"
"Oh, you'll find that out eventually. But here's a hint. I've got one too." Break took off his top hat. On it was a single card, a blue King of Spades, tied to the hat by an indigo blue ribbon. "That key's important so don't lose it." Break replaced the hat on his head.
Alex drank his tea in one gulp. "Thanks Break. If you'll excuse me, I've got to go find Peter now." He took his hat from the stand and placed it on his head.
"Head towards the Queen of Heart's castle. You might find your rabbit there." Break sipped the last of his tea as Alex left the mansion.
"See ya' Alex!" Tweedledee waved to Alex.
"Hope you find your rabbit!" Tweedledum shouted as Alex waved goodbye to them.
Alex continued down the path in what he hoped to be the direction of the Queen of Heart's castle. Bird songs accompanied him as butterflies chased one another. Looking at the blue sky, Alex felt somewhat serene.
"Hey there Alex." Alex heard a familiar voice.
"What do you want Cheshire?"
"How'd ya' know it was me? Well, whatever. Anyways, have ya' found him yet?" Cheshire questioned.
"No. But I hear he's at the Queen of Heart's castle." Alex continued walking.
"Well he is." Cheshire continued following Alex, his tail swooshing side to side.
"Do you know where the castle is?"
"Yup. But you're goin' the wrong way boy." Cheshire chuckled. "Ya' know that forest you went through? The dark and spooky one? Well it's on the other side of that forest. Just head through the forest again just like ya' did the last time. Then keep goin' straight. Eventually you'll reach the castle."
The steady paces gradually stopped as Alex took in what Cheshire said.
"Didn't expect that now did ya'." Cheshire grinned as he leaned against a tree, amused at Alex's expression.
Alex looked behind him. He had traveled a relatively short distance, the Mad Hatter's mansion still visible. The sun was gradually setting, slowly making its way below the horizon. Similarly, the moon was rising from the opposite direction.
"So what's it gonna be? Forward or back?" Again, Cheshire grinned
"What else but go back." Alex sighed.
"Good choice. Let's head back to the mafia's house for now." Cheshire advised as he observed the dimming sky.
'The mafia?" Alex questioned.
"Yeah. But I suppose you call him Break. Well anyways, let's go. Unless, of course, you would rather stay out here?"
In response, Alex headed in the direction of the mansion.
"Aren't you coming Cheshire?"
"Nah. I'd be skinned alive if I was anywhere in sight of that man. But don't worry, we'll meet again pretty soon." Cheshire walked in the opposite direction, disappearing as the sun finally set.
"Back so soon are you?" Break was at the entrance of the mansion's gate. "Well, I suppose it was partly my fault as I didn't tell you where the Queen's castle was… How's about as an apology, you can stay here overnight?"
Exhausted from his day's adventure, Alex accepted Break's offer.
"Right this way then Alex. I'm sure Lydia has prepared some food…" Alex followed Break into the enormous dining room. An excessively long table able to easily sustain a group of 30 dominated the room.
Alex sat at one end of the table. Lydia entered through the ornate doors and set a silver tray in front of him.
"Well here's your dinner. I hope you enjoy." Lydia bowed, exiting the room in the same fashion.
Ravished, Alex indulged in the banquet set before him, devouring the soup and gulping the coffee.
Lydia returned shortly with cake and tea, replacing the empty dishes and glass. By this time, Alex's appetite was nearly satiated. As a result, he slowly ate the cake, as did Break.
"Isn't cake wonderful?" Break savored the taste.
"Sure." Alex sipped at the tea.
They finished the rest of the dessert and beverage in silence, each concentrating on separate thoughts: Alex on the Queen's castle and Break on the cake.
"Wake up sleepyhead." Cheshire threw a pillow at Alex's head.
Groggily, Alex lifted himself from the bed. "I thought you weren't going to come into Break's mansion."
"Yeah but you were taking too long. Now get up."
"Besides, how did you get in here?"
"How else? Through the window." Cheshire leaped back onto the windowsill. "Now hurry. I don't want Break to know I'm here."
Alex put on his hat and attached the key to his belt buckle. Satisfied, Cheshire jumped out the window as Alex exited through the door.
"Leaving so soon?" Alex jumped at the sound of Break's voice. Break was lying on the couch, his top hat shielding his eyes.
"Thank you for letting me stay, Break." Alex recovered.
"Well, don't worry, my lad." Break continued as Alex closed the door behind him. "We'll meet again soon enough."
"Took you long enough." Cheshire waited outside the gate as Alex trotted to him. "Well anyways, let's go."
Alex nodded as they headed towards the forest. They walked past the trees in bloom, past the birds and the bees, and the hawks soaring above.
"There it is." Cheshire indicated the massive grove of trees. "That's the Jabberwocky's domain. But I suppose you should know, having met the Jabberwocky yourself." Alex shuddered at the memory.
The forest was as dark as it ever was. Yet a few strands of light managed to penetrate the thick canopy, providing a partial view of the once pitch-black path through the woods.
As the duo approached the forest, Alex could make out the path, realizing it was a straight path, not the meandering snake of a path Alex had stumbled through the previous night before.
They entered the forest; a faint growl, again, could be heard.
Alex started to sweat. "Well, let's hurry and get this over with Cheshire." Alex entered the forest.
"Good luck Alex." Cheshire whispered as he slowly vanished. "You're gonna need it."
It wasn't until a while later that Alex realized Cheshire had disappeared, yet again, on him. Unwilling to turn back, he continued down the path.
Overhead, large wing-beats scattered leaves as the wind whacked against Alex. Following this onslaught of foliage and wind, the Jabberwocky landed with a tremendous smack, partly muffled by the dying vegetation that did little to stifle the shockwave. It bellowed a roar at Alex. A young heterochromic boy stood next to the dragon.
"What are you doing back in this forest? I thought I told you to leave." the boy said in a menacing tone.
Alex recalled the boy's voice as the same as that of the mysterious whisper that had previously saved him from the dragon's wrath.
"Who are you?" Alex asked.
"My name's Finn. This is my forest. Now who are you?" Finn warily asked.
"Alex."
The boy's expression shifted to one of surprise when he heard this name. "So you're Alex. We've been waiting for you for a long time now you know."
"Uhh… Thanks… But who are 'we'?"
"Why, Wonderland of course."
"Wonderland?"
"Yes. You have the key don't you?"
Alex lifted the key.
"Yeah. That one." Finn pointed to the key.
The dragon growled at Alex, who took a startled step backwards.
"Sorry about that Alex." Finn apologized to Alex. To the Jabberwocky, he said in a threatening tone, "Behave."
The dragon immediately cowered.
"Well let's not stay and chat any longer. You've still got to visit the Queen don't you? Well hop on! And don't worry. He won't do anything to you, now will you boy." Finn climbed onto the Jabberwocky.
Practical as he was, Alex knew flying was by far better than walking the duration of the forest. Trusting Finn, Alex climbed onto the dragon's back.
Begrudgingly, the Jabberwocky took off.
"Here we are. The Queen of Heart's castle." Finn landed the dragon a distance away from the structure. "Sorry Alex. We can't go farther than this. It's not my land we're on right now."
"It's alright." Alex leaped off the Jabberwocky's back. "Thanks for the ride though. See you later Finn."
"Oh don't worry about that. We'll be seeing each other pretty soon." the Jabberwocky took off, leaving behind a trail of dust.
Pondering what Finn meant, Alex marched towards the castle. The dirt path gave way to a red bricked pathway. Red roses dominated the landscape, with a few trees scattered here and there.
The castle was a magnificent white with red spread throughout the structure, surrounded by a large moat where crocodiles lay in wait for their next meal. A wooden drawbridge connected the rose field to the castle.
Alex approached the moat. As if on cue, the drawbridge lowered. Taking a deep breath, Alex stepped across it into the large courtyard, again full of roses. Servants trimming the roses momentarily paused as they watched Alex. When they were satisfied, they returned to their pruning.
Servants opened the double doors following the red motif, which Alex proceeded to enter.
He walked down the red-carpeted hallway adorned with banners of all different colors. At the end of the hallway, servants opened another set of the double doors, replicas of the double doors Alex had previously passed.
"Well hello there Alex." A woman clad in an extravagant gown sat on an elevated throne. "I finally get to meet you, my dear boy."
"Um. Not to sound rude… your highness." Alex added at the last second as he noticed the crown situated on her head. "But who are you?"
"I am the Queen of Hearts and this" she indicated her surroundings "is my castle."
"Can I ask you a question?" Alex asked of the Queen.
"You may."
"Why am I here?"
"You'll find that out in a minute or two. Come. Follow me." The Queen stood up and beckoned to Alex.
She went behind the throne, where a red curtain was displayed. Behind it lay a door. The Queen opened the red heart-shaped locket around her neck and extracted a key, using it to open the door.
"This is a secret door." The Queen explained. "Used only for this one time."
The two exited out of the throne room into an even larger room. The only things evident in this room were four elaborate thrones, each showcasing different carvings.
"Hello there Alex." Break said, sitting in the first chair.
"Took you long enough to get here." Finn was seated on the fourth chair, the Jabberwocky curled up around the legs of his throne.
"Welcome Alex." The Queen of Hearts took her place on the second throne. "Or should we say, the Jack of Clubs."
"The Jack of Clubs?" Alex was perplexed.
"Of course Alex." Peter White suddenly appeared. "You know that key I gave you? That was a sign of your status as the Jack of Clubs."
Alex took out the pocket-watch and tossed it to Peter. "Catch."
"I was wondering where this thing went. Thanks for picking it up. Well anyways, let me explain it to you, Alex. In a deck of cards, there are four suits: spade, heart, clover, and diamond. Coincidentally, there are four face cards: the king, queen, jack, and ace. Well, in Wonderland, these "special cards" keep Wonderland in balance." Peter explained.
"I am the King of Spades." Break said.
"I am the Queen of Hearts." the Queen stated.
"I am the Ace of Diamonds." Finn declared.
"And you are the Jack of Clubs." Peter finished. "Of course, our Jack has been missing for quite some time now. It's actually quite tragic. You see, we need a Jack to complete the set and you, Alex, are the new Jack. For what other reason would I push you down the rabbit hole."
"Because he likes annoying you." Cheshire butted in.
"Hello Cheshire." Break said coolly. "You finally showed up."
"Hey there Break. Still mad at me for that incident aren't ya'?" Cheshire chuckled.
"Yes." Break replied.
"But that's not the matter at this moment." Peter interrupted.
"But why is a Jack necessary?" Alex asked "After all, you do have three others."
"Because Wonderland isn't stable if the Jack's missing." Cheshire answered. "Don't you know that the four make a set? The King of Spades. The Queen of Hearts. The Jack of Clubs. And the Ace of Diamonds. Without the Jack, the set's not complete." Seeing Alex's still confused expression, Cheshire continued. "It's kinda like a puzzle. If one piece is missing, the puzzle isn't complete. Now imagine Wonderland is the puzzle. Without the Jack –"
"– Wonderland isn't complete." Alex finished the sentence.
"And that's why it's unstable. Without the complete set, Wonderland will eventually come apart." Cheshire concluded.
"So with that said, we're going to let you choose yours – and Wonderland's – fate." Peter addressed.
"Here are your choices." The King of Spades said.
"Stay here with us or go back home." The Queen of Hearts said.
"Which is your choice?" The Ace of Diamonds said.
The Jack of Clubs chose …