Eli groaned internally as she noted her homework down. There was more than usual today. Urgh being a third-year suck.
Each day for Eli involved putting up with false appearances and high expectation. Oh, and caring for her younger sister. Being a perfectionist, she often tried to play these roles well. However the lack of any support proved it exhausting.
Eli dragged herself homeward down a familiar shortcut. Day in day out things were constantly the same for Eli: Go to school, play as the cool Student Council President, try to pay attention in class, return home, cook dinner for two, help Arisa with homework; Eli was close to flinging herself off a window.
Yet today an odd occurrence interrupted that boring monstrosity of a 'life'. The neighborhood kitty had come to visit her midway in the lonely alley. A delighted smile crept onto her tired face. Usually the affectionate cat would wait at her doorstep for leftovers and a saucer of milk.
Playing with the cat had become her main stress reliever. She knelt down, "Kitty…" As if they'd rehearsed it the cat approached her gaily.
The blonde ran her fingers through the dirty white fur, stopping to ruffle the folds at the cat's neck, "How did you know I would come by here?"
The white cat meowed in response.
Eli pondered how she could she could bring it home for a bath without it freaking out.
Suddenly the white cat sidestepped and started from her grasp.
"What's wrong Kitty…? Kitty?"
It ran a little ways down the alley and sat by a turning she'd never seen before. The cat just planted itself there watching her; it was almost as if inviting her to follow it.
Eli accepted this 'invitation', curiosity overriding everything else, and ran after the cat. Each time the cat was just in reach, it would dart down the path for Eli to continue chasing.
It was a maze of twist and turns, and the cat would often disappear past a turning, but as Eli hurried to keep up she would catch sight of it again; sitting there, waiting, and almost smiling.
Finally they seemed to reach the end of the maze. The cat exited into what looked like a meadow to Eli.
The cat did not stop running, opposed to what Eli hoped. Eli followed, hurrying to keep up with its pace.
As they ran past a large tree in the middle of the meadow, the blonde's haste made her trip over the roots of the tree.
She fell face down with a cringe-worthy thud.
"Oh dear, Arisa is sure to laugh at me for my clumsiness. Fancy tripping over a tree while chasing a cat!"
Picking herself up, Eli was pleased though, to find the lack of any injuries. How queer.
As she lifted her head, she could have sworn the atmosphere changed somehow. The very air shifted in a mystifying way.
Eli panicked as her eyes searched frantically for the white feline. That cat is my map home…
Just as Eli felt her heart sink, a male voice came from behind her,
"Dear Eli."
The blonde shrieked as she leapt away from the voice.
In the spot where she stood before sat the white cat. Its eyes stared unblinking.
"I must be going mad. Did you just talk, Kitty?"
"Of course I did, kind Eli. Do you see anybody else here?" The cat smiled patiently.
It seemed to sense Eli's confused state of mind, hence paused before continuing, "I brought you here because you were always so generous, offering m food when the others simply ignore me or hurt me."
"Well… How will I go home? Arisa will be worried sick. Oh dear, how will she get dinner if I'm not home?"
"Relax, radiant Eli. I promise your little adventure will not affect your sister. And you'll naturally go home when this is over."
Eli stood up taller to make sense of her surroundings. She was standing near a forked path.
Eli rubbed the back of her neck with uncertainty, "Which way should I go, Kitty?"
The scruffy cat came up behind her. "That depends on where you want to go."
"In that case, where do I ought to go?"
"How in the Twelves' name would I know?"
Eli had to bite back a retort. The oddity of a talking cat was getting to her once again.
"Alright. Can you at least tell me which path leads where?"
"To the left, is the beautiful Mad Hatter's garden of glass. To the right, is the Talking Tree's dying garden."
Eli thought aloud, "Hmm, the left path sounds more pleasant. Left it is then."
The cat appeared pleased with her.
"That's is, clever Eli. You need to learn to make decisions yourself, not just follow where you 'ought to go'. Only then you can truly be happy. Holler if you need me."
Eli quipped, "I wasn't happy to begin with!"
The dancer turned to find that the cat disappeared. I guess I'm on my own now.
Feeling rather lonely, Eli spoke to no one in particular as she started down the left path. "This feels like a fairytale doesn't it? Or maybe like in an RPG game."
She laughed to herself.
She walked on and on for a long time, until finally the tall trees began to peter out and show signs of a garden.
Everything really looks like they're made of glass?!
Eli reached for a blue-tinted crystalline rosebud. (Say that 3 times fast) The moment she made contact with it, the bud dislodged from the stem and fell at her feet, shattering into tiny shards.
She instantly recoiled, guilt written on her pale face.
"That' not very nice, you know?" A voice to her right caused her to jump. Eli yelped, partly because of guilt and self-consciousness.
A purple-haired girl sat at a table that was set out for tea, with her back toward Eli.
"I'm awfully sorry. It's just everything is so curious−"
"It's just time for tea; the first thing you should have done was sat down and made yourself−"
The purple-haired girl turned as she gestured to the table. However she stopped short once she caught a glimpse of Eli's face.
Eli was confused as to why the other girl was so shocked to see her, after all she didn't even know her.
The girl recovered and shook her head. "Where are my manners? I'm Nozomi, the Mad Hatter. Come and join us−?"
"I'm Eli."
Upon approaching she could see the girl better. Purple long hair framed a beautiful pale face, and cascaded down her dress freely. Emerald orbs were embedded on the face, and a well-decorated top hat sat atop her head like a cherry on a cake.
Eli felt her heart flutter at the lovely sight.
The dancer took the seat across Nozomi sheepishly. It was also then that she realized that the girl was also rather… Well endowed.
"March Hare, looks like we have a guest this time!" Nozomi said cheerfully.
Eli looked about in confusion, wondering who her friend was talking to. There wasn't anybody around, was there?
She was afraid to ask, lest she insulted her new friend. Normality seemed different in this curious land.
That was when she realized, Nozomi had been talking to the stuffed hare that sat on a chair by the table.
She noted that there was also a stuffed dormouse lying beside Nozomi, and a black rabbit that sat on the table as well. Unlike the others, the rabbit had nasty blood stains on it.
The blonde watched as her friend talked to all three dolls as if they were living creatures, and dear friends.
"−some tea?" Nozomi's radiant smile caused Eli to snap out of her daze. Said girl was offering to pour her tea.
Eli forced a smile and accepted. Even though the smile Nozomi wore was warm as sunlight itself, her eyes looked sad and empty.
How can someone so lovely appear so mad?
Nozomi gestured kindly to her toys. "We've never seen you around here before."
"I've only arrived today."
"No wonder!" Nozomi, in a laughing fit, slapped the dormouse's head. "You do have a completely different aura than all the residents here. Sorry Dormouse."
"Aura? You mean how everything here seems to lack common sense?"
A kind, teasing smile appeared on her face, not unlike the one Kitty wore. "Darling, everyone is mad here."
She continued more seriously, "You remind me of someone I knew though, Eli."
When Eli remained silent to listen, her companion nodded. "Really. And for that I'll give you some advice. The other inhabitants of Wonderland are the Talking Tree, the Queen of Hearts and her court. And of course you've already met the White Cat. Just be careful around the Queen. She has rather… Violent tendencies."
"Of course, Dormouse, March Hare, Black Rabbit and I live here. You're welcome to return and stay, but now Rabbit and I ought to be having our walk. See you, Elicchi!"
Eli was beginning to protest about the nickname, but her friend had already started walking off with the blood-stained black rabbit in tow.
A/N: I'm starting a new series. I've always been very fond of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I was just re reading AiW and I went like 'I have to write something wonderland themed'. So yay. I hope you would stick around, it is a very different style from my other stories.
Much thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!