-Motivation and Pain-

I must have sat there for an hour or more. Had they forgotten me? Had they gone off to do something and forgot that I was still there? I was just about to doze off when The heavy door creaked open, letting light flood into the dark room. I watched quietly as someone walked in, followed by another slightly taller person and another much more petite someone. the door was closed and I heard a voice. It was Dr. Richards.

" Now listen, do not get too excited." Another person spoke.

" Let me do the instructing. Go keep our surprise quiet." That was Riplure without a doubt. I heard a little scuffling and I suddenly saw Richards's face materialize in front of me. I opened my mouth to ask him what was going on, and why it took him so long, when he stopped me.

"My apologies. Dr.'s orders." And with that, he poured a cold liquid into my mouth. I was about to yell at him but when I tried to make a noise, I found that I couldn't, the liquid had stopped me. How had they gotten the silence potion to work? Mirana never could get it quite right. I glared at him and he gave me a very apologetic look so I decided to listen to what Riplure was saying.

"Now listen to me. You will not get too excited and you will do exactly what I say understood?" I herd no reply. " Good. Richards, the lights please." the light flicked on and I was blinded by light. It appeared the other patient was too and when we could both finally see correctly, our eyes met.

"HATTER?" She screamed. I tried to scream too but I found I still couldn't. So I substituted with a huge grin and widened eyes. She broke out of Riplure's grasp and she ran over to me, flinging her arms around my neck, and in the process, the chair. "I knew you were real! They keep trying to tell me you're not but I knew you were! Now I have proof that Wonder-, I mean Underland exists!" I wanted to tell her to calm down and also how much I missed her, but I found that I still couldn't make any noise. "Aren't you happy to see me?" She asked, becoming worried when I didn't say anything.

"Don't bother, I gave him a serum that made it so he can't speak, but don't worry, it should only last another thirty seconds." Richards explained, this was when she looked at my many bindings, including the one on my neck.

"What have you done to him? Why is he all tied up? What have they done to you Hatter? Are you Hurt?" I smiled at her, glad that she was so concerned, and I shook my head to the best of my ability and Riplure exploded.

"What do you mean I didn't hurt you! I electrocuted you for god sake! Can you feel pain?" I chuckled, but no sound came out. I turned my attention back to Alice who was staring into my eyes with concern upon hearing that I had been electrocuted.

" You're a monster. Tarrant would never hurt a fly." My eyes widened. No, she wasn't supposed to call me by my name!

" Tarrant?" Richards and Riplure asked in unison. I shook my head but she wasn't looking. She stood and placed her hands on her hips.

" Of corse. You really kidnapped him, tied him up and you don't even know his name? His name is Tarrant Hightopp, the one that I've been trying to tell you about. I told you he exists! You were starting to make me doubt it but now, I know. He's real. My Hatter of Underland Exists." All of a sudden, I felt like something released my throat from a tight grip and I let out a loud breath. I could talk again.

"Alice! What have you done!" I gasped

"What?" she whined, suddenly understanding that she said something she shouldn't have.

"You were lying? You little rat! You really are a good lier aren't you? Is their anything else you've neglected to be honest to me about?" Riplure glared, he reached forward and pulled Alice off of me. She kicked and squirmed, but it was no use, Riplure was twice her strength and about a head and a half taller than her. He grabbed another chair from the corner and strapped her in with the help of Dr. Richards, who was avoiding my gaze. The moved her chair strait across from mine until the tips of our shoes wer almost touching. Just close enough that we were as close as possible, but not able to have the comfort of being close. They did that on purpose!

"Alice. It's alright. You didn't know, it's not your fault." I told her, locking her eyes with mine for a split second before she turned away to glare at Riplure.

"What's not my fault?" She asked him, even though she should have asked me.

"Your friend here said that his name was Tobias Rosland... We had no idea he was really the madman you always talk about. Thank you Alice. as a matter of fact, I was hoping to have such a specimen in my collection. You told me that he was strong didn't you? That was a challenge, let him try to resist. I've already had a session with him and you're correct. He is strong, all the more reason to persist." He turned to Richards, "Where is the blue probe? I want to try an experiment." Richards turned and glared at me, then he walked over into the shadows and picked it up.

"He kicked it after you left." What was he doing? He couldn't be that mad that I had lied, could he?

"Bad Hatter. I think I'll call you Hatter from now on, It suits you. Although I might not. I wonder... Observe Richards, I think that Alice is the key to him you know that?"

"I don't understand sir."

"What I'm saying is, I think they way to get to him, is by using her, and vise versa. Now, I wonder if alice knows what this little toy of mine does." My instincts kicked in, they told me not to let anything happen to alice.

" Don't!" I burst, Riplure turned back to me. He grinned

"But I have to show her what it does, and I won't do it on Richards."

"Use the bloody thing on yourself."

"I don't think so." He growled, and he turned back to her, about to jab her with the electricity, all I knew was that I couldn't let him to that my Alice.

"Stop! I'll do it. She doesn't deserve that. I've done worse things than she has." I purposely avoided her gaze as I locked my eyes on my lap, preparing myself for the torture that Riplure was so anticipating. He had known that I would stick up for Alice, how could I not?

"If you insist, but I'm getting good use out of it to avoid a waste of energy to power this." He sighed, and he walked over to me, then turned to Alice. "Ready dear? Alright. I'll start it on level one. So Alice, Why are you two so trusting with each other?"

"He's risked his life saving me before, I trust he would do it again. "

"Sorry alice but I doubt either of you have been through anything that gave this man the chance to save you. Unless you almost fell off a cliff in China." Alice had almost fallen off a cliff! Where was China? I didn't have any chance to ponder it because Dr. Riplure stabbed my right arm with the probe, It barely hurt, only stinging a little but I winced visably. I could barely see Alice's eyes widen from under my hat brim. " I'll turn it up to level two. Now, How did you meet?"

"You see, I was wandering through the Tulgy wood, when I met Cheshire cat, and he took me to a gloomy little clearing by an old mill where Hatter, The March Hare, and The Dormouse were having a tea party. The taeparty never ends when I'm not there, so it's a good thing I arrived when I did."

"Alice, I must tell you that not a single word of that made any sense at all." This time, he jabbed it into my other arm. It hurt more, but not by too much. I tightly gripped the arms of the chair and bit my bottom lip.

"Stop it!" I heard Alice yell, and the pain ceased. I continued to look down at my feet and didn't say anything. You're doing this for Alice, she's worth every little poke and prod.

"Ready for level three you two? What are some things you have been through together?"

"When the knave of hearts came looking for me at the tea party and Hatter shrunk me down and hid me in a teapot. When it was safe he made me a smaller dress and we left to go get to Memorial where he said it would be safe. Soon though, the Red knights caught up to us and Hatter saved me by heroically tossing his hat, with me on it, over a lake to the safety of the other side. He was taken prisoner by Stayne, the royal knave and Hurt, I went to save him, but ended up fleeing with a sword and getting him sentenced to death. Luckily, he escaped and came to Memorial with me and he gave me courage to slay the Jabberwocky, a dragon-like creature that killed Hatter's whole family." I winced, remembering hurt more than the shock he then gave me after scolding Alice for telling the complete truth.

"Adjusting to level four. Tarrant here lied, he was good at it too. Why do you suppose he did so, and how did he convince us so easily?"

" Hatter only lies to protect me. He lied to the Red queen when she asked him where I was, he said that he wouldn't know, but he was looking right at me when he said it. Also, I'm sure he convinced you easily because you are all morons!" I couldn't suppress a laugh, even in this time of darkness, Alice was lashing out at them, She reminded me of myself and how I naturally start my completely-off-my-rocker game while in the company of my enemies. Then once I was in mid-laugh, there was pain. My laughing was choked short and replaced by a gasp and a frightened yelp. I closed my eyes tight, leaned back, slightly pursed my lips, and let out a pain-stricken whimper. Dr. Riplure pulled the object away and I gasped for breath. If I hadn't been strapped down, I would have fallen face-first to the floor.

"You be quiet madman! This is not the point where a normal person would laugh."

"Do... Ey look... Normal... te' y'u?" I spat at him. He obviously strained to ignore my comment.

"Now Alice, I'be now turned this up to four of five. Think of Hatter before you answer this. Does this Underland you speak of exist?" Yes! Yes, it did!

"Tell the truth Alice! Tell 'im wha' yer 'art says! Nay worry 'bout me, I'll be alrigh'. Jus' tell 'im the truth!" Riplure turned to me and slapped my jaw hard with his palm.

"I told you to be quiet. This is Alice's choice. Tell me Alice, tell me what is the right thing to say, and Hattie here gets off shock free." I pleaded at her with my eyes. Tell the truth don't give in to this monster!

"Underland exists. No doubt in my mind." Well done lass!

"... Too bad, his pain could have been easily avoided. Thanks to you though, I'm going to have to do this. And I'll let you know, There is a large difference between level three and level four." PAIN! PAIN, PAIN, PAIN, PAIN! I couldn't suppress screams this time. I shouted and went mad with anger. My fingernails dug into the old wood of my splintered chair and I smacked my head onto the backing, but that did nothing but make it hurt more. I continued shouting, only now, I was shouting dirty words in Outlandish.

"Stop! Please stop it! You're really hurting him! Stop!" I heard Alice chime in, but stop he did not. If I didn't know the end of the contraption was dull, I would have thought he was slicing the horrid thing strait through me. Images flashed behind of my clenched eyelids: Horrendous day, Frabtious day, My parents funeral, The red dungeon, and Alice disappearing into smoke. Then it stopped. I was dizzy, half dead, four eights alive. A soft song echoed in my head, I recognized the fast tune, but I couldn't find the words. If I knew them, I surely would have broken out into song, but I was too weak to anything of the sorts. The song was mostly for sopranos like his mother anyway. That's where he had heard it, when he was very little too, but how could he have just remembered it now?

"Are you all right Hatter?" I sagged in the chair and Alice began to sob. I couldn't stand to see her like that, so I use all the strength I had and delivered her a weak smile that hurt me, but healed her. I sat up a little straiter and lifted my head as best as I could. Riplure gaped and Richards murmured:

"Impossible!" I shook off the pain and glared strongly at Riplure with eyes full of hatred. I was not going to give in so easily.

"N-Next question? I'll turn it up to five of five. See him survive this! Alice, Why is he going through all of this for you?" A grin spread across his face at the shocked look she gave him. She looked at me, and I pleaded at her with my eyes to tell the truth, but how could she, how could she say something that she didn't even know?

"I-I-I-I uhhhhh? You're supposed to protect me aren't you?" She asked me I looked up at her and cleared my throat. I spoke in a voice that was strained and chocked.

"Now that you've slain the Jabberwocky, Your really none of my business. But I still protect you because I feel like I have to. If anything would happen to you, I would never forgive myself." I cracked a smile and Alice's eyes pooled with tears.

"How sweet. Well, I believe were done for today. Thank you for your Time Alice. Tarrant, I'll see you early tomorrow morning for your next session." I was injected again with the sleeping liquid by the very large needle and the last thing I saw was Alice being taken away. I protect you because I love you. I know you'll never love someone like me, you deserve so much more than a simple milliner, but I will still love you and protect you until my last breath.

WHEW! That was long. maybe not, now that I look it over, it's not that long at all. whatever! LoVe YoU rEaDeRs!

TARRANT H.