Down, Down, Down
Chapter Ten
Slouching against the trunk of a formidable oak tree, I observed the Hatter breathing heavily through his nostrils and with his hands resting upon his knees. With a curved back and shut eyes, he towered over me as I knelt down amongst the leafy foliage by his feet and had long recovered from a sticky escape, than a boy who was more used to sitting and having tea than being savagely chased by two twins. After his breathing slowed to a more regular pace, he slowly took off his top hat, ruffled his already tousled hair before regaining his typical posture and placing the hat back on its dangerously tilted position atop his head. I slyly looked away when he gave the slightest sign of ever catching my gazes and a thin smile played on my lips, uncaught.
It had been far too long since I had experienced the thrill of the chase, not since long ago when I had last visited Wonderland or even before then in the late era of my childhood growing up. Even then that was more like the thrill of doing things without getting caught my mother... hiding a scraped knee under the length of my skirt and washing my face with the outside faucet before ever entering the house. Nonetheless, all traces and evidence of my playtimes and adventures were not to face the stern look of my mother, who wanted nothing more from me than to be a proper lady. Well look at me now, rather I was more like a properly crazy lady.
A lady who had managed to wonderfully conjure, as well as meet a handsome young hat maker with prickled fingers, an endearing fashion sense and obsessive love for all things related to tea.
Speaking of which – "I am most definitely in need of tea." The Hatter muttered aloud with a sigh as he brushed down his velvet blazer and pulled a leafy twig from under his shirt collar looking displeased, as if he had heard and followed my train of thought.
With a look of slight confusion and a cocked eyebrow, I stood up from my recoiled resting stance beside the Hatter – but perhaps already knowing the answer to his next question through a niggling at the back of my mind.
"Where could I possibly find another tea party at this place and time?" Hatter continued to himself, rather than speaking directly to me. Obviously, the loss of his supply of energy was in dire need of being topped up through a cup of deliciously warm tea. I noticed briefly the discolouration of his eyes swirling with specks of grey and brown like the muggy bottom of cup of tea.
Almost as easily as it crossed my mind I saw a rustic, tarnished wooden sign that had been hammered onto the tree trunk behind the Hatter. It was pointing in an easterly direction and the letters "Ch Hare" painted on it with an orange colour – which I recognised as the same colour I should expect the blazer of this creature to be.
I pointed with a thin finger at the sign, then wiggled it with a gesture for the Hatter to move away from the trunk and revealing the entirety of the lettering to spell "March Hare" as well as an arrow to highlight the direction in which the wood was also pointing.
"I do believe that the Hare is as fond of tea parties as you are Hatter, if I remember correctly." I stated off the top of my head as I marched on in the specified direction without giving much of a second thought. All that crossed my mind was the eagerness to greet another familiar face and perhaps to quench my thirst as well as the Hatter's. It didn't occur to me however, the consequences of having my memories of Wonderland come back to me at the expense of getting mulled by its inhabitants – no matter how friendly they were.
"Oh, you remember the Hare?" The Hatter said with disbelief and catching up to my jog simply by walking with his long, graceful strides. My composure was laughable compared to his with my long, flaying hair, stiff marching arms and scrunched, concentrating face – as opposed to his calmly tousled hair, hands tucked in his blazer pockets and delighted expression which was the image of art, unlike myself.
I quickened my already uncomfortable, abnormal pace so that the Hatter would not have to set his beautiful, unyielding eyes on the shameful goblin that was I, and with blushing cheeks from embarrassment called out from in front to maintain my pride, "I remember the Hare very well, thank you! He dresses very much in the same way you do, except for the fact he has no need for trousers for his Hare legs. He will be there with the Dormouse!"
I heard the Hatter's bittersweet laugh from somewhere behind me and I could just picture all things about him including his indifference to my presence, feeling the impressiveness of my new regained recollection and also some confusion about my previous comment on the trousers. If possible, I felt a part of me shrivel with humiliation.
Suddenly out of the bushes ahead of me emerged the very mythical animal which I had escaped from the claws and clutches of when it tried to kill me. With a glimpse of the white fur and gnarled teeth I had so recently remembered instantly at so close a proximity, every cell in my being caught alight with such fear that I tumbled backwards and let out the most shrill, piercing scream I had ever let out in my entire life. Having rolled backwards over one last time, resembling the precarious nature of Tweedledee and Tweedledum, I scrambled to get a view upwards from the heap of autumn leaves I was laying in to see if the Bandersnatch was heading my way.
To my utter bafflement rather than the killer Bandersnatch creature jumping upon me to eat my face, instead it approached me for a gentle nuzzle with its damp nose, prodding lightly at my dirty arms with its giant paws and providing me with the animal version of a smile to top it off. I sat up straight again from my fear-stricken state and instinctively placed a hand on the bridge of its broad nose, watching as it purred warmly, shaking my arm with the vibrations from his throat and I let out a confused "Huh?"
This was surely not the same animal I had envisioned with the violent instinct to tear my limbs apart by order of a Knave, with snarling rows of teeth and eyes that could spot its prey from miles away at a distance. Could I have perhaps regained some wrong memories...? It can't have been the case, I thought as I stroked the Bandersnatch between its ears and it kneeled down to be level with me.
"Don't worry Alice, you befriended the dear Bandersnatch during the time of the Red Queen. The chap will do no harm to you now!" The Hatter said with his calm and knowledgeable expression, rubbing a hand over my upper shoulders to comfort me or ease my tension. I tried to look unconcerned by his fiery touch and noticed the way his hand never once drifted down below the middle of my back – instead of providing me with comfort, his touch could keep me awake for days. Failing to catch my eyes, the Hatter moved on to stroking the fur of the enormous creature and murmuring to it words I could not hear. After the Bandersnatch replied with a few, short purrs and growls the Hatter interpreted for me.
"The Bandersnatch resides with Thackery and Mallymkun now! Apparently they are indeed having a tea party! Just past these bushes... here..." Hatter's warm, deep voice cooed at me from a distance as he followed the Bandersnatch in the direction it had first come out from to scare the life from me. I recognised the names as strikingly familiar and soon began to attach each to a face and personality as I got up to willingly run through the sharp bush to be with the rest. I realized my actions were usually quick after a slow reaction, something that I needed to fix by stopping my imaginative trains of thought before I was left behind.
Pulling the arms which I used to shield me from my face through the twigs in the same fashion I entered and fell into this strange underground world, I was met with a piercingly bright sunshine light which took me a minute to adjust to by blinking my eyes wildly. I let out a sharp gasp before realizing my manners and gave a short courtesy at the tea party of three, consisting of a Hare, Dormouse and Bandersnatch.
This particular clearing was very similar to the first I had experienced at the Cafe with a long table-clothed bench, assortment of traditionally Victorian dining chairs with different sewing patterns and a few sofa armchairs here and there scattered around the table. This scene was comfortably more cramped and messy with a group crowded into one corner of the table despite having dozens of seats free. The tea, biscuits and cakes, as well as scones were also restricted to the head of the table where the March Hare was seated in a bright green armchair and greeting the Hatter by pouring him some steaming long-awaited tea into a pristinely designed china cup. Despite craving the need for adequate arm room and drinking space I followed the overcrowded seating plan, cosy-ing beside the fur of the Bandersnatch who was sitting to the left of the Hare. From my red cushioned dining chair, I looked up at the Hatter enjoying his first sip of tea directly across the table before I gazed upon the sleeping Dormouse who was using a pink and white spotted bowl for a bed, and a dry tea bag for a pillow.
Upon my seating, the Hare observed me with a twitching condescending eye before leaping up in his chair, knocking off his equally bright green top hat in the process and pointing a dribbling teaspoon in my face that dripped drops of tea onto my lap. I wiped them away quickly but did not appreciate this gesture very much at all; I stifled my annoyance and pursed my lips at the unwelcoming situation.
"You! It's very rude to sit down to a tea party without first being invited!" The Hare cried and with such a violent twitch that his whole body shook uncontrollably. When he brusquely attempted to throw a cup at me, it was thankfully so out of aim that it flew miles over my head and was already empty so that I was left unscathed by the path of shoo of the Hare. Feeling so insulted by these acts, I felt my fists clench and opened my mouth wide to begin to give this Hare a piece of my mind and a helping of the etiquette on how to treat guests at the tea party – but the Hatter quickly cut me off and made me jump by slamming his mug down on the surface of the table with a loud clatter, clearing his throat.
"AND YOU! It's even more rude to throw china at your guests-" I retorted.
"Sit down Thackery you fool! Wherever Alice goes, I go and wherever I go, she goes!" Hatter said with the hint of an angry undertone though his face gave nothing away. I must say I was also slightly disappointed at how his eyes ever left the brim of his tea mug nor looked up at me, so I was left to gaze at his downcast features.
"But, buddy ol' pal!" The Hare began with his thick Scottish accent, surprisingly the Dormouse still snored unstirring and the Bandersnatch growled at the Hare in my defence. After a moment of putting his hands up in protection against the irritated Hatter, the Hare turned to the other side to holds up his arms at the Bandersnatch.
"So if you want me to stay, Alice must stay as well! If she goes, I go too. Do I make myself clear? Treat her with a little respect why don't you?" Hatter continued before finally flitting his eyes upwards to meet mine and I bore into the dark green, with specks of black pupils with my own two blue eyes. My heart skipped several beats for what seemed like hours at the sudden eye contact from across the table and an intense one at that. I eventually shut the mouth that was still hanging open from wanting to speak – I had immediately forgotten all I wanted to say with just one look, I was left speechless.
Losing the stare war I broke away to look down at the Dormouse who was now stretching and waking up, resembling a child. I also heard the background bickering between the Hatter and the Hare over what kind was simply the best brew of tea.
Once my heart had settled down, I was able to pay attention to the Dormouse who yawned noisily and reached high into the air with his small, little arms, then rubbed away at his sleepy half-opened eyes. Instead of looking up to find me perplexed and adoring of his cute movements, his eye caught something on Hatter and he immediately perked up in an instant, his ears and whiskers twitching like the Hare's fits.
The Dormouse jumped up to balance his two feet across the brim of the bowl and drew his pin-like sword to point it at Hatter, looking determined to fight and win the battle – whatever it was. Much to everyone else's unconsciousness the Dormouse let out a high-pitched battle cry before leaping a metre into the air and landing with a soft 'thud' on the brim of Hatter top hat. Both the Bandersnatch and I let a brief, astonished breath with wide eyes as we both stalked the peculiar actions of the little critter. I almost chuckled before I realized the true goal of the Dormouse and his complaint with the Hatter's beloved hat, who at this point had also noticed the mouse on his head and stared upwards cross-eyed at what he was doing there.
"Mallymkun, good evening!" Hatter called out clueless, looking upwards at the rim of his hat. As he said his greetings, I became aware of the time of day which was now drawing closer to the night. It had only been one whole day and I had already achieved and experienced so much – I'd first woken up under the coverage of a tree with the Hatter, visited a smoking Caterpillar and two disastrous twins. Only now did I realize the full extent of my thirst, hunger and actually fatigue as my eyes shut for a moment too long before snapping open again at the second battle cry of the night. I shoved a scone into my mouth and chewed vigorously when I saw that everyone, particularly the Hare was distracted by the commotion that was the Dormouse attacking Hatter's hat with his bare hands! My stomach rumbled for more despite not having finished one mouthful yet, I had gone an entire day without food.
The Dormouse used two small hands to grip onto a familiar shining gem which I caught sight of and my eyes grew larger still with shock. He pulled forcedly by placing one foot against the backing of the hat to apply more strength at the gem, which I had dented into the Hatter's hat for a reason, so I put two hands on the top of the table (no longer concerned with eating behind the Hare's back) and leant my weight on it as I half-stood up to stop the mouse.
"I want it, it's so shiny Hatter! How did you find it?" Mallymkun said through gritted teeth and pulling with all the strength he could manage – which luckily was not enough to pull the gem from its moulded nest. Hatter had quickly caught onto this and after casting me a swift look in my ready to pounce stance, he shot into action and took off his top hat with one hand to swing the Dormouse off it if he could.
Hatter yelled as he shook his hat in the attempt to get the mouse off his hat and keep our gem in our ownership. He moved onto more tactical measures by standing up for more vigour and using his other free hand to try to flick the mouse away from us. "Get off Mallymkun, that gem is mine I tell you! Mine! I mean – Alice's!"
Abruptly without a moment's notice, that left me fallen over the table from a push by the thick nose of the Bandersnatch possibly spilling some tea, crushing biscuits and crashing some china beneath me – from the force of the Hatter's last swing to get Mallymkun away the gem, it served the opposite by dislodging the gem and sending the Dormouse hurtling through the air towards the other end of the table with it in his clutches. From where I was lying on the spoilt tea party table and the Bandersnatch apologetically pulling at the back of my dress with his teeth in order to pull me back upright, I let out a bewildered scream for both concern of the flying Dormouse and what seemed like our lost precious gem. Hatter, giving me another surprise jumped onto the tea table, with the deafening sounds of crashing plates and cups as he dashed across to the other end after the Dormouse to chase him down.
He soon disappeared into the bushes after having leapt off the table in the same fashion I remembered from my last Wonderland visit when the Hatter clambered on the table top of his own tea party to hide me from the Knave and his soldiers.
Apart from the Hare yelling about his ruined tea party, thrashing and throwing china across the way just to add to the commotion, I heard the shrieks of the Hatter and mouse-like squeaks from a distance away.
I buried myself in the side fur of the Bandersnatch for protection as the Hare threw more cups our way, wherever they came close to me I narrowly avoided them and if they hit the Bandersnatch, he acted as if the hurtling plates did him no damage.
It was an odd night indeed! I hardly felt comfortable without the Hatter by my side – not even for a moment! I twiddled my fingers awaiting his return.
Hatter, Hatter, Hatter... where are you? He was a tough person to understand!
A few minutes further passed by as a silence fell dead between the tea parties last three remaining members – one of which didn't even drink tea. Whilst the shrieking grew quieter with the distance, the Hare jittered in his seat looking as if he was in conflict with himself and the Bandersnatch calm as ever, maintained his mighty posture whilst I looked like a timid mouse beside him. When the screeching and rustling of leaves had become nothing more than the echoes in the far off woods, and I began to wonder if the Hatter had really left in me in such a place like this or would ever come back for me – he materialized out of the shrubs at the furthest foot of the table with a look of victory in his eyes, a wide toothy grin and a snoring Dormouse dangling in his hand. I very much hoped that the Dormouse had simply dropped fast asleep from feeling tired of running from an enemy twenty times his size, as opposed to the other possibly, which was that the Hatter knocked him unconscious with the kick of his boot.
My heart quivered with relief as I let out a breath, like I had been holding it the entire time he was away and I likewise unclasped my tightly woven hands that were resting lightly on the base of my neck. The Hatter strode down the length of the table to his original seat and plonked himself down onto it releasing a mound of dust particles in the air from its ancient cushion, then tossed the sleeping Dormouse into his bed of a bowl. As I expected, the little critter made no signs of awakening despite his awkward position of landing from the Hatter's careless throw.
This drowsy summer night and comfortable cushioned chair was the perfect thing for making my tired self grow more sleepy now that all resolutions had been found, thus with a glance around the scene I settled into the depth of my seat even more so. Night had truly fallen upon Wonderland, though the sky was dark blue with a moonless night. The only sources of light came from a few transportable oil lamps and tea candles scattered across the table (which I realized as not having been there before), as well as the faint glow of fireflies from the woods behind the Hatter. The only sounds were the humming drone from the Bandersnatch's throat, the mumbling of the March Hare, the whistling-snores of the Dormouse and of course, the sharp chirping from grasshoppers calling out in the dark. A lullaby and symphony doing their job to put me to sleep as a breeze rolled in.
The Hatter's sparkling peridot green eyes stared up my way, speaking a hundred words that I could not comprehend and I thought back to our conversation about his long lost love, who somewhere in the back of my mind I still could not recall. Inside, a small part of me still wondered who she was and how lucky she must be. If my eyes could become mood rings, right now they too would be green.
"Did you get back my gem, Hatter?" I managed to say or did I say 'heart', fighting away my fatigue and like a young child, trying to pry my eyes wide open to keep myself awake – I was only half-conscious now.
"I only took back what's mine..." I thought I heard the Hatter reply, or had I imagined it? What was yours, my gem? My heart? It certainly was, but he surely would have not meant it in that way.
I nodded in accord although I was feeling at a complete loss. Sorry Hatter, I can't keep up the conversation. With a fleeting look at the blurring lights, sounds, green eyes peering out of the dark and the glisten of pink above them... This was the sleepiest I had ever been.
That night I had a dream of my memories.
A/N: A very long chapter indeed to make up for my absence. I hope you enjoy.
Thanks for all the support!
-Fallen11angel