An: NymhadoraTonks: Donna will begin to struggle with whether to continue. No, Matt wasn't stalking her. Being a reader, he's really good at picking up character traits easily. It's kinda his "Wonderland Power." Just how like Maddie can hear the narrator and do impossible things, Matt can easily read people just with their actions. More on that is to come.

PowPow456:Thank you! More on Hermon in the next chapter.

Creator of Magic: Laura has always been mischievous. It's her natural nature, but she doesn't know where it comes from. Chester and Oakley are low-key my new OTP. I wasn't really planning on doing much, but now that I've written about them a little bit. I'm obsessed. Oakley will become a main player now. I wanted Matt to have some telepathy because he can read personalities and just people easily. I'm kinda doing my own thing with Baba Yaga. She's still crazy, but now she's a lot older, so I've mellowed her a bit.

THANK YOU ALL!

"What are you reading?" Catherine asked lightly. Donna slammed the book shut and swapped it out with the Riddlish book perched on her lap. She lifted the Riddlish book up for Catherine to see, carefully sliding the other into her backpack on the floor. Catherine narrowed her eyes to read the print. "No wonder you didn't get the assignment done, you're reading the wrong book."

"Oh," Donna blushed and put the book away. "Silly me. I've been in a bit of a rush this morning, and I guess I'm still trying to get back to reality."

"What happened at the nurse's office?" Catherine pulled up a chair just as Donna zipped her bag up.

"Well, I got in alright, but then I was trapped under the bed for a long time. I had even got caught by Maddie. Did you know she can hear our thoughts?" Donna thought if anyone was to know about narrators, it would be Catherine.

"I think I heard Brandon say something about narrators once," Catherine tapped her chin. "Something how Lily can hear them. I honestly have no clue how he knows that she can hear voices. It must be the Wonderland in her. Do you think Matt can hear them too?"

"No," Donna shook her head. "He would've told me by now. Or at least knew I liked him much sooner than before."

"Well, he is a guy," Catherine raised her brows. "They can be a little clueless even when there are sings right in front of them." Donna laughed.

"Is Cassidy alright?" Donna asked. "I know she mentioned something about another fight.

"Oh, that?" Catherine leaned back in her chair. "Already got patched up this morning. You know her and Hyde can't go a week without a fight."

"I guess it spices things up," Donna shrugged and looked down at her bag, hoping that Catherine couldn't see what was inside. "How's Ryder today? I haven't seen or even talked to him much lately."

"I'm just fine, thanks for asking," Ryder said. Donna looked up from her bag to see her twin's arms wrapped around Catherine's neck. He planted a small kiss on his girlfriend's cheek before pulling up his own chair.

"You're stalking me now?" Catherine raised a brow.

"I was wondering where Donna had gotten lost," Ryder ran his fingers through his dark purple hair. "You have been MIA all day."

"I was in class," Donna defended.

"Yeah, but you looked so dazed the whole time," Ryder fixed his glasses.

"I've just been," Donna eyed her bag. "Worried about Matt is all."

"He'll be fine," Ryder assured. "It was just some stitches. How did he even fall back from the chair anyway?"

Donna tried her best not to blush even thinking about it. Of course, she wasn't going to tell Ryder-her brother-the truth. The fact that Donna had gotten herself stuck in the chair with Matt, then were in a tight embrace when they tipped the chair back. Donna bit her lip and came up with the lamest excuse. "He was just leaning back too much and the wheels came out from under him." Or at least she thought it was a lame excuse, but Ryder nodded and seemed to buy it.

Catherine on the other hand was biting her lip in order to prevent herself from grinning. She knew. Donna shot her a small look when Ryder wasn't looking. Donna realized something. Catherine loved books, could she know anything pertaining to this Broken Souls? "Catherine," Donna addressed. Catherine's eyes darted to Donna's. "You read."

Ryder laughed. "That's an understatement."

Catherine elbowed him. "Since that's an understatement, you can return all of these." She pulled a stack of books from her bag. Ryder groaned, but then did as she asked. Once he was gone, Catherine turned to Donna. "I read a lot."

"Yeah, well," Donna took a breath. "I was wondering if you ever read a book about people."

"Almost every book I've ever read has people in it," Catherine raised a brow.

"I mean real people," Donna clarified. "Like... I don't know. Books about people you know. Say Matt and I were written about in a book. And It had our thoughts and feelings."

"I'm not sure what you mean. Does this have to do with the narrators?"

"I don't know," Donna ran her fingers through her long brown hair. She was conflicted about it. She was intruding into someone's life. Multiple people's lives. Donna felt so guilty, but also didn't want to stop.

"I've always wondered if everything we do is written down somewhere," Catherine leaned back in her chair. "Like the Story Book of Legends."

"But it was destroyed," Donna shook her head.

"Ally didn't tell you?" Catherine raised her brows again.

"Tell me what?"

"Apple never destroyed the book," Catherine whispered. "She hid it somewhere."

"Where?"

"I don't know, and neither does Ally."

"I can't believe she didn't tell me," Donna sighed.

"Well, it's not a big secret if you think about it," Catherine shrugged. "I mean, it is keeping this world alive."

Donna suddenly felt very small in the world. Just ink on a page.

"Donna? Are you alright? You've paled," Catherine reached out for her shoulder. Donna jerked back and stood in her chair.

"Woah," Ryder walked over to them. "Take it easy."

"I-I gotta go," Donna picked up her bag. "I'll see you in Riddlish."

"Where are you going?" Catherine asked.

"Just to get the right textbook for Riddlish," Donna lied without skipping a beat. She practically ran out of the library, only to hit Oakley. She let her bag drop down from her shoulder. "I"m sorry."

He took a step back and straightened his jean jacket. Oakley narrowed his dark brown eyes at her. She had only met Oakley a few times. He was a manager of the s "It's alright, Donna. Oh, you dropped something." Before Donna could even attempt to look he picked up a book. The book.

Donna's heart raced as he brushed it off and gazed at it. She was dead. She was so dead. "Broken Souls," Oakley said amusingly. "Sounds dark. What's it about?"

"It's a book of magic wielders," Donna lied. "It about the Evil Queen, Baba Yaga, and some other famous sorceresses."

"Girl power," Oakley nodded before handing it back. "I might just give it a read once you're done." He smiled and made his way to the library.

"Yea, I'll be sure to let you know!" Donna hoped she wasn't going over the top. Oakley looked back and gave her a small wave before continuing on. Donna let out the breath she was holding. That was a close one.

Seeing Oakley made her wonder. What happened between him and Chester. Did they ever act on this strange flirtation? There was only one way to find out. Donna looked at the book in her hands. She still had some time before lunch ended, and she felt sick to her stomach. Catherine's words had made her feel dizzy. That was close enough for an excuse...right?

She pulled out her phone and texted Ally.

Not feeling well, going to take rest of day off.

Ally texted back in seconds.

Okay, hope you'll feel better soon!

Donna quickly walked down the empty hall and took a few corners. Donna stopped herself before going up to the towers. There was another staircase, this one leading down. Was this where the dungeon resided? They didn't have classes down there anymore, Donna knew that. Baba Yaga had died over a year ago, and Mr. Badwolf had retired from teaching.

No one would ever find her there.

She crept down the stone stairs, careful not to make any noise. Holding the book to her chest, she kept her eyes alert. There was a lot to dust around, that was clear, but once she got down to the dungeons, that was when the real problems were noticed. Cobwebs were everywhere, Donna thought she could see bats in the corner. And she was sure that there would be rats around.

That made her think of Matt. He never told her he could communicate with animals. Although Donna had never seen him with animals, she thought he could've at least mentioned it. She thought it was quite sweet how he saved Hermon, the mouse. Although, she did feel a little uncomfortable with reading Eliza's thoughts on him. It was strange how he read her so easily.

And yet I'm reading you like the book in my hands.

She had witnessed that before. He had done it to her before they were dating. Back when she was in unrequited love with Brandon.

"Well even if you weren't staring at the wall," Matt called out. "You still stare like a lovesick puppy."

He had known. Matt had always known that she liked Brandon, and yet Donna didn't understand it. She thought he was simply making an observation, but he knew. Knew the intentions of her stare. He could pick up on the tiniest of details of everything and everyone. It was one of the reasons Donna fell in love with him. It was one of the reasons Eliza fell in love with him- or at least liked him.

As Donna pushed open the door that only could lead to Babba Yagas's old classroom, she looked at the book in her hands. She shouldn't read it. She couldn't read it. It was such an invasion. She felt so guilty. Her heart pounded loudly against her ribs. Clutching the book in her hands she held it up. "Where did you come from? Why here, and why now?"

The book of course didn't answer, but Donna shook it. When it kept its silence, Donna threw it down on a table. The book flipped open to the page she left on, but Donna didn't look at the book. She gazed at the small teacup marking on the dest. It was drawn on, but it was still there. Donna ran her fingers over it. No smudge. Matt must've drawn this every day so it indented on the desk.

Then there were his initials. MWHW. Matthew Wocky Hatter-White. Donna's grin faded away when she saw a small box sitting on the desk. It was a larger velvet jewelry box. There was another engraving on the table.

Hermon Essaic Hatter-White

Hermon must be in the box. Donna's heart dropped when she realized it. Matt must've been really attached to the small mouse he saved. Donna once heard that Maddie still had her own pet mouse that lived in her hat from her high school days. Regular and Wonderland mice must have different life expectancies. At least, it was proof that the book was accurate.

The book was accurate.

It had all the answers she was looking for.

All of the answers she was denied from Eliza and Matt.

Donna looked down at Broken Souls.

The page was opened to chapter 5:

The Wonderlandian