Previously

After fifteen minutes, I slunk next to a red telephone booth, trying to catch my breath. It was getting very dark and as soon as I lifted my head up to look for the stars, it began to pour.

'Great, just great,' I thought, getting soaked to the bone. I lifted my body up and walked across a bridge thing to take refuge in the nearest building. The door was unlocked and the room empty.

"Hello, anyone there?" I called, setting my backpack down on a chair. I heard footsteps and ducked behind a table. I saw a pair of brown shoes walk and lock the door, diminishing any hope of escape I had. The person started to walk back from wherever he came from, but paused and walked up to the table I was hiding under.

CHAPTER 2

Suddenly the table was lifted up and thrown away, blowing my cover. Without hesitation I kicked the guy's legs from under him and ran towards the door, hoping there was a way to unlock it without a key. But I didn't get far; my attacker grabbed my arm, turned my around and slammed me against the wall. He brought me up to his eye level, lifting me a good couple of inches off the ground.

"Who are you?!" the man yelled in my face. Yeah I should've been scared, but the only thing that I could think of was his accent and how gorgeous his eyes were. A chocolate brown that made me crave chocolate-chip cookies. The guy was wearing a tan hat, too big to be a regular hat but too small to be a top hat. He was also wearing a tan leather jacket over a green button up shirt and black pants.

"So you're not gonna talk huh?" he said, "Well I know a thing or two bout makin people talk."

"Wait," I cried, "My name is Evangeline Reath."

"So Ms. Reath wot the bloody 'ell are you doin in my shop?"

"I was just trying to get out of the rain. And hide from the men who were chasing me." I hoped that he could help me, but he didn't look so sure about my story.

"Who was chasing you?" He inquired.

"A couple of men in black suits and some weirdo with a porcelain rabbit head as a head."

"Why were they chasin you?"

"I don't know! They chased me to my apartment and I fell through this mirror and-"he interrupted me by dropping me back down, shooting a pain up to my knee. I cried out and collapsed to the ground. He said something but I couldn't make out what he was saying. The pain on top of the exhaustion was too much, my vision became blurry, and the black quickly claimed my vision.

My dream was extremely weird. I was in one of the teacups on that ride in Disneyland, with the man who shoved me into the wall earlier. My hair was blowing in my face and I was laughing along with the man in the hat. The dream almost seamed real, but then everything disappeared and I found myself alone with darkness all around me. I panicked; I looked around frantically and called out for someone, anyone to find me.

"Calm down little Angie," a voice said. I whipped my head around, and almost couldn't believe my eyes.

"Grandpa!" I shouted and ran up to hug him, "Aren't you supposed to be in San Francisco?"

"Now's not the time for those questions." He said, "I have come to tell you your mission. You are destined to become the Queen of Wonderland." I was about to protest but he continued, "You must find the Mad Hatter he is familiar with prophecies and will explain everything to you as well as help you with your journey. The present Queen will try to stop you and she will try to kill you or worse." He paused to look at me, "I know you will succeed."

Then he started to disappear.

"NO!" I cried. Reaching for him but my hands just went through.

"I know you have questions and doubts, but they will be answered in time," he said, "I love you, little Angie." Then he disappeared.

"I love you too," I said.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

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