Shaking my hand the rabbit stares at me, grinning ever wider and ever creepier. My skin crawls from the look of it. He's missing a tooth, and the remaining one is yellow, cracked, and black around the uneven edges. The gums envelope it, entirely filling the space next to it where the missing tooth would have been. This is one creepy rabbit, not at all like the ones up there.
"Tea time, Alice! We're late! We're late! Oh no!" the rabbit screeches, all features now morphed into a frightened state of eyes wide, mouth gaping, eyebrows high. And I thought he was scary normally.
But I start to laugh. Haha. This is one hell of a dream. Alice. Fell down a rabbit hole. Rabbit. Tea time. We're late. "For a very important date…" I mumble to myself.
And the rabbit freezes, facial expressions frozen in his state of panic and awe at me laughing "Whatever is so funny, Alice?"
"Pinch me."
"No, you bite. You're very mean now Alice. And we have to go!" He flaps his arms up and down and starts to shuffle his feet.
Well, he's no help. So I pinch myself. And nothing happens.
Pinch pinch pinch pinch pinch. Nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.
"To tea…?" I ask, irritated that this isn't a bad dream.
"Yes, yes Alice!" The rabbit shouts, pulling out a little watch. As he looks at it, an ear piercing scream is released and he shoves me. "Now, now! Hop!" And he hops past me, apparently expecting me to do the same.
Which I do not. I run along, stumbling through the rough path and dense forestry after him.
And oh god, the sites I saw. A purple and pink cat, with a grin worse than that of the rabbit's. Birds, of any color, not singing, but working. Other animals, worked too. All were dressed in human clothes, and all looked miserable. It was as though I'd been transferred to some prisoner of war camp for animals. What had happened here?
I stop paying attention, and stub my toe on something hard. I look around, and before is a table. Tea cups and other tea time dishes line the entire thing, and the rabbit has already taken a seat among many other animals, and even a few humans.
"Everyone, Alice has returned to save us!" The rabbit shouts and all eyes turn toward me. A hopeful gleam lights up in their eyes, and a warm atmosphere arises. Although most wear a creepy, toothy, rotten smile, I feel welcome here.
"Alice! How nice of you to return!" A man with red hair stands, and says, smile gone. No hope in his eyes. His tone is sarcastic and I know not what I've done to him. "It's about time, seeing as you got us into this mess in the first place. And you never did say goodbye last time." And then he looks at me that way that only men who have been intimate in one way or another with you can look at you.
Aw, shit. What have I gotten myself into?