What's inside the house? And what were those red stains? Mihael is about to find out in this next installment of Mihael in Wonderland!
Enjoy. ^^
Death Note © Ohba & Obata
Alice in Wonderland © Lewis Carroll
The plot and writing is mine.
Chapter Three: A Frightening Tea-Party
As the door was opened, Mihael and Nate were greeted by a strong smell of strawberries and sweets of all kind. Mihael pushed the door open a bit wider and stepped inside, looking around. On the walls, he saw splatters of something red and still dripping, and in the other room he could hear the sound of dishes clinking.
"More tea, dear Audrey?" They heard someone saying as they approached the room, the door slightly ajar to allow out a bit of light into the dark foyer.
"Why thank you, Beyond." They heard another voice saying, and then the sound of a liquid being poured was heard.
"Sugar?" The first voice asked as Mihael pushed the door open a bit more, looking in. Nate seemed to be following close behind him.
"About six should do it." The second voice, a blonde young man with wild, blue eyes and the light-brown ears of a hare said as he held out his teacup.
Mihael stared in wonder at the two in the room, noting their dress clothes and the fine teacups in their hands. While the blonde man was a light-brown hare with long hair dressed in a royal-blue suit and tie, the other man had wild, black hair and ruby eyes that glinted dangerously. Sitting on top of his mess of hair, matching his blood-red suit and black tie, was a black hat with a red sash tied around it.
"He looks dangerous…" He whispered softly.
"We have visitors." A voice said sleepily from inside a large box marked "sugar".
"Hm?" The black-haired man looked over at the door. "Visitors?"
The blonde got up and made his way over to the door, pulling it wide open. "Ohhh. And what does the great White Rabbit have to do at our humble abode, hm?" He hummed. "Who's your little friend?"
"He's—" Nate was cut off by Mihael speaking up himself.
"I'm Mihael! I followed Nate here from my world, and then there was a big garden, and then I pounced on him, and then there was a cat that said to come here!" He said excitedly. "Are you the Mad Hatter?"
"…No, kid." The blonde hare raised an eyebrow. "I'm known as 'the March Hare'. The Mad Hatter is over there." He gestured to the black-haired man still seated at the table.
"Oh, a human child?" The Mad Hatter stood up, setting down his teacup and striding over, tilting Mihael's chin up a bit with his teaspoon. "So young…such a shame." He hummed. "I expect you're on the way to the castle of the Queen of Hearts?"
"The Queen of Hearts?" Mihael started to inquire, but Nate stepped forward.
"Where he is going and who he is seeing is none of your concern, Hatter." Nate said coolly.
"Why, White Rabbit! Your suit!" The Hatter gripped the boy's sleeve a bit. "It's so muddy!" He gave him a scolding look, but it was so brief that, once again, Mihael was sure he imagined it, because the pleasant smile was back on the Mad Hatter's face.
"Mail told me to get it washed here." Nate said, glancing away.
"Rightly so! The Queen would not want to see you in this state!" He shook his head. "Did this happen when the boy pounced on you?" He started to tug him along to another room. "By the way, how IS the Queen these days? I haven't seen her for a few weeks, you see."
"She is well, I suppose." Nate said boredly.
"Apparently not well ENOUGH, if she sent you out." The March Hare cackled, and then turned to Mihael. "Call me Audrey, by the way. And that is Beyond Birthday." He nodded in the Hatter's direction. " You should stay for tea, while his uniform is being cleaned."
"Sure!" Mihael said happily, smiling. "I like tea!"
For a moment, the smiles grew frightening, but then returned back to normal.
'Okay…THAT'S not creepy.' Mihael thought.
"Lawliet, you should really come out of that box." Audrey hummed, looking towards the sugar box. "We have a guest."
"Sugar makes me feel light." The sleepy voice from before replied.
"Lawliet." Audrey said scoldingly.
Mihael giggled a bit. "Is he always like that?"
"Always." Mail's voice said from behind Mihael. Mihael jumped, startled, and then frowned as the cat materialized on the edge of the table. "Hullo, Audrey." The cat greeted pleasantly. "Am I interrupting?"
"Oh, no. you're just in time for tea." Audrey smiled as he pulled out a chair for him. Mail vanished and then reappeared in the seat, and then Audrey pulled out a seat for Mihael, which he took. "So, Mihael, tell us about your world." He walked over to pour some tea.
"Oh, it's not that interesting." Mihael shrugged. "Boring lessons everyday, and I often go into the extensive garden with my cat, Dinah."
"CAT?!" The voice inside the sugar box yelped as it shook a bit.
"Uh, Lawliet? I'M a cat. Remember?" Mail raised an eyebrow.
A man with messy, black hair and hazel-colored dormouse ears poked his head out of the box, the lid falling off the top. "…Oh, right. I forgot. Hullo, Mail."
"Hullo, Lawliet. Had a nice nap?" Mail smiled.
The man slowly climbed out of the sugar box and shook the sugar off his back, the white powdery substance falling to the floor like snow. "I suppose so. Who is this?"
"It's the guest you announced." Audrey snickered.
Lawliet blinked, looking at Mihael. "…I did?"
"I think he was talking in his sleep again." Beyond snickered as he came into the room. "Bunny's taking a shower, so it's just us five now." He sat down and begin to sip at his tea again.
Mihael nodded, glancing around a bit. "Uhm…I was just wondering, what are those red smears on the front door?"
"It's jam." Beyond said firmly.
"Oh, okay." The anxiety that he didn't realize he had faded away just a bit. "You're rather messy, aren't you?"
Beyond chuckled a bit, sipping his tea. Then he set the teacup down and looked at him. "Tell me, Mihael. What do you think of my hat?"
"Your hat?" Mihael blinked, looking at it.
"Yes. My hat." Beyond flicked it lightly.
"It's a very nice hat." Mihael said, taking the tea Audrey brought him and sipping it. "Why do you ask?"
Lawliet had yet to sit down, and he seemed to be messing with a music box in the corner. As the music from it begin to play, a relaxing scent filled the room, making Mihael drop all defenses.
"Well…" Beyond hummed, fingering his teacup thoughtfully. "I was just wondering…how do you think you would look in it?"
"I…don't know. I don't wear hats like that. I don't think it would look very good on me at all." Mihael shrugged a bit.
"Hm. I suppose that's good." Beyond sipped his tea.
"Why?" Mihael asked.
"Well, the last child I spoke with, Quarter Queen, - I was very fond of her, really – dared to say she would look better in it than I do." Beyond said, setting down his empty teacup on the saucer.
Audrey came over to refill it. "A big mistake on her part. She knew very well how much he loves his hats. She wanted to take it from him, you see, after trying it on for a bit." He kissed Beyond's cheek. "Such a foolish girl. Only you look good in all the hats."
"Yes, and I couldn't bear the thought of her taking my hat away…" Beyond smiled, sipping his tea a bit. "So, I removed her head from her hat."
"…You mean 'her hat from her head', right?" Mihael asked, feeling a bit nervous.
"Not so." Beyond said, looking at him firmly. "I meant exactly what I said. I removed her head from her hat, and then took my hat back."
Mihael shivered. "You…killed her?" He moved to stand up, but found that his body wouldn't move. Why wouldn't it move?!
"Oh, I did more than kill her." Beyond hummed, standing up and walking towards Mihael, reaching out to stroke his cheek. "I crushed her eyes…ripped out her heart…I mangled her little body." He leaned in close, breathing on his neck. "I am not a forgiving person, Mihael. Don't cross me, hm?"
Mihael shuddered at his touch. "B-Beyond…"
"That's far enough, Hatter!" Nate said sharply, walking into the room dressed in a white dress-shirt and light-blue slacks. "I thank you, Audrey, for the spare clothes. I'll come to get my uniform at a later time." He walked over and turned off the music box, the scent fading from the room. "This boy is not yours." He said coolly.
"Of course." Beyond stepped away from Mihael, smirking. "I won't anger her by taking what's hers."
Mihael slowly stood up and stumbled out of his chair. "W-Whoa!"
Nate rushed over and caught him. "That's enough tea. Let's go." He took Mihael's wrist and led him out of the house, seeming to be in a hurry.