Chapter 5

Schrödinger's Lucid Butterfly Dreams

-~:{+}:~-

Odd how strange everything is in a dream. Elise found herself in a strange abyss. A sort of colored miasma-like speckled light drifted everywhere. All sorts of hues, floated around an a phantasmal manner, as ink in water, resting like a fog.

{Where is this place? Is this a dream?}

"A dream indeed."

Startled by the sudden interjection, she scanned the area, and noticed a man behind. He floated above, with dark silver hair, and an eyepatch. A striking appearance, not that anyone else in this world was a Plain Jane.

"And who are you?"

"My name is Nightmare, an incubus. And this is my domain."

"Huh. Well, if you're the one in charge here, then you can answer some of my questions?"

"Perhaps." said the demon, displaying a faint smirk.

Raising an eyebrow, it seemed obvious to her that it could be difficult to receive a straight answer out of this man. If not for the environment, she would feel much more uneasy than she already did, considering that she was a bit too well read for her own good, as incubi were not a particularly well remembered sort in legend.

{An incubus. Like one of those demons from the stories I used to read? Next I'm going to find Merlin hanging out around here. This place is just filled with oddities.}

"I can't seem that odd to you, do I?"

{Wait, that was weird - Did he just read my thoughts!?}

"Yes, and there's no need to test it out. It's one of my many talents."

"I suppose normalcy really is relative, then."

"Hmm, that's an interesting way of putting it. Especially since from my perspective, you're more of the oddity yourself."

"How so?"

"You're arrival here has been a bit, unusual. Though it's not impossible for foreigners to enter Wonderland, it's exceedingly rare."

"Well, considering what happened to me today, I'm slowly losing my ability to be surprised. But I do remember something Queen Aria mentioned. She said something about another foreigner being here. Do you know anything about it?"

"You must be referring to Alice."

"Ah! So there is someone else! Do you know where she is, or if I can find her?"

{If she really is from my world, she may have some more knowhow on how I can get home, or at the very least, helping me get my head around this place.}

"You think she is the answer to returning home?" he said, replying to her thoughts.

"Maybe. If this - this entire world I mean - is a dream, then I'll might as well try and head to the thing closest to the waking world. It's my best shot."

"Is that what you believe then?" Amusement was present in Nightmare's voice. "Very well, this is a dream."

"With such a compliant tone you make it seem like it's really not. I mean, I could have been drugged, or I could actually be here. It could all be like the Matrix, even. I've always wondered about that when I was younger. I believe the idea of this being a trippy dream less now. But I'm not denying the possibility."

"Well, maybe I wasn't referring to Wonderland as a whole, and just this meeting."

Elise did not like this reply. It kinda made her feel like she was losing an argument. Didn't help that she perceived a bit of snakiness, whether it was present or not. Generally a bad sport, she loathed losing 'discussions' even if it would cause problems later on. Due to knowing herself to be clever, it gave her frustration towards being wrong. Even arguments a dull person would never enter she would incite, trying to argue that her answer had at least some correctness to it. That last comment from the dream demon commanded a glare from behind her fringe, arms folded across her chest. Elise hated losing. Losers never got their own terms.

Nightmare was compelled to as her one more question. "Tell me, if you think about something all day, does that change wether it's true or not?"

She pondered the question. Slowly, she spoke. "Yes, it does… But it also doesn't" Her head-on appearance did not match some of the unsureness in her tone.

"Hmm… Interesting answer. I will have you elaborate further, but we'll wait for some other time. I will see you again, Miss Elise Tenniel."

The atmosphere begun to fade. She could feel herself slipping back into a waking state. But Elise couldn't help but think about one thing. She never got to ask about the game.

Notes: Well that was fun. Finally a non-OC, right? This was also a short chapter, but the next one should be longer

References: If you don't know about Schrödinger's Cat Thought Experiment, I'll mention I was thinking about that while writing this. It's quite interesting, actually. The paradox associated with it only exists with the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics, but it's quite the mind screw. Also thinking of that Zhuangzi butterfly dream thing. When in dreams things can be very real. Maybe it is like the Matrix, or the Doctor Who episode "Amy's Choice." When in the dream, it doesn't feel like it. Maybe what you think is the dream is actually reality, while what you are experiencing now is the falsity.

Incubi of medieval lore were demons that would have sex with people in their sleep. Kinda creepy. Nuns would use them as a reason as to why they were pregnant *cough*. Also, since magic was evil back in the day, that can be reason for a spell caster to be good. Merlin was a cambion, child of an Incubus and a Nun. That's why he's both good and can cast magic. Elise also does the whole, "Science says it's kinda bad to assume unless needed" like she told Edwin. And who hasn't at least wondered if their life was really like the Matrix?