I come to a screeching halt, bracing my hand against the closest wall. Deep breaths in, deep breaths out, Clara, I chant in my mind. I’ve been in shitty situations before. So, I’m in some sort of drug induced coma or something. No big deal. I’ll just go along with White and find a way to wake myself up. I can do that.

“Did you say Wonderland?” I ask White, because I have to be sure that’s what I heard. Just in case I’m not dreaming, and I’d somehow entered another dimension, one that had entire books written about it back at home. Always have the facts. That was my motto. “As in, the Wonderland from the fictitious story book?”

“Probably not the one you know.” White pulls a small case from his pocket and goes to his knees in front of the door. I realize he’s picking the lock when he pulls something sharp from the case before sticking it in the keyhole. There’s a bunch of clicks as he twists the metal tool.

“I have the key,” I tell him, holding out the metal I swiped from the table.

He shakes his head.

“This isn’t some sweet fairytale place. At least, not anymore. That key is useless, nothing more than a prop to give victims false hope.”

“What happened?” I toss the key to the floor and watch him as the clicks fill the room, getting louder in increments.

“The Red Queen. She’s killing Wonderland, slowly and brutally.”

“I must have hit my head pretty hard,” I mumble, rubbing my eyes. “And you literally have big white bunny ears on your head right now. I’ve been seeing them before this, but they faded away. They aren’t fading now.”

“They aren’t bunny ears.” He sounds mildly offended about the word ‘bunny’. I tuck away the information for later. “They’re Rabbit ears. And it’s because I’m the White Rabbit.” The lock gives a final loud click before the door swings open. “My ears are a part of me. The fact that you could see them in your world was an eye opener. It’s the reason I was able to figure out who you are.”

“The White Rabbit? As in, I’m late, I’m late for a very important date? That rabbit?” I asked, dumbfounded. I ignore the knowing who I am bit. That just seems like too much at the moment. If this is a dream, I’ll have to give my imagination credit. This is like nothing I have ever thought of before.

White chuckles, but the sound is dark, a sinister vibe rolling off him in waves. I involuntarily take a step back.

“Yeah, sure. That’s me,” he says, looking at the watch on his wrist again. I’m struck by the gears moving in it, remembering I thought it a luxury watch at home. Now I’m thinking it’s more magic than expensive. “We’d best be going. We don’t want to be in the forest when it’s dark.” He looks around the room again. “The Red Queen, no doubt, already knows you’re in Wonderland. She would have sent her Knave the moment the tea cup was touched.”

I take a step forward, my heels clicking against the tiles, and his eyes fall to my feet.

“Those are going to be a problem. We’re going through a dense forest.”

I shrug.

“I don’t really have a choice. If you had plans on kidnapping me and carting me off to Wonderland, maybe you should have warned me to wear sensible shoes.”

He raises his eyebrows at my remark.

“You’re taking this remarkably well.” He studies me, searching for a sign that I’m really freaking out. He won’t find one. The reason I’m such a good lawyer is because my poker face is flawless. I’m far from hysterical, though. Curiosity is getting the better of me, and if this isn’t a dream or some sort of drug side-effect, I want to find out everything I can.

“What else am I supposed to do?” I huff. “Curl up in the fetal position and have a good cry? That’s not who I am.”

A genuine smile spreads across his face, warm and the complete opposite from the ones I’d seen before. It changes his appearance, so he looks more wholesome instead of the danger that usually accompanies him.

“No. Indeed, it’s not.” He glances through the doorway, and I get a view of outside for the first time. There’s trees, a lush forest even if it’s dark. Some of the plant life is glowing, much like the dream I had this morning, but besides that, I can’t really tell much else.

“I thought you said we didn’t want to be in the forest at night?” It sure looks dark to me.

“We don’t,” he replies, meeting my eyes briefly. “That’s how the forest looks during the day.”

Wow, I really don’t want to know what it looks like at night then. Talk about nightmares.

“Before we go out there,” he continues. “We need to discuss a few more rules.”

“Why?” I ask, watching as a beautiful butterfly comes through the door. I stare in wonder at its iridescent blue and pink wings fluttering around me. As it draws closer, I notice the oddness of its body. Both sides look like a stinger, no head I can see. When two eyes blink open on the wings, my heart stops, but when it lets out a high-pitched snarl that makes my skull feel like it’s cracking, I damn near pass out.

White smacks the thing from the air, cutting off the sound as he squashes it beneath his boot. I hold my head as he looks at me pointedly.

“Wonderland isn’t safe. Nothing is here. Don’t let the bugs touch you,” he lectures. “Most of them drink blood.”

I take a big breath. This just keeps getting worse and worse.

“Got it,” I grunt. The ache in my skull finally begins to ebb, and I drop my arm to my side.

“And don’t go near the talking flowers.”

“I thought the talking flowers are nice?” I ask. It’s a stupid question. There aren’t skull-shattering butterflies or poison tea in the original tale. Why would I think the dumb flowers would be friendly?

“They like their meat rare,” is the only reply I get. I feel the blood drain from my face. Fuck that. I’m not going to become dinner for the fauna.

“Why the hell am I here?” I ask. “Why me?”

He looks at me from the doorway where he had been watching the trees. There’s multiple emotions in his eyes, bouncing between sadness and anger.

“Because Wonderland needs you, Clara.”

“Surely, there are others you can bring?”

He shakes his head. “You were prophesied to be here.”

“I decide my own fate,” I say, a frown spreading across my face. It’s the words I had repeated to myself my whole life.

“Of course, you do,” he mocks, grabbing my hand. “But Wonderland has other ideas.” He pulls me through the doorway behind him. “Now come on. We’re late.”

“Where are we going?” I ask. Because why not? I want to be informed before I get eaten by something in the jungle. Or worse.

“To see the Hatter.” There’s no emotion in his voice as he answers, just cold indifference.

Of course, I think. The next logical step.