Underlands Madness Unlocked [ Alice x Hatter ] B1

Curious Meeting

1 year, 11 months, 3 days, 10 hours, 5 minutes and 32 seconds have passed since Alice left.

Everyone has noticed the difference in me since that day. Even my family, who haven't gotten to see a good portion of my life, notices I'm less hattery. Always lost in thought. Always somewhere else, even if I'm in the same room as others.

The Queen has called me to her castle, and when I arrive, I see everyone is already there. Am I late? Have I misread the time? I check my pocket watch, inside of my jacket pocket, and see I'm twenty seconds late.

"Your late! So very, very late!" McTwist hops   around me repeating. That rabbit is always late. Me being twenty seconds late is okay no matter what the occasion. Though I do respect the White Queen, and she deserves everyone to be on time, but I've known her since she was a wee one. I know she won't whisper a word about me being late.

When I walk into the throne room, the first thing I see is the White Queen standing near her throne. I don't think she ever really sits in that dusty old thing. Her sister Iracebeth, bloody big headed, is trying to stand as closely as she can to it. Even when she tries to be good, she focuses on power almost always. She's trying, I know, but not everyone in Underland has forgiven her just yet.

I spot Chessur and the Tweedles standing in the middle of the room. I waltz my way over to them and nod at both of them. I was hoping to not have to talk to Chessur by standing near them, but of course Chessur has to say something. "Out of the hole, are we? Welcome to the world Terrant. It has missed you."

"Good to see you too, Chess." He smiles his irregularly large smile of his and wisps away. To bother someone else that's worth bothering I bet.

I watch the White Queen count to herself to make sure everyone is present. She then claps her hands together gleefully and smiles that white toothed smile of hers, "Welcome my friends!" Everyone stops their chatter and turns to pay attention to the White Queen. "I'm glad you have all came and have arrived to this meeting. Before we start, I would like to discuss what were to do about the melting of the marshmellow's in Mallow March..."

The White Queen goes on about things going on around Underland. As much as I want to give her my undivided attention, my mind goes other places. The places it always goes. It goes to Alice.

Every since the day I opened up to the bad thoughts, it hasn't stopped. My mind makes up new scenarios, new places, new activities that I all want to do with Alice. Like right now. Imagining what Alice would be doing if she was here right now. Would she be next to me or next to the Queen? Would she be giving the Queen her undivided attention or looking around for impossible things? If I know Alice, which I do, she would most definitely be doing the second. The first question, I have my own hopes on the answer.

I picture her next to me. Alice and me are oddly close for two friends to be in a room full of people. Our shoulders are rubbing against each other, then I hear her gasp when our fingers linger on each other to long. I capture her hand in mine and rub her palm with my thumb. She looks up to me and smiles. Her clear eyes focus on mine, only ever me. Everyone else in the room disappears.

Alice looks around and bites her lip like she just did something scandalous. But it's not what we're doing that she looks around for, it's what she's about to do. She gets onto her tippy toes and leans close to my ear. When she's less then a centimeter away from touching her lips to my ear she whispers, "You have no idea what madness is going on in my head Tarrant."

I close my eyes and moan to her whispering my name. It's madding to hear my name come from those lips. I slightly turn to her and ask, "What madness, my dear?"