Project Wonderland

The Rabbit, Or So To Say, Harold Digby

I woke up sometime around noon the next morning.

I didn’t remember falling asleep, or even seeing the Dryad House, in fact, so I was very disoriented and confused.

I was laying on a soft hammock made of palm fronds stitched together with what looked like long grass. A soft blanket was covering me and bright red light from the sky shone through an open window.

I looked around and saw that I was in a large room with a few pieces of furniture here and there. The room was made of many different types of wood, all in a green shade.

Out of what I had seen in Wonderland, this was by far the best part.

In the Dryad House, you hardly remembered all the horror outside. The only evidence of the frightening surroundings was the red light that filtered through the window.

I rolled out of the hammock, instantly missing the warmth it had provided me with.

I shivered as my bare feet hit the cool wooden floor. I walked around for a little bit, looking at my surroundings, paying close attention to the creaking floorboards.

I turned around as I heard the room door open, startling me from my reverie. It was Roger. He looked tired, and his hair was sticking up in every direction. I couldn’t help but notice how cute and innocent he looked.

“Mornin’,” He mumbled, leaning against a wall.

“Morning.” I smiled, brushing my hair out of my eyes.

“Tighlor wanted me to wake you.” Roger yawned and rolled his eyes. “You’re always sleeping in aren’t you, Vivian?”

I laughed and went to a corner of the room where some clothes were waiting beneath a pair of boots that were made of smooth leaves. I put the boots on and walked out of the room, Roger trailing behind me.

“Um, where is Tighlor?” I asked.

“Dining room,” Roger mumbled again, pointing to a closed door.

I walked over to it and pushed against the silky smooth wood. The door opened with a groan and revealed a lavish dining room. The table was about four meters long, and was made from ornately carved oak. The chairs were the same, and all of them had an image of a willow tree carved into their backs.

The table was covered with delicate china that had the same willow emblem on them as the chairs did.

Neatly organized on the tables also were trays heaped with steaming foods, some looking much like what I usually ate, others completely abnormal and kind of disgusting looking.

At the very head of the table was Tighlor. He was dressed in similar clothes as the other day, but they weren’t ripped, patched and torn. His hair was neatly spiked at the top of his head and his green eyes sparkled.

“Ah. Sleeping beauty wakes.” Tighlor grinned at me, and I blushed.

“Do take a seat,” Tighlor stood up and pulled out a chair for me.

I sat in it as Roger yawned and took the seat beside me.

“I never did get to know your name last night. You fell asleep right before we entered the house,” Tighlor looked at me.

“It’s true. You just, well, fainted.” Roger looked at me.

“My name’s Vivian,” I said, wondering why, exactly, did I pass out? Roger was the one who looked like he would pass out that evening, not me…

“Well, nice to finally know you, Vivian.” Tighlor looked at me, and then to the plates of food.

“I best not keep you waiting. You’re probably starved,”