Rabbit Hole

The Lies

WARNING: This chapter involves themes of manipulation, betrayal and relationship abuse.

We were feeling celebratory after that first stage, but we still proceeded with caution. That was only stage one.
And this place still has plenty of tricks to throw at us.

Amanda's POV

After we entered, we figured out where we were: the back rooms of Wonderland. If there was gonna be any more secrets, they'll be here. For now, just a constant labyrinth of hallways.

"Ok, but seriously, you good?" Jade suddenly asks Nick.
"Yep. I'll be better if we don't bring it up all the time. I'd prefer not to be reminded of that."
"Ok, so don't look at your bat."
"Why?"
"There's blood on it."
Nick checks. There is some on one of the corners of the bat.
"Oh god. Nope. No. Someone else take this. I don't like blood."
"And what do we give you back?" I add. "All of our weapons have blood on it."
"Here, take the knife." says Liv, before wiping the knife off with her hand.
"Did- you just wipe that off in one shot?"
"Yes."
"Why? You could have cut your hand on it, you could have got an infection from the blood, also now you have blood on your hands."
"Oh, I do."
"You're gonna have to wash them now."
"No I don't."
"What are you- don't wipe them on your shirt. Please."
"Oh, I'm not. Don't worry." she replies, before wiping them on the wall. In a smart move, she decides to make it a trail leading to the wrong turn off.
"Why do you do this?" Nick replies in complete horror.
"You said I needed to clean my hands, I did. Now, also, I've led any potential guards in the wrong direction at the same time. Also, do you want us to waste time looking for a tap?"
"...Point taken."

"On a different subject," Liv interrupts, "how did you three meet?"
"Oh, uh, we just kinda knew eachother in childhood. We started in primary."
"We all just kinda clicked."
"So, how'd you all find out about Amanda?"
"...we were always friends with her?"
"Oh, you're asking how they found out I was trans. It was literally just me trying to look up something stupid-"
"-what happens if you try to boil yoghurt-"
"-still no clue-"
"-and I'd left a tab up on an am I trans? quiz. The result was yes."
"You guys took it well, right?"
"I mean, well, I'm gay, so I was used to it." Nick replies.
"Didn't really change much. She was still as much of an idiot as before."
"Jade!"
"In a good way, Amanda."
Liv leads into a new room.
"I mean, to be fair, you're smarter than- LOOK OUT!"
A red light flashes above my head.
Liv pushes me back.
A metal sheet slams down through the doorframe.
She's trapped in there.

Meanwhile... Andrew's POV

"Sorry 'bout the spray, mate." Ace says to me. "You can always get more, though. There's a fuck ton literally everywhere."
"Yeah, it's fine. Where'd you get the fire idea?"
"Let's just say it's not the first time. I've used the spray bomb before to get back at some dickhead who punched them, and I've used the flamethrower before just as an 'eh fuck it why not', so I just combined the two."
"Huh."
"Hey, can I ask you something?" Pat suddenly asks me.
"Sure."
"Why are you so close to Liv?"
"I mean, she's my girlfriend. That's how it works."
"Yeah, but boundaries, mate." Ace adds, "There's been a few times in the last few days she's not wanted anything to do with you, yet you insist on helping. You wanna help, just let her breathe."
"Look, I get that, but she's been overreacting about the whole-"
"Mate. You left her to get kidnapped. I'd be pissed off too if I were her."
"I get it was wrong, I'm not saying that it's right. But she won't even see my side.My reasoning-"
"How do you reasonably defend that?" Pat returns to the converation.
"Because it was survival instincts. I fight, I could get taken too. I run, I'm still able to save her. Besides, I came for her, right? I invited all of you. I arranged this."
"Look, we were all called, and you know that. You just got us a ride."
"I wasn't called. I found out about you, and then helped you guys. I didn't know about any of this."
"Wait. How'd you know where to find us?"
I pause.
"Yeah, come to think of it, it's a little suspect."
It's a reasonable explaination, but will they listen to it? I gotta think of something-
Red light above a doorframe. Worth a shot.
I jump through and a metal pane slams down.
"Hey, Prick! We ain't done! Answer the fucking question!"
I walk away. I need to find Liv. I need to get her to understand.

Liv's POV

I stand in shock for a second, then realise how stupid that was. I just locked myself in a hallway with only a cricket bat to defend myself, while the three who have blades are all on the other side of the door. I should have pulled Amanda through. Then we'd both be able to fight off whatver's about to happen. Well, it's too late to change that now.

I walk down the hallway, and eventually find a door. It's unlocked. As I open it, I'm greeted with a table, two sets of filing cabinets either side. On the left, all had markers, on the right, there were 7 empty ones. All of them have roman numerals on their draws, I to XIII. It clicks quickly: they're all the iterations.
I head instantly to VII first, Jules' iteration.

I search through all the files.
They follow the same layout.

Name: (Surprisingly enough, they use chosen names)
Character: (Some who we never met are on here: the march hare, the Tweedle twins, King of Hearts, the Duchess, etc.)
Person Who Signed Them Up: (Usually parents or family)
Status: (CURED, or DEAD. It's horrific to think that they believe this is a cure.)

I go through all of the files in seven.
But something's wrong.
All of them say 'DEAD'.
And Jules' name isn't on there.
I check again.
Then one stands out.
"Tori King".
The Dormouse.
Finally, I see a picture in the bottom of the drawer.
Jules isn't in it.
Jules was never in Wonderland.

Before I go to run back, I turn to drawer XIII.
Us.

A look wouldn't hurt, right? If there's another piece of information, it'll be in there. The first thing I notice is that two of the files are crossed out: Mark and Amy. That confirms Bill's alive.
First one, Amanda.

Name: Amanda Lidell
Character: Alice
Enroller: Mr/Mrs Lidell
Status: MISSING

So that's what they think happened to us.

Blake?

Name: Blake Lloyd
Character: Mad Hatter (couldn't satisfy Alice request, would jeapordise mission)
Enroller: Margaret + Frank Lloyd.
Status: ESCAPED (Replaced by Cole (DEAD))

So, then there's mine.

Name: Liv Hadden
Character: Queen Of Hearts (requested)

Requested? Why would my parents specifically request Queen of-

Enroller: King of Hearts.

Three words.
Not even a real name.
And yet it tells me everything I need to know.
He lied.
My parents really did accept me.
They weren't the ones who sent me here.
Andrew was.

"You didn't have to find out this way Olivia."

I turn around.
It's Andrew.
He's pointing a gun at my face.

"Fuck you."
"Of course you don't understand. You never do. So I guess I'll need to explain this."

I go to run, but Andrew blocks the exit as another metal sheet closes it off for good.
Three guards enter from either side of the room through hidden entrances.

"Oh no, you're not getting away from me anymore. You have to listen. So, let me start from the beginning."