CHAPTER 23
I regretted running off from Malcolm and the others, but Chase was a friend and I really believed that friends never turned their back on one another. Even if he messed up, it wasn’t a reason to completely kick him out of the group, especially when he was trying to do what he thought was right. Besides, they always tried to help me, it was my turn to return the favor.
I pushed through the scraggly branches, the sharp edges hooking on my clothes and ripping them. Blood stained areas where my skin got caught as well and I grimaced, hoping that none of them were poisonous. It was an afterthought, really, so from then on I made sure none dug into my skin. I kept going on further, pushing myself further and further into the woods. There was no turning back now.
Especially since I didn’t know the way I had come.
Even though I had run straight after him, I still didn’t see any sign of Chase. There were no more singing plants, which I was thankful for, but the fog seemed to have grown thicker and thicker as I went on. Moisture began to form on my hands, reminding me of a dark moonless night I had gotten lost in when I was younger. I heard croaking of frogs around me but had no idea from what direction they came. The trees bounced every noise off of them, making everything seem to come from every which way.
Just like home.
I was glad Wonderland wasn’t in a desert because I don’t think I would have known how to handle that. No trees, and only sun and sand forever. No, all of those things were foreign to me, especially the sun. Being almost through October, that wasn’t something I was going to see for another five or six months. At least, in the real world. Here, on the other hand, was a different story. The sun existed, somewhere above me, I just had to get out of these woods and I would see it.
At least I hoped there was a way out.
Coming upon what appeared to be a clearing, I stepped out onto soft grass, at least I hoped it was grass. It was mushy like grass was in fog, but since the mist covered everything on the ground, I really wasn’t sure.
When I got to the clearing I saw a rectangular figure covered in moss and blue-star-creeper. I looked up in the sky, or where there should have been sky as branches still covered the sky. Curious what the rectangle was, I got closer until I realized it was a table, or at least an object that used to be a table.
“What’s a table doing way out here?” I mumbled under my breath. Even when I was alone I couldn’t stand silence and mumbled to myself. Yes, I was a freak, but I honestly accepted it.
I touched the moss, the fuzz tickling my fingers. In random spots, there were hard bumps underneath. I stuck my finger deeper into the moss, which in retrospect could have been bad, and pulled the item out from underneath the table. It was half a tea cup.
I gasped. “This is...”
I dug for another item. A teapot. A spoon. A plate.
“The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. This is where the original Alice first met Malcolm.”
I glanced around again. This wasn’t the happy scene that was told in the story. No, this was dark and dank. Question was, had it always been this way? And if so, what exactly went on at these tea parties? I wouldn’t think tea would be easy to come by way out here, especially if Malcolm never bothered to leave this place until Alice came around.
I set the items back down on the table and laughed. I couldn’t believe what I had found. If only Malcolm were here, I could ask him more questions about what really happened, if he would even answer my questions. Thinking of Malcolm reminded me that I was lost, looking for Chase.
As I began to move back towards the forest, I felt something brush up against my leg. Stopping, I looked down. I couldn’t see anything. Damn mist.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my beating heart down. “It’s all right, just a leaf or something. Nothing to be afraid of.”
Then again something went past my leg. All of a sudden I was pulled down onto the ground. All I could see was white.
“Come, walk into my parlor,” a voice whispered into my ear. It didn’t sound earthly, but something of a screeching nature.
“Who are you? What are you?” I asked, trying to see if I could get a good look of what ever it was.
The creature stepped forward, closer, with its eight red glowing eyes staring at me. It was a spider. A frigging huge spider. “Will you come, will you?”
I shrieked as I scrambled to get back up. The worse scene in all of The Lord of the Rings and I was going to be living it. Why was I so unlucky all of a sudden?
“No, no, don’t go, you must come and see. You must come into my parlor,” One of its eight legs brought me back down.
“I don’t want to see your parlor!” I yelled. “I want out of here!”
“Oh, but you must! You must! It is the nicest parlor you ever did see!”
“No!” I kicked and kicked but I could not get loose from the spider’s grasp. It spat out white webbing, encasing me in the yarn-like material that seemed stronger than steel. I struggled and tried to reach for my katana but I couldn’t move my arms. I was trapped. As it wrapped me around and around with sticky webbing, I screamed for help. Now I knew
