Hatter carried Julian and I for a good few minutes before I managed to wriggle free, Julian following suit and trotting around those long legs to hold my hand as we walked.

“And that’s how I offended the Black Queens right-hand man by saying he had a pathetically small head!” Hatter hummed as he spoke.

“You forgot to start that story.” Julian commented, looking up at the musing man.

“That’s because I forgot the beginning of it!”

I gathered the courage to ignore that mess of an interaction “Uh, so what did Julian do to prompt an entire trial that could end in the death penalty? He’s only a little kid, I can’t imagine he would commit like, a legit crime”

Looking down at me, that freckled face smiled and appeared to be deep in thought for only a second before responding with “My, you’re so small, Ace! Bite-sized you are!”

I squinted up at that vacant looking face. “You’re only just noticing this?”

“You were on the table before! I didn’t have to look so far down. Hurting my neck it is, come back under my arm?”

I looked forward, unimpressed but not actually feeling all that threatened or uncomfortable. He asked this time, so he seemed to be at least subconsciously picking up on my displeasure of the general idea of being treated like a ragdoll to carry and swing around. “No more carrying, you’re bones are too pointy and stab me. Why is Julian about to get murdered?”

“You should have a Spurt Heart to get back those inches you lost. They grow naturally in BonBon Brake, actually, but there’s some in my hat if you don’t mind store bought” He dodged that question as if the life of the child wasn’t even a thought in his mind, but he did admittedly bring up something that I also wanted to ask about. I know it’s selfish to prioritise height over the life of a child but this man’s thoughts change so fast I feel that I have to catch what he’s throwing when he’s throwing it. Plus I don’t like being small and wearing a skirt.

“Please explain most if not all of the nouns you just said.”

Reaching into the open top of his hat and rummaged around, a concerning amount of noise coming from the small space before he pulled out a small lavender-coloured heart, presenting it to me in his long hand.

“Oh!” I recognised the sweet immediately and reached into the vinyl bag hanging from my shoulder, taking out an identical yellow heart. They both shared the “eat me” text, although Hatters one was just a little wet.

Hatter chirped up, for some reason happy with the reveal of the matching candy. “Yes yes! A Spurt Heart! Sunflower flavoured too, very nice choice.”

“This will make me grow?” I questioned the man while holding up the heart in front of me, remembering the pain the first time I partook. Ruffling my hair with his regular overfamiliarity, Hatter's hat rattled along with his nodding head “That’s what they’re for! You only take a little bite though. Very filling. Very unhealthy. Very bad for your clothes and surroundings. Wait, actually-” He looked down and studied my clothes, furrowing his brows for a hot second. “Oh, I see. Yes, that makes sense. Originally I thought you were just making a statement.”

Good to know he would accept me no matter what sweaty item I wore. “Yeah, I tried one before and grew out of my clothes, absolutely obliterating them in the process. Then I shrank again and now I’m very little. My feet have never been this small”

“You could take that now and obliterate what’s left of your strange Overworld fashion, or we could take a very small detour to BonBon Brake. It’s always fun to go to, plus Sweet Boutique is there and we could pick you up something to wear in preparation for the growth.”

I didn’t like the idea of this excursion taking longer than it should, but I also didn’t like the idea of remaining this height and continuing to wear this trash. I looked down at Julian, wanting his input as well. He danced excitedly on his little feet, clearly wanted to go to this place. This was either a pretty dope place, or the kid wanted to extend travel time for his own sake – either way, I guess I had the time to spare. White never said this was a pressing issue with a time limit. Or he did. I don’t know, I was fairly distracted during that time with the whole literally everything that was happening.

“Alright, I guess we can spare a little time, but this is only because Julian wants to go. My choice to go is a selfless act.” Hatter chuckled down at me but surprisingly had nothing to say, and Julian squeezed my hand with a happy squeak. “You’re gonna love BonBon Brake! They’re the best-tasting bugs in the world!”

“What.”

---

BonBon Brake was actually only around 10 minutes away, and during that travel time, I was really able to see just how beautiful Wonderland was. Everything was the wrong colour and shape, nothing made sense, and bugs looked as if they were balloons filled with glitter. I thought Hatter would get on my nerves, but he was actually pretty calm – I mean, still annoying, but I think he was worse when he had March to bounce off of. Once you get used to his nonsense it’s almost interesting to soak up. He was clearly full of wisdom; it was just that the wisdom of Wonderland doesn’t match up with the wisdom of where I’m from. Also, he sneezed and it made tea spurt out of the teapot in his hat and that was pretty neat.

Approaching the brake, I learnt that “brake” seems to mean some kind of forest. The trees were pink with marbled trunks, and the shrubs were covered in diverse and strange looking flowers. Upon closer inspection, those flowers were actually truffles and wafers and gum. The smell was extremely potent – almost off-putting – but the visuals put me in too much awe to care whenever the sugary powder fell off the leaves and caused me to sneeze. I felt a tug on my hand and before I could even look down I saw that my new mouse friend had escaped my calloused grasp and wandered off, his tail dragging behind him and making a faint path.

“Oh- Hey don’t get lost!” I called out to him, but Hatter chuckled “Don’t stress don’t stress! He knows these woods well; he’s just going to his favourite bush for a snack”

I calmed at the idea of Julian being safe (for now), only to tense again at the realisation that I was now alone with the Hatter. Sure, I was getting used to him, but I had never been alone with him and wasn’t sure how he would act. I even stepped away from him, making sure I was a few steps behind and keeping him in my line of sight. His response to this was to start walking backwards.

“I think I should go to Sweet Boutique alone so you can fully experience your surroundings! Plus-” He had a playful grin on his face that I wasn’t sure if I could trust. It reminded me way too much of Lewis. “I wanna choose your new outfit”

“Oh no you don’t! You are not a man of taste, Hatter. You look like you’re wrapped in craft paper” My head couldn’t shake any faster at his suggestion. I sensed a new danger from him, and it wasn’t stranger danger any more. It was something chaotic and radiated a particular vibe – a bratty older brother vibe. His playfulness really shrunk my concern of being hurt and birthed a fear of being dressed like a teacup.

“You’re going to look so good! Is the red a choice?”

“NO! Hatter I’m coming with you I’m choosing my own clothes”

He was already walking off, my little legs unable to keep up with his rushed and wide stride.

“At least get something blue! And nothing girly! You hear me? No girly clothes! I will slaughter you where you stand if you return with a dress!” His only response was to wave so I knew he heard me, but whether or not he cared was still up for debate. I had no interest in being in a place called “Sweet Boutique”, and it really sounded like a place I wouldn’t shop at, but honestly I don’t think I had the power or energy to chase him. I just had to trust his taste, and I was not at all obliged to actually wear whatever he got. At least I’d get to see more Wonderland fashion if anything.

But with Hatter running off on his own mission, and Julian apparently off eating bugs, I was suddenly alone once more. Nervous about this realisation, I decided to stay put in the general area, figuring that wandering off was an absolutely idiotic idea. I walked around and smelt the chocolate flowers, cautiously licking some. They tasted incredible, but how was I to know what they would do to my body? Were they like berries and could be poisonous? Was I somehow allergic? I no longer trusted the environment of Wonderland when left to my own devices - although, some leaves looked like the gummy mint leafs that my dad likes and I decide to have a little nibble.

Height? Still small.

Weight? Still soft.

Blood? Still in body.

I deduced that the leaves were safe and started collecting them in my bag, unable to remain a complete nervous wreck in such a colourful scene. A bright pink rabbit covered in sugar sniffed at my foot, making me question the hierarchy of rabbits in this world before I started to hear a soft purr that caused the rabbit to hobble off. The prospect of seeing a cat excited me greatly and I glanced around to find it. The purr didn’t seem to come from a particular area and instead surrounded me. Several cats? A very large cat? Both very good outcomes. Eventually, I looked up and immediately dropped my candy that they would give out at school on St Patrick’s Day.

In the tree above me was nothing but a toothy smile floating against the cotton candy tufts among the branches. The branch was swaying up and down as if something was sitting on it, but as I reached up for a poke-inspection, the only thing I made contact with was the fangs. A tongue poked out and licked my finger, the purr getting deeper, and immediately I pulled my hand away.

I know what a cat tongue feels like and that wasn’t it. Was it rough? Yes, but it was also undoubtedly and disturbingly human. The fangs opened further and out poured a voice that sounded like a moan.

“What’s up, mang? You smell like salad ready to be tossed.”

I responded before I could even think, the mere structure of the comment making me answer out of pure instinct. “Mhm. Don’t like that.”

The mouth laughed and wriggled around, a long tail appearing from inside the tree tufts and waving around as a figure appeared up from it like a ribbon wrapping around an invisible being. The figure that came into existence was sleek and slender, and not that of a cat. Of course it wasn’t a real cat, how did I not prepare myself for this after both White and March? I’m a fool wearing a curtain.

“Don’t like what, lil mang? I’m just havin’ fun, don’t kill my vibe” He leaned forward as his face came into view, and in all honesty, it was a hell of a face. Thick dark eyelashes on sultry eyes, sharp bone structure, and piercings on purple lips – if only the voice matched the face because that voice just screamed: “I smoke weed behind McDonald's at 3am on a school night”.

The bell on the cats’ collar jingled as he leaned down to smell me.

“I’m not a salad and I don’t want to be tossed, thanks” I leaned away from the cat defying gravity, feeling as if I had been sniffed more than enough for today. The cat climbed down the trunk of the tree and squatted in front of me much like a real cat, making us eye level.

“You’re so lil, have a candy” The pink cat offered me a familiar heart-shaped candy, mistaking me for a fool.

“Nice try, cat. I know those make you get really big and naked”

The cat pouted playfully, holding his long tail around his neck like the feather boa of an aged Hollywood diva “You already know? No fair!” The tail was covered in gold chains and even appeared to somehow be pierced along with his torn up cat ears.

“I don’t want to be naked in a forest, thanks” For the first time since coming to this place, I felt safe with being snarky almost definitely because he radiated the vibe of not caring about that kind of stuff.

“Hmm, that really sounds like a ‘you’ problem, mang” He stuck out his strange tongue and laughed, acting like a drunk teen at a party. “So what’s an Overworlder doin’ all the way down here? Mighty hard to find yourself here all by your lil self”

I thought that maybe he could answer some questions easier than the Hatter and a literal child and decided to give throwing them a few a shot. “I was taken here by a messenger of the Red Queen but we got separated, do you have any idea why I’d be chosen?”

“Hm…” He swung his hips as they thought, this entire awful outfit squeaking softly as if it were made of leather or some kind of plastic “Now I’m just a lil ol’ bluff, mang, but sounds like the Red Bitch is gettin’ ready for some kinda borin’ political bullshit” Now that was something interesting.

“Political bullshit? Like a trial maybe?” Could I really be summoned for this trial with Julian? Maybe he was more important than I anticipated – he was dressed like a small French aristocrat, after all. “Also, what’s a bluff?”

“Questions, questions! So curious, you know that killed the cat and this bad boy ain’t ready to go yet” He combed his long and decorated nails through his pink bangs, getting up and walking around the general area “I think a trail might be right if it’s big enough, any idea who’s on the block?” his voice remained in front of me despite him walking around.

“Uh, a little mouse named Julian I think? I haven’t been told what crime he committed, though”

He spun around, his tail wrapping around his androgynous body with the sudden movement “Julian? The little rat? Oooh that naughty boy slaughtered the Queen’s prized dog he did. If he’s on trial his head will surely end up rooms from his neck”

“What? No!” I was mortified by this comment “Babies don’t murder!”

“But babies DO murder! That’s what dessert spoons are for”

“A dessert spoon isn’t sharp enough to take a life!” I didn’t care for his accusations. I had only known Julian for less than half an hour and I already trusted him more than myself and I was not about to let this crop top wearing anime cat boy try and tell me he partook in homicide. “Julian wouldn’t hurt a fly!”

“He eats flies, mang. You’re an Overworlder, so ya haven’t been here over a day or else word would’ve spread. Ya don’t know him, ya don’t know me, and ya don’t know where that white rabbit went” He played with the oversized bell on his collar as he spoke and I immediately rushed up to him. “What do you know about White? Do you know where he is?”

His body started to fade and fall away like silk ribbons “Whoops! I no longer want to be a part of this conversation. Things to see, people to do, see you around little kitty”