Wonderland sure didn't feel as wonderful as Alice thought it should. In fact, her mouth felt like she had licked that white rabbit that drug her to this place. Maybe she did, just to see if he was real. And maybe she kept her tongue dragging the ground the whole way. Her wrists were sore and the excited man with the top hat kept telling her she was late for tea. Maybe she was. Tea did sound delicious. It would definitely help her dry mouth.
She shuffled to the room with the many colors. Flowers with faces and leaves that pet her arms and legs as she walked past whispered and giggled as she made her way to the table. The large room seemed to be spinning and Alice didn't know where her clothes were but whoever gave her the current party dress was surely playing a trick on her. Air seemed to flow through it like it was made of paper and the white slippers they put on her feet kept falling off.
She tied a plastic ribbon from the corner of the tablecloth around her head and at least got the hairs that kept flying to stay in place. As she looked at the guests she let out a loud laugh, leave it to her to be in the presence of witty intelligent characters and be a mess!
"It's time for tea. Alice, you are the guest. You get to have the first cup. Sugar?"
The balding man with the tiny cup and sugar bowl had a smile that looked like the world could fit in it. His green eyes were so bright Alice had to stare at them and somehow forgot how to speak. She imagined him a fat cat with that big grin and somehow his eyes lulled her into thinking him magic.
"I should be first!! The Queen is always first!!! The guest can go after the Queen or off with her head! Off with her head anyway! She is a mute! And a stare monster! Look at her grinning and staring!!"
Alice looked at her lap and cringed. She was staring and didn't know the woman with beehive shaped red hair was the Queen! How could she, being new to this world of talking flowers and teacups!!
"I'm sorry your Majesty. I wasn't aware! A thousand apologies."
The Queen sat back in her chair with a resounding humph. She glared at Alice and then at the Hatter who raised his shoulders and hands in innocent surrender. He then took a giant clock out his hat and pointed at the face with the spinning hands.
Alice felt the room slow its spinning and wondered if the lovable hatter and his spinning clock somehow ruled the sway of the room. Somewhere between the cat like man passing out the mini cups, and the flowers who had started singing, it hit Alice that she was exhausted. She sat straighter in her chair and tried to keep up with conversation nodding and smiling. She wouldn't dare fall asleep at the table with the Queen. Especially one she had already offended and wanted her head!
As she finally got the strength to lift the tiny teacup (which looked like a thimble but weighed more than she could imagine) she found it empty. Her lips stuck together and her gravel coated tongue began to crack.
"Excuse me, Mr. Hatter, my cup seems to be empty. May I have a refill?"
The flowers shrieked and shook on the wall causing so much fuss Alice felt the table move. A silence fell on the party and the rabbit jumped up from his seat and grabbed the teapot right out of the grip of the hatter who in his excited state smacked the rabbit on the tip of his nose!
The man with the cat grin tried shushing them all and only succeeded in riling up the Queen who started yelling for her guards and calling for the removal of Alice's head again for being an instigator.
The guards burst into the room. Blue suited and marching in pairs. They blocked the doorway and each pair stood lined behind a party guest. The leader, or so it would seem from his clipboard, began to make the royal announcements while the Queen crossed her arms in satisfaction.
"You should all be in group. This is a violation. The day room is for approved afternoon activities only. Queen, lead the way. Go quietly and quickly and I won't report you to Doctor Black. But seeing as this is your second violation be warned, third strike means no more chances, its solitary for a week. Got it?"
The guests murmured and shuffled towards the door. Alice remained in her chair unsure of reality and how this crazy world worked.
"You," said the guard grabbing Alice by the arm.
"You aren't even supposed to be with the general population until you've had your full psychiatric evaluation. Let's get you back to your room."
Alice took one last look at the empty thimble and made sure to give those giggling flowers a mean look at she was led away from the spinning room and put into a very quiet one with a tiny bed just right for her. She lay upon the white sheets thinking to herself. She was pretty sure this wonderland would take some getting used to. As she floated into a deep sleep she only wished she could have gotten some of that tea.
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Fairy Tale Poems - With a Twist
الخيال (فانتازيا)Fairy tales are so often boxed into good and evil. Just for fun I'm trying on a new set, a little darker in some corners, but still hopefully keeping the heart of the characters themselves. What if princesses were serial killers and fairy god mothe...
