The Hatter & The Hare

II. Allison's Story

"This is crazy."

The Hatter barely heard the whisper that left The Hare's mouth. He turned to his friend in the driver's seat whose ever-wide eyes flickered between watching the road and looking toward him.

"I'm just saying...we don't even know this girl, right?" The Hare stuttered anxiously under his breath, "Like, she could be a spy or....or something."

Hatter ignored his partner. This wasn't a covert spy movie. The girl had really looked like she was in danger. She'd have to be a really good actress to pull off what she did. He shifted his body a little to look back at the girl in the backseat.

The young woman stared out the window. Sweat dampened her neatly tied back blonde hair. Her hands were in her lap, her hands clenched tightly together. The hands were trembling. In fact, her whole body was quivering.

The woman drew her attention away from the window and her gaze locked with Hatter's, causing her to hastily look back out the winodw.

Allison.

That's what she had said.

Allison.

It was a pretty name.

"Are you even listening to me?"

The Hare was looking at him nervously, his gaze caught in a pickle between him and the road. Hatter just nodded in response, turning back forward, the girl being pulled out of his view...well, besides the passenger side mirror. She was still sitting there, shaking.

"All I'm saying is we don't even know this girl," Hare said under his breath. "She could have been sent by Rose Red to trick us. Draw us out, right? They could've planted her on that street waiting for us to find her. Planted her like...like a flower. And we're the garden."

The Hare's eye twitched as he spoke, grinding his teeth in what seemed to be a struggle with his own thoughts. Hatter usually didn't mind Hare's anxiousness. Although at times like this, it wasn't welcomed.

The Hatter took another sip of his tea. It always helped keep him calm.

From the passenger mirror, he saw Allison periodically tilt her head back, her expression contorted in an odd mix of worry and relief. She looked like someone who was running from something. And judging by how they found her, that was probably the case.

"Would you like some tea?" Hatter asked politely.

Hare raised an eyebrow but The Hatter just ignored his friend. The girl was clearly having a bad day. The Hatter thought for a moment that maybe if she had been able to set fire to a Rose Red building like he had only minutes prior, she might be a little more chipper. After all, vandalism had actually put him in quite a pleasant mood.

Allison looked at him a bit quizzically, surprised by his offer.

"No thank you." She said after a moment, averting her eyes again.

Hatter sipped his tea, looking at the reflection oo the mirror while Allison tightened her ponytail of golden hair, biting her lip while occassionally taking a glance at the two of them. Her face seemed to be stuck in an expression of nervousness.

"Do you know who we are?" Hatter finally asked.

Allison remained unresponsive for a few seconds before nodding her head.

"Yes. Everyone's been talking about you. You're the two terrorists."

"Terrorists!?" Hare yelled.

The sound of screeching tires rang as the car came to an abrupt stop. The Hare, his eyes were even wider than usual, this time filled with heated anger. He looked away from the wheel and at Allison in the back seat.