Follow the White Rabbit

Author's Note: This is a story from my in-progress short story collection, which I'm tentatively calling Fairy Tales Unhinged. Let me know what you think!

“I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date!”

I was indeed late, and if I did not get to the palace in time, the Queen of Hearts would have more than just my head; she would have my blood—the blood of all the rabbits in Wonderland.

Fortunately, the little girl called Alice had followed me through the Passage of Time without any problems. She tumbled through, like all the others, and scurried out with only a few bumps and bruises to show for it. Nothing that would deem her unpresentable.

Now, I just needed her to follow me to the palace, and the guards would do the rest.

“Hello?” she called out, her innocent voice melodious. “Hello? Mr. Rabbit?”

I paused and straightened my vest before pulling out my pocket watch.

“I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date!”

I never knew why this phrase lured the children to me, but it never failed. I saw her blonde hair with the blue ribbon breach the hill before her pale body in the blue dress and white apron followed. As soon as her wide eyes landed on me, I leaped up and ran into the forest.

I ran and ran and ran so fast that I was almost afraid that I was going to lose her, but then I heard that musical voice calling out for me again. It was sad, almost desperate now, as though all she wanted in this world was a friend. It nearly broke my heart, but I knew that I could not stray from my mission. Not for one little girl from a world that had nothing to do with me.

I heard her voice beginning to fade, and I knew that I had to give her a clue as to where I was. I stopped, and I began my mantra once more.

“I’m late, I’m—”

Suddenly, a gloved hand covered my mouth and muffled my voice. Another gloved hand held a jagged knife to my throat, keeping me from squirming away.

“Hello, White Rabbit,” a high-pitched yet masculine voice whispered in my ear.

My heart raced, and my breathing grew rapid. I knew that voice.

The Mad Hatter.

“Happy to see me?” The Mad Hatter cackled. He nicked the skin of my throat with the knife, and a warm trickle of blood streamed down my neck. “It took many, many drugged tea parties, but your friend the March Hare finally gave up your new route to the palace.”

I tried to speak, but his hand still muffled my voice.

“What did I do to him, you ask? Don’t worry, I didn’t do anything to him…yet. He’s worth more to me alive than dead. Same with that unbearable Dormouse.”

I exhaled through my nostrils. At least they were safe, for now. The crimson on my white fur, however, reminded me that I was not.

“You, on the other hand…”

He pressed the blade closer to my throat. Another drop of blood trickled from my throat. My eyes widened, and my animal instincts took over.

Without a second thought, I bit into the Mad Hatter’s silk glove and drew blood from his hand. He yelped in pain and automatically released me. In an instant, I dropped to the ground and took off through the forest.

Faster and faster I ran. I huffed and puffed as I pushed my four little legs to their absolute limit. I could hear the Mad Hatter’s boots crunching leaves and branches as he gained on me. He was determined, but I knew the forest better.

Through the blurring colors and twisting trees, I dodged the branches as they grabbed for me and the roots as they lifted up to trip me. Even as they made it their mission to make me fall for disrupting their peace, I skillfully leaped over and around every obstacle that they set up for me. I could hear their whispers and cursing, but I ignored them. The Mad Hatter was not so lucky, as I could hear his own curses mingled with their voices. Good. Perhaps the trees will inadvertently save me from his blade.

The trees, seeing that they could not best me, reluctantly parted to show me a clearing. Beautiful flowers the size of the Alice girl surrounded me—

Alice!

I had to take her to the palace, or the Queen of Hearts would take it out on all the rabbits in Wonderland!

I skidded to a halt, trampling some of the baby flowers in the process. The grown flowers converged upon me, yelling and scolding me, but I ignored them. I had to figure out a plan, and quickly.

I pulled out my pocket watch. I truly was late now, and if I did not hurry…

I rubbed my front paw along my throat, and when I pulled it away, I saw that there was some blood from where the Mad Hatter had cut me. It was nothing compared to what the Queen of Hearts would do.

I sniffed the air. I could smell the Alice girl nearby, with the Caterpillar, perhaps. I could lead her towards my house and then get her back on track towards the Queen of Hearts’ palace. Then…

I shuttered at the thought of what would happen to the girl next. I never liked to think about what happened after the guards got a hold of the children, so I just never did. But this girl, she was special, somehow. She made me think about what I was doing, about why I was doing it…

***

“Hold still, you cursed rabbit!” the Queen of Hearts screamed as she held me above the bathtub, a knife in her other hand.

“Please, please, I don’t want to die!” I begged as I squirmed in her grasp. I looked down into the tub, horrified to see it halfway filled with the blood of my brothers. Only halfway.

“Do you not want your queen to stay beautiful and young forever?”

“Why, yes, of course, and you are—”

“Then hold still!”

The Queen of Hearts raised the blade to my throat, and I closed my eyes as my heart thumped rapidly.

“But…but…why rabbits’ blood?” I asked.

“Why? Why? Why not?” she replied. “What else would I use?”

“Well, why not…why not…children’s blood?” I squeaked.

“Children?” She paused in thought. “Where in Wonderland would I get children?”

Spotting my chance, I thought quickly.

“What about…the World Above?”

“And why would children from the World Above come here?”

“Because…they love rabbits!”

The Queen of Hearts lowered her blade and brought my face to hers.

“You are saying that you would bring me children so that I can bathe in their blood and remain youthful forever?” she said with a twisted smile.

I nodded.

“Yes, my liege, of course!”

“And you would make sure that I would have a steady supply every day?”

I gulped.

“So long as no rabbits get hurt…yes.”

Her eyes twinkled in a way that made my stomach ache.

“You, my dear White Rabbit, have a deal.”

***

I shuddered at the memory. I should have done the noble thing and just died, but I was scared, not just for myself but for all rabbits. And now…

I shook my head. What’s done was done. All I had to do was get this Alice girl to the palace, and my job would be done for another day.

I sniffed the air again to get my bearings and froze. I could smell mercury and leather. He was near. Too near.

“You thought you had escaped me?” The Mad Hatter cackled as he walked up the same path I had taken, trampling more baby flowers and ignoring the berating of the adult flowers. “Think again.”

He tilted his head to the right, his red-orange hair falling into his bright green eyes. Both appeared to be on fire. I wondered how many drugs he had taken to get accustomed to the madness of Wonderland…and how much of the little boy that had stumbled in after me actually remained.

“Say her name,” he whispered so quietly that I almost couldn’t hear him.

“What?” I asked.

“My sister!” he yelled, spittle flying from his mouth. “The one you stole from me! I want you to say her name. So say it!”

“Em-Emily! Her name was Emily!”

Tears pricked at the corners of the Mad Hatter’s eyes as he nodded.

“Yes, that was her name,” he said. “Emily.”

“And your name was David.”

The Mad Hatter cringed.

“It isn’t. Not anymore. I haven’t been David for a long time.”

He held up his blade and approached me.

“Now, make this easy on both of us and hold still.”

We both suddenly froze as we heard Alice singing in the distance.

Then I took my chance…again.

“David…you can kill me, and that will feel good for a while,” I began, “but it won’t bring Emily back, and it won’t help that new girl—Alice—get out of here. But if you leave right now, you can stop her from going to the palace, invite her to your tea party, and find a way to get her out of here before the Queen of Hearts gets to her.”

The Mad Hatter narrowed his eyes.

“And why would you tell me this?”

“Because even a tightly wound clock can loosen up once or twice a day.”

He hesitated, considering my words, then lowered his blade and nodded.

“We’re not done,” he said firmly.

“I wouldn’t expect us to be.”

With that, the Mad Hatter turned on his heel and ran back through the forest.

I twitched my ears and my nose. Alice was, indeed, headed for the Mad Hatter’s tea party. I could even beat him there. She would certainly rather follow me than stay with him. But perhaps…a little time was what she needed. Yes, I would head to my house first and find her later.

After all, I was already late. I could be even later. Blood be damned.