I brought her into the parlor and began talking before we even sat down.
"Listen sister something has happened." I started to say but I could not get any further than that before Lorna cut in.
"Alice, where are your manners? I arrive from my trip here and you don't even take my coat or offer me tea? I know you know better than that." She remarked. This embarrassed me but I really had no time to argue with her. So as quickly as I could I hung her coat and turned on some tea to boil, then returned to the parlor. I sat across from her and once again began.
"Listen sister, Sophie went to Wonderland." I explained.
"You're talking about those silly dreams you had as a kid right?" she replied.
"Yes and no, I mean I thought it was a dream but how could two people have the same dream and at the same age I might add. Such a thing isn't possible is it?" I tried to explain. Lorna laughed a bit, showing no concern at all for what I had told her.
"Who's to say what is or isn't possible. Perhaps you told her about it once and her memory caused her to dream it." she went on. "Or maybe she has just as much imagination as you, when you were young and since she is your daughter you might share some common fantasies." I could tell she was trying to comfort me so I just smiled and gave a short reply.
"Maybe your right." Even though I said this I was not convinced. "Could all of it actually be real?" I asked myself quietly. Just then the tea pot screeched that awful noise it makes when it's ready. I went to the kitchen to grab two cups but as I was pouring the tea, out of the corner of my eye I saw a man in the garden outside my window. He was dressed in a suit and a funny hat, there were tears and holes all over his clothes. As I was studying this odd sight the man took off his hat and bowed and instantly I knew who he was. I dropped the tea pot to the floor, my hands shook violently.
"The Hatter..." I said under my breath. As I was standing there unable to move my sister walked in the kitchen.
"Alice I heard a loud crash are you okay?" she asked. The Hatter turned and walked away into the bushes; I was still to shocked to speak. "Alice dear? What happened?" My sister pushed. I turned to my sister hugging her tightly.
"It was nothing sister I was just startled by a silly bird." I lied. I couldn't tell her the truth because I knew she would think me mad. She smiled at me warmly like she always did growing up together.
"Alice I forgot I have some errands to run in town today but I will visit you again tomorrow. Tell Sophie hello for me." Lorna explained as she grabbed her coat and before I knew it I was alone again. It seemed rather odd she would leave so suddenly and it was even odder that she would forget something as important as errands, but the oddest thing of all that day was a few hours after she had left. Sophie had not yet come home and she was never late.
I was beside myself with worry but just as I was about to leave the house to look for her I noticed the Hatter in the garden again. This time I wasn't afraid, I went out and confronted him. He didn't move at all, just stood there as I approached him, he gave me a sinister smile.
"Alice, I saw you spill that tea, such a pity." He said shaking his head.
"This isn't about the tea, and besides it was only because you startled me. Now what do you want?" I asked.
"It isn't about what I want it's about what you want and spilled tea is still spilled tea, such a pity." The Hatter explained.
"You are talking nonsense sir and I don't have time for it; I have to go find my daughter." With that I began to walk away but the Hatter said something that stopped me.
"You are looking in the wrong place."
I turned back toward him again.
"Explain yourself!" I yelled.
"To find her you'll have to go beneath the garden tree. You will see some familiar faces and meet some new ones too. You better hurry though, you are already very late." He gave a tip of his hat as he finished this statement. I had no time to get more information before he was already running away toward the tree in the middle of the garden. I chased after him but once I got to the tree he was nowhere to be seen. However there was a hole behind the tree just wide enough for me to squeeze into and I did just that. First sticking my legs down the hole, followed by the rest of my body which slid down with ease. There was no fall however which in itself was very curious. Instead I somehow ended up on all fours crawling out of a lone bush by a rather large tree. It was the tallest thing I have ever seen up to this point in my life. Next to me were two little bags of what looked like diced mushroom. Each bag had a label which read "Grow" and "Shrink" I shoved the bags into my pockets thinking I could use them later. Getting up and observing the area I saw I was in a large field surrounded by a rather large wall with two large gates one on the north side and one on the south side. There was a single house in the center of the field as well. I figured with being in such an odd place and no way of telling where to go I should head to the house. Upon reaching the house I saw a large crow standing to the side of the house he was about the same height as me. He wore a red vest and glasses which was a most curious sight. He didn't notice me at first for he was busy with the task at hand, though I'm not sure what that task could have been. He was holding a rake and using it against the side of the house.
"Excuse me Mr. Crow!" I called out to him. He gave me a glance and adjusted his glasses that sat loosely on his beak before returning to his task. "Mr. Crow if you could please point me in the direction of the Hatter's place I would be most grateful." I continued. I thought the Hatter was the right place to go because he was after all the man I followed here in the first place.
"Well he isn't here so he must be there." said the Crow without even looking my way or giving me any direction. He just continued scratching at the wall with his rake, the whole scene was quite vexing.
"Where is there?" I asked
"Well..." said the Crow. "It wouldn't be here.
"And where is here exactly?" I asked getting even more frustrated.
"It isn't there." Laughed the Crow. "Why are you asking such silly questions girl?"
"You aren't making any sense dear Crow and I'll be honest it is getting very annoying indeed."
The Crow set the rake down against the house.
"I am making sense, You are the one disturbing my gardening."
"You can't garden against a house." I urged him.
"There you go saying silly things again." The Crow laughed again.
"If you want to find the Hatter you must go there, but remember if you leave here then you will not be able to return here again for it will become there and there will become here." He went on.
I gave him a dissatisfied look and took a step toward the north gate.
"Tell me Mr. Crow does the Hatter live there, beyond that gate I mean?" I asked him.
"Indeed!" Said the Crow, "All of the Wonderland folk there and none live here."
I nodded finally getting some understanding of this here and there talk, I then looked toward the south gate.
"What about beyond that one?" I asked.
"The Looking-Glass folk live there." he explained with a prideful smile. "However none live here and that is sad."
"Thank you Mr. Crow I will go there now."
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay here? Remember what I said?" The Crow asked.
"I'm sure, Thanks again sir." As I said this I ran off toward the north gate.