Sebastian woke up to the sound of thunder cracklings outside his cell window; it had been an eternity since his family had left him here in isolation from the rest of the world. He sat upon his bed looking at the thousands of hats he had designed which lay on the floor covered with different beads and colorful fabric.
Everyone thought Sebastian Baxter was insane, psychotic actually; he would ramble on to himself talking about painting white roses red, talking flowers and late white rabbits. Sebastian knew this was all a lie as he had seen all of these things, they exist he told them but no one would listen- not even his lover, Catherine Baxter, who he cried out to when he was dragged away from their home. Everyone put everything so simply, like it was black and white: "He is as mad as a hatter."
While Sebastian pondered in his thoughts he was disturbed by the clanking of metal, the old metal door opened and a woman stood in the door frame.
Sebastian knew that all evil wore a disguise after all the devil doesn't come to you with a pitchfork and horns; this thought remained in Sebastian's head as he was taken from his room down the endless hallway. He watched the fiery red-haired woman in tall heels walk in front of him. He thought that even the devil couldn't hide its true colors, and he began laughing hysterically as he thought of this.
"What on earth is wrong with him?" said the woman's apprentice with a bewildered expression.
"Henry, ignore him." said the woman in heels. " He is more complicated than you think. He isn't a regular patient."
" Yes, Madam Lilith!" exclaimed Henry; he knew this patient was one of Madam Lilith's prized possessions. The psychiatrist, Lilith, was a strange woman; she always saw the world in black and white, and, as a psychiatrist, she thought the people who couldn't see the world like her had to be corrected with medications and treatments. The hatter, Sebastian, was one schizophrenic patient she couldn't treat and it drove her insane.Ā Ā
The three of them reached a white door with Lilith's name engraved on it in gold. Seeing this clicked a harrowing memory for Sebastian.
HeĀ glared at Lilith and said: "Have you called for me to make you a hat like before?"
She nodded. The two of them entered the room. The room was quite plain with white walls and the only furniture being a white desk and two chairs. A sewing kitĀ lay next to one chair. Sebastian came and sat next to it while Lilith sat on the chair behind the desk.
Sebastian began to speak: " What kind of hat would you like me to make for you today?"
"Nothing special; just one that will suit me," saidĀ Lilith calmly.
"So you want me to make a hat which is arrogant, snobby and overbearing?Ā You've given me quite a challenge, Madam Lilith." he smirked.
Lilith glared and replied, "Let's begin with your examination. I am going to say a few statements and you're going to tell me if they are true or false."
"Seems simple," said Sebastian, not looking up from the hat he was creating.
Lilith began with her crude sense of examining her patients; she had always been stone-hearted and apathetic. "Your brother, Lucius Baxter died on August 13th 1910."
"True. He was murdered," said Sebastian, glancing upwards.
Lilith checked something on her notepad and began again, "You have had schizophrenia since you were ten and you have been visiting different therapists since then but stopped after you turned 18. You then hid your disorder when you got married to Catherine Baxter and later your disorder resulted in serious complications, so you came to me. Is that correct, Mr. Baxter?" said Lilith with a fake smile and glassy eyes.
"You put it so plainly as if it were black and white. I don't have any disorder; I just see the world a bit differently. You see, I have no intention to get treated because I require no treatment. I am perfectly normal. Also, my Red Queen, I would prefer if you called me the Hatter; after all, that's my real name." he smiled and said.
Lilith looked at him stunned, thinking that Sebastian was completely mad and that his insanity put all her other patients to shame. With fire in her eyes, she said: "YOU ARE NOT THE HATTER, AND I AM NO QUEEN, I AM YOUR PSYCHIATRIST AND YOU ARE MY PATIENT."
"YOU'RE LYING! "screamed Sebastian, throwing his unfinished hat on the floor. "Aether exists and you're the Red Queen. You're trying to trick me. I know your mind games;Ā you trick people into making them become your subjects. But I won't fall for that!"
"I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU. YOUR WIFE COMES EVERY DAY TO SEE YOU, AND YOU HAVE TO GET BETTER FOR HER AND YOUR CHILDREN. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS THIS WONDERLAND OF YOURS," screamed Lilith.
Two assistants rushed in when they heard screaming,
"TAKE HIM BACK TO HIS ROOM AND BRING THE OTHER PATIENT!"
After one man took the Hatter out of the room, Lilith handed a bottle to her apprentice Henry and said, "Put this in his food. It will help him slowly recover from his psychiatric state of mind and it will remind him of the real world again. Also, call his wife in; I want to speak to her."
Henry nodded and left the room. Lilith looked down at the floor where the hat lay. It was as expected exceptional.
The Hatter lay in his room and saw the apprentice coming in with a meal.
"Ahh. You're back to meet me, old friend- Henry the rabbit, wasn't it?" said Sebastian calmly.
"Look, sir. I am no rabbit; I'm a human," said Henry as he put the food on a table which was covered with fabric. "You have quite the imagination, but you have to get out of fantasy land and get back to reality, to your family. They need you." he sighed.
"You are quite the man, sir, but what I see is the reality and my friends in Aether are my family." Sebastian replied brightly. Henry let out another sigh and left the room, leaving Sebastian with his eccentric thoughts.