“RULE TWO!” Evander announced happily. “Names are contracts." He was moving his hands all about, dictating where on the table certain items were moving. I blinked hard.
“What?” It was all I could muster, it felt like there was a rubber band around my head and it could pop open at any moment. Maybe there will be candy inside?
“You can NOT speak a true name unless the world allows that you've earned it,” the fae said.
“And if it doesn’t?” I asked. The teapot let out a small, innocent whistle—like it was listening. I felt a cold tickle creeping down my spine. Hatter’s eyes flicked to the teapot with hatred.
“Then the one named, gets… punished.” He sat back down at the table; hands balled into fists. Evander leaned close, voice almost gleeful.
“Or erased.” Evander started snickering again. I felt sick. Then why do I know his name? I felt this existential dread wash over me.
“So you’re telling me, you can’t tell me who you are?” I looked pleadingly at Fae and then to Seer on the far side. The Seer made a noise that might have been a laugh, if it hadn’t sounded like it hurt. “Oh, you already know silly.” She went back to her rigid pose, seeing things beyond our sight. She didn't seem like a villain at least, maybe just a chaotic neutral in this group of oddities?
“Well, how do I earn it? Actually, do I need to?” I demanded as I dragged my eyes off the Seer. I don't know what is going on with her, it's like she's happy about me learning these rules. My eyes flickered to Evander who started tapping his chessboard.
“Well, it's up to you, it's all about progress.” He answered as if it was obvious, like I would know it already.
“Truth,” Hatter corrected. What truth- my truth? I don't like where this could be headed.
“Pain,” the fae whispered. I stared at them, my heart beating too fast. I've not been the best with words when a moment catches me off guard, I simply blunt out, “You all suck.” Evander’s laugh burst out like fireworks.
“RULE THREE,” Evander continued, eyes sparkling voice booming louder than before. “Wonderland does not do time like YOU do.”
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
“I noticed,” I muttered, then it hit me— WONDERLAND? That’s just a place from a children’s book. My favorite place as a little girl. I looked around. The clearing was still stuck in twilight; the sky above layered in stars and galaxies you could see with the naked eye. I almost died… and they got me a cake? Huh, how ironic- the one thing that had always confused me about Alice’s Adventures was the ending. I never understood why she left- until now.
I heard a snapping sound. The fae was standing on her tiptoes, snapping her fingers to get my attention.
“Time here follows emotion,” the fae said. “It follows the saddest person in the room.” She pouted, crossing her arms. I hear Hatter’s fingers curl against the table.
“It follows the one breaking.” Hatter almost yelling as if he knew firsthand. The Seer’s smile twitched and she looked towards the bunnies. Frankie (Francine) with Houdini, feels surreal, like my brain had grabbed some of my most loved ones and shoved it into the nightmare to keep me from falling apart completely. I must take both my buns and leave.
“It follows the one who shouldn’t be here yet.” The Seer had finally stood up and had floated over to the buns. They had been watching us and grooming themselves while we had our conversations. My blood ran cold.
“What does that mean?” I'm not meant to be here- YET? She wouldn't hurt them, would she? I stood up from the table and grabbed a knife unknowingly. The Seer blinked and blinked- like she was trying to find the version of herself that could answer.
“It means…” Her voice softened. “Sometimes you arrive at the wrong part of your own story.”
A hush fell over the table. Even Evander’s chess pieces stopped moving. The fae looked down at her tart crumbs like she suddenly couldn’t bear to meet my eyes. Hatter went very still beside me, one hand settling near my chair like he was bracing for impact.
“Okay,” I said, voice shaking. “Okay. Fine. So only three rules and all of them are basically maybe.” My voice did not sound sure of itself in the slightest. Evander spread his hands in delight.
“Yes, precisely maybe!” Evander made all the chess pieces fall down and scatter all over the table.
“So what do I do?” I snapped. “How do I survive if your rules don’t even—”, I paused. Evander’s smile sharpened.
“You don’t survive by following rules,” he said, picking up a king's piece and looking at it closely with a magnifying glass he pulled out of his jacket pocket.
The fae’s eyes lifted, sad and steady, “You survive by facing what you’re trying not to feel."
“That’s the only rule that never breaks.” Hatter’s voice dropped like a stone. And just like that, the warmth in my stomach felt too small to protect me. The Seer was gently petting Frankie, how does my little babe know all these people? Houdini was in attack mode, staring angrily at Evander.
“Welcome to the stages,” Evander whispered at Houdini, delighted. “Let’s see what you’re made of.” He looked back at me, while he crushed the kings' piece into ashes.
HOUSE RULES- Which one would you break?
