Malice in Wonderland Prequel Read online

  “Yes!” he shouted louder than necessary. “If I don’t die, you shall wear it.”

  She thought he might be joking, but when she looked in his eyes, he seemed serious. “Oh no, Hatter. Really?”

  He nodded gravely and twitched.

  Tears welled up in Alice’s eyes. “Oh, I don’t want you to die!”

  “I want you to cry into it!” he screamed, sounding terrified.

  “What?”

  “Now!” Roughly he grabbed the back of her head and slammed her face into the hat. Granted it was soft, but still she gasped. Some of her tears were flicked into it. “There, there,” he said. “Yes, it shall all work now. I mustn’t panic.” Then he looked at her and his eyes went wide. “Ahhhh!!”

  “What?!” She felt her face with her fingertips. “What is it?!”

  He drew back and began looking madly about. “No! It’s all in my mind!” He sobbed and whimpered. He was so out of sorts that he dropped the hat.

  Alice rushed over to him. “Calm down. It’ll be alright.”

  The Hatter’s face was contorted in fear and he was shuddering all over. “Help me,” he whimpered. His legs gave out and he fell and sat upon the ground.

  Alice felt so horribly sorry for him. She placed a steadying hand upon his shoulder as she kneeled. “It’s just the chemicals affecting your mind. Don’t worry. You’re safe.”

  “It’s terrible! I don’t think I can stand it! Please…please…help me.” He looked at her with pitiful pleading eyes.

  “How can I help?”

  “Please,” he said, sounding like a small child. “Please just hold me…”

  So she wrapped her arms around him and held him close. “There there,” she said softly. She cradled his head. “Shh, it’ll be okay, sweetie.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and whimpered as the shudders shook through his frail body.

  And she held him tighter.

  She rocked him from side to side as his shudders and sobs lessened.

  The Hatter was quiet now, breathing evenly as she held him.

  Alice said, “I love you, Hatter.”

  He grunted.

  “Do you love me?” she asked, feeling vulnerable.

  “I think you’re very pretty.”

  “But do you love me?”

  He drew back and scowled. “Don’t ask silly questions.”

  Alice’s shoulders drooped and she pouted at him.

  He said, “Sorry about my temporary attack of madness. I’m much better now.” He was looking at the ground. “Now where’s my hat?”

  Alice put one fist on her hip. “So what’s so special about that hat?”

  He was dusting it off and grinning. “This hat, my girl, is a very special, magical hat specifically designed for you!”

  Alice squealed. “Ooh! Is it a gift for me?!”

  “I made it just for you!” He held it out to her. “Put it on, why don’t you!”

  Alice slipped the hat on, but it was much too big for her 11-year-old noggin and slipped down to cover her eyes. Yet she didn’t want to hurt the Hatter’s feelings, so she made no mention of it, though she couldn’t see a thing. “Thank you!” she exclaimed as chipperly as she could muster.

  She felt the Hatter tapping the top of the hat, which only further pushed it down upon her face—why, the tip was resting on the end of her nose!

  “Hey!” she exclaimed. I shall soon have to mention the discrepancy of this hat’s size! she thought.

  “There,” said the Hatter, muttering more to himself than to anyone, it seemed. “The magic has been activated and focused on you. Your tears activated the magic.”

  “What do you mean?” said Alice. “I’m sorry, but I can’t see a thing.”

  “Oh yes, I apologize. The hat is obviously much too big for you. I regret that you shall have to give it back. I shall wear it instead.”

  “Give it back?!” She lifted the hat so that she could see, and so that she could glare at him. “But you only just now gifted it to me!”

  “Yes, my apologies, but what are you to do with an oversized hat? No, you must give it back. And as you do so, I would like you to recite something. A little poem.”

  “What poem?” she said suspiciously.

  “Listen carefully so that you can recite it. It must be repeated exactly. I would like you to say these words:

  “I give you this, my tuned in hat,

  Encharmed with what my tears begat,

  By carrying this gift, heartfelt and true,

  You carry part of me with you.”

  Alice’s jaws dropped slightly as she heard the words. “I daresay, those words are quite specific! Why, they almost sound like a spell!”

  “A spell?” He laughed unconvincingly. “Ridiculous! I, um… Oh, don’t make such trouble for me! Can’t you just do this one thing for me, since I went to all the trouble to make this special hat for you?!”

  “But you’re taking it back!”

  Suddenly Alice was regretting having been given the hat at all!

  “Please?” said the Hatter, and Alice felt a surge of what? Power? Opportunity? For she rarely heard the Hatter say the P word, so he must really want her to say his little poem.

  She thought for a way she could take advantage of the situation. “I want another hug,” she said.

  “Pardon?”

  “If I say those words, I want you to give me another hug.”

  The Hatter raised his finger and opened his mouth to protest, then shut his mouth. “Is that all?”

  “Quite.”

  “Very well,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

  “Promise?”

  “Yes.”

  “And not a short hug, but one of a reasonable length of time.”

  “Fine!”

  “Very well then,” said Alice. She took the hat off. “I’m afraid I didn’t memorize the little speech. You’ll have to lead me along.”

  So the Hatter fed the lines to her as she handed the hat to him. They were both holding onto it as they recited the lines.

  The Hatter broke into a big grin. “Ah, there we are!” He set the hat atop his head. “It’s all sorted then!”

  “Yes,” said Alice. “All except…” She tilted her head and fixed him with a leering grin. “You’re too tall, so get on your knees, too.”

  He muttered, “Fine.” He went down on his knees then he opened his arms and then they were embracing each other.

  Alice held on tight. She smushed her cheek against his as he squirmed uncomfortably.

  “This is nice,” she said. “Isn’t this nice? Mmmmm.”

  “It’s better than being poked with a hot stick,” he agreed.

  Alice rocked him a little, reveling in the sensation of him in her arms. “Tell me…” she ventured, “Do you love me?”

  “Why do you keep asking me that?”

  “Because you never truly answer.”

  “Am I required to tell you so?”

  Alice said, “I don’t want you to say it if you don’t mean it.”

  “Very well.”

  “Do you love me, Hatter?”

  “I am…not repulsed by you.”

  Alice grinned big and kissed his cheek. He squirmed some more. She held him tight, hoping to hold on to this moment as long as she could.

  THE END. Thanks for reading. The next book in the Malice in Wonderland Trilogy is Alice the Assassin.

  Here’s the blurb for Malice in Wonderland #1: Alice the Assassin:

  Alice will get her heart back even if she has to kill everyone in Wonderland one by one…

  The truth is not what you were led to believe. Alice never left Wonderland. It wasn’t all “just a dream.”

  It’s a nightmare. A nightmare she can’t escape, where formerly pleasant characters throw her unhappy unbirthday parties to torment her, while others like to make her cry so they can lick her tears.

  But one day after years of this unpleasantness, she loses her heart. Literally.
Well, technically someone steals it.

  And she has to get it back. By any means necessary. And it’s a lot easier to be ruthless now that she’s heartless.

  Lotus, or Lotey, as he keeps trying to get people to call him, lives in Austin, an oasis in the heart of Texas. He attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he learned that frat boys are lame. He once watched a fraternity house burn down when they accidentally set their fake snow on fire after a party. After college, rather than get a real job, he decided to become a writer. He invented the corruptagram, a symbol he’s trying to get banned in public schools. He enjoys Newcastle Brown Ale and black metal with blastbeats. Lotus Rose is not a frat boy.

  His website is at~ loteyrose.com

  Also by Lotus Rose, Machoponi: A Prance with Death, the first book of The Poniworld Chronicles

  In this “children’s book for adults,” MachoPoni has no choice but to enter the Dark Kingdom, where the undead ponies roam. He must rescue Dust, the poni he loves from the dark princess’s castle, using wit, creativity and his magic bouncy blue ball to survive.

  A twisted parody of My Little Pony, The Care Bears, and other 80’s staples. Warning: contains gore and mild sexual content.

  Note: Other volumes in the Poniworld Chronicles are now available. They’re called Mein Poni-Kampf: A Biography of the Leader of the Nazi Ponies, My Brootal Poni: A Very Butch Poni Tale, and Dust in Your Eyes: An Erotic Poni Tale.

  Also by Lotus Rose, SinEaster, the book that started the Twisted Holiday Specials

  Like a naughty Easter version of The Nightmare Before Christmas mixed with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory… On the day before her 18th birthday, Charlee wasn’t expecting to be transported to Easter Land. A princess informs her she must compete to decide which of three creatures will be the future egg deliverer. But a man tied to a dark holiday known as SinEaster is also aware of her arrival.

  For more info about all my books, visit http://loteyrose.com/bookinfo.html

  Malice in Wonderland Prequel

  Copyright © 2014 by Lotus Rose

  Cover art copyright © Annnmei/Dreamstime.com

  Discover other titles by Lotus Rose at loteyrose.com