Follow the White Rabbit (Beautiful Madness #1)(11)
Except her thoughts continued to spiral in every direction. She was quite sure that her heart had plans of its own as its pace still quickened when her mind drifted. She couldn’t escape the images of the strange places she’d visited—buildings that were taller than any palace, machines that could communicate over vast distances, people who looked at her like she should be locked away—and each time, her body reacted with panic.
But attempting to meditate was getting her absolutely nowhere. With a huff, Lucky stood up from the tattered green armchair she’d been in for the past five hours. She couldn’t stay underground any longer, tucked away from fresh air, from life. It wasn’t helping. And this thing, whatever it was, didn’t seem like something she could just wait out. She needed answers, and she wasn’t going to find them sitting still.
As she stepped outside into a warm spring day, Lucky found she had little interest in tending her garden, though weeds were beginning to sprout in the earth. No, after being cooped up inside, her body needed to walk. Her mind needed to explore.
She picked a direction and didn’t question it. She just walked.
––––––––
A stroll through the forest ended up being exactly what she had needed. Not only did her stiff muscles manage to relax, but there were no unpleasant surprises. The trees of Neverwood came in a variety of types and sizes, in combinations that couldn’t be found in any other parts of Wonderland. Palm trees and oak trees grew together, though even the brightest minds couldn’t determine why. Lucky didn’t require explanations. All she knew was that the forest was the most wonderful part of Wonderland, and that was enough.
She made her way through the trees while her eyes scanned the ground for any signs of life. More specifically, for any signs of rabbits. She had tried to tell herself that her crossing paths with that animal at that moment had been a coincidence—he certainly hadn’t been in her bedroom the next time it had happened—but she couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was connected, somehow.
There had never been an intended destination for her outing, but after an hour of walking Lucky found herself near the northern part of the forest where a few of Neverwood’s small towns and villages could be found. There were four within a few hours’ walk of each other, right on the edge of the forest, and she frequented two of them for food and supplies. Usually she felt as safe there as she did in the heart of the forest where she’d grown up. It was only as she started to see marked roads and then people on those roads that she realized her absentmindedness could be putting her in danger.
If she were to pass out on the side of some unknown street, she would be completely vulnerable. But she couldn’t expect to figure out what was happening to her by hiding at home and hoping it went away.
“Excuse me,” a voice called from somewhere within the forest. Lucky turned around, but didn’t spot anyone. A moment later, a mop of chestnut-brown curls popped out from a cluster of bushes. It was a head belonging to the body of a young man.
“Yes?” Lucky arched an eyebrow as she watched the man pull himself up from the dirt and dust off his slacks.
“I was wondering if you happened to know where I am.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve been wandering this forest all day, and I think I might have gotten turned around at some point. Do you know whereabouts in the forest we are?”
“Ten minutes in that direction is Noc.” Lucky pointed to the east. “And twenty minutes that way you’ll find Tildoor.”
“Wonderful!”
“Oh?”
“I live in Tildoor! I managed to get lost and be exactly where I needed to be all at once.” The realization seemed to make him incredibly happy, and Lucky couldn’t help but smile back at him. “Do you live in the area, or are you just infinitely smarter than I am?”
“I usually make it a priority to know where it is I place my feet.”
“That’s very pragmatic of you.” He hoisted himself over a fallen tree before coming to stand on the pathway beside Lucky. “I’m Marc,” he said, extending his hand.
Lucky let her eyes wander over his body, judging everything from the way he held his shoulders to his stance. He was tall and lean—probably fast enough to keep pace with her if she ran. But his brown eyes were friendly, and his posture was relaxed. He seemed genuinely happy just to have stumbled across someone in the forest, and somehow she couldn’t help but be happy to have met him too.
“Lucky.” She shook his hand.
“You’re lucky, or that’s your name?”
“A little bit of both. On a good day.”
“Well let me be the first to tell you that today is an especially lucky day for you.” The stranger, Marc, wore a goofy grin on his face that made it hard for Lucky to keep her guard up. He could have just nodded politely as they passed each other, but he was going out of his way to engage her in conversation.
At first, Lucky felt herself recoil from his friendly demeanor. She was used to going unseen, or having those she spoke to be uneasy of her demeanor and her weapons. But something about Marc made her want to play along.
“Oh, and why is that?”
“Today will go down in Wonderland’s history as the day Lucky...” he paused, waiting for Lucky to fill in her last name, which she didn’t. “The day I, Marc George Donovan, met you.”