Follow the White Rabbit (Beautiful Madness #1)(5)
Lucky willed herself forward, ignoring the animal, but the abrupt movement made her head spin and her vision blur. Something was very wrong. Her eyes remained locked on the rabbit’s unblinking stare, while her body could do little more than inhale and exhale.
All at once, something clenched around her insides like a massive fist grabbing hold of her very essence. Then she couldn’t feel her body at all.
Slowly, the rabbit blinked, hypnotizing Lucky with its unwavering gaze. All at once, time lurched forward—taking Lucky’s soul with it and leaving her body to crumple onto the forest floor.
Before she opened her eyes, Lucky knew something was wrong. The ground under her back was hard and even, not the soft, rough soil of Neverwood. The sounds of buzzing bugs and chirping birds had vanished, replaced with the low hum of voices. Even the air around her had changed. It didn’t smell like any part of Wonderland, let alone Neverwood forest.
“Are you okay?” A male voice asked, hovering somewhere above her. Lucky opened her eyes. She was greeted by a cloudy sky and the concerned face of an elderly gentleman who was standing over her.
“I’m... I’m fine.”
“Here, let me help you up,” the man responded, extending his hand. She shook her head as she brought herself up on one knee and took in her new surroundings. The man continued to watch her, his mouth holding on to its worried frown.
A few other people bustled around them. Most were pretending not to stare as they shuffled by. Lucky had never seen such a strange collection of people, which was saying something for a Wonderlander. The crowd wore an eclectic mixture of clothing ranging from stiff and formal to flowing plainclothes. Some were locked in conversations with their companions, and others seemed to be talking to themselves as they passed by the three-tiered fountain that Lucky had woken up beside.
Interlocking red bricks made up the ground for several feet in every direction, the pattern branching out from the fountain until the formation bled into the grass on all sides. A few benches dotted the lawn beyond that. It appeared to be some sort of park, but there were no flowers in sight.
“I’m fine. I’m fine,” Lucky repeated, ignoring the offer of help. She managed to stand up on her own despite the blood that rushed to her head. With a shrug the man walked away leaving Lucky entirely on her own, though surrounded by people.
Unsure of what else to do Lucky sat down on the lower lip of the fountain, entirely dumbfounded. The last thing she remembered was—the forest. No, the rabbit. How had she gotten here? Where was she?
She dug one of her fingernails into the palm of her hand. She wasn’t dreaming. Now she was lost, late, and bleeding.
Sitting wouldn’t accomplish anything, and it wouldn’t get her any answers. The only option was to get up and go. But where?
When she needed to clear her head at home, she would simply pick a direction. It had served her well in the past, though she could always find her way in the forest. No. Lucky wasn’t one to wait around for answers. Her heart felt as though it were lodged in her throat, but this was a time to be proactive.
A weak smile played on her lips each time she passed another person, but everyone seemed content to ignore her which suited Lucky fine. Getting noticed is the first step to becoming a target—rule seventeen.
The trail Lucky found herself on came to an abrupt halt at a smooth, nearly black road that appeared to be paved with liquid stone. Tentatively, Lucky put one foot onto its surface, but she quickly returned it to the gravel pathway when she caught sight of the buildings on the other side. Rows and rows of houses stood before her, each one nearly identical to the ones beside it.
Suddenly, something barreled down the road at an unnatural speed. The metal monstrosity was green with glass windows and four wheels. As it passed, spitting dust into the air, Lucky couldn’t help but take a quick step backwards.
“Excuse me!” came a sharp voice from behind her. Lucky spun around to come face to face with a girl about her age who was wearing a rather startled expression.
“Sorry,” Lucky said, taking a step back. “But can you tell me where I am?”
“Uhh...” the girl flipped her long auburn hair over her shoulder as her eyes scanned Lucky’s outfit, as a slightly amused expression altered her features. “Fountain Valley.”
It wasn’t a part of Wonderland Lucky recognized, and she had thought she’d been rather well acquainted with the realm’s geography.
“In Colorado,” the girl continued, clearly expecting some sign of recognition from Lucky.
Okay, that’s certainly not in Wonderland. Lucky felt her face grow pale, but the girl was still staring at her expectantly. “Thank you.”
With a shrug, the red haired girl spun on her heel and walked across the street. She didn’t stay long enough to see Lucky run off in the opposite direction.
Away from the road, away from the houses—away from everything that her mind couldn’t make sense of.
As if on command, the sensation of fingers around her soul returned. It only lasted an instant before she was violently yanked back to her own reality.
Lucky’s eyes fluttered open, struggling to focus on the swaying leaves above as her mind reconnected with her body. She shifted her weight away from a large rock digging into her spine but couldn’t bring herself to stand while she took in her surroundings. Somehow, she had made her way back home. If she’d ever really left at all.