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“Seriously?” I scoffed, resting a hand on my hip. “What’s so dangerous about fuzzy pink bunnies?"
"Trust me, Alice," Chess said darkly, the perpetual grin fading from his face. "They may appear small and harmless, but they are far from it."
"Fine," I said, rolling my eyes.
I redirected my attention to the road that spread in three different directions, then pulled out the map.
“Where are we?” I asked. “Can you point out your house on here?”
I followed Chess’s fingertip to where three roads all came together. Then I looked at the purple ‘X’.
“Looks like we should take that road,” I said, pointing to the one in the middle.
“Then off we go.”
Every step we took revealed something new and bizarre. I saw giant flowers that hummed sweet songs despite being eaten alive by black slime, towering mushrooms that thrummed with life, and trees that whispered secrets in the wind. It was all so intoxicating and surreal, like walking through a Salvador Dalí painting come to life. And even though I knew I should be cautious, I couldn't help but feel...alive.
“Are there cars here? What about horses? Walking seems like it’ll take forever.”
“No cars,” he replied. “And horses tend to get noticed. The last thing we want is for the Red Queen to find out you’re here.”
“What’ll happen if she does?”
Chess frowned.
I didn’t like it.
“She’ll send her headhunters after you. She might cut off your head, or she might turn you into a lamp post. It’s impossible to know, so I’d suggest we walk and not get caught by the Red Queen or any of her minions.”
“Some pointers on what to do in case of an emergency would be useful,” I said, only half joking.
“To be honest, it all depends on you,” he said, never breaking his stride. “You’ll have to tap into the raw energy of your deepest, darkest fantasies. That’s what powers everything in Wonderland. It’ how the Red Queen became so powerful. You could be just as powerful, and then use that power for good.”
“Okaaaaaay,” I said slowly. “And how exactly do I access that power?”
“Let your mind wander, Alice. Let yourself daydream and explore the depths of your imagination. Don’t be afraid to indulge in your most private, most twisted fantasies.”
I felt a familiar ache as he mentioned any twisted fantasies I might have. I didn’t want it to stay stuck in my head as a daydream. I wanted to ride him like a fucking hobby horse.
“Imagine using the fear of your enemies to strengthen your own power,” Chess went on. “Or picture yourself commanding legions of ferocious creatures to bend to your will."
A smile crept onto my face at the thought, and I could feel something stirring within me. My curiosity was piqued, and I found myself more eager than ever to dive deeper into this strange new world.
“Does that seriously work?”
“It does, but I think you’ll need to practice on smaller things before you’re commanding armies,” he chuckled.
“How small?”
“Imagine your dress is red, not blue,” he suggested, slowing down his pace. “Can you do it?”
I looked down at my cocktail dress, which was the most intense shade of cobalt blue.
“I don’t know. It’s pretty bright.”
“Just try,” he urged, coming to a stop. “My clothes aren’t covered in leopard spots.”
“Yeah they—whoa!” I gasped, watching slack-jawed as his tuxedo changed from black and silver leopard print to purple and black tiger stripes.
