Chapter 20

Saturday comes, and I sit alone at the side of my bed. I hold my phone, waiting for an answer. "You have received (1) message from Keisuke Nohara", the phone notifies me. I open it up, and see what it says.

"Sorry, but I won't be able to make it. I'm kind of grounded for running during school hours. -_-"
Well, there goes my weekend. Cringe-kun probably has plans with Prez-kun, and Tsundere-kun is probably working at the restaurant again. Out of convenient options, I sigh heavily, lay in the bed, and doze off. I still can't help but feel like I forgot someone, however...

I enter a dark corridor where a door over thirty times taller than I am is at its end. The knob to open it is too hard to reach. I jump up to catch it, my arms flailing and failing.

A voice whispers "So, you want to open the door? Are you curious to know what is on the other side?" I jump, startled at the shock of a faceless voice. I nod in hopes that they can see me.

Two plates of tiramisu appears in front of me. The voice, once again from out of nowhere, says "One will make you tall enough to reach the doorknob. The other...well...roll the dice, I guess." That was NOT a reassuring statement in the slightest, but, as I have little choice, I make my move.

Taking a bite out of the one on the left, my bones stretch to where my shoulders are now in line with the doorknob.

"Farewell, traveler.", the voice whispers. I turn around quickly to see a grinning visage with a mole on the face staring me back right before disappearing. This stuns me for a few seconds, but I shake it off and open the door.

The other side is nothing but a meadow, far as the eye can see. A high pitch voice comes out from behind me. "O-Oh no! I'm late!", says the voice.

A blue rabbit runs out from behind me, bumping into me, and knocking me over. "AIEEE! I'm so sorry! Are you ok?", the rabbit says. A talking rabbit? Out here? Or anywhere, for that matter? The rabbit was clearly in a hurry, and holding a pocket watch. A pocket watch? Out here? Or anywhere for~

As I start to answer the rabbit, the rabbit gazes at the watch "O-Oh no! I'm twice as late!". The rabbit runs off, and shouts back "My apologieeees!".

I rush after the rabbit, thinking (If he knows where civilization is, he will also know a way out of here.)

As I run, I trip and fall into a bush. I look out on the other side. A black haired figure in a tall hat is talking to the rabbit from earlier. I guess this was where he was going. "So, ye dun goofed and'un made yeself late again, eh?", the Hatter inquires the rabbit. "Ah, yes, but, no, but uh...", the rabbit squeaks, fidgeting his paws together.

"What d'ye got ta say? C'mawn.",he says.
"I-I-I-I~", the rabbit stammers.
"OUT WITH IT!", a brick-red Hatter screeches, looming over him.
This could be bad. I continue to onlook through the bushes.
"I...have no excuse.", the rabbit solemnly retorts in defeat.
"Aye. That ye don't. The queen ain't gonna like t'is. Ye know that, right?", the Hatter says, with the rabbit nodding in understanding.

I want to say something, but afraid of being caught, I maintain my silence. "We also don't allow followers." Fuck. "Appear, ye!", he says, looking in my direction. I pop up and say "How lo~" "Since yer arse tripped into that bush, 'at's how long. Now tell meh, state yer business!", he says, without missing a beat. The rabbit's eyes widen upon seeing me.

Explaining my situation, I leave out no detail. "I see, I see. He says. It don't matter, because in the end, the Queen gits the final say, so it ain't up teh meh.", he says. "B-B-But! He is innocent!", the rabbit protests. "No buts. Don't matter if he is or not.", the Hatter interjects. "Now, I have prepared some nettle tea as the both of ye's last drink. Might as well not let a single drop go ta waste."

The rabbit bursts into tears and jumps on me, hugging me. "I'm so sorry to get you into this! It should have just been me!", the rabbit says. No. This is not right. I say to the rabbit "Don't worry. We'll both make it out of this mess...somehow.", with a feigned look of reassurance.

The rabbit looks at me with a strong sense of admiration and starts to cry again, this time with a smile. I hug the rabbit, saying "I promise.", this time, a look of confidence.

As we drink in silence, we hear a bone chilling voice "I heard you were keeping criminals here, Hatter." A blonde, attractive, drill haired person emerges from a nearby underbrush. "Oi, feck. It's teh Queen.", the Hatter lowers his head. "Who tipped ye off, may I ask?", he continues. "Why, this gentlemen, right here.", she says. A cat with a mole and a grin appears on her shoulder, and she pets him while he grins and she coos.

"Y-You! Didn't you help me before!?", I shout, desperate to know the answer. "Who said I was on your side? All was according to the Queen's will.", he snides, deceitfully. "OFF! WITH! THEIR! HEAEEEADS!!!", the Queen shouts.

I rush her and she jumps out the way, but I latch onto her dress mid jump, which tears off. The cat's nose bleeds in shock while the Hatter stares at the sight. "Heh. Didn't take ye fer a 'ermaphrodite, especially not one that puts mine ta shame.", he says. "Shaddup...It's not something I can help, you know!", the Queen shouts at him, purely embarrassed.

She then turns her attention to me. "You done it now. You REALLY done it now!", she screams. The rabbit faints in fear while the Hatter takes off his hat, and lowers his head, making a cross hand gesture on his chest with his free hand.
I grab the rabbit and run.

"You can't escape! Ohohoho! Ohohoho! OHOHOHOOO!", she laughs, trailing behind me. I run and run and run, but she manages to keep up. I see a door at the end of the path I'm running down. The rabbit wakes up in my arms, sees the Queen in full bitch mode behind us, and faints again.

The Queen pulls out a scythe and swings it right when I grab the doorknob. I dodge it and open the door, shutting it tight behind me. In this corridor, light is beaming at the end of the dark tunnel. I'm out of breath, but holding the rabbit, I carry on towards the light, until...

My eyes open. I reach over to my phone, turning it on and it says "You have received (3) messages from Machiro Kamamori." Oh, fuck. I just remembered what I had forgotten. I read the oldest one: "Hi hi! ^^ Are you free today? I need help with something, if that's okay. Please meet me at the school greenhouse if you have time."

I read the second one: "Hi! It's me again. I'm sorry to bother you, but Vice President Fujikoba-senpai is here, not to worry! She's a really good help. I still wish you were here too, since I never get to talk to you outside of school...I hope you're enjoying yourself, wherever you are."

I read the third one:"Gomenasai, senpai. I was just wondering whether or not you were okay. Just concerned, is all...:(". I made a promise and broke it, so I decide to text back an apology. I will make it up to him.