Sang in Wonderland- Sweet Cravings Side Story 1

As I sat, nestled against the base of the Weeping Willow, a faint rustling sound became louder and louder. Then, as suddenly as it had come, it stopped. I peered over the very captivating novel I was currently engaged in and happened to gaze into the baby blue eyes of a cute little bunny. It was white as snow and the shaggy kind of fluffy with floppy ears and whatnot. Why, it even wore a cute little pink jacket that buttoned to its neck.

A bunny wearing a jacket! How amazingly adorable!

As we stared into each other’s eyes, the rabbit tapped its foot and gave a long sigh.

“Well, what’re you doing?” It huffed in a female voice. An eerily familiar female voice. “Stop gawking at me and let’s get to it! We’re late! I mean, extremely fucking late!”

I blinked a few times to take in this dramatic change of events. A garment-wearing bunny that talks. Uh-huh. I could live with that. I asked her, “Um, little bunny, are you perhaps my friend, Lily?”

She replied with a roll of her beady eyes, “My name is Lily but I’m not your friend. Now follow me,” she ordered and bounced away.

Hehe. Bounced.

I tucked my book into my secret compartment inside my suave leather jacket and proceeded to follow the little bugger.

OK. She’s Lily but she’s not Lily. Interesting. You see, Lily is my friend. She’s a person who’s very nice but has a quick temper and is sarcastic a lot. She didn’t turn into a bunny. Who is this mysterious new tiny animal?

Oh no! Where is she? While I was thinking I lost her! Oh, shit! “Where are you?” I called. We were in a thick forest, with colorful mushrooms and oddly-shaped flowers. The trees were all different shades of pink and blue and the leaves were so abundant they blocked out most of the sun.

“Over here, Idiot!” She hollered back.

“Where?” As I turned to my right a root snagged my foot and I fell face-first onto the ground.

“Ouch.” I whimpered.

I felt something soft and warm crawl onto my leg and heard Lily say, “Better grit your teeth!”

“Huh? Why do you want me to…” She bounded from my leg onto my chest and knocked the breath from me.

I complained, “Hey what was that for?”

She didn’t respond, but instead stretched her mouth open to reveal rows of pearly pointed fangs. They were not-I repeat- not natural for a tiny woodland critter who dines on clovers and rainbows.

Before I could react, Lily the Bunny was deep into my neck like a starving college kid at a seven-layer burrito at half off Wednesday.

Ouch much?

I squeezed my eyes shut and yelped in pain. She drew at my neck and I couldn’t help but let my eyes flutter in ecstasy- it felt good, real good- but damn painful at the same time. She abruptly yanked her head up and exhaled hard while I remembered to breathe. Lily then took a small vile of carmine liquid from her pocket and popped the cork off.

I felt dizzy and sick and I vomited. Everything was happening so quick that my mind reeled with confusion. Why would an adorable little creature suck my blood? My friend Lily and were vampires, but today I didn’t feel like a vampire. I concentrated to slip my fangs out and nothing happened. I felt no appetite for blood, and it was as if a huge burden had been lifted from me. I was hungry for anything but that thick crimson liquid. Had I become human? Why was I human?

Lily wiped the blood from her mouth with her tiny paw and said, “Sorry, I had an urge. Anyway, hurry! We have to go! Go go go! We’re fucking time! We’re so fucking late, oh shit!” She reached into her back pocket and produced a large bandage. She offered it to me and I pushed it on my neck and tied it tightly. I stood up and wobbled on my feet, but then she took off like a bat out of hell and I raced to keep up.

“Jump after me!” She screamed.

I stopped before a gaping hole that could literally fit five people.

Hesitantly, I leaped into it and slid down a tunnel of darkness. As I traveled down the hole, I saw images of my life as a vampire. Lily laughing and riding in my corvette “Alice” with me. Darius, my master, drinking a cup of tea. Hira, my best friend, jumping to the music at a concert with me at his side dancing.

Finally, I landed on my ass in a small room. Lily was sitting on the table. And the furniture was so funny! It all curled in various places—the arms and the legs of a chair, lamps, and the table, and the backs of couches. The fan that hung from the ceiling curled at the end of each blade and looked like a giant leaf. The whole room was a baby pink with yellow polka dots. It was so bizarre I laughed.

Lily hopped toward me and said, “Drink this,” while holding the bottle of red liquid to me.

I snorted, “Are you joking? I don’t know what it is.”

“Drink.” She commanded. She was serious. I could see it in her eyes. Stern and unyielding. “It’s the only way you can get outta here.”

I licked my lips and grabbed the bottle and then swallowed its contents. It tasted sweet, like cherry cola, and I drank the whole thing dry. When I was finished, I felt nauseous, and tired. My muscles everywhere began to ache and throb. Then, in less than a second, I had shrunk and was gazing up at the massive table’s leg.

“Come,” Lily urged and I ran behind her out of a small crack in the wall.

When we were free, I looked at my tiny hands and body and an overwhelming sense of dread washed over me.

I was vulnerable. Very vulnerable.

“We’re so fucking late, time is angry at us!” Lily growled and continued hopping her feet that were bruised.

“Here!” she yelled enthusiastically. We were in front of an enormous mushroom-shaped house with a door shaped like a teacup. “Come, come on!”

We knocked on the door three times and finally it opened.

The person in the doorway was none other than my master, the solemn, quiet, a little crazy old vampire.

Darius.