Books had never failed to make Shu interested. She would sit under a tree and read there for hours without getting bored. Her books could be about anything, but she found a book that she really liked – she herself didn’t understand what the book was about, but it intrigued her to keep reading all the chapters until it finished. The book was quite thick and heavy, and a bit dusty too. It looked like it hadn’t been opened for quite a while.

She lied on top of a grassy plain, under her favorite tree on a plaid afternoon. The pages were slightly illuminated by the soft light of the sun. It was quiet and peaceful, as no one else was around.

After a while, the sun began to set down. She began to get a little sleepy, and she thought it was about time to go home, until she saw a silhouette of something, running quickly by her side. She was unsure of what it was, and was quite surprised.

“I’m late! I’m late! How terrible!” Screamed the silhouette as it ran – or hopped –.

Shu was curious of what that silhouette was, and decided to follow it. She ran behind the silhouette, trying to chase it.
After a while, Shu managed to keep her pace with whatever that creature was.

“Who are you – no, what are you?” Shu asked as she ran beside that creature.

“What- No! Stop! You’re not supposed to follow me!” That ‘creature’ responded in surprise.

Shu looked at the ‘creature’ for a while and realized that the ‘creature’ was a boy…with a pair of rabbit ears? Right, that was quite weird, but not the weirdest – the boy also had a tiny rabbit tail! He brought along a watch, those classic antique watches that you could bring everywhere. It looked a little like a locket.

“Seriously! What are you?” Shu asked again, this time with a higher tone. She confronted the rabbit boy

“Alright! Alright! I am the White Rabbit! Now, can I please go? I’m in such a big hurry!” He answered quickly, taking a quick look at his locket watch.

The White Rabbit ran away again, but Shu followed him again.

“Really, where are you going? Why are you such in a hurry?” Shu asked as she ran along with the White Rabbit

“Stop! You shouldn’t be following me! Stop asking so much!” White Rabbit shouted with a panicking tone as he turned ways.

Shu remained silent as she kept running behind White Rabbit, when she suddenly had lost White Rabbit out of her sight. Shu remained still in place when she realized she had lost the White Rabbit. 

‘My, where could he be? ’ She thought to herself.

After a while of thinking, she decided to run deeper into the forest she had ran into whilst chasing White Rabbit earlier. Not only she wanted to search for the white rabbit, but she was also curious about the forest. As she got deeper, the forest got darker and gave off eerie vibes. It began to unsettle her.

‘I guess turning back wouldn’t be so bad-'  Her thoughts were cut when she realized that the forest entrance had disappeared entirely. Behind her were full of tall trees, bushes and vines. She had completely lost her way in the forest.

Shu was left confused, scared, but still curious. Her feelings were mixed up and confusing. She decided to walk a little further into the forest, when she heard a crack from a branch of a tree above her. She looked up, and was surprised to see another figure on top of the branch, smiling with a wide, menacing grin.

“Hello.” It greeted, with a face full of menace.


Notes: Here goes chapter zero a.k.a the prologue! I'm sorry that this is quite short (i swear its has 600+ words-). Extra kudos to my english teacher for correcting some of the grammar mistakes. Chapter one will (hopefully) be released soon! feel free to drop critiques!

  

 

“What brings the presence of such a sweet little girl in this dark woods?” Asked the
cryptic figure, with a mischievous grin decorating his face. Shu remained silent for a
while, trying to examine the figure’s traits and appearance.

It appears that the figure is a tall man with long, purplish hair. His hair has darker tips
and even covered one of his eyes, but that’s not the main focus – he has a pair of cat
ears and a long, striped tail – That surely is strange!

“Excuse me sir, do you know a way out of here?” Shu asked nervously, trying to avoid
eye contact with that tall figure.

“Well, I don’t know any way out, but don’t look behind you!” He chuckled.

That warning surprised Shu. She looked behind her back in reflex. There was nothing
and she turned again, but the figure’s now gone!

Out of the blue, Shu heard a low chuckle behind her back.

“Boo!” A sound whispered lowly on Shu’s right ear, causing her to jump a little. She was
surprised to see the previous tall figure already standing behind her. Shu gasped a bit,
remaining silent in surprise.

“Surprised?” The figure asked before he started to laugh amusedly. “That reaction of
yours is laughable. Very.” He continued. Shu was still left in confusion and surprise.

“You see, I, right here, am the Cheshire Cat – Chessur for short –.” He introduced
himself as he jumped back onto the branch he was sitting formerly. He lied down lazily
while stretching out his legs.

“Everyone here is strange. Mad, even.” Shu muttered to herself, in a rather upset – a bit
sad – tone, while gazing down upon her own feet. The Cheshire Cat heard what she
said, and sat up.

“What's with that upset face, little girl?” Cheshire Cat asked, showing an actual empathy.

“I want to get out of here. My mother and friends would’ve been very worried.” Shu said. It felt like she’s been there for hours now.

The Cheshire Cat sat and thought for a while, before he finally spoke up.

“To come and think of it again, I may be able to do something.” He said. Shu lighten up
a little upon that sentence.

“But listen,” Cheshire Cat said. “I’m unable to bring you back, but, I can bring you to
someone I know that may be able to bring you back.” He continued.

Shu nodded in response, “Bring me to whoever that person is, please.”

The Cheshire Cat grinned widely.

“Follow me!” He ordered cheerfully as he evaporated into the thin air, confusing Shu
once again.

“Chessur, wait!” Shu shouted in a rather surprised and panicked tone. She can hear the
cheerful and amused laughter of the Cheshire Cat in the thin air.

“Boo! Haha!” Cheshire Cat appeared behind Shu and surprised her, but disappeared
again, and his laughter filled the air once again.

“Chessur! This isn’t funny! Come on!” Shu grunted in an upset tone.

Cheshire Cat laughed, “Alright, Alright, I’m sorry little girl!” He reappeared and stood
beside Shu.

“Let’s continue walking, shall we?” He asked, walking beside Shu. Shu responded with
a nod.

The two walked together until they saw a soft ray of sunlight lighting up their way. The
path is filled with tiny wildflowers everywhere. In a considerable distance away from the
end of their path, they found something that looked like a mansion. Its barrier was a big
gate toned black and gold.

“What’s that place?” Shu asked.

“That’s where the Queen of Hearts lives. He is ‘the person’ that may be able to help
you. Sorry for not telling earlier.” Cheshire Cat said happily. “Go on, go inside!” Cheshire
Cat tapped Shu’s back.

“Are you not coming along?” Shu asked.

“Maybe. I’ll catch up with you later. See you around.” The Cheshire Cat evaporated into
the thin air, leaving Shu alone in place.

“No, Chessur, wait!” Shu tried to look where did Cheshire Cat disappear to, but he had
completely disappeared.

Now, she had to go into the mansion by herself. To come and think of it again, what
could possibly go wrong with going there alone? She walked towards the big gate, and
tried to open it.

It’s heavy. There’s no way she’ll be able to open it, she thought.

“Hey, what are you doing?” A voice came out of nowhere. It sounded like a woman’s
and it has a rather sarcastic tone.

“Who’s talking?” Shu jumped a little off the gate, surprised by the voice.

“I am.” Shu realized that the voice comes from above the gate. There was a little black
bird sitting – or standing? – On top of the gate.

“Now, you haven’t answered my question. What are you doing here?” The bird asked
again.

Shu remained silent for a while, still stunned by the fact that a bird is actually talking in
front of her.

“Answer me! Go on!” The bird demanded in a cranky tone.

“O-oh, I wanted to meet the Queen of Hearts.” Shu responded, stuttering a little.

“What for?” The bird asked again, this time in curiosity.

“Stop asking, and why don’t you open the gate for the little girl, Nightingale?” A slightly

irritated voice that seemed to belong to a male suddenly came out from behind the bars
of the gate.


A boy who seemed a little older that Shu showed himself up. He wore a white top hat
with gold accents and a white suit with the same tones. He has a pale ivory hair, some
part of them covering his right eye. His eyes are shut tight. He has a strange trait – just
like everyone she’s met so far – Which is a pair of small ears on the plate of his top hat
and a tail, both looking like they are from a weasel, only, they are white.


“Now, would you like to get in?” The boy smiled. Shu responded with a nod.

“Nightingale, mind giving a hand?” The boy looked up upon nightingale, smiling.

“Well, whatever.” Nightingale sighed crankily. She swished her left wing as if it was a
cape and purposely fell down. In a second, she’s already a human! Her hair was dark blue
and she wore black, sleeveless long dress along with a pair of black leather gloves. Her
neck and shoulders are covered with net-like fabric.


Nightingale and the boy unlocked the gate’s lock with a small key, and the gate opened.

“Come in, come in.” The boy smiled. Shu followed him as they passed through the

garden in front of the mansion. It was full of roses and other kinds of flowers.

“This right here, is my garden, and right there is the mansion’s entrance. Let’s go inside,
shall we? It’s almost 6 p.m., the dinner feast is almost ready.” He smiled, taking a look
on his locket watch.


The three walked towards the mansion’s terrace and arrived on the front door. It was a
big wooden gate with black and red accents made out of a pair of doors. Nightingale
pushed the gate and it opened wide, showing the insides of the mansion. Inside was a
long, big table. Its floors were made of smooth, black marble. On the other end of the
table, was a big throne. The throne was empty. No one sat there.


“Oh. He’s not here yet.” Nightingale sighed. “He’s always like that.”

“Take a seat, please.” A short man that looked like a servant pulled two chairs, allowing
the two to sit. Nightingale walked to her chair, while the boy still remained in place as he
fumbled with his locket watch.

“Sit down, Ermine. What’s wrong, your clock broken again?” Nightingale scoffed.
“Just a minute. I just found out that my clock is too fast by ten minutes.” The boy –
Ermine – answered as he settled the clock’s hands.

“There, there – It’s now fixed!” He happily said. He took a seat beside Nightingale.

“Why, little girl! Here, here. Sit down!” He pulled out a chair for Shu to sit down. Shu
walked nervously, trying to ignore the confused looks from the few guests that are inside
of the dining room. She sat down right beside Ermine.

Right across Shu’s seat, she could see a man wearing a purple and black top-hat with a
suit in the same theme. Not only that, he also wore a mask that only covered the upper
half of his face. That man looked oddly suspicious, but Shu ignored him. He’s probably
only one of this “Queen of Hearts” guy’s dinner feast guests, right?

“It’s still pretty quiet and empty…” Ermine said as he looked around, finding little to no
guests – yet –.

“We have twenty minutes to go before it starts. What do you expect?” Nightingale
sighed with a slightly irritated tone.

“She’s always unreasonably cranky.” Ermine whispered to Shu, earning a little giggle.

“Now, we just need to wait. The feast will be ready in no time. I’ll check the flowers for
now. See you.” Ermine smiled and stood up, walking to the entrance door and exited the
room.


“That little girl…She seems interesting…”

Note: Thank you for reading this far! I'm very sorry for the delay but here goes! I hope you enjoy this chapter