Chapter 9 (Crazy old wonderland )

I found myself back in Wonderland again, standing in front of the grand ball. It was strange how I had just teleported into this different world. And that man… the one with those mesmerizing green eyes. He made me feel dreamy, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about him. 

I decided—forget the ball. I was going home. After all, what was the point of attending if I had no one to dance with? Thank goodness we had the day off tomorrow. That meant I could spend time with my thoughts, unraveling everything that had happened tonight. Instead of taking a carriage, I chose to walk home. 

After everything I'd been through, I doubted anything could scare me now. As I strolled along the quiet path, I couldn't help but hum a tune. The man I had met made me want to sing, his smile replaying over and over in my mind. I could still feel the warmth of his touch on my hand. It was as if he had cast a spell on me, making me daydream about him endlessly. 

Soon, I arrived home. Stepping inside, I found my father fast asleep on the sofa, his newspaper still clutched in his hands. 

I smiled fondly. That's my silly father. 

Grabbing a nearby blanket, I gently draped it over him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. Poor Dad—he must have been exhausted. 

With a quiet sigh, I made my way upstairs, eager to slip out of this dress and into something more comfortable. But as I opened my bedroom door, I found Earl, my little companion, sipping tea at my desk. 

A wide smile spread across my lips. "Earl!" I greeted happily, walking over to sit on my bed. "You won't believe the crazy night I had!" 

Earl's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Do tell! What happened at the ball?" 

I launched into my story, recounting everything—from the moment I arrived to the instant I met Lucas. As I spoke, Earl poured me a cup of tea, and we sipped together while discussing the night's events. 

He seemed particularly intrigued by Lucas. 

"He sounds like a dream," Earl mused, watching me closely. 

I sighed blissfully, placing my empty cup down before heading to my wardrobe to change. "I can't stop thinking about him," I admitted as I unbuttoned my dress. 

Earl smirked. "Oh, I can tell. You've got that dreamy look in your eyes." 

Once I finished changing, I returned to my bed, lying on my back and staring at the ceiling. "When I was with him, everything felt so magical," I whispered, letting out a tired yawn. The weight of the day was finally catching up to me. 

Earl curled up beside me. "Do you think he'll use the necklace you gave him?" he asked softly. 

I gazed up at the ceiling, my heart filled with hope. "I don't know," I murmured. "Maybe… if he wants to see me again, it will lead him to me." 

Sleep tugged at my eyelids, my voice growing faint. "I truly like him… I feel this incredible connection with him," I whispered before drifting into a deep slumber. 

I woke up to the strange sensation of my bed bouncing up and down. My brows furrowed as I opened my eyes, still groggy from sleep, only to see Earl beside me being lifted into the air and then dropping back down. 

That's… odd. 

"Madie, wake up!" Cerise's voice rang out, followed quickly by Raven's. 

"Wake up… wake up!" they chanted in unison. 

Blinking away the sleep, I pushed myself up on my elbows and immediately spotted my two best friends jumping up and down on my bed as if it were a trampoline. 

"Really?" I muttered, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. 

"Where have you been?" Cerise demanded, finally stopping her jumping, though the mattress still wobbled beneath me. 

"We looked for you all night and couldn't find you," Raven added, crossing her arms. 

I sighed, pushing the blankets off and swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, grateful to be on stable ground again. The constant bouncing was making my stomach churn. 

"I was out," I said simply as I made my way toward my cupboard. 

"Madie, 'out' where? It's not like you could just wander off into Wonderland in the middle of the night," Cerise scoffed. 

I paused with my hand on the cupboard handle, then turned around with a mischievous smile. "Believe me, I wasn't in Wonderland. I was in Manhattan." 

Both of them exchanged confused looks. 

"What place is that?" Raven asked. 

But I couldn't help smiling wider as my thoughts drifted back to last night—to Lucas. 

"It's called Manhattan," I repeated, leaning against the cupboard dreamily. "And Lucas lives there… with his friends." 

At that, the two of them stopped dead in their tracks. They crossed their arms and stood in front of me, wearing identical suspicious expressions. 

"And who exactly is this Lucas?" Cerise demanded. "And why have we never heard of him before?" 

I bit my lower lip, my mind still lingering on the memory of him. "Well… because I only met him last night." 

They both groaned, but before they could interrogate me further, Cerise rolled her eyes and tossed her hands in the air. 

"Well, dreamy-head, get dressed. We're going to Cloud 8." 

With one last pointed look, she turned on her heel and walked out, Raven following close behind. The door shut behind them, leaving me alone with Earl, who let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. 

"Thank goodness they're gone," he muttered, flopping onto his back on the bed. 

I giggled at Earl. Poor little mouse—he had to endure all this madness right alongside me. 

Shaking my head, I opened my cupboard and picked out one of my usual dresses for the day: a turquoise-blue and purple polka-dot dress. To match, I grabbed my favourite purple hat and, of course, my purple high heels. 

Perfect. I adored this outfit. 

As I admired myself in the mirror, I noticed the bandage still wrapped around my knee. Walking over to the bed, I sat down and carefully unwrapped it. Thankfully, I heal fast—there wasn't even a scratch left. 

I turned to Earl, who was still lying lazily on the bed. 

"Well, hop in, little buddy," I said, patting my curls. 

With a tiny squeak, Earl scurried up my arm and nestled himself into my bouncy curls, making himself comfortable. 

Now I was finally ready to head downstairs. 

As I descended the staircase, the usual scene of chaos greeted me. My father and his friends were smoking pot, laughing uncontrollably at their own ridiculous jokes. Chestnut, the cat, floated midair, tossing chocolates and candy at them while they tried to catch the treats in their mouths like children at a carnival. 

I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, watching the bizarre scene unfold. 

My father hovered above the ground, legs crossed, a cloud of smoke circling around him as he ate sweets. Rabbit, one of his closest friends, was also floating—but he was lying flat on his back, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. 

Yep. Just another typical day. 

"I'm heading out with my friends," I announced. 

Not that it mattered. They were so high they probably didn't even hear me. 

Rolling my eyes, I skipped toward the front door and stepped outside. 

Cerise and Raven were already waiting for me—each lounging on their own pink, fluffy candy cloud. 

"We get to ride the candy clouds?!" I cried out in excitement, clapping my hands. 

They squealed in delight as I hopped onto my own candy cloud. The soft, sugary surface looked so tempting—I just had to take a bite. 

"Madie, don't you dare!" Raven warned. 

I quickly pulled my hand back and sat quietly. "Okay, okay," I mumbled, grinning. 

With that, the clouds began to rise, carrying us high into the air, floating toward Cloud 8, the shopping district in the sky.