Hot Chocolate and Cold Choices (10)

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“Before anyone asks, taking this path was Kai’s idea,” Ty says as he leads us farther into a swamp, the sludge clinging to us like old, spoiled cocoa, swallowing our shoes with each step. 

“No it wasn’t,” Kai defends, trying to ignore the way the curdled slush drips off his legs. “You literally said, ‘Let’s follow the weird singing mushrooms this time’!” One of the bubbles next to me pops, splashing some sort of glitter that smells like burnt mushroom on my pants. “And you said, and I quote,” Ty argues, “‘Bet’.” 

We follow close behind, trying our best not to gag on the smell. I’m trying to ignore the texture. I don’t do well with certain textures. I don’t do lumpy, or clumpy, or slimy, or sticky. Despite it, I continue to push myself forward through the swamp.

Jules is the first one of us to speak, finally interrupting the fight that’s lasted the past ten minutes. “I was thinking,” she starts, “It seems that Wonderland curses people into a somewhat exaggerated metaphor of themselves, does it not? For Liam, narcissistic presentations becoming luminaries is frankly… on brand, to be honest.”

Liam slows his pace, but continues pushing through. “What?” 

Jules tries to reword herself, paraphrasing her thought process. “Your curse seems to reflect on your unresolved need for attention.” Liam stops cold, shooting her a hard look.

“I said I’m fine, alright? Completely normal again,” he snaps. “Did what happened earlier freak me out? No, of course not. Was it annoying to turn into a human flashlight? Yes. Did I fix it? Obviously. So drop it.”
When the two found us again, Jules informed us of a story similar to mine and Rue’s. Liam tried a free piece of fruit from one of the shops and began glowing like a walking lightbulb. Fortunately for them. They met the twins who offered a potion as a solution, and then generously offered to lead us to the exit of Wonderland. Which apparently meant through this hot chocolate slushie. 

The first thing I noticed about Kai and Ty is that they spoke in unison, talked like one person split into two. How was I supposed to tell them apart? Which one was which? They had the same build. The same height. Same fiery red hair that curtains their seagrass green eyes, no matter how often they push it back. The same roughish, childlike grin that plays at their lips unless they’re arguing. And I learned that they’re always arguing.

Basically, I learned that they’re idiots. Entertaining, charming idiots, but idiots none the less. I almost found their squabbling strangely comforting. I never knew if I had a sibling due to the closed adoption, but if I did, this was the type of relationship I wanted.

“If he had wandered off…” one of the twins continued as I zone back into the conversation, “The town will know where he is. They don’t forget people, they just misplace them.” I blink, slowing my steps. What were they going on about now? 

The twin on the left sighs and turns back to face us. “Didn’t you guys have another person with you? You know, a tall, paranoid dude with a traumatic look stuck on his face?” My stomach drops at the description. What was his name again??

“Blazing brambleberries,” Jules’ eyes widen, eyes darting from one person to the next. “Where’s Eli?” 

One of the brothers shrugs, clearly not as concerned. “You left him in town, did you not?”

Next to me, Rue’s lip trembles. “We can’t just leave him there,” she whispers, tears gathering in her eyes. “He doesn’t like being alone, I can tell.” Her baby blues glaze over like she’s lost in thought. “No one likes to be alone…”

“There’s no need to panic yet,” Jules assures softly, looking around. “Let’s try to figure this out first, alright? Who was the last to see Eli?” She places an open palm over her chest, admitting, “I know I saw him before I went to talk to the fairy creatures. I think I saw Eli leaving with-”

“Woah, now wait a minute!” Liam interjects, throwing his hands up instinctively. “You can’t just start pointing fingers! I didn’t realize I needed to babysit a full grown man.” His back straightened, posture still tense. “Besides, don’t you think you’re overreacting a bit? Eli would have said something if he wanted me to wait for him.”

Jues keeps a neutral expression set, her lips pressed into a firm line. “Overreaction is a subjective term,” she replies carefully, maintaining eye contact. “The fact still remains; we need to know where and what Eli was doing when you saw him last.”

“I don’t know,” Liam snaps, straightening more to look taller. “He wasn’t lost if that’s what you’re worried about. The freak was fixated on his own reflection, rambling on about some sort of catastrophe. What was I supposed to do? Drag him with me?”

How could someone be so quiet that they’re left behind? I shouldn’t be able to forget a person’s entire existence, yet that’s exactly what happened. A chill runs through me at the realization. Eli became so invisible that everyone couldn’t remember if he was with us or not.

“Being forgotten is worse than dying,” Cheshire’s previous statement floats t the surface, giving it a whole new meaning. “At least the dead still echo.” Suddenly, I feel very aware of my surroundings. The swamp we’re in continues to bubble, sounds of splashing distant despite no one moving. There’s a low hum in the air, like a purr rising from the steam. The back of my neck tingles, goosebumps running down my spine. The atmosphere had changed and I’m hyperfixated of the sensation at my calf, something soft brushing against it.

“Thank you,” Jules finally says after a moment of silence. “So you’re telling me that you saw Eli stressed and disoriented, and you dismissed the behavior and labeled it as an inconvenience?”
Liam stiffens more at her explanation. “I was confused about what he was going on about!” he defends. “Sue me.”

Jules lets out a slow breath before continuing. “I’m glad you didn’t try ‘dragging’ him if he was in a confused state. Thank you for speaking honestly.” As they spoke, the certainty I had that we weren’t alone disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. 

“We can’t go back now,” one of the twins- Kai, I believe- points out, drawing back everyone’s attention. “If we go back to town now, we’ll miss our timed window.”

“We have a window to leave?” I ask, first time hearing this. 

Ty jumps in to explain. “Wonderland’s time isn’t like yours. Going to town won’t be a straight line. What can take us twenty minutes to get to this point can take two hours to get back.” The four of us falls silent so he adds, “Kai and I can always help Eli later. After you guys have left.” I immediately look to Jules for her answer.

“So returning back introduces different variables,” she mutters like she’s narrating to herself what just happened. “Altered timeline, distorted geography, and maybe even emotional disregulation…” She nods, returning her gaze back to the twins. “I understand your points. I believe we should keep moving.”

No one argues. It’s like we all know she’s the most logical person here, so why wouldn’t we trust her to make the right decision?