Not in Wonderland (Aryk Jay Ichijou and Damnit Max)

A

Aryk Jay Ichijou

Guest
Waking up this morning Christopher had never imagined that this boring life of his would turn into an adventure.

Chris was taking an afternoon walk between classes for his lunch break. He was in the colleges large garden near the back of the school. His parents had sent him there from Japan upon request of himself.

As Chris walked he caught site of a little white rabbit near the small hedge maze. He looked at his wrist watch, "I have enough time." He mumbled to himself before walking into the hedge maze.

Another glimpse of the rabbit, quicker this time. Chris started at a light jog towards it. Another glimpse. Faster. Soon enough he was running around the maze, searching for this rabbit he had seen.

"Ah! There you are!" He said as he ran towards the creature. A quick turn then suddenly....
Down down down the rabbits hole! Yet no rabbit to be seen. He widdened his eyes as he fell, "Impossible! N-no rabbits hole is this big! I'm going to die if I fall any further!"

Ah, poor little Christopher. Falling down, being tricked by the white rabbit once again. Yet another Alice caught in Wonderlands web. Down, down, down, he fell, soon excepting his fate.

Christopher hit the ground with a thud. A cold room with large walls, but these walls were covered in blood. Stained to the touch of unworthy victims.

"H-how am I still alive? Wh-where am I?" He asked aloud to nobody. Ah! The rabbit, through a small open door upon a large one. Quickly he got up, opening the door and rushing out. He found himself in a large dense forest, and began to walk.
 
Dee felt a bit delirious when he woke up, wanting to scream when he saw the now familiar landscape around him. He had lost track of how long he'd been here and it was taking a toll on him mentally and physically. The man was terrified when his body has first started shifting, he hoped it was someway reversible if he was able to get back home.
Sitting up from the tree he was laying under he re-evaluated his surroundings, sighing in disappointment. The day before he had decided to mark the trees to show what direction he had come from, but to his terror they were no longer there. Dee believed if he had first arrived in the forest the exit must be there too, although he was slowly starting to doubt that idea.
Slowly standing he leaned against the tree and again looked around trying to decide which direction to head in. Several times before he had come to the edge of the woods but he'd always been nervous to venture where there was not as much cover. Picking a random direction Dee pressed forwards, creeping quietly, he hadn't bumped into anything in the forest yet but that didn't mean there was nothing out there.
 
Chris walked around aimlessly, "I don't think the school has a forest.... Where am I...." He looked around him as he walked, wanting to memorize everything he passed incase an emergency.
As he walked and walked he started to hear quiet footsteps, he paused, looking around cautiously. He didn't know if it was danger or just someone walking as he was. He bit his lip, looking to see where the sound had come from. He didn't dare speak.
 
Dee felt something odd in the air, something was off here. He could have sworn he had heard footsteps that weren't his own but he could no longer hear them. Part of him wanted to call out, another wanted to wait and listen, while the last part of him wanted to just keep walking and hoping it was just wind ruffling the leaves. He knew his wind excuse was stupid since the air here was as still as stone, there never seemed to be a breeze.
Giving in he stopped and tried looking around for something out of place, fear clawed at his stomach. Building up some courage he finally called out "Is someone else here?" his words lisping a little, he wasn't used to his new set of teeth yet and hadn't spoken a word out loud since falling in. His voice was low and hoarse sounding, he cringed at the unfamiliar sound of it.
 
Chris was surprised that the other being had spoken first, slightly took a step, "Yeah.... Who... Are you?" He spoke out, almost wishing h hadn't the moment it has slipped from his mouth.
He had to look around, hoping it wasn't someone who would kill at the site of him. He slightly and slowly started to walk again, trying to find where the voice was from.
 
Dee's heart froze, then started beating hard and quick. He heard movement and he remembered his appearance, "Wait don't move!" he said quickly. If this was a person stuck like him he didn't want to frighten them away with his monstrous changes. "My name is Dee. I'm going to assume you just got here, I've been here so long I can't remember and I haven't seen anyone else before," He took a deep breath "But with being here for so long my appearance has changed, this place changes you. I don't want you to see me and run away scared." he tried to explain calmly. "Now either I can walk towards you or you can walk towards me."
 
As soon as Chris heard the voice he stopped n listened. He didn't know what to think, "changes you...? What is this place...?" He asked. "I'll come towards you..." He replied and started to walk again as he also waited for an answer so he could follow the voice.
He wat he'd around him carefully in case this was a trick, he couldn't help but think this voice night just want to kill him.
 
"I honestly don't know what this place is, it's like a living nightmare." Dee tried to explain, making himself keep talking so whoever was there could follow his voice "I've been trying to find the way out for so long, it's not just this forest, it's like we're in a separate dimension. You don't get hungry, time doesn't pass, it always is daylight," which Dee was a bit thankful for, he'd rather not see this place in the dark "You still get tired and need to sleep but that's it." he paused for a moment and perked up "Hey, what's the date? I want to know how long I've been here." he continued to stand in his spot, listening as footsteps grew closer.
 
Chris approached closer, now having a good idea of where the other was. "Uhm. It's September 15th, 2034... How long have you been in here?" He found the man and paused, his eyes widening.
He wasn't going to run but he was paralyzed by the fear that had grown in him to see the person before him like this, he didn't know what he was or how it was he became like this. As far as he knew it was scientifically, mentally, and physically impossible for such a thing to exist.
 
Dee's face fell "That can't be," he said quietly "It couldn't be that long. It was February 23, 2015 when I got here." he paused, looking down at the ground with wide eyes "I've been here for almost twenty years." a part of him wanted to cry, he had missed so much. His friends had probably gotten married, have kids, gone on with their lives without him. Maybe there really was no going home.
Dee looked back up at Christopher, noticing his fearful expression "You see why I needed to warn you first?" he said forcing a small laugh.
"I just can't believe how much time has passed by." he says shaking his head.
 
Chris's expression softened and he put a hand on the others shoulder, smiling, "hey, don't worry. In all honesty the only thing that has changed was the health issues and major droughts across the world in 2016... Besides, I'm sure people looked everywhere for you.... My family and friends are in Japan, I was in america, so they probably think I just ran away." He gave another smile, being kind as possible but will on guard.
 
Dee flinched at the touch not expecting it. "To be honest they probably didn't look for me, I was known to disappear for periods of time." he said truthfully and shrugged. He then grinned a bit and laughed "This must have been really good hair dye if it hasn't faded for 20 years, though." he said gesturing to his hair. He stood there a bit not knowing what to say, it had been nearly twenty years since he's talked to someone, even if it didn't feel that long. "Oh I didn't get you name." He said looking back at the other man remembering he hadn't given it.
 
Startled by the question Chris stepped back and gave a bow, "forgive my rudeness, I am Christopher." He stood straight, "please call me Chris. And your name sir?" He smiled gently at him.
He slightly moved some hair from his face, his eye looking up at the other.
 
"Well my first name is Damien, but no one calls me that. Would prefer it if you just called me Dee." he said a little taken aback by the bow, however remembered Chris did say he was from Japan and they were pretty up there on the politeness scale. He looked around a bit "Uh, we could sit and talk or," trying to think of something, there really wasn't much to do in the forest "Maybe walk around. I'm still hoping there's a way out." he continued scratching at the base of his horn nubs.
 
Chris though for a moment, "hmm... I would say we could walk around a bit. Perhaps find a way our of here. It seems to dangerous to be out here." He smiled, hopying that Dee wasn't tired or anything so they could walk. He didn't want to be rude or anything. "Maybe we could find so.e more people?"
 
Dee nods a little and starts walking along side Chris "Well you're the first person I've seen in all my time here, I'd be very surprised to find more-" he got cut off a little when he tripped, nearly falling over. Regaining balance he looked down and sighed, his new clawed feet have nearly left his shoes in complete shreds. "Guess it's time to give up on these." he said taking a moment to bend down and remove his tattered shoes. "Sorry about that," he said his face a little red as the continued walking. "To be honest I feel safer in the forest, there's more places to hide, being out in the open makes me a bit nervous." he admitted.
 
Tyler nodded in understandment, "no worries. And yes, I can see why you would want to hide... But don't you ever want to get out of this place?" He spoke without thinking. He slightly looked at Dee to see if he did say something wrong concidering his current appearance.
They walked on together, Tyler felt bad for bringing it up if it was a trigger for the other man.
 
Dee didn't take any offense from the comment and just continued walking with him "I've just always thought if the entrance to this place was in the forest then maybe so was the exit, but I'm beginning to doubt that is the case," he said trying to find a break in the treeline "And with the whole finding my way home, I don't really have a home to go to. My friend are in their 40s and 50s and have probably moved on with their lives. I haven't seen my parents for nearly a decade before I even got here, and I have no other family to speak of," he explained "It just might not be worth it for me to get back at this point."
 
Chris frowned as he looked around for anyway out of the forest, "well... Perhaps you could start over... Everyone has their regrets..."
Chris was cut off short by the sound of slightly twisted singing. As they slightly got a little closer Chris stopped and listened. The song that was heard was backwards and a bit disorienting.

"Sky in the tray tea a like high so world this above up at you're where wonder I how bat little twinkle twinkle!" It was sung joyfully nonetheless.
 
Dee froze immediately, icy cold fear washing over him. "We need to leave." he whispered "It's one thing to run into someone from out world but I don't want to meet anyone from this one." his voice was quick and quiet, not wanting any chance of the singer to hear them. He could hear the singing stop at the end of the little rhyme and what sounding like people chattering replaced it with clapping sounds. Dee looked over at Chris, hoping he would agree with him and hightail it out of there.