I was bored so I took like 30-45 minutes writing this little short story. It started out as a fun little Mad Hatter story because I like those kinds of characters, then it slowly twisted into a dark story with a moral I guess? The moral is "kids, don't talk to strangers" by the way Anyway, enjoy if you want [spoiler] [b][u]The Mad Hatter[/u][/b] The girl awakes in a forest, there is a dinner table, replete with food, silverware, the works. "Who constructed this fabulous feast?" She wonders, finding herself getting hungry just looking at the magnificent banquet laid out before her. Suddenly, a crackling, excited voice calls out "Sit down, have a seat! Stay a while, in the Hatter's domain!" The Mad Hatter bows, tipping his illustrious, feathered top hat. She get's a good look at him, a soft face, with a wide grin upon it. Mad grey eyes peer at her, piercing into her soul. He wears a suit, one half purple, the other green. One half with stripes, the other with polka dots. He beckons her to sit "My dear, are you deaf?" He begins to use sign language, she doesn't understand what he's saying but imagines he's probably telling her to sit again. She replies that she can hear him, and decides to have a seat "I don't get many visitors around here anymore you know, it's nice to know some still visit," The Mad Hatter rambles as he sets up plates and the like. The girl gets a perplexed look on her face, "This visit wasn't voluntary. Where am I? Who are you?" The Mad Hatter turns away from his fumbling and gives the girl a grin, "I, my dear, am the Mad Hatter. This is my domain. May I ask who thou art?" The girl looks away shyly, "My name is Aria" The Mad Hatter claps and giggles, "Aria, you say? What a pretty name! Befitting of a pretty card, showing which seat belongs to you!" The Hatter proceeds to reach into his pockets, pulling out a slip of paper "Here we are!" He then folds it several times until it is the size of a dime. He puts his hands together, and whispers into them. When he pulls them apart, there is now a little embellished card with the girl's name on it, "Is this good?" The girl just stares, in wonder. "How did you do that?" The Mad Hatter cackles, and winks. "Magic" He replies. He proceeds to set the card upon the table, in front of the girl. The Hatter rubs his hands together, "Now that the introductions are out of the way, let's eat, yes?" He picks up a little tea cup for the girl . "Tea?" The girl nods, he hands it to her and pours her a cup of lovely tea. Not long after taking a few sips the girl feels sleepy all of a sudden, she yawns. "Tired? So soon?" The Mad Hatter asks The girls nods, groggily. "Yes," she yawns. "I'm not quite sure why but I'm quite sleepy now. Do you think I cou-" Before she can finish her head collapses on to the table, knocking over the tea cup and spilling what remaining tea was inside it. "Oh dear, someone's a sleepy little sheepy" The Mad Hatter grins. He taps her shoulder, she's fast asleep. "Good, the tea always works." He cackles to himself, eventually breaking into full blown laughter which echoes throughout the forest. His eyes begin to glow a pale blue as he puts his hand over her head, grabbing her hair and holding her face up to his. "Why don't you stay a while, Hm? ... I don't hear any objections, so away we go!" He hoists her up onto his shoulder. The girl continues to sleep soundly as he carries her, walking through the forest to his home. "Little ones are always so gullible. A few magic tricks and fancy shiny things and they're all yours. This little one will do nicely, I think." He eventually reaches his house, which is actually a tree, but a very fancy tree. All the accommodations of a regular home, but tree-ified! He walks in, and sets the girl upon a table, still fast asleep. He begins to rummage around for a book, a very special book. One that let's him cook things, all sorts of things. Even gullible little girls who talk to strangers. "Hm... Let's see, fairy? No. Gnome?" He glances over to the girl, "No, little too big for a gnome..." He continues to search the book, unaware that the girl is beginning to wake. "Aha! Small human! Let's see... Bit of basil, some mushrooms.." Suddenly the girl shrieks, and falls off the table. The Mad Hatter perks up and turns around, "What?! How are you awa- *ahem* I mean, good afternoon, Aria. Enjoy your little nap?" The girl backs away. "Y-y-you were going to eat me.." The Mad Hatter looks over to the book, and closes it. "What, this? No no no, you have it all wrong. It's a book talking about... What.. Small humans eat?" The Hatter smiles, hoping she falls for it. The girl stares at him for a minute, unsure what to believe. He steps towards a bit, she backs away a little bit more. The Mad Hatter keeps smiling, piercing eyes boring into her. "Come on now, don't you trust me? I'm a friend, see?" He begins to perform magic tricks, making rainbows appear and rabbits come out of his hat. "I won't hurt you, I promise." The girl keeps standing there, still unsure. The Hatter kneels down, arms outstretched for a hug. "Friend?" He pleads. The girl reaches her hand out a bit, tears in her eyes, but pulls back. "I want my mommy and daddy..." The Mad Hatter sighs, "I didn't want to have to do it this way, kid. But you leave me no choice." His eyes begin to glow blue again. The girl backs up against the wall, "Wh-what are you doing?" The Mad Hatter laughs a dark laugh. "Getting my dinner." From outside, ethereal wailing can be heard, along with muffled crying and screaming. There is the sound of thrashing about, pots and pans being clanged together. Complete chaos. And then, there is silence. Black, chilling silence. And then a laugh, The Mad Hatter's laugh. The forest weeps, for yet another innocent is taken. The birds do not sing. The wind does not blow. There is only silence for now. Won't you come play, in the Mad Hatter's domain?[/spoiler] Story writing is a bit sloppy but that's because it's like 2am where I am and I'm tired. I was tired when I was making it too. I'm gonna go to bed now