Wonderland Mafia: An Apocalyptic Fairytale, #4

By Serena Walken

When Hatter is stuck in a never-ending teatime loop, Cheshire agrees to take him and his friends Dorm and March out, on one condition. He must go to a future time and help a woman named Shay Austin. When he agrees, Cheshire doesn't quite get the right date.
Forced to stay, Hatter guards what is left of his kind in a Wonderland that is barely recognizable. People call it Industry and most don't even believe in magic. His kind are almost gone and he waits patiently for Shay Austin so that he can return home.

Being abducted by aliens when she was younger, Shay hates her life. She puts it all on the line to end up with White Rabbit. She has no regrets until an organization called HUMANA pulls her into a dangerous situation. Guided by Cheshire, a cat that only mad people seem to see, she finds herself at the Wonderland Mafia's front door.

Pursuing the original ancient Alice through the heart of the forest, Shay is forced to team up with the Wonderland Mafia's leader, the Mad Hatter, but this journey has more riding on it than either of them understand.

There are so many underground secrets to Wonderland . . .

 

*This book is a direct sequel to Soulmate to Mister Umbrella in An Apocalyptic Fairytale Series

• Language: English
• Publisher: Serena Walken
• Release date: Apr 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201185169

Serena Walken

Serena Walken likes to write fantasy, sometimes whimsical or sometimes dark. She lives in Kansas with her wonderful daughter. She enjoys writing stories for a more broad-based audience and it's usually romantic but not always. https://www.patreon.com/serenawalken is where you can find more exclusive books and writing of hers. You can also find her on several other sites like Tumblr, Wattpad, Webnovel, and more writing for free and for paid.

Book preview

Wonderland Mafia

Sequel to Soulmate to Mister Umbrella

Copyright 2022 Melanie Ray

Written by Serena Walken

Originally published under Melanie Ray in 2013, this story has been changed/updated to be more broad based for younger audiences.

Dead.

She was only trying to give her family the very best.

We should not have encouraged it.

A mother’s instinct is best. If Cheryl did not end up in the right dimension, then what? It had to be this way.

It should have been the next dimension. Fate knows what its doing.

Mother’s instinct is stronger.

The fact remained, either way. Mister and Mrs. Umbrella in the Sky had essentially been killed in a human form.

Mrs. Umbrella had been killed before, but not Mister Umbrella. They had brought him back, left him waiting in the red hell dimension, but they knew from previous experience he would not take kindly to what had to happen to his wife. Although Mister Umbrella in the Sky had already died and had been brought back, his wife was still on Earth.

Her condition was not savable though for a human, and she could not be given the power of a selective seer again. They could only convert once.

They did what they could. We must let them go.

What about their second child? We have not been able to see him clearly. What if he also has a destined lover? And are we positive that the dimension Cheryl Umbrella in the Sky is in is the right one? The right time? It was not the one fate chose first. Mother’s instinct wanted her somewhere safe, but how do we know it was right?

The Superiors could see into the third plane, but details were still too sketchy. Only one creature they knew of could provide the answers they needed.

Well, of all the fun I could have had today! Magellan the cheshire yelled as he scooted along desks covered in papers like they were snow covered hills.  He had been playing with his friend Canterbelle  until he had been whisked away into a different dimension.

Now that shall cease! A woman in the lot had said.

Perhaps. Magellan flicked his tail.

We are the Superiors of this dimension, the same woman had said to him. This is the dimension coded ARG1. We have summoned you here for help. We know that cheshires see better than anyone else into the future of different dimensions."

Magellan would have accepted the compliment with a sly remark, except for the fact that he now saw something else. We can see into all others except our current dimension. Which I am not in right now. Which I can now . . . see. His tail stopped and dropped to the ground like the joy had been sucked out of it. Cheshires cannot leave our own dimension without outside help. We have never seen the future of it. Not until today.

We are not asking about your dimension.

She will tear it apart, piece by piece, Magellan said, almost in a trance. There are no destined lovers in Wonderland.

Cheshire cat, please. You need to look into this dimension’s future-

All dimensions are in trouble. Yes, and so are we. He closed his eyes. My son will be the last cheshire standing.

Look, we don’t have much time. We just need to know if-

She is positioned, Magellan interrupted again. However your war has only begun. I must speak to Mister Umbrella.

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DIMENSION: WONDERLAND

4,942 YEARS LATER . . .

Licking his paw, Cheshire stayed out of distance. Alice disobeyed him. Oh, it was only a matter of time for that little girl to grow up. Humans lives were so short, that was what he thought. Helping that little girl, giving her some basic power to live longer, he thought it would be best.

No, no. Alice grew up, went into secrecy, started her own organization, and now this? He felt his claws become longer. This was not the Wonderland style he had been so fond of. This was a war he did not want to join.

The humans inside continued to talk while Cheshire continued to groom. Grooming was so important, you know. Cheshires don't naturally look that nice. Then again, he had no competition. There was no one left of his species, simply him. All the games his kind used to play, they were simply dreams now.

Do you have any pangs of guilt for what we're doing? a human asked as she looked around the room. Nervous human, not a surprise considering what they had been doing. Cheshire simply spread out his front paws and curled up tighter. We are ruining the lives of two good people, Joe, the human  spoke again.

Missed opportunity if we don't, Chantal, her partner reminder her. One human, and we'll make sure it was one of the non-free ones. One trapped by a contract willingly. As for the other, that guy isn't any more wonderful than all the other aliens on this forsaken planet.

Cheshire opened his eye in the man's direction. How crude.

She is still a human, Chantal said as she looked through folders.

Nothing's human here. They become something else, something primal, Joe said as he picked up another folder.

Honestly. Cheshire's fur stood up. He almost hissed, but he didn't need them to know he was there. Sinking Alice would be fun if they suspected double crossing...yet it would be redundant. She would need to see for herself how awful this plan had been. This would not work, Cheshire knew it. He turned over, licking his back paw. There was no need for concern yet, he should stay out of the way. For now. He closed his eyes, waiting for them to finish.

What if this doesn't work? What if there's something were not thinking of? What if there's a law to make sure this doesn't happen?

No, they know if they messed up, there's hell to pay. We are going to give them hell to pay, Chantal. We'll change one human.

I still don't know if this will work. The natives never had rights.

Universal laws, Chantal. I don't care how good they are, humans are a recognized leader of the planet Earth. It doesn't matter who is responsible for us. We aren't a meat market to pick and choose. We are humans, with human rights. This has to work. If it doesn't, the human race is over. Wonderland will eventually win.

Trademarks. Patents. Licensing. Oh, all the legal talk was such a bore. For now, many dimensions the queen wanted were out of her reach. Wonderland had limited rights it could explore as long as the 'picking' didn't cause wars. As long as it didn't disrupt the environment or the ecosystem of another dimension. The chosen were often alone in open areas. In the country, in fields, and simple areas with limited people hanging around.

If only Cheshire's kind had been that lucky. Ooh, what was that in the corner? He crept around the humans, seeing a yummy morsel flitting to a hole.

How is it looking over there?

I don't know. So far all of them are good. I wanted to find a . . .oh. This one is actually contracting with that betrayer, White Rabbit. No, wait, his boss? She hasn't even told him yet that she is trying to be a contractee. Chantal's partner raised his head. Do you see what I mean? No decency anymore, just obedience.

Well. Cheshire tried to stifle a laugh. The morsel could get away, this conversation had become interesting. These humans, under Alice's HUMANA organization, they were a fun bunch. They thought they understood all the under belly of Wonderland...when they hardly had a clue.

Age?

Twenty One.

That's young. Can't we go older?

Not a lot of humans want to willingly give their lives into slavery, her partner answered, and there aren't many to pick from. You can't shove this to a good human because she's forty. Nuh uh. Her.

Age as well. Species, age, these humans. Cheshire felt almost ashamed he ever helped Alice with her little problem. Sending her back home and leaving her there, that's what he should have done. She would have grown old, died, and not continued to be a thorn in his side. Silly, silly cheshire he had been.

She hasn't even told White Rabbit yet, the ignorant man said again. Fine, yes, if she's rejected, we'll find another one if we can. The native though, it's easy. The leader.

She is just so young, and the leader of that pack? Why him?

Pack, did she say Pack? Well, no wonder she was there. Her ethics were as misled as the man's own. Cheshire spotted his morsel in the corner, but decided not to pursue. The humans had made him lose his appetite. His food had more compassion than those humans.

He was getting tired of humans. Perhaps it was time that he switched his appetite toward them? They preferred not to be there anyway, it would be a service.

It'll be perfect. I wish I could see the fireworks, the human laughed, his mouth large. That traitorous White Rabbit has always skirted relations with the mafia, this would fix him for good.

This is supposed to be for the human race, not your own grudges.

"Best candidates. Prime position. Protest if you want, but come on. The time is now. This is for the sake of Earth. For the sake of every humans rights. For humanity's future, Chantal."

For humanity's future. Shay Austin and the original.

For the love of a little catnip Cheshire wished he could do it, sink his teeth into their meat. Oh, but old habits and memories died hard. Hearing the name of innocence in trouble, that conscience of his bit back.

He closed his eyes. He had glimpsed the future, and it was not what they wanted. Destiny would not be rushed.

Besides, humans were often too gamey anyway.

***

Shay looked up to the ceiling from her bed. The aliens implanted bad dreams when she was first abducted fifteen years ago. She hated thinking about it. She was so young back then. A stupid party, and a cornfield. Regular kids who got punished for sneaking out would get grounded for a month. If she only knew that her punishment would be getting abducted.

She sat up in her bed, reaching over to her end table for light. The dreams weren't just hers, they were traditional with everyone. Every night at three o' clock, anyone that had been abducted would wake up with a shriek. Waking up in sweat and with tears, no one remembered what they dreamt of.

Shay was the same way. It wasn't hard to guess that it was probably the fear of abduction all over again. Created so that humans remained subservient. Subpar.

Shay grabbed her necklace off the end table. After she opened it, the picture of her old self smiled back. Just a kid, an idiot back then. What she wouldn't give to have a picture of her parents. Instead, all that remained was the reminder of how she took things for granted. Family. Friends. Good food. The ability to choose.

Hope was useless, she learned that some time ago. No one made it out of Wonderland. Well, it was possible that there had been one. But instead of a magical world of talking cards and the Queen of Hearts? This world was simply delusional and cruel. There was nothing wonderful about Wonderland.

Fifteen years. That's half of her life in Wonderland, and she'll probably die there. Like the old Alice, she had dreamed of finding a way out years ago. Now, she would settle for getting into a position that wouldn't put her life in jeopardy every day. Enslavement to one person and not a planet, that was her ever after, and she would be glad to accept it.

Shay only had one friend, Torah. Her brother had enough skill that he was considered useful by Wonderland. Instead of the planet owning him, his boss had paid a high fee and kept him for himself. He had higher creds, and almost a normal life. He was appreciated, respected, and hopefully kind.

Her friend wasn't talking to her right now. During the fright hour, she knew she had to be up. All the lights across Wonderland had turned on that had involved anyone taken from their home planet. So many, streamed across the sky. This was when she always talked to her friend, Torah.

She pulled her arm to her face, turning on her monitor watch. On her monitor, Torah's face had shone. Tired, with her hair a mess. Torah, can we finish talking?

What's to finish talking about? Torah chided her. You want to make yourself a contract girl to my brother. You want to become his slave. How am I supposed to deal with this Shay?

Torah didn't understand. She had simple parts to perform in Wonderland. There was one thing that the fairytale did keep completely true. Wonderland was filled with entertainment because it was the number one entertainment planet in the universe. It found creatures across the stars that were unique, and it used them across their films, shows, videos, tapes, FB's, CG's, DVD's, DNS', and every