Chapter 5

Immediately, the Hare grabs his coat and throws it on. "I'm going to go get Mr. Dodo! You go get Cheshire and Tweedles!" he says quickly, running out the door.

   "But I don't know where to look!" I say in a panic, just as he closes the door. Great. I have to go searching without a clue on where to go. A bright idea occurs to me. "Salandra!"

   "Yes, miss?" She says, scampering out from under the furniture.

   "I need your help. I need to find Cheshire and Tweedles. But I haven't the slightest clue on where to search for them!"

   "Sure, miss. I see the Tweedles in the market square all the time. You're sure to see them there! As for that CAT," she spats, "I wouldn't know where to find him, nor would I want to."

   "Then please take me to the Tweedles."

   "Sure, just follow me Miss. And mind my tail!" Salandra somehow managed to open the door and left it wide open for me to follow.

 I step in to the outdoors again. There is no pleasantness in the feel of it anymore. The skies are grey. The flowers are dull in color. The trees aren't so colorful. This is what Trea meant by Dimmerland. Until Trea is back safe, I refuse to call this place anything other than Dimmerland. Because that's all that I see: dim colors.

 "Keep up, Miss!" I look in the direction of the voice and realize that it was coming from Salandra, way ahead of me. I shake the thoughts out of my head. I must focus on getting Chess and the Tweedles.

   "Salandra, can you please just call me by my name?"

   "Why? Servants don't address masters by their names. 'tis rude."

   "Salandra, I am not your master. Nor are you my servant. Call me Alyssa."

   "But if the master of the house finds out-"

   "Don't worry about it, Salandra. You don't have to when you are around March Hare. Just when it’s the two of us. How does that sound?"

   "..." Salandra pauses, not quite sure what to do about my request.

   "It’s ok."

   "Sounds great, Mi- uh, Alyssa; Just ain't used to it, you know?"

   "I see. That's ok. You'll get used to it soon enough, I'm sure of it." I give her a smile to reassure her. Or, at least, what smile that I can muster up. I miss Trea!!! I choke back a sob. Salandra stops and looks back at me. We are in some woods.

   "You miss Master's Friend, don't you?" Master's Friend?

   "Oh, you mean Hatter?" Salandra nods. I look down. "Yes. I do."

   "Were the two of you... close?" Interesting question. Close is a relative word, isn't it? We are and we aren't. Only a day, day and a half. By many, the number is not what one would consider close. But Time played a hand in it. Trea calls me Lyssie. No one else, on Earth or in Dimmerland, has ever called me Lyssie. And I call him Trea. It seems to me that no one else in Dimmerland calls him Trea, either. That is a special closeness, isn't it? And just before he was taken from me... we were closer to each other than I've ever been with anyone. We were almost as close as could ever get. So close... yet so far. "I'm sorry, Alyssa. I see that I've upset you. 'tis none of my business." Had I been silent for too long? Confounded feelings!!!

   "It’s alright. You didn't upset me," I say. "How much further to the market square?"

   "It ain't far. Just past the trees and you will arrive there."

   "Will you be sure to introduce me to the Tweedles?"

   "Of course! If you didn't know where to look, surely you've never met them. 'Twould be rude for me to not do so."

   "Thank you, Salandra." I seem to be doing a lot of thanking lately. I suppose that that’s to be expected when one is so new to a place. Someone has to show you hospitality before you get yourself fully settled in. Right?

 The trees finally make a clearing, and I see the market square. If I hadn't known better about size and people, I'd say it was a large market square. But I can see that the square is, for the most part, vacant. One booth in particular catches my eye. I go over to it. It is a green striped tent. Forest green and pale green stripes. And at the very top is a splash of red. I know why it caught my eye. I know who the booth belongs to, too. I open the tent and go inside. I marvel at the merchandise. Hats. All sorts of them. Top hats, sun hats, caps, and every other imaginable. Knitted, embroidered, sewed, glued, and every other way that hats are made. Huh... There is even a few that are unfinished. I am in awe. I knew his name in Dimmerland is Hatter. It never truly crossed my mind that it could mean that he IS A Hatter. That it would be his trade. I take a look around. And I see one that is on a mannequin. Waiting for a final touch up. It is milk white, made of a sued. A cross cowgirl and sun hat. It seems to have certain flair to it. I can see that it is missing something. I look at his work space. There is a small ribbon, a green one. The same color of Trea's eyes. I feel a sad half smile. I take some glue and scissors and I put it into place. I look again at his work desk, and I notice some small flowers. I again take the glue and I add them all to my left side of the hat. Decoratively, of course. The flowers are the same red as Trea's hair. My heart aches inside for him. I put it on, and it fits perfectly. I will keep this hat. I will wear it as a reminder of Trea. Of my need to find him. How he is and always will be special to me; a friend that I will always cherish. I look in a mirror and see that is somehow suits me perfectly.

 My hat lifts off of me, and I stare in wonderment. Why is it doing that? A cat appears! "Cheshire! What are you doing with my hat?" I ask in disbelief. I think it will take me a while to get used to the idea that cats appear out of thin air.

   "Your hat? Why, I thought it was Hatter's hat," Chess says in his gruff and coy voice.

   "That doesn't answer my question. What are you doing with the hat?"

   "I just love the job that you did on it. Does mean something special to you?"

   "Why, thank you, Chess. Now give the hat back to me," I say, completely ignoring his question.

   "You're welcome. But not until you tell me what it means to you..." he says coyly.

   "I'll tell you later. Much later. But I will only tell you if you help us find Hatter!" I reply. I will not tell him. I can't tell anyone.

   "Very well, then. I will help you."

   "Thank you. Now, my hat? Please?"

   "No. Not yet."

   "Oh, you confounded cat! I am beginning to see why Salandra despises you! And why Trea hold his hat tight when you are near! Now give it back to me!" Annoying cat. He acts like a child playing monkey in the middle!

   "Tell me."

   "No. I will not tell anyone!"

   "Not even... Trea?"

   "No one but I calls him Trea," I say in a warning tone. Oh, I feel like Mom yelling at me to knock it off.

   "But why?"

   "I don't know! We need your help to find him. You can ask him then! Now give me back my hat!"

   "Alright..." the Cat concedes. “Fine. Here is your hat. I will help you in finding Hatter. I am sure that he will be thrilled to see this hat on you." He lowers the hat onto my head.