A Rabbit's Demand

Alice, upon her nap, wakes up to a very impossible and bossy form.

"You there! What are you doing, lazing about in some dirty tree? We must hurry!"

Alice jerked her eyes open, staring at a little rabbit. A standing rabbit. A talking rabbit. Holding a watch. "What? But that's impossible!" She protested.

"Impossible, do not tarry! Verraad is already waiting for everyone. He will not like being stood up!" The little rabbit cried desperately, pulling at Alice's hair.

"Enough! What's the meaning of this?! What an awful dream this is! Go away you stupid furball." She swatted at the jittery creature, only to watch it hop away. "What are you?" She demanded, grabbing the book to swat with. "Are you the rabbit messing the garden? Lousy pest!"

The rabbit scrunched its nose in disgust, "Hmph! You call that a garden? The carrots were awful! No flavor whatsoever. And I am not a pest. Now please, we must go! Time Flies!" It pulled out a golden pocket watch from the red waistcoat he wore. "That book is an utter distraction, give it here this instant!" He swiped for the book, holding it in his paws, starting to run, or hop, rather, away.

Alice sat, confused with what happened. A rabbit just stole her favorite book for God's sake! A rabbit. "Give it back you rodent!" She stood up, chasing after the albino thing.

The rabbit stopped, looking back at the blonde teen, then turned away to run/hop some more, getting further. "You underclass woman, do not run and scream for someone, just follow." He said, shaking his head, reaching a hole in the ground. "You're very dim witted." He doubt he heard her, though he lost his little patience.

Alice, oblivious to the hole, ran to where he was, only to watch him jump down at the last minute. Making an abrupt stop, Alice lost balance, falling along with the rabbit.

The rabbit turned to the girl, "As I said, better to walk than run, silly thing you. Alas, at least you're coming." He said, disappearing into the dark.

It felt as if the fall went for ages or weeks or months or years. Whichever it was, Alice couldn't utter a scream of fright. After an eternity, she fell hard to ground, landing harshly as she rubbed dirt from her eyes. "Where’d that blasted rabbit go?" She asked, peering her eyes open. The rabbit was gone. Alice rested on her knees, staring around the place she landed herself in. "Where the devil am I?" She asked herself.

"Enough chatter! We must be off now!" A hand pulled Alice up, blue eyes suddenly glaring at her. "I don't have time to explain, for Time is on their side, not ours." He muttered, letting go of Alice's hand. He stepped back, placing his hands on his hips, the clock hanging around his wrist. Clad in black pants and blue waist coat. Alice stared at his head, glaring at rabbit ears. "What's this? You've never seen a person with rabbit ears. My, you're a dim-whit for sure."

"Where am I? Why do you have rabbit ears if you only look like a human? What is going on? What's your name? Why did you take my book? How did I survive that fall?" Alice demanded, crossing her arms.

The rabbit man sighed, raising an eyebrow, "My name is Tempus. And you're here to be recruited. I was told you're very clever, but I beg to differ. We're wasting time, if we stay here much longer. Bandersnatch and Jabberwock are sure to appear and rip us limb from limb, I didn't plan on us falling in the Glass Forest." He replied, as if making sense. "Are you coming?"

Alice stared at Tempus, biting her lip, "Am I coming? Are you crazy? What is this?" She demanded, leaning against a tree. "I want to go back to my home."

Shaking his head, the White Rabbit sighed, looking at the girl with pitying eyes, "I can't help you. You must do that yourself. Wake up if you want to go back." His white ears twitched behind him, "We must get out of here, before those two brutes come and kill us." He pulled out two pictures. One of what looked like a spotted, large cat with green eyes, and a lithe body. The other of a more ugly, grotesque thing, resembling a gigantic vulture. "The Bandersnatch and Jabberwock. They don't have set sides, but Bandersnatch favors him. Jabberwock on the other hand just doesn't care." He said, not giving names.

Footsteps could be heard from behind him, Tempus turned, his ears set back. "So they found us, this is why you shouldn't dilly dally you twit!"

"Don't be so hard on the girl, Rabbit, I Quite like white meat such as yourself." A voice purred, "We don't get visitors that very often, so I'm very pleased with the intrusion."

Tempus gulped, though smiled nervously, "I see, mangy thing you. Go back to the swamp already."

A large cat creature jumped from the trees, growling furiously, "Don't get smart with me, rodent! Pawn. That's all you are! I'm here to rid the trash that dares defile my name, and I do it with speed and with hesitating, just like you like it, Rabbit." It purred, circling around them, muscles rippling. Green eyes stopped on Alice, "Ah, what a pleasant looking human brought! I don't suppose she tastes good though, so scrawny and such." It purred a little more, "My dear girl, I've yet to introduce myself. I am the Bandersnatch, though calling me Asanti works." She said, mocking a bow.

Asanti turned back to Tempus, "You and your little group are starting to annoy me, I exsist, I always will, and I can't die. It's the same with Jabberwock. Few things can kill us. And the only that can kill us is in our possession. Isn't that right, Avlyn?"

She nudged her head towards the trees, watching a large bird fly to another branch into sight. "Correct." A much more gruff voice called from his throat, contrasting Asanti's honey sweet voice. Opening his mouth, another set of jaws was indicated. "What a pretty young girl you've found, I approve, Tempus.”

Alice crossed her arms, looking back and forth between the two creatures, glancing at Tempus, "Bandersnatch? Jabberwock? What are these things?" She asked, inching away from the tree, watching Asanti circle her.

Tempus gulped again, "Asanti and Avlyn. The Keepers of Glass Forest. They can't leave, so who or what ever comes into here, they eat. When we aren't here, they depend on Jub Jub birds, since they over populate all of Wonderland. It's useless to fight them, and even if, Asanti only listens to few, such as that cat or mouse."

Asanti nodded her head approvingly, as Avlyn cawed silently.

Author's Note

A rabbit is actually a lagomorph. A breed seemingly similar to rodents.