Chapter1
Alice
Cheshire’s Den of Debauchery stood in front of me as I clutched my purse full of banknotes. I gazed eagerly at the dark building lurking in the murky depths of Wonderland. The door had a black and white spiral on it as if you were about to walk into an endless tunnel. Above the door was a likeness of the owner. A big mouth smiling from a devious cat face.
The eyes on the doorway statue followed me as I approached and when I reached for the handle the smile grew almost grotesquely wide as if it were reacting to its own hilarious joke. It was as if it was sentient—Cheshire’s mute gargoyle doppelganger watching as you bid morals goodbye and stepped inside.
I swallowed and started to reconsider. I could still turn around. I looked at the monstrous mushrooms behind me, glowing with green and blue bioluminescence and thrusting upward to staggering heights. The forest of Wonderland was unnaturally quiet.
If I went home now, my mind would return to this spiral door and what lay behind it…him. The one person who could satisfy my desires. The man that had become my lust-fueled obsession.
I was twenty-six and desperate for satisfaction. Desperate for him. I’d tried all other avenues to satiate this need inside me and all had failed. Being insatiable made me ravenous. I couldn’t live with this unmet demand inside me any longer. It was making me single-focused, every moment preoccupied with him.
With Caterpillar.
I barely brushed the door and it swung open invitingly, all too happy to accept me inside. Once again, I was falling down a hole in Wonderland. It was a small comfort that this hole was merely metaphorical.
Stuffy warmth embraced me as I stepped into the den. The sounds of middle eastern music emanated from every corner—the twang of a lute being strummed, the fast-paced notes of a dulcimer’s strings being hammered with little mallets, a woman with a collection of hand drums. She tapped and smacked the surface of her current drum of choice, her body undulating rhythmically to the beat.
A robust woman swathed in translucent red fabric danced languidly in front of the band—her hips fast and smooth as they swayed back and forth, her belly and feet on full display, her head flung back and eyes closed as the music moved her.
One breast shifted free from the fabric and she made no move to hide herself. I found myself gawking at the pebbled nipple as it seemed to stare back, a lidless eye jiggling as the bangles on her wrists jangled. The round metal sewn into the fabric of her outfit clashed together like tiny tambourines.
There was a light haze in the air, smoke rolling against the low ceiling. The sound of bubbling hookahs rumbled softly beneath the instruments as if it were part of the song. It was a very intimate place, smaller than I had imagined but there were hallways and doors that led to unknown rooms. A smell of incense and herbs, of dried flowers, and something subtly sinister persuasively purred within my nostrils.
Immediately I tried to seek out Caterpillar, my eyes quickly scanning the bed-like booths of bodies moving against one another. My face heated but still, I looked for him, boldly peering at open displays of sex like I’d never seen.
“Alice,” a smooth voice said. Cheshire always sounded entertained. “What brings you to my establishment?” On the bar counter to my left, glowing green eyes and a wide smile appeared before the rest of his cat body slowly came into view.
“Is that sanitary, an animal atop the bar?” I asked. To this, Cheshire laughed in delight. I only gave him an attitude because he expected and enjoyed it from me. Our first meeting was when I’d accidentally stumbled in Wonderland as a mere wisp of a girl. I was confused, scared, and frustrated with the denizens—lost in a strange land with inhuman things and peculiar logic. Cheshire had still managed to be the odd one in a world of oddities.
I hadn’t met Caterpillar back then, despite seeming to meet most everyone else. He was still just a dream in my head—a fantasy crafted from the stories I’d heard and one picture I’d bought from Mad Hatter this past year.
“Tell me, Alice. What led you here? Are you once again trudging down paths to which you know not the destination? Need some guidance?” He asked playfully, batting long lashes that framed his large sparkling emerald eyes.
“I know the destination,” I mumbled, my willingness to banter drying up as things came to a head. He softly padded closer, moving across the bar until we were only inches apart.
“Oh,” he said in mock surprise. Everything was a mockery to Cheshire. “And what is your destination?” Was purred intimately in my ear. The brush of fur pressed into my arm as the music and smells swarmed. Bodies writhed in my periphery. I swallowed, overwhelmed and a fish out of water. My eyes danced over the glass bottles behind the bar but I didn’t want the false courage that drink offered. I wanted to be as clear-headed as possible for the momentous approaching moment.
First though, I had to lay my peculiar desires on the table for others to see. No one ever understood and some even thought me vile for it. What type of woman sought out the whispery tender touch of bugs?
Plus, Cheshire wasn’t one to confide in. He loved to discover someone’s weakness and find ways to make it benefit himself. Well, I supposed I’d make that part easy on him. A quick exchange of money would be nearly painless.
“I would like to purchase someone’s time,” I said as Cheshire finished rubbing against my arm. The permanent smile on his face grew.
“Hungry for something of mine, Alice?” He teased.
“Do you want my money or not?” I asked in indignation. “Maybe I should just leave,” I looked at the shadowy entrance where the door hid.
“Don’t be brash. You haven’t even told me if someone is somebody or anybody.“ Always with his playful speech.
“Caterpillar,” I whispered, my face hot. Sweet-smelling smoke from other patrons went into my throat, making me cough.
“Hmm, what was that?” Cheshire asked with wide eyes. I couldn’t tell if he was toying with me or genuinely didn’t hear. Attempting to discern when Cheshire was serious was a fool’s errand. He wasn’t even serious when he was serious.
“Caterpillar,” I said as I finished clearing my throat.
“Oh my,” Cheshire said as if scandalised. “You’re in luck though. Shaheen is currently free. However, he’s only free because he sent the last customer away before anything ever happened. He might do the same to you.” Large, green cat eyes peered unblinkingly into my own.
