The darkness was thick as chowder. The audience sat in nervous anticipation. Not a child stirred, nor adult clear their throat. No event save the royal croquet match was as anticipated as the Mad Hatter’s Carnivale and Cavalcade. A drum roll began like the faintest, distant roll of thunder. A crescendo and a cymbal crash. A spotlight sliced the darkness like one of the Red Queen’s executioners taking off a head. In the beam of light stood the Mad Hatter. His green pants and jacket shimmered with rainbows in the spotlight. His large bowtie did not flop as it usually did, but stood proudly horizontal. His head was bowed as much as it could be with such a bowtie, and the spotlight glared off of the tag: ‘This style 10/6″. The wide brim of the hat obscured the little man’s face, but his large front teeth protruded like white monoliths. When he spoke, the nasal voice echoed from the wall of the big top though there was no evidence of a microphone or anything else.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, March Hares and Doormice, It is without any further ado that I present … the Greatest Show In Wonderland!”

The big top lit up as if it were daylight to reveal an extraordinary array of colorful characters. Mice danced on large colorful balls, angels danced on pins, a magnificent elephant carried a Persian Prince who waved to the crowd that exploded with cheers of gratitude and excitement. The Red Queen applauded despite herself. A Cheshire Cat juggled his head. The Doormouse was wide awake.

The Mock Turtle sang, “Now I will, Now I can, Join the dance!” The only tear on his face was one of sheer joy.

The griffin spread his wings that glistened in the theatrical lights like stars in a sky with no moon.

Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum shook hands and danced and fell over each other, laughing all the while.

The White Rabbit, of course, had to hurry to catch up.

Just as the procession really got going, the music ceased and the lights went out. The audience, dazed and with ears ringing, fumbled for their seats as the Mad Hatter’s voice was heard.

“Twinkle, Twinkle, little crowd

Your applauding was much too loud.

Up above the show you sit

Don’t make a peep, not one bit.”

The crowd did not move. Silence took over once more. The blinding light illuminated the Hatter once more.

“Thank you.” The Hatter said, removing his hat to reveal long rabbit ears and a rabbit face. The crowd gasped. Beady black rabbit eyes turned, examining the crowd. “As you can see, I’ve been through some… changes.” Everyone remained still and quiet. “My attempts to bring Alice back to Wonderland have gone unsuccessful. But the March Hare and I …

Well, we put aside our tea and bisquits and spent quite a long time searching. We became so engrossed in the work that we began to think as one.” He quickly turned to the left, and seemed to take on another voice. A familiar voice. The voice of the March Hare. “So we literally became one!”

The crowd gasped. It was grotesque. It was horrifying. It was exactly something those two mad creatures could and would do.

The Hatter’s head snapped to the right. “Do not be alarmed. We really just wanted Alice’s attention.”

Left. “Are you getting this, Alice?”

Alice awoke in a cold sweat. She clutched the bedclothes to her chest. She looked over at her husband, who seemed to bear the slightest resemblance to a Mad Hatter she had once met as a child. She shook her head and looked again. There was her handsome husband. She slipped out of bed without disturbing him and looked in at her kids. They slumbered peacefully. There were no white rabits or doormice or any Wonderland creatures hiding in her home.

Alice went back to bed. She put her arm around her dear husband and drifted back to sleep, swearing that she or her family would never ever know the horrors of Wonderland again.

She hoped that they wouldn’t.

But her dreams were always there, pulling her back. The March Hatter had been wrong.

Alice would never be able to leave Wonderland…