“We made it.” Lara sighs.

Awoken from my short nap, I lift my my head still groggy from sleepiness. The drive has been a long one, and the rest had been much needed. I stretch in the what little space there is left in the cramped vehicle, my joints popping loudly from the aching stiffness. The bright light of the late morning sun shines ahead until a giant shade shifts in between us and the sun.

“Wow.” My eyes widen in awe from the incredible view that welcomes us.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Asks Lara.

“Yes, very.” I gawk.

A massive looming skyscraper hangs just below the clouds, looking almost divine the way the sun halos from behind it. Its entire outer surface is covered in shimmering blue glass, with the exception of the top which is capped by a metallic dome. Frankly, it almost looks like I am seeing an enlarged lipstick. Encircling the tower are walls surrounding in perfect symmetry. A service entrance is found at where the wall is lowest at but densest, and Lara drives the vehicle straight into the wide entrance. The design of the walls resembles waves spreading out from an impact, leaving the tower exposed as the object hurled into the center.

As Lara drives into the wide tunnel, I find it funny that we are going into a hole in the wall and grin. This I have to tell my friends about, if I ever do get out of here.

I almost fall out of my seat as Lara pulls over to a sudden stop, lowering her window and poking her head out up to what is a retinal scanner. The massive steel doors ahead of us hiss and blare a beeping horn while it slowly slides open, making room for Lara to drive in and then aptly closing behind us. She brings the car close to the building beside a small awning.

Uncomfortable being left alone inside the vehicle, I follow her to the entrance of the spectacular building. Outside a large, well-built man who seems to be in his early 60’s or late 50’s is waiting for us, or more likely, Lara. His well maintained hair is combed back and appears to have been oiled to keep a healthy appearance, his left eye glints a glossy white along with his right eyepatch. In every regard, I consider him to be a very well ordained man from his sharp looking pinstriped suit and shirt, and I cannot but help and admire from his good taste in watches and rings.

“I’ll give you this, you’ve got guts showing your face ‘round these parts again. Chase a snake out once, it just slithers right back where it came from.” The man rebukes.

Lara retorts as we stop in our tracks. “Yeah, and I couldn’t care any less about what a backwater grandfather has to say about it. Better a returning snake than a worthless slug.”

For a moment, a staring competition imbues, leaving a buzz in the air. A few bystanders gasp from her careless comment, Lara catches everyone’s gaze in the immediate vicinity. They all pause in their tracks, observing what will happen next.

His reaction surprises everyone around him, he breaks down laughing. Lara joins in laughing too, running up to hug him tightly. A warm smile grows on me as I discover another soft side to Lara. This is somehow much more endearing to watch in person than as a film.

The burly man grabs her by the shoulders. “Tell me everything, how are you doing? Did you find anything?” His reaction leaves the small crowd uninterested, and they continue about with their businesses.

Lara pulls her hair back. “Oh, you know, busy. Shooting a few things here and there, picking up old artifacts. Making sure I pick up on your favors whenever I can.” She winks at him.

He chuckles lightly. “That’s my girl. What has it been now, two years?”

“Three actually.” Lara corrects him.

“Wow. Three. Has it really been that long? Oh, never mind that. We have so much to catch up on. Before we get to that, mind introducing to me your new friend?” He gestures at me.

Lara exchanges a glance with me. “Oh, him? He’s not a friend, more of an acquaintance. Found him on the mission you sent me, an interesting story about him that I’ll tell you about later. Either way, his name is Richard Guy Worthmoore.” She said my name with a hint of schadenfreude.

I notice a spark of amusement in his eyes. “Your parents had high expectations for you. I am Director Dirk Diehard. You may address me as Director.” He offers a welcoming hand which I take.

“Glad to finally meet you in person.” I greet him courteously with firm handshake. Common practice for any business man of my stature, the decisive manliest handshake is the deal breaker in winning contracts.

He gives a curious look. “Finally?” He questions Lara, “Who is this man?”

She grins. “Like I said, interesting story. But that’s for later.”

“Very well then, for later, but you are going to tell me all about it. It’s not going to be one of those ‘laters’ that never happen, right?”

She winks at him teasingly. “We’ll see.”

I follow them up the steps into the building, but after taking a few steps up the Director stops me. “Sorry, personnel or those I personally trust only. Don’t take it personally, it’s just that I can’t trust you at this time.”

I give a small wave. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t trust you either.”

He is taken back a bit. “Is that supposed to mean something in particular?”

Shooting biscuits. I did not mean for my tongue to slip like that, last thing I needed is to be shot here and now. “No, sir. I just mean that I understand. We never met in person before, so there’s too little you know about me.”

He rubs his chin, turning his attention back to Lara. “Smart man. Have considered in marrying him yet?”

Her face immediately flusters, which I think makes her look cute in a way. She bumps him on the shoulder in obvious annoyance. “Don’t be ridiculous. Come on, I thought we had more important matters to discuss than idle gossip.”

He laughs. “Of course.” He directs his attention back to me, “Just wait under under the awning by the vehicle you came in.” He points at the area; it is a small shelter that provides protection from the desert’s ferocious sun.

Leaving those two by themselves for the time being, I shelter myself under the shady awning. For the first time after what has happened to me in the last 72 hours, I am finally able to gather my thoughts and emotions. A movie I had seen before that was surreal is now very realistic, there is no way those flying bullets and adrenalin bursts are fake. Even now the intense heat is unmistakably real, causing me to break out a sweaty mess. All I can remember is the Madhatter popping out of a screen in my home theater and tossing me in some sort of a warped room. Then I wake up here, in this world. Maybe it is a dream after all? I consider that as an option, so I pinch myself to see if I can trigger my body to wake up. I clench my teeth from the pain, but nothing happens. I am still sweating under the burning awning despite the shady cover. Perhaps I need a stronger trigger? I build up the courage to slap myself hard on the face.

Holding my palm out, I close my eyes before giving myself a loud, popping slap. “Ow!” I yelp from the slap. The slap echoes in the area, which merits some curious stares from people nearby.

I give a gawking smile, which seems to have scared some of them away. I sigh. Sitting on a bench in the awning, I bury my face in my palms in defeat. For the first time ever since I have come here, perhaps ever in my life, I cry. Streams of tears soak my hands as I try to cover my face in shame from others, never have I felt so lonely and powerless like this before. I am weak, I am alone, and it feels I have no hope to get out.

“Aw… That’s cute. Having fun yet?”

My blood runs cold, my heart skips a beat and am filled with rage upon lifting my heard to see a familiar face. The Madhatter stood over me with the most annoying and infuriating smirk, I leap at him with open arms with every intent to beat the pulp out of him. However, instead of making contact with him, as if he were a ghost I go right through him and fall face first onto the ground.

I flip around see that I got peoples unwanted attention again, I quickly recuperate myself and stand up straight. I look at Madhatter again and at the people, they are only looking at me which means they can not see him.

“Sorry, awkward trip. I have been on the road for a long time.” I force a fake grin.

They all seem to shrug it off, they probably do not even want to get close to me at this point. Or it could just be that since they are all side characters, they do not care to begin with. Either way, I bring my attention back to the Madhatter, I walk up to him and step right through him thus confirming he really is not here physically. Just a mocking projection of himself.

Returning to my seat. “Are you here to ridicule me?”

“Hahaha, by all means no.” He paces back and forth, “You know that you have lots of interesting toys to toy around with here? I find your world much more entertaining than mine, but it seems people from your world find mine more interesting. Funny how that works.” He chuckles.

“So you’re here to gloat? To prove to me that I took my life for granted?”

He frowns in annoyance, tugging at his collar madly. “No, no, no!” He straightens his collar and sits in midair, I guess he is sitting on an actual chair wherever it is he is at. “I am here for my own entertainment, life gets mighty dull when you all think sanity is the sane thing.”

I beg him with quivering lips. “Please, let me back home.” A tear rolls down my cheek.

He chuckles, “Aw… I almost feel like that I want to out of pity. Too bad I won’t. You are here for my own entertainment, so entertain me!” He tosses his hat up and down, catching it in swings and rolling his hat impossibly across his shoulders.

I grab a stone a hurl it angrily at him. Naturally, it went through his projection. “Please! I am begging of you to just let me out! I will do anything, everything that is mine will be yours, I promise.”

The Madhatter tosses his hat in the air and lands it perfectly on his head, he then leans forward revealing his sparkly clean teeth. “No.”

I bury my head back in my hands in defeat, it seems to be that I am stuck here forever.

The Madhatter then breaks into a laughing frenzy slapping his knees. “Oh you boys always crack me up. Ok, I will give you a hint. You’ll find a way out when you get to the end.”

“The end?” I echo. “The end of what?”

He leans back. “That’s for me to know and for you to figure out. Meanwhile, continue doing what you have been doing so far. You have no idea how amused I have been so far. Oh look at that, the good part is coming up now. Ciao and good luck, you may need it.” He cracks up in another laughing fit, echoes of his laughter slowly fading away along with his apparition.

There is a load cracking explosion above me. I move out of the alcove as do so many other people in the area, all looking up to see what is happening. There are gasps as they see someone who jumps out of the hole in freefall. Upon peering closer, my heart sinks when I recognize who it is, Lara.