Last week we left Dallas and Campbell trying to coerce Quentin into telling them how to get to Wonderland. Think they're making any progress? Let's see in this week's episode! And don't forget to check out what the other Briefers have been up to. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!
Quentin began to giggle like crazy. He tittered so much his
body shook, causing Campbell to vibrate in turn. He stopped suddenly and said,
in a deadpan voice, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. What’s
Wonderland?”
Dallas felt like throttling him. Good thing he wasn’t in a
position to do so, not with Campbell sitting where he was.
Campbell snorted. “You know what I’m talking about, Quentin.
Or should I say your majesty?”
That produced another gale of giggles. “Off with his head!”
he trilled in a drunken falsetto. “Off with everyone’s head. Then give me some head!” He leered at Campbell,
his hand moving between them.
Whether he intended to pull out his cock or touch Campbell’s,
Dallas couldn’t be sure. But either way, they were having none of that. He
angrily reached toward his ex, pincering his ear between thumb and forefinger,
squeezing hard enough to produce a loud yelp.
“Don’t make any stupid moves, Quentin. And don’t try to bullshit
us. It’s too late for that. You were there, I was there, Samuel was there...
and a whole bunch of other people too. We just want to know how to get back,
that’s all. We don’t even care if you come with, just get us there. Is that clear enough for you, your majesty?”
Quentin didn’t look quite so confident any more, his lower
lip beginning to quiver like a five-year-old in need of his mother. “He’ll hurt
me,” he whispered fearfully. “Don’t you understand? He doesn’t want you to go
back.” He sniffled loudly. “I don’t want him to hurt me, Dallas.” He shook his
head, trying to loosen Dallas’ grip, but Dallas only pinched him harder.
“I’ll hurt you now, you bastard, so you might as well tell
us. You’re going to be in pain either way. Look at it this way. Maybe he won’t
find out we went, and then he won’t have a reason to touch you. But if you don’t
tell us, Campbell and I will hurt you. And not in any way you’re going to enjoy.”
Quentin continued to whimper Campbell leaned into him,
baring his teeth as if he intended to bite. Even Dallas, who knew Campbell
wouldn’t do anything of the sort, half believed he would do it.
“All right, all right, all right,” Quentin moaned. “Stop it,
stop it, stop it. I’ll talk.”
Quentin and Campbell exchanged glances. Dallas nodded, and
Campbell slid off Quentin’s lap, still flanking him.
“Where is Wonderland?” Campbell asked.
“It’s... it’s a magic place,” Quentin stammered. A tear
rolled down one cheek, followed by more. “It’s not part of this world.”
“But it can be reached from here, obviously,” Dallas
commented. “How and where?”
Quentin sniffled loudly. “There are places... places where
the boundaries between... our world...” Quentin began to hiccup loudly. Dallas
grimaced and pounded him on the back. They had to wait until he had his
breathing under control before he could go on.
“Most people won’t see the lines. They’re hard to see. You
have to know what you’re looking for, and there aren’t many of them.”
“But you know at least one, don’t you?”
“Let go of my ear and I’ll tell you,” Quentin screeched.
Dallas glanced at Campbell. At his nod, Dallas reluctantly
released Quentin’s earlobe.
“Go on,” Dallas said roughly. “Don’t stop now. Where and
how?”
“The how is easy if you know where. There are special
mirrors...”
“Mirrors?” Dallas echoed. “You have one with you, I assume?”
Quentin nodded. His trailing tears had streaked mascara down
both cheeks and his eyes were puffy. He started to reach inside his jacket.
“Stop right there!” Dallas commanded. “Help him, will you,
Campbell?”
Campbell gingerly inserted his hand into an inner pocket. He
pulled out a small gilt-edged mirror, maybe three or four inches square. “Now
what?” he asked.
“Now we go... to a location... and we use that... and... and
then...”
“Then?” Dallas prompted.
“You’ll see.” Quentin glanced fearfully about the room, as
if someone could see or hear him. Someone like Samuel, maybe? Dallas shivered,
then told himself to quit being so foolish.
“Where?” Campbell gently prodded Quentin, as if to re-focus
him. “How far is one of these points of
entry.”
“Very near.” Quentin began to wring his hands together. “Very
near indeed.” He cocked his head, his eyes traveling upward, to the ceiling.
“What do you mean? In the air?” Campbell sounded perplexed,
but suddenly Dallas knew, and things began to make sense.
“The attic. He means the attic.” Dallas thumped his hand
against his forehead in sudden understanding. Those strange noises he’d heard,
the ones he thought were made by rats, but nobody found any evidence of rats...
could it be? The entrance to Wonderland was under his nose the whole time?
Well, above his head, anyway.
“Yeah, the attic.” Quentin’s sniffling was getting on Dallas’
nerves. “I said it, now I have to live with it.”
Better than living
with you. But Dallas kept the thought to himself. He turned to Campbell. “You
ready to do this thing?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” There was no trace of doubt in
Campbell’s voice, and Dallas was heartened at the confidence the other man
displayed. He was glad Campbell was on his side. They could get through this
together, he knew. Whatever this turned out to be.
“Get up.” Dallas thumped Quentin on the arm. He was tired of
being nice, tired of his ex’s bullshit. He was ready to put an end to this
whole thing. But they had to get to Wonderland to do it.
Between them, they pushed Quentin into the hallway, where
Campbell dropped the stairs leading up to the attic. They followed him up the
ladder, into the dark space.
“Do it,” Dallas hissed, irritably.
Sniffling, Quentin took the mirror and angled it. Colored
beams bounced off the surface and glittered in the air before them.
“There it is, just step through.”
They peered inside, just before he pushed them in.
Uh oh. Through the looking glass in more way than one I think
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