Come Hither, Dark Dreamer by Dee Garcia

I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date!
With him. With them.
The White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, and the King of Hearts.
Benji, Ransom, and Dare.
I met them in my darkest hour, somewhere between Razorblade Avenue and Benzos Lane. Jameson in hand, I stumbled down the rabbit hole to their magical stomping grounds after a run-in with the Cheshire Cat and his wicked potions. Concoctions that allowed me to see Wonderland for what it is—an ominously delightful place where anything is possible, normalcy is frowned upon, and madness reigns supreme. Something about it, about them, calls to my darkest desires, so on those soul-crushingly bad days, I always come back.
Part of me knows I should be afraid; they’re so…different. The type of different you only see on TV, and in movies, and dreams… But I suppose that’s part of the appeal. I’ve always been an outsider myself, relentlessly bullied by the holier-than-thou kids at St. Anne’s for going against the grain. So while I may not be one of them and my relationships with each vary in strength, the more I tread these enigmatic grounds, the more free I feel, like I finally belong.
Like I’m actually living rather than simply existing.
Reality is a prison.
Wonderland could be home.