entranceway | OPINION } from Images May Disturb You, the Blog of Georgia Mason, entry #2

If there's one thing I've learned about Wonderland in the weeks that I've been forced to start calling it home: it's that it lies to you. But so do lots of people, right? Everyone has a reason to lie. Some people lie to hurt other people, but some people lie out of kindness. Some people try to protect you with comforting falsehoods. How do we know that Wonderland isn't lying for our own good? I can't tell you that. I don't know Wonderland's motivations, if there even is any sort of guiding intelligence behind it and not just pure chance. What I can tell you is this: it doesn't matter. Lying out of kindness is just as bad as lying out of cruelty. Possibly even worse. Comforting falsehoods might be nicer in the moment than cruel truths, but I'll take the truth every time. Is it better to spare a family by telling them their dying child might get better? Or to allow them to cherish the time they have left? Is it better to tell someone their writing is good? Or send them an honest critique that could let them actually improve until you could say so without it being a lie? Is it better to lose the memories that have hurt you and spend a weekend in blissful ignorance? Or hold onto every iota of the pain that has built you and remember exactly why you fight? Lies won't take the time to heal you. Only the truth can do that. Wonderland is the biggest lie I've ever seen. I cannot promise a way out of this gilded, wonderful cage. That would be a lie, even if it's one I'd like to believe. I can only promise that I'll do everything I can to find the truth all of those lies are working at concealing. I won't quit until I uncover all the secrets Wonderland is hiding. Or until Wonderland gets tired of all the prodding and sends me home. Here's hoping, right?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He's not the first to say he like sit, which is interesting.]

Why do you like it?

You mean besides not having the constant threat of being eaten by the massing hordes of the undead?

There's enough to eat, hot and cold running water, medical treatment, unlimited electricity.

[Right, everywhere else went so much heavier on the apocalypse part of zombie apocalypse than her world did. She doesn't judge, even if she still harbors serious doubts.]

I can see how that would appeal. I still don't trust anything this convenient.

For some of us, this is an improvement.

Luckily we're not the type of people to lower our guards either.

I know.

[It might be an improvement for her too. She hasn't decided.]

That's good. I don't feel confident in calling this an improvement for myself until I know all the facts. Too likely I won't like something I dig up.

Everywhere has good and bad points. I'm not sure getting all of the facts about this place is possible. It's really weird. But good luck.

Thank you. It may not be possible but that doesn't make it any less important that I try.

If there's anything I can help with, let me know. And thanks for not dismissing liking this place out of hand. I've had people get really angry at me before for thinking that.

I can understand the appeal. As many faults as this place has, it's certainly possible to come from places that are worse. I don't fault you, even if I don't feel the same way.

There's plenty of people who don't get how it could be worse. And that's fine. I'm glad for them! No-one should have to. I'd love to know more about this place, really I would. I can tell you about some of the events if you like.

Yes, I'd definitely like that. The more I can learn about this place, the easier it'll be for me to figure out where to keep digging.

I mean, the mirror side is probably a good place to start. Not that we can get there most of the time and the times when we can it's usually because really bad things are happening.

But you can talk to the residents of that side, right? By writing on the glass?

Edited 2016-11-18 16:29 (UTC)

You can. Hit and miss whether they'll answer and I can't recommend it since a lot of them seem honestly crazy and awful. But it's possible.

Crazy and awful can still be educational. It's worth trying.

Not sure it's the kind of education you want. But if you do... just be careful. You can still get hurt here, and even if you come back, dying sucks.

I'm well aware.

[She hasn't experienced it yet, but she knows it's about thirty seconds away. And she knows what it did to her brother. She has no intention of dying here.]

Yeah. Well, it's one thing you're in good company on.

If I let danger or the fear of learning something I didn't want to know stop me, I wouldn't have become a journalist. If I wasn't used to being careful, I'd be dead.

[Well. Dead sooner.]

Man, you'd fit right in at Abel. Good luck. I'll see if I can dig up anything from people I know. You probably want to talk to some of the people who've been here longest. Shame Blake and Crowley are gone. They usually knew stuff.

Thank you. I'll keep in touch.

OPINION } from Images May Disturb You, the Blog of Georgia Mason, entry #2

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