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?

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The Mirror side.

Do you have a way to get there?

Unfortunately not - at least not a reliable one. We were able to cross over during an event. I've been trying to create a tear to that side, but so far I've had no luck at all.

A tear to that side? What do you mean by that?

It's something I can do - break through the fabric between worlds to get to the other side. Only so far I haven't been able to do so with the Mirror side.

[That's not possible, the little voice in Georgia's head that's become steadily weaker and weaker insists. A whole lot more is possible than she's ever wanted to believe, it turns out.]

Where can you get to?

Other versions of this place. Back where I come from, I can cross through into the different worlds, but here the tears aren't big enough to let me. It's as though Wonderland is putting a damper on my power.

That makes sense. From the events, we know it can effect abilities or lack thereof, and it sounds like your ability could be used to escape. It's not surprising it wouldn't work properly.

Exactly. I just wish I knew how they were stopping it from working.

I can't help you there. I don't know why it would work in the first place.

font face="courier">There are people who've been here for years and haven't a clue about that, so it won't be easy to find out.

I'll leave it in the hands of people who know more about magic.

So what do you know about the content of that message? Do you have any theories?

My friend Max - she helped me solve the puzzle that led to that recording - suggested that maybe the message is from Wonderland itself. I'm not sure how it could be a sentient being, but it would explain a lot.

It sounds impossible, but so does everything else about this place. Have there been any attempts to talk back?

I'm not sure how we'd even do that. But given how happy it sounds in the recording - if it is Wonderland, anyway - I feel like it's aware of everything we do anyway.

[That's not creepy at all.]

Fantastic. [Also not particularly surprising. She hadn't known ] Well, if you find anything else, let me know.

I'll be certain to.

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

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