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

[choosetruth]

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?

Comments

[beatupgrass]

Fact: I have always looked like this. That's about all that separated me from that pile of Moomba manure, which is better than I usually get from Wonder-flarkin'-land.

[choosetruth]

Good to know. [Touchy issue, apparently.] What does Wonderland usually do to you?

[beatupgrass]

I got a Mirror who's an idiot. A big one, so we can start there...

[choosetruth]

But it's not you who's the idiot. It's your Mirror.

[beatupgrass]

Somebody looked at me and thought "look at that guy. I'm gonna make his Mirror a flarkin' moron." What's that say about me?

[choosetruth]

If I understand how the Mirrors work, probably that you're smart.

[beatupgrass]

[...]

Okay, fair point. I'm a freakin' genius, but it ain't too much to ask for a diabolical mastermind for a Mirror. Then I wouldn't feel bad about wantin' to kneecap 'em.

[choosetruth]

That's what it's about? You want a Mirror you'd feel better about injuring? [She raises an eyebrow.]

[beatupgrass]

Do you want a copy of yourself runnin' around messin' your life up?

[choosetruth]

No, but if he's so stupid, how much messing your life up can he do?

[beatupgrass]

Not gonna take the chance.

[choosetruth]

You think people would confuse you for each other?

[beatupgrass]

I don't think anyone can tell he's my Mirror.

[grimacing] He's a human.

[choosetruth]

Really? [She raises her eyebrows behind her sunglasses.] That's interesting. I'd expect an alternate version of you to be the same species. How does that work?

[beatupgrass]

[he points to himself.] Animal with higher lifeform genius-level intelligence. [and then makes vague gestures] So-called higher lifeform with animal-level intelligence.

It makes sense to the flarkin' Queen of Hearts.

[choosetruth]

Ah. [It does make a certain kind of sense.] Is there any way to find out what yours is without them crossing over? I have to admit some curiosity.

[beatupgrass]

Not unless somebody over here meets 'em over there. Every now and then shit happens that lets us see 'em for ourselves, but most of the time you only get somebody else's word on it.

[choosetruth]

[She's torn between hoping Shaun meets her mirror because she'll always trust his word and hoping he never meets her mirror because she's pretty sure it'll be awful and he doesn't need that.]

Goodie. This place just gets better and better.