entranceway | op-ed } from Ace of Spades, the Wonderland Blog of Georgia Mason, entry #5

Are you happy here? Don't answer immediately. Take a minute to think about it. It's a complicated question. The concept of happiness is vague and hard to define, especially if we try and generalize it for all people. Certainly, there are moments of joy to be had here. As far as cages go, the gilding on this one can't be denied. Anything you want for free? The ability to come back to life without a hunger for human flesh? Eternal youth? No one is starving to death here. Everyone has a bed and a roof. Compared to a lot of the places people come from, this place is downright utopian even including the events. I know I'm dead at home. That's almost enough to counterbalance the lack of internet. Almost. There are a lot of reasons to be happy here. All we're giving up is freedom, and how many of us even really have that at home? It's the permanent all-expenses-paid resort vacation no one asked for, and time isn't moving so it's not like we're even missing anything. You know who was especially happy here? The people who lived in the Wonderland we all dreamed about in December. The ones who didn't remember ever living anywhere else. Talk about a happy ending. No one fighting, no one in pain, everyone living every day in pure, ignorant bliss. I've called Wonderland a lie before, and I maintain it, but it's the worst sort of lie because it's so very tempting to believe it. Would it really be so bad to give in and just be happy? Why fight it when it isn't our call, when we are powerless to do anything but try and survive whatever Wonderland throws at us? I say bliss is overrated. What's the point of being happy when you aren't yourself anymore? Is it really a vacation if you have no choice but to take it? There's so much here that we know isn't right. If we give in to being happy, we risk complacency, and if we get complacent, we risk losing the opportunity to rise up when we can. I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy the good times Wonderland gives us. God knows they're few and far between. Be happy. Just never forget everything Wonderland gives us is the equivalent of giving a favorite pet a nice toy. Wonderland is pampering us because it is using us. The minute we forget that is the minute Wonderland owns us. None of us are free. Never forget that. So am I happy here? It doesn't fucking matter.

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I don't know yet. But I do know that no regime can last forever. Someone will fuck up sooner or later. And as soon as we figure out how to fight, I know I'll be ready.

Well, if the time comes and it involves destroying stuff, I can definitely help.

[There's the slimmest uptick of her mouth. Almost a smile.]

Good. I'm certain you won't be alone.

Yeah, it seems like there are a lot of powerful people here. It seems like it would be convenient for us.

[Buuuut that's not always how it works out.]

I'm sure when it comes time to rise up, it will be. But it's not going to be braun alone that wins the day.

It couldn't be, right? If that were all it took, someone would have managed it a long time ago. Way before I got here.

Yep. I refuse to believe it's impossible. But that sure as fuck doesn't mean it's going to be easy.

No kidding.

But you know, I think having an attitude like yours is half of what you need, really.

I don't see my attitude changing, so that's good to hear.

I didn't mean it in a bad way.

I know. [She's hard to read with her sunglasses and scowl, but she doesn't sound upset.] It hasn't proved popular with most people, however. Well, I'd say it's about half and half.

It took me a little while, but I've come around to it.

How long have you been here?

Since October so about...six months?

[A beat.]

It doesn't seem like it's been that long.

That's about how long my brother and I have been here. Did you get to go to wizard school?

No, but that sounds like it would have been pretty fun.

I suppose it was for some people. I don't like the events that lie to me that thoroughly.

I guess you have a point. I don't think it'd bother me that much though.

[Well, maybe it would. He's been lied to enough that he's learned to appreciate the truth. Not as much as Georgia though.]

My first event was that one where you turned into a fox.

[Very few people appreciate the truth quite as much as Georgia does.]

Ah yes. [She hadn't liked that one much either, though at least in that case, it was more because it involved touching other people and having her sunglasses taken than because of being lied to. And the animal thing had been.... okay.]

I'd say it wasn't my favorite either but honestly, it might have been. I can't think of any I've hated less, anyway. Maybe the one with the pyramid and tiny zombies. [If she'd gotten to keep her Coke, that one would have been almost fun. But fucking with her caffeine is unforgivable.]

When "favorite" means "least hated," you know things are kind of messed up.

No shit. Wonderland's kind of fucked up like that. But that's not news.

Guess not. I mean, there are things I like about it here, but in the end, it's not that great.

[She tilts her head curiously.]

What do you like about it?

Well, there's food here. And um. Night time.

[She raises an eyebrow behind her sunglasses.]

You don't have night where you're from?

[As someone whose eyes burn in the light, that sounds miserable.]

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