“When… did I… get here?” Isabell muttered with her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Just a moment ago, she was looking over her shoulder, paranoid that the Rabbit-Man was going to catch up to her. He had chased her with a large syringe full of a mysterious Gotham green liquid. The difference between them was that he had chased with calculation and purpose, but she ran with chaos and fear. He knew where he wanted her and he was going to lead her there. Her chest heaved with exhaustion while he barely seemed fazed. With her eyes filled with tears, she couldn’t see where she was going and tripped. She fell into what felt like an endless rabbit hole. The fall wasn’t harsh and quick, but it lulled her to sleep. When she awoke, she found herself in a long, mysterious corridor.

To her left, she saw an old, rotten sign that read, “213 locked doors, which will you choose?” She picked up the key and slowly, cautiously, walked down the corridor. It was fairly dark, and she could barely see five doors down. There were spiderwebs and mold everywhere, and a strong smell of rust. She winced as she walked barefoot on broken glass. She swore she had shoes in the forest. She was wearing an entirely different outfit. In the forest, she was wearing a soft, pale pink sweater with dark blue jeans and grey tennis shoes. Now she was wearing a grey, ragged, old shirt, and equally old and ragged shorts. With this realization, she began shivering violently from the cold.

Isabell looked at the doors and some were different than others. Some were black and some were gray. The paint was peeling off, and the wooden doors were warped from the moisture in the air. Strangely enough, the handles looked brand-new, as if they had never been used. It was hard to choose, but one door caught her eye. It was different from all of them. It was begging for her to open it, for her to turn the handle. It was engraved, unlike the other plain doors. It had a design that seemed like a reversed temperance, similar to that on a tarot card. The paint was dull, and most of it was chipped off. The door knob looked like it was from the Victorian Era and was rusted. She gave in to its calls and opened it. There was a blinding light, it was like looking straight into the sun.  

She opened her eyes and found herself stuck sitting at a dining room table. Food was plated on fancy silver dishes that sat on top of a floral-patterned tablecloth that felt like soft cotton. The chairs were uncomfortable, white wooden seats. The walls were a soft hue of yellow and had a checkered pattern. There was a wooden glass cabinet full of fancy china, and to her right was a grandfather clock. Above the head of the table on the wall, hung a black and white family picture with faces scribbled out. The grandfather clock chimed loudly, and it frightened her. A family of rabbit-headed people came from behind her. There seemed to be three kids, a mother, and father. They sat down in an automated fashion. Everyone, including her, grabbed hands in silent prayer. Afterward, the family dished out and grabbed food. When they were finished, they all looked at her expectantly. She got the hint and grabbed her food. She was the only one eating as they continued to stare at her. The food tasted dry and earthy, almost like dirt. Soon she began to feel dizzy and nauseous. 

“What… what is going on?! What is happening, please?” She begged them to answer her, to explain what was happening to her.

“Shh! Quiet, you’ll ruin the fun!” the mother, who was at the head of the table, hushed aggressively. They watched her head hit the table unconscious.

She was running through the forest again. That rabbit man was chasing her too. This time, she was in a floral dress and he was walking. She tried to run faster, but it felt that no matter how fast she went, he would always catch up. She could feel the harsh forest floor against her feet when she ran. He was silent like last time. Though something seemed off, she just didn’t know what it was. She was crying again. Why does she always cry? Was it because she didn’t know why this is happening? She doesn’t remember anything before the first chase. Her brain couldn’t fathom why this was happening to her and only her. Now that she thinks about it, there were no ‘normal’ people here. Then again, she doesn’t know if there were other regular people before this. The only thing she remembers is her name, Isabell. At least, she thinks that is her name, but she can’t be sure. She knows what changed now. This isn’t real. None of this is. She isn’t crying anymore and is no longer running. She turned around and looked at the Rabbit-Man and all he did was smile.

“You aren’t real. None of this is,” She whispered to him in realization. 

“I know,” he whispered back. He knew this all along. He knew this, and he didn’t tell her. She blinked and she found herself in the city surrounded by busy streets and sidewalks. She looked around and saw her face on big screens saying, “Caution, extremely dangerous.” She looked around and could see people looking at her with fear and disgust. Suddenly, someone tackled her, it was a police officer. She screamed for help from the growing crowd. The officer says something, but it seems far off and distant. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees something. A man there is… smiling. Her eyes widened in fear. She feels a poke in her thigh and everything goes pitch-black.

“How is Charlotte?” 

“She’s been mumbling for hours.” 

“Whatever her delusion was, it had shaken her this time,” the doctors walk out leaving their clipboards with papers named, “Rogue’s Mental Institution.”

“It’s the Rabbit-Man. The Rabbit-Man. The Rabbit-Man,” She kept mumbling, rocking back and forth with her knees against her chest.