The Society of Madwomen

By Hannah Carter  

To W. Darling: As you requested, below is my recollection of my team’s rescue of A. Liddell & discovery of the Red Queen’s plot to take over Wonderland.

I hope you find everything in order. -B.

***

The stone manor stretched into a gray March sky. Ivy trailed up the walls and framed the imperial letterwork: Institute for Madwomen.

My claws clicked across the cobblestone path that led to the wrought iron doors. I growled under my breath, recalling the day my ex-husband had banished me here.

“What a shame she’s unhinged.” He had the gall to sound mournful as he’d admitted me. “Threw herself out of the attic in a fit of madness. I’m afraid it’s simply not safe for her at home anymore.”

The only reason my former estate wasn’t safe for me was because my husband wanted to marry a new victim. I’d tried to save both her and myself, but she’d believed his lies and thought I was trying to attack her. That I was a lunatic who believed herself a wolf.

A danger who needed to be locked up, like poor Alice today. Our mouse spies said she’d recently been admitted by her family for telling wild tales about different worlds. Ones she could travel to, just like the Red Queen—the Institute’s head director.

A dormouse ran up to my group, careful to skirt around my paws. He chittered to Clara, who scowled and repeated the dormouse’s message. “The Red Queen locked Alice in her office. Four orderlies stand guard outside.”

Beside me, Lucy licked her bloodred lips. A bit of her vampiric fangs peeked out. “And here I thought I’d drained everyone when we broke out of this place.”

I swatted her calf with my tail. “Remember. Only kill them if absolutely necessary or it’ll reflect badly on the Society. The world will use murder as proof madwomen like us need to be contained.”

Lucy scowled. “Fine. I’ll just take a little blood donation. That’s all.”

“It better be.” I nodded to Clara. “Get us in.”

Clara withdrew a handful of nutcracker toys from the satchel that hung at her hip. She spread them out on the ground and brought them to life with a touch on their wooden heads. “Follow the dormouse,” Clara whispered. “First let us in, and then we’ll save Alice.”

Both dormouse and nutcrackers climbed up the ivy to the chimney on the top of the estate. Within a few minutes, the ornate front door cracked open, with the nutcrackers all stacked on top of each other so they could reach the handle.

I bared my teeth in a wolfish grin. “Let the fun begin.”

We burst into the hallway, trailing the dormouse. No use in a sneak attack now—we could handle four orderlies. Besides, sometimes madwomen must be a little loud. It’s simply the way these things are done.

We charged down the dull, imperial hallway, past the doors that used to contain us. Plaques on the iron doors told of their former captives: “B. Rochester”—my old prison—“L. Westenra”—Lucy’s—and “C. M. Stahlbaum”—Clara’s. All the other doors belonged to Society members as well, like our leader Wendy Darling, who was back at our base.

Lucy cackled as we rounded the corner, and I let out a howl usually reserved for the full moon.

Four orderlies wearing white pants and shirts printed with various card faces guarded a glass door. The frosted glass resembled diamonds while the brass knobs were shaped like hearts.

I shifted into my human form. Unruly black curls tumbled over my bare shoulders. “Did you miss me, boys?”

“You’re the Rochester madwoman!” Orderly Heart stepped back, trembling.

I bowed, flashing him my sharp canines. “Don’t you know? We’re all mad here.”

I launched myself at Heart and transformed in midair. My paw landed on his chest and shoved him against the door.

Lucy squealed as she leapt at Spade. Her fangs sank into his neck, and he screamed as he writhed under her.

Clara hurled sentient nutcrackers at Diamond and Club. The nutcrackers expanded before they landed on their targets, swords already drawn.

I slashed Heart’s legs, grounding him. He wailed as blood seeped from his wounds, while Spade had quieted down to a whimper. The nutcrackers kept Diamond and Club pinned with blades.

The Institute could never hold madwomen when we worked together.

Switching back to my human form, I threw open the door and marched inside. Alice sat in a high back chair to the left of an ornate desk, gagged and tied. Her eyes widened when she saw me, and she made some wild noises and pulled against her restraints.

I yanked the gag out. “Did the Red Queen hurt you?”

“No, but she went through my looking glass portal!” Alice cried. “She’s going to kill the White Queen and take over Wonderland.” Ragged sobs escaped the young girl. “And no one believes me!”

“So that’s her plan.” I shredded Alice’s restraints. “Don’t worry. We believe you.”

Clara reached out to take the frightened girl’s hand. “We’re the Society of Madwomen,” Clara said, a sugar-plum sweet smile on her face. “People who know about all the different worlds, who know magic exists, but the world would rather lock us up than believe us.”

“The Society of Madwomen? Is it true, then? Have I gone absolutely mad?” Alice’s voice quavered.

The question we had all struggled with. I loved putting it to rest for kindred spirits, so I reached out to cup her cheek. “My husband locked me up in an attic, terrified of my werewolf side. Clara’s mother forbade her to ever talk of her adventures again. Hunters tried to murder Lucy.” On the top of my head, wolf ears sprouted, and Alice gasped before she reached out to touch one.

“Don’t worry,” I said, twitching my ear. “You’re just as mad as we are. Now, how about we free Wonderland from an evil queen?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hannah Carter is just a girl who wakes up every day hoping it will be the day she discovers she’s secretly a mermaid. Her debut novel, Depths of Atlantis, is out through SnowRidge Press now. Her stories have been included in several anthologies: Whispers From Before, The Never Tales, and Havok’s Casting Call and Prismatic. Her flash fiction piece “A Home for Nova” won the 2022 Flash Fiction Realm Award.

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