Daughter

Chapter 2

     The silent table now bustled with laughter and accents of many kinds. "What d'you mean there isn'n any rum?" A man called from the side of the table in a slurred voice. He sat back, balanced in his chair with one foot against the side of the table. "Must you really carry such an inconsiderate poster?" Barnabas snapped towards the man. "Ey, who gave you the right to criticize vampire?" The man snapped back with a slight roll of his eyes. "Watch your tongue pirate, or I may just..." before Barnabas could finish his threat another voice called from the table interrupting the bickering. "Barnabas, Jack, do I really have to ask you to stop this nonsense?" This voice was high higher pitched than the others. This whole interaction caused Hatter to erupt with laughter, rolling back in his seat with his finger pointed to the pirate. Jack turned his head to the hatter with a scowl as he sat up placing his elbows on the table. The man sitting next to him quickly put his hand out in front of Jack's chest, stopping him from standing. "Please Jack." He insisted, eyeing the pirate to sit down. Jack reluctantly sat with a thump, pouting at the parenting he was receiving. "Thank you!" The high pitched voice called to the man in annoyance. "Of course." The man spoke back. Hatter, heaving from his episode of laughter, poured himself another cup of overflowing tea that leaked out onto the white cloth.

At the table were seated seven men, five of which chattered away in nonsense, the other two distracted by their own thoughts. At the head of the table sat Hatter. A man in the profession of making hats that had simply lost his marbles to mercury poisoning. Next to him, the high pitched man that went by the name Willy Wonka. He wore a long, maroon, velvet coat over a black vest, as he accessorized with a small black top hat upon his brown bobbed hair and a walking cane filled with small candies. He was a famous chocolatier that owned the largest candy factory in the world. Next to him sat Barnabas. A Victorian vampire that was buried for many years, just to be dug up in an era he didn't quite understand. The man sitting next to him had disheveled black hair and a black, leather body suit with various buckles and straps. His face, which bared many scars, moved with his eyes as he watched each person speak, silent as ever. He also had little food in front of him, which looked to be untouched, as he struggled to eat anything because of the large scissors he had attached to his fingers for hands. His name was Edward Scissorhands. Across from Edward sat Jack, the obnoxious, drunk pirate that swung his arms about in conversation. Next to the drunkard, sat Ichabod Crane. A man wearing a simple black vest, with matching pants, over a ruffled cream colored shirt. His hair was simple, fluffy and dark brown as it was slightly slicked away from his face. He looked the most normal out of the whole table, but he mind certainly buzzed just as crazy as the rest of them. Next to that brilliant mind sat a man with frazzled, black hair baring a single silver stripe from his roots to the back of his head. His dark eyes and pale face made him look almost dead and exhausted. He wore similar clothes to Ichabod, instead with a belt around his waist that had several loops to hold razors. His name was Sweeney Todd, a demon barber. He stared at the table in silence as he fiddled with his tea cup before him.

Lifting his cup, Hatter stood from his chair, sending the tea sloshing over the cup and down his hands with a smile. "I declare to make a toast!" He announced with pride. For once, the table fell silent in unison. The only time that all seven men agreed to peacefully remain silent like ducklings listening to their mother, was during a toast. They watched wide eyed, all except for Sweeney, at the hatter who seemed to poke out above the others with his obnoxiously large hat. He opened his mouth with the corners of his lips being pulled into a crescent smile before holding his breath in thought. His eyes wandered beyond the table into the forest as his smirk faded. His brows began to furrow and he jaw snapped shut. Sending his cup down into its saucer quickly, Hatter placed his hands upon the table firmly, peering over the corner of nearby trees. His eyes darkened with various shades of grey as his eyes grew fluorescent orange like raging flames. The other members quickly noticed Hatter's change in persona as their heads shot in every direction, unsure of his trigger. "Who goes there?" Hatter called out in a thick, rumbly, Scottish accent. Everyone's eyes followed Hatter's booming voice as if it lead a direct trail to a possible threat.

Just then, a fluffy critter materialized resting upon one of the visible tree branches. "Now, now.." it began with a cat like purr. "No need to get all worked up." Hatter dropped his anger like a stone off a bridge as his colors blossomed across his face once more. A grey exotic cat, stripped with turquoise, rested upon a branch with a ghostly yet charming smile. Above that haunting smile laid two deep set, round, turquoise eyes with ever so defined pupils. "Ah, 'twas only a cat!" Boasted Jack as he flung himself back in his chair. Hatter watched Jack with a frown before turning back to the cat. "Cheshire, what brings you here today?" His eyes suddenly snapped to the table, then to the cat with a wild smile. "Would you care to join us for tea?" His eyes widened as innocence draped his face, making him look like a begging puppy. Cheshire shook his head with an empathetic look. "Oh no dear friend, I haven't come for merry play." Hatter's lips pursed into a childish frown. "There's always time for tea! Why don't you grab a chair? We have..." His sputtering words were cut off by the quietest one of the table. Sweeney scoffed at Hatter's immature behavior, as his babbling was silenced. Hatter shot a glance to Sweeney, but was quickly turned away from the spine shivering shadows that lurked behind his eyes.

Cheshire turned on his back as he drifted off the branch like a snake riding a cloud. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I come bringing your belated guest." He let out a large, slivered grin, showing perfect, small razored teeth. Wonka was seen pointing his finger around the table counting the heads. All seven guests seem to have already arrived. He shook his head and counted again, only to get the same results. Ichabod raised his head to the fantasy like cat, gliding through the air gently. "Another guest? This party is only for seven. I don't know if you can count, but there are seven already here." He stated firmly, keeping his eyes locked. Cheshire pulled his head back in offense. "You don't know if I can count?" He mocked. "I may be a cat but I do not have a simplistic, domestic mind, human." The cat spun in the air, twirling his claws in the light. Slightly afraid, Ichabod dropped his head back to the table.

Getting to the point, Barnabas raised his hand in question. "To whom is the person you speak of?" He asked, watching the cat with little shock as Cheshire was no surprise to him. The cat angled his body to the vampire as he smiled. "Some girl." He purred. Eyes glanced between one another at the table in confusion. Jack shot up from his seat as he turned to the cat to reject any further reasoning, but before he could, he was stopped dead in his tracks by the sight of a young girl, standing at the mouth of the forest.