Thad Hatter's Arc

Chapter 1 of 6

Thad Hatter adjusted his tall black hat and grinned at the empty table before him. One day, this table would hold the most spectacular eternal tea party in all of Demented Dreamland. Teacups would never run dry. Cakes would tower to the sky. Laughter would echo forever. But first, he needed the perfect place. Thad walked through the twisted paths of Demented Dreamland, his mismatched eyes scanning every corner. Nothing felt right. Too dark here. Too cramped there. Then he saw it—a teahouse with walls made entirely of glass. The metal framework twisted in ornate patterns. Teacups floated inside, drifting through the air like bubbles. White, magenta, gold, and indigo colors swirled across every surface. Thad's grin grew wider. He pushed open the door and stepped inside. The floating teacups spun around him in greeting. This was it. This was where his eternal tea party would live forever. Now he needed guests. Thad found a newsstand near the teahouse, its dark indigo metal frame bent at odd angles. Stacks of papers in white and magenta covered every shelf. He grabbed a pen and scribbled invitations on each page. "Come to the Greatest Tea Party Ever!" he wrote in big letters. "Free cake! Free tea! Forever!" He placed the papers back on the stand where everyone could see them. Back at the teahouse, Thad spotted four musicians standing by the entrance. They wore twisted clothes in gold, white, indigo, and magenta. Each held a different instrument. A violin. A flute. A drum. An accordion. "Play for my party," Thad said. They nodded and began to play. The music drifted through the glass walls, sweet and strange. Thad stepped inside his teahouse and sat at the table. The floating teacups circled above him. The music played outside. Soon, guests would arrive. His dream was beginning.