Hookah smoking caterpill.., p.1
Hookah Smoking Caterpillar, page 1
Hookah Smoking Caterpillar
BEATRIX HOLLOW
Copyright © 2023 by Beatrix Hollow
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover art by Kira Night.
Created with Vellum
Contents
Preface
Playlist
1. Alice
2. Alice
3. Alice
4. Shaheen
5. Alice
6. Alice
7. Shaheen
8. Alice
9. Cheshire
10. Alice
11. Alice
12. Cheshire
13. Alice
14. Alice
15. Alice
16. Shaheen
17. Alice
18. Cheshire
19. Alice
Epilogue
Also by Beatrix Hollow
About the Author
Preface
A thorough list of the content can be found at my website here: http://beatrixhollow.com
Blurb:
I’m falling down the rabbit hole into Cheshire’s Den of Debauchery.
I’m obsessed with my deviant desires and only one thing can bring me satisfaction—Caterpillar. Whether by luck or misfortune, he can be bought. I only need to make a deal with Cheshire...and his deals have the tendency to go sideways.
They say curiosity killed the cat but I’m the one in trouble. I was the canary in his jaws the moment I stepped into his lair.
And I just keep falling. Falling for them and falling to the bottom of Wonderland where the truth of my past lurks in the murky depths.
Wonderland bites and I fear I’ve been infected.
Author Note: This is a monster retelling of Alice in Wonderland and is an extended version of the short story by the same title in the Into the Woods Anthology published April 2022.
Playlist
Spotify Playlist
Alice in Wonderland - Joanna Wang
Funnel of Love - SQÜRL, Madeline Follin
Mad Hatter - Melanie Martinez
Because We Can (From “Moulin Rouge” Soundtrack) - Fatboy Slim
Cake - Melanie Martinez
High Enough - K. Flay
Colors Pt. II - Halsey
Like Lovers Do - Hey Violet
Pity Party - Melanie Martinez
Wonderland - Neoni
Hypnotic - Zella Day
Where is My Mind? - Tkay Maidza
Hindi Sad Diamonds - Alka Yagnik, John Leguizamo, and Nicole Kidman
Once Upon A Dream - Lana Del Ray
All The Things She Said - Poppy
The Contortionist - Melanie Martinez
White Rabbit - Emiliana Torrini
Fallen Down (Reprise) - Toby Fox
Chapter 1
Alice
Cheshire’s Den of Debauchery stood in front of me as I clutched my purse full of banknotes. I gazed eagerly at the dark building lurking in the murky depths of Wonderland. The door had a black and white spiral on it as if you were about to walk into an endless tunnel. Above the door was a likeness of the owner. A big mouth smiling from a devious cat face.
The eyes on the doorway statue followed me as I approached and when I reached for the handle the smile grew almost grotesquely wide as if it were reacting to its own hilarious joke. It was as if it was sentient—Cheshire’s mute gargoyle doppelganger watching as you bid morals goodbye and stepped inside.
I swallowed and started to reconsider. I could still turn around. I looked at the monstrous mushrooms behind me, glowing with green and blue bioluminescence and thrusting upward to staggering heights. The forest of Wonderland was unnaturally quiet.
If I went home now, my mind would return to this spiral door and what lay behind it…him. The one person who could satisfy my desires. The man that had become my lust-fueled obsession.
I was twenty-six and desperate for satisfaction. Desperate for him. I’d tried all other avenues to satiate this need inside me and all had failed. Being insatiable made me ravenous. I couldn’t live with this unmet demand inside me any longer. It was making me single-focused, every moment preoccupied with him.
With Caterpillar.
I barely brushed the door and it swung open invitingly, all too happy to accept me inside. Once again, I was falling down a hole in Wonderland. It was a small comfort that this hole was merely metaphorical.
Stuffy warmth embraced me as I stepped into the den. The sounds of middle eastern music emanated from every corner—the twang of a lute being strummed, the fast-paced notes of a dulcimer’s strings being hammered with little mallets, a woman with a collection of hand drums. She tapped and smacked the surface of her current drum of choice, her body undulating rhythmically to the beat.
A robust woman swathed in translucent red fabric danced languidly in front of the band—her hips fast and smooth as they swayed back and forth, her belly and feet on full display, her head flung back and eyes closed as the music moved her.
One breast shifted free from the fabric and she made no move to hide herself. I found myself gawking at the pebbled nipple as it seemed to stare back, a lidless eye jiggling as the bangles on her wrists jangled. The round metal sewn into the fabric of her outfit clashed together like tiny tambourines.
There was a light haze in the air, smoke rolling against the low ceiling. The sound of bubbling hookahs rumbled softly beneath the instruments as if it were part of the song. It was a very intimate place, smaller than I had imagined but there were hallways and doors that led to unknown rooms. A smell of incense and herbs, of dried flowers, and something subtly sinister persuasively purred within my nostrils.
Immediately I tried to seek out Caterpillar, my eyes quickly scanning the bed-like booths of bodies moving against one another. My face heated but still, I looked for him, boldly peering at open displays of sex like I’d never seen.
“Alice,” a smooth voice said. Cheshire always sounded entertained. “What brings you to my establishment?” On the bar counter to my left, glowing green eyes and a wide smile appeared before the rest of his cat body slowly came into view.
“Is that sanitary, an animal atop the bar?” I asked. To this, Cheshire laughed in delight. I only gave him an attitude because he expected and enjoyed it from me. Our first meeting was when I’d accidentally stumbled in Wonderland as a mere wisp of a girl. I was confused, scared, and frustrated with the denizens—lost in a strange land with inhuman things and peculiar logic. Cheshire had still managed to be the odd one in a world of oddities.
I hadn’t met Caterpillar back then, despite seeming to meet most everyone else. He was still just a dream in my head—a fantasy crafted from the stories I’d heard and one picture I’d bought from Mad Hatter this past year.
“Tell me, Alice. What led you here? Are you once again trudging down paths to which you know not the destination? Need some guidance?” He asked playfully, batting long lashes that framed his large sparkling emerald eyes.
“I know the destination,” I mumbled, my willingness to banter drying up as things came to a head. He softly padded closer, moving across the bar until we were only inches apart.
“Oh,” he said in mock surprise. Everything was a mockery to Cheshire. “And what is your destination?” Was purred intimately in my ear. The brush of fur pressed into my arm as the music and smells swarmed. Bodies writhed in my periphery. I swallowed, overwhelmed and a fish out of water. My eyes danced over the glass bottles behind the bar but I didn’t want the false courage that drink offered. I wanted to be as clear-headed as possible for the momentous approaching moment.
First though, I had to lay my peculiar desires on the table for others to see. No one ever understood and some even thought me vile for it. What type of woman sought out the whispery tender touch of bugs?
Plus, Cheshire wasn’t one to confide in. He loved to discover someone’s weakness and find ways to make it benefit himself. Well, I supposed I’d make that part easy on him. A quick exchange of money would be nearly painless.
“I would like to purchase someone’s time,” I said as Cheshire finished rubbing against my arm. The permanent smile on his face grew.
“Hungry for something of mine, Alice?” He teased.
“Do you want my money or not?” I asked in indignation. “Maybe I should just leave,” I looked at the shadowy entrance where the door hid.
“Don’t be brash. You haven’t even told me if someone is somebody or anybody.“ Always with his playful speech.
“Caterpillar,” I whispered, my face hot. Sweet-smelling smoke from other patrons went into my throat, making me cough.
“Hmm, what was that?” Cheshire asked with wide eyes. I couldn’t tell if he was toying with me or genuinely didn’t hear. Attempting to discern when Cheshire was serious was a fool’s errand. He wasn’t even serious when he was serious.
“Caterpillar,” I said as I finished clearing my throat.
“Oh my,” Cheshire said as if scandalised. “You’re in luck though. Shaheen is currently free. However, he’s only free because he sent the last customer away before anything ever happened. He might do the same to you.” Large, green cat eyes peered unblinkingly into my own.
“What do you mean?” I asked. Caterpillar’s name rolled over in my mi nd—Shaheen. I hadn’t known it. Most everyone just called him Caterpillar.
“He’s pompous and narcissistic. Some people like that though. Is that what you like, Alice? Or is there something else about Caterpillar that makes you wet?”
“That’s none of your business,” I said in offence, my face hot. Perhaps it was ridiculous to be offended by a crass statement in a place like this. I wasn’t sure. “What do you mean he sent the last customer away? I plan to pay…”
“Yes, you will pay and there are no refunds,” Cheshire laughed. “So if he thinks you’re unworthy then you’ll toddle away unsatisfied and with much less money.”
“How much less?” I asked, wondering if this was really my best option. A paper appeared from the smoke above my head and flitted down towards my waiting fingers. A number was written on it that made me cringe. I’d brought exactly that much but had hoped to only use a percentage. I had to wonder if Cheshire had a way of knowing exactly what I had on hand so he could demand all of it.
“Maybe someone else will do? I mean, if he’s too expensive,” Cheshire said, his voice cloying. He was searching for more information. I shot him an annoyed look and pinched open my clutch. Cheshire gave me a small laugh, knowing full well I was avoiding giving him answers but giving him answers all the same. Yes, Caterpillar was too much. And no, no one else would do.
“Here,” I said, pressing a neat pile of banknotes on the counter, then sliding the stack toward Cheshire. My family would be shamed if anyone found out I was in a place like this. Society would thrust us out in the cold. Those concerns had a way of feeling unimportant while in Wonderland. It’s not as if normal people were aware of this world nor this devious den inside it. Only people more than a little mad could find themselves here. And most often, they never found their way back out.
However, if there was a way the entire world would find out, I’d still be here paying the devil for a taste of Caterpillar. My mind filled with the image of him and I grew impatient, my fingers shaking a little in anticipation. My thighs pressed tight together, an attempt to control the excitement I felt rising between them.
A blue-grey paw pressed on the top of the banknotes, claws coming out a half-inch to scrape across the paper. Cheshire smiled—as always.
“Through the curtain and down the hall. Good luck.” I nodded and swept my eyes around the room. A few of the workers were looking me over. The patrons were much too engrossed in their own desires being met. In darkened booths, I saw bodies sliding against one another. In others I saw men and women in a slumber, long pipes still clutched in their sleeping hands.
The music seemed louder as I finished my talk with Cheshire. I walked across the room, ignoring the burn in my cheeks as I moved towards the beaded curtain. I pushed past it, the wooden beads brushing together quietly. There was no light in the hallway, just the glowing remains from the other rooms filtering through the curtain.
Two green eyes appeared on a ledge against the hallway wall, a striking image in the shadows. Cheshire was back for another last word. He always loved to leave everyone reeling as a final send-off.
“Formicophilia,” he purred and I inhaled sharply. Of course I knew the word for what I had–bug lover. I’d searched for many things on the subject. “Many people come for Caterpillar but none so far for that. What a novelty you are Alice. Usually, it's his other attributes that drag in people to give the bug a try. But you’ve been dragged in because he is a bug,” he broke off in laughter, highly entertained with my desires.
“You don’t know anything,” I said angrily, stomping forward.
“There’s no hiding what you want. Not from me.” How he knew was beyond me. Cheshire had many tricks and many little birdies who loved to talk. Mad Hatter could have told him. I stopped walking and swallowed, choosing to remain silent. If I kept talking, Cheshire would just keep talking. He always needed the last word.
“Have fun,” he crooned knowingly, his voice fading as the glow of his eyes did as well. The smile was the last to go. I blew out a breath, feeling the burn of embarrassment on my cheeks.
“Who cares if a cat knows anyway,” I grumbled, walking forward. Of course, that cat clutched the puppet strings of Wonderland these days.
Chapter 2
Alice
Thick red fabric covered the entrance to Caterpillar’s room. I stood in front of it for a moment, taking a deep breath and trying to calm myself down. The object of my lustful obsession was just beyond the curtain. I was nervous, excited, concerned. I swallowed my emotions and pushed through the barrier into his room.
There were draped fabrics, plentiful cushions, rugs, and beautiful glass lanterns just like the main room. However, there were also the mushrooms from the forest, growing right from the floor and glowing their blues and greens, offsetting the rich reds in which the room was decorated.
In the farthest corner, I saw shadows and smoke. I heard the gentle bubbling of water as a hookah was sucked. More smoke billowed out from the cloud.
He was here. I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking now, couldn’t stop my heart from rapidly pounding in my chest. I thought of all the nights I’d used the idea of him to find my pleasure. I thought of the hundreds of times my feverish fingers brushed over his picture before hiding it away. I was overwhelmed with conflict. Either he would be everything I dreamed of, or I would discover I’d dreamed of something too good to be true.
Slowly, I moved towards him, shuffling silently. This room was hazier than the one up front, wisps of smoke giving a dream-like quality to the space. The dim lighting and bioluminescent mushrooms didn’t help that feeling. I started to wonder if I’d eventually look back at my memories of this room and question if it had been just another dream.
I heard the water in the hookah softly purr once again. Smoke rings shot out from the space where Caterpillar sat, one after another they briefly danced before dissipating into the underlying haze. Red curtains were pulled to the side of the grand canopy bed he lounged in.
“Hello,” I called, wondering if he even realised I was here. New smoke rings flew through the centre of older ones until finally, the procession stopped.
“Who… are… you?” From a curtain of smoke, his measured words dripped in disdain. Two all-black eyes pierced me through the fog, looking me over as if I was unworthy of his time despite paying an arm and a leg to have it…to have him.
He held off smoking as he awaited my answer. The smoke around him slowly shifted away, parting as he leaned forward to get a better look at me. I held my breath as he started to come in view.
His eyes were large and all-black, he had two antennae that came from his forehead like horns. His face was beautiful—pouty, downturned lips that curled slightly in distaste as he eyed me, thin eyebrows that curved in judgement, angular high cheeks, and dark hair someone had braided with silk strings of gold.
He had on a white robe with gold detailing on the edges. It was open wide, a tan chest on display. His four arms pulled my attention. Two of his arms pressed into the bed as he sat up and leaned forward. His third arm gripped the hookah hose, holding it loosely to the side. His fourth arm reached for a glass. I watched as he removed an absinthe spoon from the top before plucking the cloudy, green drink up and bringing it to his mouth.
Golden bangles decorated each of his four human arms and a red silk scarf was draped around his throat. Gold earrings dangled from his ears. He blinked down at me, his thick black eyelashes flirty despite his obvious displeasure of my presence.
