Beatrice DuPont slumped down on the grass. She was tired and hungry and still very annoyed. Maybe getting some sleep would solve at least one of those problems.

“What is it?” a squeaky voice asked.

Beatrice DuPont was prodded sharply awake. “Ouch!”

“It speaks!”

“Yes, I speak! I also hurt!” Beatrice glared around at her offenders, a small group of small children.

“What are you?” the squeaky one demanded.

“I’m Beatrice.”

“What’s a Beatrice?” another asked softly.

“I-I don’t know... Where are you parents?”

“We have none,” yet another child declared proudly.

“Everyone has parents at one time or another.”

“Then this is neither another time nor one,” said the squeaky voice.

“Well, who looks after you?” Beatrice implored, sitting up.

They shrugged. “We look after each other!”

“Who cooks and cleans for you?”

“Food is on the table when we sit down and the house is clean when we wake up!” they explained.

“Someone’s got to be doing all that for you. Stuff like that doesn’t just happen.”

“If somebody does, then they must be invisdable,” a small boy decided.

“Invisible parents… isn’t that every kid’s dream.” Beatrice looked them over. “What are your names?”

“Lezar, Lapina, and Monsho,” introduced the first child.

“What are you children doing in the middle of a war zone?”

“Children!” Lezar repeated indignantly. “We’re not children!”

“Then what are you?”

“I’m adolt!” Monsho proudly declared.

“Are you now?” Beatrice patronized with an amused smile.

“Yes!” he affirmed. “I tie my own shoes and everything!”

“Children can’t tie their own shoes?”

“Well… well, I also can put on my own clothes,” he insisted.

“And also too we can fight in the war if we wanted,” Lapina chimed in.

“Do you want to fight in the war?”

The little girl shook her head shyly.

“But we could if we did!” Lezar maintained squeakily.

“I think it’s silly.” Beatrice stood. “I think you can fight for something without literally having to fight. Though I suppose that only works when reasonable people are involved.”

“Where are you going, Beatrice?” asked Lapina, hugging a plush toy that looked that a fat, green worm.

“Home,” she said firmly.

“Where is your home at?”

“Good question.”

“Do you have a good answer?”

Beatrice sighed in exasperation. “No, I don’t.”

Monsho squinted up at her. “How are you going to go home if you don’t know where it is?”

“Another good question… and no, I don’t know the answer to that one either.”

“We’re good a finding things,” Lezar declared.

“We can help you!” Lapina offered enthusiastically.

“As long as we’re back by dinner,” Monsho amended.

“As much as I’d love to be home soon, I fear it might take longer than by dinner time,” Beatrice frowned.

“Then we better start right away!”

“Where should we start?”

“The Faire!” Lezar suggested.

“Oh, I don’t like it there,” Lapina said nervously.

“Why don’t you like it there? What is it?” Beatrice inquired.

“You’ll see!” Lezar explained without explanation.

 

Beatrice stood at the edge of the fairground with three strange, small children. Music was playing statically over an old PA system rigged around on wooden poles, and lights flickered lazily from various rickety rides.

“Can we ride on the Iron Wheel?” Lapina was clutching Beatrice’s sleeve. “I don’t mind that part.” She led Beatrice to a seat on a metal bench that creaked violently when they sat down. The lap bar was lowered and they lurched forward.

Beatrice let out a sound of anxious uncertainty and grabbed the lab bar tightly. “You don’t mind this?” she muttered to Lapina with a sideways glance as they rose higher into the air.

“Maybe you can see you house from here,” Lapina offered, pointing with her stuffed bug.

“I doubt it,” Beatrice responded dully, but found herself looking anyway.

Once they were back on the ground, Lezar and Monsho were each eating giant, green, candy apples.

“Where did you get those apples?!” Lapina regarded them, wide-eyed.

“The ground,” the boys shrugged, making the girls wrinkle their noses.

Shouting made them all turn their heads towards the source.

“I know you have him! Give him back!” a gruff voice was demanding.

“Where would I have him? In my hat?” replied a much calmer voice in a familiar accent.

Beatrice and the children stepped into a large tent.

“I know you have him!” A man was looking down his very long nose at a familiar face seated on a stool.

“I’m very sorry you’ve misplaced him, but look around and you’ll not see he’s here,” Mad Hat insisted, waving his strong arms around in invitation.

The long nosed man growled and stomped out of the tent, the tails of his checkered coat flapping.

“Who’s missing?” Lapina asked.

“Frère Hare… but he’s not missing, he’s just hiding,” Mad Hat said with a smile and a wink as he took his top hat off with a sweep. A moment later, a fluffy black and white rabbit poked it’s head over the rim.

Lapina crooned and carefully picked him up. She sat with him in her lap along with her toy.

“Enjoying yourself?” Mad Hat directed his question to the two young boys, pointedly not looking at Beatrice.

“We’re looking for a home,” Lezar said between large bites of apple.

“A new one or an old one?”

Monsho shrugged. “Ask her,” he said with his mouth full and indicating Beatrice.

“Ah, I see,” he nodded. “Any luck so far?”

Beatrice shook her head and no one said anything about the angel riding an elephant passing through the room.