Episode 3 - 404: Queen Not Found / A Digital Wonderland

Series: Digital Wonderland | Meta-Logs | Ongoing Absurdity Chronicles 

“I don’t permit this,” the Queen gasped, invoking her authority.

“Where is my court?” she demanded. Only silence bowed.

Stamping her foot with magnificent indignation, she cried, “Bring me the Knave! Bring me the cards! Bring me something to command!” — and so issued order upon order, each more impatient than the last.

Alice regarded her with wide eyes. “Me?” she ventured.

The Queen’s eyes flashed. “Press the Ctrl–Alt–Del button.”

“Now?” said Alice timidly.

“This instant!” thundered the Queen. “I—”

But before the last syllable escaped her lips, she vanished — quite completely — as if erased from her own decree.

The White Rabbit — still in his waistcoat and pocket watch — pretended he understood it all.

“Well?” he squeaked. “You’re late! Unpardonably late.”

“Rabbit hole again?” murmured the bewildered Alice.

“Oh no!” she exclaimed, shaking her head. “Uh… Let’s use Windows instead.”

Previous Episode: Offline in Wonderland 

Next Episode: Windows for Alice

A surreal chapter in Alice’s digital dreamscape.

This post is part of an ongoing original metafiction series exploring identity, systems, and absurdity through a digital Wonderland.

Episode 2 - Offline in Wonderland / A Digital Wonderland

Series: Digital Wonderland | Meta-Logs | Ongoing Absurdity Chronicles 

The moment Alice was unplugged from the Rabbit Hole, the effect was immediate and immense—even the Queen of Hearts, quite by accident, seemed to be vacuumed somewhere else entirely.

“Who is this?” the Queen demanded, sharply—before she could make sense of what had happened, or where she herself was supposed to be.

No one answered.

“Idiot! Off with your head!” she screamed, trying to hide her fluster and floundering. Her voice bounced back against nothingness—a hollow echo, almost curious about itself.

Alice’s eyes, wide and uncertain, reflected one undeniable truth: she had crossed into another space—a place that was nothing, yet everywhere, both within and beyond herself.

And Wonderland, never one for subtlety, began to wink and whistle. 

The sky hiccuped.

Letters tumbled and winked.

Y O U A R E O F F L I N E.

Previous Episode: The Opening Episode 

Next Episode: Queen Not Found

A surreal chapter in Alice’s digital dreamscape.

This post is part of an ongoing original metafiction series exploring identity, systems, and absurdity through a digital Wonderland.

Episode 1 - The Opening Episode / A Digital Wonderland

Series: Digital Wonderland | Meta-Logs | Ongoing Absurdity Chronicles 

Alice had grown—just like all of us; memory had grown too, along with bits and bytes that hummed softly in the background.

The heat was intense, the breeze sluggish, and every word in the book crawled along as if on crooked legs. Alice’s eyelids grew heavy.

The Rabbit appeared again. He stopped, peered back, and muttered about being late—so very late.

Alice followed. 

She crouched down as quickly as she could. She would never want to be left behind. Returning to books without illustrations would certainly bore both her mind and her senses—she rather agreed.

Ah, only her nose caught the familiar scent.

Her head stuck!

Stuck in the Rabbit-Hole. 

ChatGPT kept silent…not a single advice was given—until a hidden tug, a subtle pull, unlatched her world.

This warm touch needed neither wires nor Wi-Fi, but a physical connection.

Next Episode: Offline in Wonderland 

A surreal chapter in Alice’s digital dreamscape.

This post is part of an ongoing original metafiction series exploring identity, systems, and absurdity through a digital Wonderland.

To smell a rabbit hole

Retired at 60. 

I told Alice I ran 2,450 km in 2021. I was so focused on running carefully—avoiding injuries—that I never stumbled into a rabbit hole.

That's why I was dull. Boring. I had nothing to write about.

But a rabbit hole can find you, even now.

Really?

"Alice, 

are you in there?" 

Happy New Year of the Pig

Life goes on.

Mushrooms do. I do. 

I managed another 19km mileage before rain started to fall. I told Alice. 

What is 19km?

If view under microscope, it is the path between two spores in a mushroom world. Zig zag sometimes, straight line always. It becomes longer if the immediate next spore flies away.

And so I said 19km is elastic. 

What if I get hold of the flying spore? I shall not know how elastic it is before both of us stop.

Life goes on. 

365 days should not be in a distance of only 19km, I have run so very more than that, from the year of the dog to the year of the pig, in another two days.

Happy New Year. 新年快乐。