06/03/2010 19:00:00
Back to Wonderland
Chapter One:
Down, Down, Down.
I stretched to reach yet another book. One of my favorites, actually. It was Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I flexed my fingers to their limit, testing to see if I could reach. I had vowed not to call for Sean or Mia for help. I gritted my teeth, teetering on the top rung of the latter. This is crap! Why did I inherit Mum's genes? Why not Father's? I thought grimly. I lifted a foot off the latter, and then….
I fell.
My fingers grasped for one of the shelves. I was so far up! The library ceiling had only been inches from my head! There was no way to survive this fall. I cast my mind around. This seemed familiar. The dream! I'd been having it since God knows when.
I felt the floor coming up to meet me and I braced myself for impact. I felt the briefest sensation of pain split through my body, then, it was gone. I was still falling.
Books, shoes, hats, gloves, candles, mirrors and many other things came flying past me. I opened my mouth to yell, but closed it quickly. It seemed pointless to scream, what good would it do? I looked down. There was floor! And I was about to hit it!! I braced myself once more, this time I hit. It wasn't that painful, though.
I lay there for a few seconds, eyes closed. I could imagine what my parents would be yelling about now. Alicia! What happened? I thought we told you to let your sister or brother get the top shelf books! James, call the hospital! My poor baby! That would be my mum, always so gushy when things happened.
I slowly opened my eyes. I was in a room, that much was clear, but it wasn't the basement, so I hadn't gone through the floor. It wasn't in the library either, so where?
I sat up. Nothing broken, that was a surprise. I looked around. The floor was black and white tiled. The room was circular with boors all around. There was a curtain, which I supposed was to a window of some sort, across from me. In the center of the room was a table. With a key! I knew where I was, but it wasn't possible. I blinked. This is an illusion brought on by the impact with my head and the floor. Of course it was, what else could it be? I stood, wobbled, and leaned on the table. I looked at the top. The key. Alice took the key in the story and opened a door. Which door? The one behind the curtain, of course. Could it be that easy? I went to the curtain and pulled it open. There was a little door below me. I smiled and turned back to the table to recheck the contents. Yup, there was the bottle. I knew what it would say, too.
I grinned, taking the bottle and popping the cork. Just think! Me, Alicia Kinsley, in Wonderland! Sure, it might all be in my head, a dream of sorts, but it was real to me!
I drank the contents of the bottle. It would shrink me to the proper size to get through the door. I dripped a few drops on my clothes and things, to make sure they would shrink as well. It had never made sense to me how Alice's clothes had shrunk too.
I started shrinking. It was and interesting feeling. It started in my toes and went to my head. Soon, clothes, belongings and myself were the proper size. I went for the key and the door.
It took some strength, but I got the key up and the door unlocked. I pushed it open and took a step out. There were creatures waiting for me.
"See! I told you!" Crowed a mouse. I blinked. Could it be the dormouse? "Alice, welcome!"
"I think you may have me confused. I'm Alicia. Alicia Kingsley." I said apologetically.
"Alicia? But you are a Kingsley, correct?" Asked the mouse worriedly.
"Yes, I am." I pulled on the hem of my T-shirt. "You're the dormouse, right?"
"That is correct. And this is the Rabbit." He gestured to a white rabbit behind him.
"Hello." I said.
"Good day, Alice." Said the rabbit.
"It's Alicia." I corrected.
"Yes, yes." Said the dormouse, "Now, we must be going. The Cheshire Cat is holding court for our next attack on the Black King's palace. Come."
I quickly followed after the dormouse and rabbit. Might as well make the best of things.
"Ches, we don't have that kind of army at hand! The White Queen has refused to support us."
I listened to the argument as we entered the clearing. A boy, no older than me, was standing in a crowd of seated animals. He was facing an enormous cat with glowing green eyes.
"We do have a secret weapon who has just arrived." Said the cat calmly. "Alice, I presume."
"I'm getting tired off being mistaken for Alice. I'm Alicia." I repeated for the millionth time that day.
The boy turned. "Alice? I remember that name. I haven't heard it since my father told me the stories… but you're not Alice."
I shook my head. "It's Alicia, as I said. Who are you?" I asked. There was no point in being shocked with anything.
"Jonathan Hatter." He replied crisply.
"The Hatter?" I asked. Were they all characters from the story?
"No, the Hatter was my father." Jonathan explained. "Alicia, has anyone told you why you're here yet?"
I shook my head. "No, but I did hear 'secret weapon'. Is that it?"
"Yes, that is it." Said the Cat. "You will be with Hatter here, working on fighting skills and battle plans. Here, we must get you the proper size. Hatter, the cake." Jonathan nodded and pulled a piece of cake from his pocket.
"Eat a little, not to much." He advised. I nodded and ate a bit.
The growing sensation was like the shrinking one, only backwards.
I didn't say anything. Just do what you're told. Everything will be fine. This is all in your head. I told myself. Jonathan looked at me. His eyes were so intense it was crazy. He taller than me, but then again, most people are. He had wave light brown hair and high cheekbones. His face was hard and intense, like he'd seen more death and gore then an army of men. His eyes told the same story. They were a light hazel. They looked sad and tired and lonely.
"Alicia, come this way. We'll get you some armor first. I'll explain what's happened to you and to our world." He took my hand and pulled me away from the clearing. His hand was rough and soft at the same time. You could tell he'd been holding a sword all his life by his grip.
"You've always been alone?" I asked quietly.
His eyes hardened. "We have many things to discuss, but my personal life is not one of them. Besides, you're a mere child of fifteen. I myself am almost eighteen. Therefore I am your superior." He stated firmly. End of conversation.