Jubilant greenery and scenery lit up the horizon. River stood in the doorway, taking it all in. It was unlike anything she had seen before. She stepped out into the grass, deciding to return to her normal size. The cake tasted like protein soup, but she was correct in her assumption of growth. In her expansion, she toppled head first, into a fast-moving brook. It carried her at an alarming rate, one that she could scarcely keep track of in her brain.
"This is shiny!" a voice exclaimed from somewhere behind her.
She turned to look, inquiring, "Kaylee?"
"Kay wee what?" a tiny mouse giggled. "I ain't ever heard of that before!"
It sounded just like Kaylee. River could swear it was her.
"What brings you here? You're a real beauty, you know. Folk 'round here don't look like you…" the mouse continued.
"Followed a rabbit in a vest. Sounded like my brother. Did you see him?"
"Who? The rabbit or the brother? Or is your brother a rabbit? Or is a rabbit your brother?"
"The rabbit."
The mouse giggled again. "Na. I just got here! But he sounds real shiny."
"My brother or the rabbit?"
"What's the difference?"
"Simon isn't a rabbit."
"But you said he was."
"No I didn't."
"Yes you did."
"No I didn't."
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
Their argument was interrupted by a startling stream of other animals sifting by. Most of them continued downstream without much thought, but one stayed back. It was a large, burly bird. It looked over at the two of them and grunted loudly, "Who's the girl?"
"Don't know. Didn't get her name," the mouse answered.
"Well?" the bird asked.
River's eyelids grew further apart in surprise. "Jayne?"
"What?" the bird laughed. "I ain't no girl. I'm a dodo bird."
She chuckled. Of course a dodo would have Jayne's voice. Things were too weird for her. There were rabbits with Simon's vest, mice with Kaylee's voice, and dodos with…well, that much made sense.
"You didn't answer, girl. What are you?"
"River. Homo sapiens, a mammal—"
"A what? You sure talk fancy!" the mouse commented with a great grin.
"Don't bother askin' her that! We're here already!" the dodo snapped as they rapidly slid onto the shore.
River stood, gazing down at her sopping wet dress. The dodo and mouse were dripping too, but the mouse looked on the bright side, "At least it isn't raining!"
"Do you always have to be so gorram cheerful?" the dodo whined. "We need ta get dry, so I say we have a race!"
"A race sounds like fun!" the mouse agreed.
"Irrelevant. Here for a rabbit," River deadpanned thoughtfully.
"Well, genius, find your own ruttin' way ta dry off then!"
"Be nice! She's new!" the mouse chided. "Let's race! Where to?"
"How's about in a circle?"
River frowned to herself. What was the point of a race in a circle?
"Ready, go!" the mouse cried as she darted around a rock in the sand. The dodo quickly pursued her, cursing about how she cheated.
They ran around and around. River watched them and finally decided it was best to go look for the rabbit again. She left them to their race, and began to meander down the rows and rows of trees.
It almost seemed like they were watching her, bending in the wind to follow her with their gaze. Trees didn't have a gaze, though, she knew. But here, where animals talked like her crew, maybe they did. The shrubbery beneath the branches hissed and sighed like something resided in them. Her feet halted and she snapped a sharp piece of wood from a nearby tree, just in case she needed to kill them.
The first man leapt out into her path. "Looking for someone?"
The second followed suit, "Looking for someone?"
She looked between them, finding little difference in their appearance and voices. However, they were familiar. Then it hit her. "Fanty and Mingo?"
"No, I'm Tweedledee."
"I'm Tweedledum."
"Actually, I'm Tweedledum and he's Tweedledee."
"Am not! You're Tweedledee!"
"Yeah…he's right."
River gave them a quick once-over and skimmed their minds, but nothing was there.
"How would you like to hear a story?" the one called Tweedledum asked, continuing, "Well, it starts out—"
"Wait, she's not Alice…" Tweedledee pointed out.
"What?"
"She's not Alice and the Red King isn't here…"
Tweedledum looked over his shoulder. "Oh, he isn't."
"We went down the rabbit hole and not through the looking glass…again!"
"Well, that's what happens when we get twitchy."
Tweedledee gave River a wry smile. "So long precious."
After he disappeared behind the shrub, Tweedledum mimicked the same wry smile, "So long precious," and vanished.
She took a moment to process the tangent the twins dragged her on, and then continued through the curvy path. The trees started to dwindle, and up ahead was a clearing. Teeth-like edges fenced in a tiny cabin. She felt like she'd seen it somewhere before, or seen it in someone's mind. Cautiously, she approached the gate, unsure of what waited for her beyond the threshold.