The small girl screamed as she fell, deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. She barely missed the random objects, such as a grand piano and the odd bookshelf or chess set, which were floating and flying around her.
When she finally hit the floor (the correct one this time, for she had already landed on the ceiling, which had not proved to be a very good floor) she stood up to realise she was in a room filled with doors. In the middle of the strange room, there was a glass table with a bottle, labelled 'Drink Me'.
'A rabbit hole that leads to a room of doors?' Minnie spoke aloud 'Perhaps that counts as three?'
She moved over to the table and picked up the bottle. She looked at it. It looks rather appetizing, silver with dashes of colour. It was then she noticed the key.
Her small face lit up. Seizing the key, she placed the bottle back on the table and ran to the nearest door.
Too big
And the next door, too big
And the next
And the next
And then... a perfect fit.
Minnie smiled to herself as she pushed open the door. A blinding beam of light came through, and the girl could see the outlines of trees and flowers. However, it was then she discovered the next problem. The key fitted perfectly. It was now her that was wrongly sized.
She glanced back at the table, and leaving the key where it was, she returned to the bottle.
'Do I drink the liquid then? Oh Minnie! Listen to you! Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness you know!" She giggled "although, all the best people are!"
She sighed, and deciding that she really had nothing to lose (it was a dream after all) she drank from the bottle.
She soon regretted it, as the liquid turned out to be foul and slithered down her throat like slime. Then, much to her surprise, she began to shrink.
She let out a giggle as the table began to tower above her. This must be a dream she thought.
"Four, a drink that can make you shrink" she laughed aloud again "I do believe I've made a rhyme!"
The child picked herself up from inside her now over sized dress, and wrapped her body up in the ribbon she used in her hair. Once she was sure, her 'dress' would hold she made her way over to the door. And once again, placing the key in the lock, she smiled as the door clicked open to reveal a brand new world.
She gingerly stepped out of the room, which disappeared immediately, leaving behind only the door. There was a brick path leading into the distance, with towering trees and flowers all around. Something buzzed in front of her. She smiled again.
"A rocking horse fly!" she said, reaching up to touch it. It buzzed away. "Curiouser and curiouser." She said. "Well, I guess that number five! A world beyond the rabbit hole –"
"Excuse me, but what's that you're saying?"
The little girl squeaked in surprise, and turned to see a tall man, a very tall man in fact, in red armour looking at her.
"I... I'm thinking of six impossible things, you see-"
Once again, the man cut her off. Very rude she thought.
"Hmm? Well that sounds very interesting. Now, may I ask your name?"
"Well, it's Minerva, but most people just call me Minnie"
"I see..." did the man sound disappointed? "You don't happen to know someone named Alice, do you?"
"Alice? Kingsley?"
"Yes. Alice Kingsley"
"I do know her! She's my mother you see-"
"Your mother?"
"Yes." Very rude "what's your name Mister?"
"My name... why do you ask?"
"Well, you asked me for my name, so you should tell me yours" Minnie explained the manners of a conversation.
"Yes, that makes sense." My name is Fidelis Altissimus and I am the Ace of Hearts."
"Isn't that a playing card?" Minnie asked
"Enough questions!" He snapped but changed tactics when he saw the hurt look on the child's face. "Uhh... How would you like me to take you to see the Queen? She was a very good friend of your mothers."
"A Queen!" Minnie's face lit up. "Mother never said she was a friend of a Queen!"
"Yes... Well the Queen prefers people to keep quiet about it. You know groupies and such."
"I see... Can we go now?"
"Of course, let us go."
The child grabbed his hand and he grimaced slightly but hid it well and so they began their journey to the Red Palace.
