Authors Note: Ooh! Tensions rise! You have no idea how difficult this chapter was to write! I hope you all like it! I love all your comments! Don't hesitate to send more! I really enjoy hearing from you all!
Branches scratched their faces as Hatter led Alice off the path, past trees and other sorts of odd things until they ducked under a brush and waited, their breathing shallow. Seconds turned to minutes as they waited, watching, the sounds of nature around them.
"Do you think that he won't chase after us?" Alice whispered to Hatter, her heart beating so loudly she feared that it echoed off the trees around her.
"Who do you think won't chase after you?" A voice came behind.
"Ahh!" screamed Alice.
"Ahh!" screamed Hatter.
"Ahh!" screamed the two men, both plump and jolly, wearing the same fashion of clothes. Alice swore she was seeing double.
"Who are you?" said Alice, her voice wary.
"Who are you?" The men replied, once again in unison, their voice blending together perfectly.
"We asked you first!" said Hatter, standing over Alice protectively, holding his hat in front of him like a sword.
"I am Dum." One responded, giving a bow.
"I am Dee." The other followed suit, giving the same bow.
"I am Alice." Alice smiled, extending her hand. Dee and Dum looked at it curiously. Alice pulled her hand back. "This is Hatter." Hatter tipped his hat before placing back onto his head once again, where it belonged.
"Who were you running from?" asked Dee, his arm going around Dum.
"Yes, who were you running from?" said Dum.
"None of which is any importance to your two beings," responded Hatter, his voice wary, his eyebrows arched. "We simply needed to get away. Farewell then, Dee and Dum." Hatter and Alice turned and began walking deeper into the woods.
"You mustn't go that way." Said either Dee or Dum, Alice didn't see which.
Hatter turned and looked at the two fellows. "And why is that?" Hatter asked.
"The Queen, she's searching for a girl. A girl named Alice." They responded, eyes overlooking Alice.
"A girl from the outside world, she fell into Wonderland. Supposedly she has something of the Queens that she wants back." Alice's hand shot to her neck, where dangled her necklace. Dee and Dum took a step towards her. "She said anyone that finds her must report to her immediately."
"Well then you had better run along then, shouldn't you?" Hatter's arms slipped around Alice's waist. "My sister, Annie and I, were just heading to Chess Board. I do hope that you won't interrupt us while we enjoy another fine day in the Queen of Hearts lovely Wonderland."
With that, Dee and Dum nodded, giving Alice one more look over, as Hatter and Alice moved quickly in the opposite direction that Dee and Dum had warned then about, not talking until they were out of earshot.
"The Queen is after me? This isn't good!" Alice cried, tugging at her necklace chain. "She's going to kill me!"
"Not if the Queen doesn't find you! We can just simply avoid running into her all together." Hatter soothed, trying to calm Alice down as well as himself.
Alice looked at Hatter and smiled. "Thanks for saving my neck back there. Without you I would've been in the Queen's clutches this very minute. Also from the Tea Shop too. Being in Wonderland, my life is much more dangerous." Hatter turned his head away, blushing.
"Your welcome, Alice." Hatter replied as they stepped onto something slippery and black, them both falling to the ground. Alice looked up to see them standing on a large checkered board, it looking exactly like the chess board at the orphanage; except this one didn't have the chest pieces on it.
"Wow!" Alice exclaimed, gazing at the vast board, finally regaining her balance standing up on the slippery thing. "It's as large as a football field!"
"A football field? What's that?" Questioned Hatter, his brow scrunching up in curiosity.
"Its, just a really big field." Alice tried to explain, without much effort. But still, Hatter nodded and smiled, attempting to understand.
'Ahoy! Ahoy! Check!" cried a voice from far away. Alice glanced to see an odd shaped figure on the other side of the chess board waving his arms frantically, coming closer and closer. The closer he got, the more Alice could make out the shape of a man, clearly an old fellow, riding upon a white horse towards them, his white armor colliding together, the sound of crashing metal. "You're my prisoners!"
