I rubbed my scalp as stupid gunman #1 (who's name I now declare to be 'Bob') dropped Violet and me on the floor.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" asked Dodo, raising his eyebrows. "You've brought me two fugitives. Good job. I guess I won't have to feed you to the crocodile."

Bob shuttered.

"You're excused."

Bob scampered out of the room like a rabbit late for tea.

"Hatter and Duchess. How lovely to see you both."

"Humph." Violet and I both grunted at the same time.

"You don't seem at all pleased to see me, do you? Men, tie them up."

A couple men dressed in black suits tied us to two chairs, back to back.

"I wonder why," I replied sarcastically. I attempted to fight the knots, but they seemed untangle-able. "Why a crocodile? Beheading seems easier."

"'How does the little crocodile improve his shining tail?'" answered Dodo.

"You're using the password of the Resistance as an inspiration for punishment?"

"Yes. And, as luck would have it, that will be your fate fairly soon."

"What?" cried Violet. "What kind of psychotic, sick freak are you?"

"Would you prefer to be alive or dead when you're fed to the little beast?" He grinned.

She screamed. The wide palace doors creaked open.

"Leave me alone!"

"Get off of her!"

"Back off!"

I turned my head to face the entrance. Alice and Jack were slowly picking off gunmen one by one and getting nearer and nearer to Violet and me.

"Alice!" I yelled.

"Jack!" Violet screamed.

"Hatter!"

"Violet!"

"Yeah, that's us, get us out of here!" I called.

Jack answered, "Sorry, we're a bit a busy!"

"ATTACK!" I heard Dodo yell above the confusion.

Men with bows and arrows, swords, guns, and three men with darts entered the room.

Alice flipped over a swordsman, took his sword and sliced through the ropes. "Get out!" she yelled.

A man with a pistol came up behind her. I punched him in the face before he could touch her.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

We split up from there, Alice taking the left side of the room with Jack, Violet and I taking the right side.

And then a dart hit me in the chest.

I know it must have been poisoned because I was fading fast.

First, my sight became blurry and the ground came up to meet my face, thus imbedding the dart further in my chest.

Then, sounds became faint.

"Hatter, it's over. Dodo got away though," I heard a female voice say. "Hatter? Hatter!" I thought I heard someone scream in the distance.

And then the world went black.


Oh no! What will happen to Hatter? Chapter 10 coming up fairly soon!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope you had a great start for 2010.