This chapter brought to you by: Down in a Hole, by Alice in Chains (hehe )

...Alice woke up. At first her eyes fluttered open to a lit fire underneath a black fire-mantel, then she woke to its smoldering embers. Sitting up, she found herself bound by chains wrapped around her ankles and hands, she was sitting on a high-back velvet chair beside the fire. The room was dark and the only things that she could see was the chair in front of her and the fireplace. Suddenly a man appeared in the chair opposite her, his chin in his hand, and his arm leaning on the side of the chair. He had black hair, pale skin, almost white, dark eyes, he wore black slacks, shoes, and a black t-shirt. If Alice ever saw him in New York, she would have thought he was just a normal guy. He looked at her with the most curiosity.

Leaning back, he scratched his head and continued to look at Alice. Then he smiled, and what Alice saw made her gasp and stare. He had fangs like a vampire! Fangs! She couldn't believe it! Fangs!

"Don't be so surprised!" he said to her, laughing a little, "But I guess as a mortal you aren't accustomed to vampires are you?" He leaned forward, studying Alice's eyes with a smile playing on his face.

Alice kept still and glared at him. She was scared, really scared, but she wasn't going to let him see that. She wanted to get out of here, and fast.

"Who are you?" Alice asked, with despise in her voice, "And why did you kidnap me?"

The man's smile widened a little, and he gave a small bow. "I am the Queen's Royal Gate Keeper to the Mortal World," he said with pleasure, "or my friends just call me, Jack."

"And YOU, Alice," he said, "You intrigue me. I'm wondering how a mortal got passed the gate's barrier. This has never happened before, and it doesn't please me."

"I told you," Alice said, "I followed that little boy. He stole my ring!"

"And I don't remember any little mortal boys running through the gate before you. But I do remember, Trint, running in," he said, sort of thinking to himself, "Was he short? Did he have a top-hat, and was he a smart-ass?"

"Yes," Alice said, "but I don't understand."

Jack laughed a little and put his head in his hand, leaning on the chair again. "Trint is a goblin, my dear, and a very high in society one too."

"Goblin?" Alice asked.

"You really don't know where you are do you?" he asked, his face gone slack and back to curiosity.

"No," Alice answered, "Where am I?"

Jack snapped his fingers and a door appeared in the darkness, it opened up and revealed a scene of pictures. In the pictures there were unusual cities, forests, strange animals, vampires, strange creatures walking amongst each other, people as well as other creatures fighting, being tortured, laughing. And in a flash of light the pictures stopped and Alice stared in wonder. Jack closed the door and opened it back up. It was just black, like the other doors that she has come through.

Snapping his fingers again, the chains on Alice disappeared and she was suddenly beside him, before the door.

"Welcome to Wonderland," he said, and with a single push, she plummeted through the door and it was closed behind her...