ALiCE in WoNDeRLaND

-2-

We landed with a loud thud, although the rabbit did his best to outdo the sound of our
flesh hitting the hard earth.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing his tail as he pulled himself to his feet.

I glared at him again (When was I not glaring at the rabbit?) as I rose up and began to
dust myself off.

But the rabbit wasn't staring back at me. "ALiCE..."

"Now what?" I demanded, turning to see what the fuss was all about. "If that cat's back, I
swear to God..."

I trailed off as my eyes fell upon the majestic sight before me.

"Oh, my God," the rabbit and I swore at once.

"What is it?" he asked.

For once, I had no smart reply.

WoNDeRLaND was not as we had left it. For one thing, the bush was gone, now
replaced by a magnificent home that would put the Queen's palace to shame.

"But, but, but... ALiCE," the rabbit stammered in confusion. "Didn't we just dive into a
hole..."

As one we looked up above us, but there was nothing but sky above our heads.

"I don't understand," the rabbit continued, almost to himself. "Where's the hole? If
there's no hole, where did we come from?"

I stared at the house before me. "The hole must be somewhere in there now," I realized.

"Oh, no," the rabbit began as I began to walk toward the front door. "There's no way
we're going in there."

"Suit yourself. I'll go in, find the hole, and try to figure out what the Hell's going on, and
you..." I added as I passed him by, "can stay out here and wait for the Queen's army to
arrive."

The rabbit was by my side in a second, and again as one we headed for the house, not
fully aware of what dangers would be waiting for us right inside those two great doors.

***