Chapter 2
Richard stayed absolutely still while the light came back to the world. He waited before he reached for the compass in the dark, and while it roped itself into his hands, he heard Chloe gasp loudly near him.
"Richard, where are you?" she asked. Richard's heart skipped a beat; Chloe actually didn't sound very afraid. Just confused, it seemed, while they stood in the black.
"I'm over here, follow the compass," he said, while the compass glowed a gentle yellow. And then, when Chloe's hand was silhouetted against the light, the glow changed to the glare of sunlight, as the world returned around them.
Chloe staggered a little on her feet, but she appeared unharmed. "Wow, what a ride," she said softly. And once more, she shocked Richard with how unafraid she was. He remembered the first time he had ever gone into a book world, how he thought he might be trapped there for good, and that he would be eaten alive by uneaten forces. Especially in a dim hallway such as this, there was no telling what was hiding behind the walls. And yet, Chloe remained as confident as though she were walking into a strange, but somewhat familiar, place.
But Richard didn't ask much about such things. Instead, he glanced around a second time, and observed where they had landed. When he finally looked down, he noticed that he and Chloe were standing in a heap of leaves and twigs below a long, dark hole in the ceiling.
Chloe, too, seemed to be trying to see where they should go from where they were. They were now in the middle of a long hallway, lit from above by chandeliers, and doors lining the walls. There appeared to be no way out, and this only made Richard further question Chloe's choice into giving him Alice in Wonderland in the first place. In fact, he gave her the same look he would give to someone who had told him a stupid riddle with an even more stupid answer.
"What were you thinking?" he asked her at last.
Chloe tucked some hair behind her ear, and looked around the hall in one motion. "Okay," she said. "Seeing as we are now inside the world of Wonderland, the only thing to do is follow what Alice did."
"Talk to the doorknobs?" Richard asked, a little sarcastically.
"No," Chloe said. "There's got to be a key around here somewhere. On a table, maybe. And a drink, of some sort."
Richard then followed Chloe as she turned around again, this time facing a three-legged table in the exact center of the hall. She stepped towards it, and plucked a little golden key from the glass surface. Without hesitation, she turned her attention towards a long curtain that covered a substantial part of the wall. She walked to the curtain, lifted it away, and then stuck the key into the wall, pushing her hand into it so that bright sunlight filtered into the room. Richard strained his glasses for a better look; in the wall, there was a door no taller than the average doll. But the door was thin enough that Chloe couldn't stick her head through.
She turned her head. "Richard, get that bottle on the table," she said.
"What?" Richard asked.
"Drink from that bottle," Chloe clarified. "Leave some for me, 'cause we both need to shrink small enough to get through this door."
Richard did as he was told, and reached for the glass bottle on the table where the key had been. He took note of the "Drink Me" tag attached to the bottle, and, with a shrug, took a sip. He clicked his tongue a few times to decide on the flavor, because it seemed very mixed to him- like pineapple, and buttered toast. It was a strange taste, before he felt a curious tingling sensation all over his skin, and everywhere inside him.
All at once, the hall seemed to heighten, as if Richard were going down in a glass elevator. But the feeling of shrinking made him feel like his body had fallen asleep, so he stumbled a little when he recognized that he was shrinking, grabbing the chain of the floating compass. The chain flared hot for a moment in surprise, but grew cold when it was pulled all the way down with Richard to the floor.
At this height, Richard had to run a good deal just to get to the door, which had been abandoned since Chloe went to get her share of the magic drink. Followed by the compass, he pulled open the door to see beyond. He smirked a little when he noticed the short passage behind the door, but once he had gone far enough, his face glowed with awe.
He walked forth into a splendid area of green grass and colorful flowerbeds. Intricately cut shrubbery lined the garden, decked with tall poles with hearts at the top. The sky above was absolutely blue, without a cloud in sight. The place was rather quiet too, except, in a moment, Richard jumped when a hedgehog scurried across his path. And he could have sworn he also heard some squawking nearby; in fact, the compass tapped him with its chain, and pointed off towards a tall flamingo mingling among the flowerbeds.
"Whoa," Richard murmured, surprised at seeing such creatures living in so fine a place. The compass also turned a few times, as if it were a head glancing around at the grand beauty of everything.
He then heard a gentle snapping of the grass behind him, as Chloe stepped out from the doorway.
"Oh, boy, if only Alice had it that easy," she said, closing the door ajar behind her, while she walked up beside Richard and the compass. "But, isn't it beautiful, Richard?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah. Pretty," Richard agreed.
Chloe nodded, flicking her eyes in each direction to observe the springy details of the garden. "Why don't we explore a little?" she offered, gesturing around her. "I'm sure no one will mind if we stay here a little."
"Unless the Queen of Hearts catches us first," Richard said, a tad uncertainly.
Chloe shook her head. "Relax, Richard," she said, stepping over to a flowerbed to observe the clusters of white roses. "Nothing's going to happen. And if it does, we'll just ask your magic compass to take us back."
Richard looked at the compass, who looked back at him, glowing a dark grey. It lifted its chain like a shrug, and Richard mimicked it. He gave Chloe another unsure expression, and tentatively followed her further into the garden.
He followed her to the same white roses, and touched their tiny petals. It was kind of relaxing to him, to touch the soft silk of the roses. But somehow, Richard found himself laughing to himself. He knew of some versions of Alice in Wonderland where a group of card soldiers painted these white roses red. He rubbed the petals harder between his fingers the more he thought of feeling painted flowers. He didn't know why anyone would want that for such pretty things, but then, he figured maybe it was the twisted logic of Wonderland. He stole another smirk at Chloe when he thought of that.
Still, even the compass seemed to like being around the flowerbeds. It flew through the clusters, turning different colors as if to mimic theirs. And Richard couldn't help but give the silver compass a funny look. He knew the compass to be like a tightly wound clock, but he had never seen it so joyful. It actually reminded him of his old book friend, Horror, when he had first arrived in the fantasy section, and how he laughed like a little kid while prancing among the flowers. Richard finally chuckled, watching the compass while it flew like a bird from flowerbed to flowerbed.
Chloe laughed from behind Richard, and she stepped up next to him, carrying a tiny rosebud in her palm. "I didn't think a compass could be so happy," she noted. "It's kind of like a little kid."
"Not really," Richard said. "That thing is usually like a gruff old grandpa."
"Then maybe you should bring it here more often," Chloe whispered.
"Maybe, but…" Richard let his voice trail off, fixing Chloe with a questioning gaze. "I've been meaning to ask you about this. How is it you're not scared about being here, in the world of books, when…?"
A loud trumpet sounded from just beyond the garden, cutting Richard off short.
Then he and Chloe watched while a long parade of card-like people marched in twos. A large group of little ones danced in between them, laughing and screeching, all covered with hearts. And finally, after the entire parade passed, there marched a couple, ornately dressed in hearts and gold and red. The man looked a little stuffy, while the woman was fixing everything she saw with a tight glare. Her lips were tightened on her face so that they made a little heart shape.
At the sight of this uptight couple, the compass scrambled out of the flowerbeds, and pulled itself back into Richard's grip, like a dog on a leash. Its glow was dark, while it kept itself low to the ground.
Richard whispered to Chloe, "Maybe we should get down on our knees or something."
"And I think you're right," she whispered back, getting down on the ground. She bent her head to the grass, so that her hair spread out around her. Richard was careful not to snag her hair while he got down beside her, his arms shaking with the inevitable about to happen.
"Who is this?" a screechy voice said, not too much later.
Answer, came there none.
"Idiots!" the voice screeched again. "Come on, you two, get up!"
Scrambling, both Richard and Chloe got to their feet, and straightened themselves quickly; Richard took a second longer to straighten his collar, and hide the compass behind his back.
He had to bite his tongue to keep from crying out at the frightful glare of the Queen of Hearts in front of him. Chloe was straight too, although Richard noticed her struggling to keep a stick-like posture, while the Queen stared her down.
"What's your names, children?" she asked. It was more of a sneer, really.
"I'm Chloe," Chloe said, bending over respectfully.
"I'm R-Ri-Richard," he stuttered.
"Don't stammer, you'll make me tired!" the Queen sighed dramatically.
Richard expected Chloe to speak up against the Queen, but she didn't say anything. He and Chloe looked at each other, looking a little shaken to be in the presence of someone who could have them executed in seconds.
"Don't be so tight-lipped, you're wasting my time!" the Queen exclaimed.
"We don't mean to," Chloe said, bowing her head again. "You see, Your- Your Majesty- we came through a door, and we were just about to be on our way when your procession came through here."
"Yeah!" Richard blurted. "So, if you could let us go, we won't bother you anymore."
"Can you play croquet?" the Queen asked.
"What?" Richard and Chloe asked at the same time.
"Can…you…play…croquet?" the Queen screeched at them both.
"Yes, a little," Chloe answered first, very timidly.
"Not…exactly," Richard whispered, after a long moment of silence.
The Queen's face turned the same bright shade of scarlet as Chloe's hair, and pointed furiously at Richard's nose. "Off with his head! Off with his head!"
The crowd started to move towards Richard, but both Chloe and the compass stepped between them.
"No!" Chloe shouted. "That's not fair!"
"If I say it, then it is fair!" roared the Queen.
"But you can't behead someone just for not knowing how to play a game," Chloe protested.
"Oh, come now, any idiot can play croquet!" said the Queen. "It's so easy."
"Well, how?" Richard piped up in a squeaky voice.
The Queen let out a screechy rasp, and put her hand on her hip. "Why, with flamingos and hedgehogs of course. The other royals do it with ballets and balls." She sighed, once more quite theatrically. "That's too hard! Using live flamingos and hedgehogs are a thousand times easier and simpler! My whole court thinks so!"
There was a collective murmuring among the procession, while the Queen stomped her feet. "On with the game!" she yelled.
The court scattered, going to fetch what they needed for the game. Richard and Chloe just stayed as they were, not knowing what they should do. They both looked at each other, but gradually, Chloe got a sparkle in her eye again.
"What are you thinking about?" Richard asked. The compass shot up, and cocked itself to the side, glowing dark grey and then getting brighter and brighter, facing Chloe.
"It's so simple, Richard," she said. "We'll just have to get out while everyone's trying to set up. The Queen won't notice; she'll be too busy severing people's heads off." She whispered the last part.
"It's- it's a fine day," a shy voice said shakily from below them.
Richard and Chloe looked down to see a white rabbit in a poncho ornamented with hearts standing below them. It was pricking its ears up and down, flicking its eyes tentatively around it.
"Hi," Chloe said. "Can we do something for you?"
"Just help us to prepare for the Queen's game," the White Rabbit replied.
"Get to your places!" the Queen shouted, and the game was quick to begin then.
"Looks like you already have," Richard whispered.
"Right then," said the White Rabbit. "Move along."
"I'll take that as our signal to go," Chloe said, starting to move behind the hedge at the perimeter of the garden. Richard was only too glad to oblige in following her, for he feared the Queen turning around at any given second and shouting for his head to be severed from his neck. The minute the thought struck him, he yanked on the compass's chain, and started after Chloe.
Chloe, who was already several yards down the hedge, stopped, wiping her forehead. "Phew," she whispered. "That was close."
Richard nodded, while the compass wilted to the ground from his hand. He picked it up again, and glanced behind him. He could hear the Queen's maniacal shouts of "Off with his head!" or "Off with her head!", but no one was coming around the corner after them.
"We should just go away from here," he said, "before someone finds us."
"You're too late," a voice said from nowhere in particular. "I already have."
Both Richard and Chloe gasped, bumping against each other in their first steps to moving away. "Who's there?" they asked.
Then, just inches away, there was a cat, though it didn't look like an ordinary cat. It was large and fat, with dark stripes covering its body, floating in midair like a ghost. It had cute little ears, and bright beady eyes, but most of all, a large and uncanny smile that stretched from one side of its face to the other.
"You're the Cheshire Cat!" Chloe exclaimed.
"Thank you," said the Cat, purring gently while it grinned brightly at her. "And you two are little children. And isn't it a beautiful day?"
"Can we go now?" Richard asked the Cat. "We're trying to move on, so, do you think we can talk later."
"No time like the present, as they say," the Cat said. "Although, I do suppose we can talk on the way."
The two children, the compass, and the Cat moved along the hedges, turning a few more corners, until they couldn't hear the Queen's shouting quite as much.
"How did you like the Queen?" the Cat asked, on the way.
"Should we even be answering that?" Richard said. "She shouldn't even be queen if she is always beheading people like some medieval madwoman."
"Well, do you think perhaps you can do any better?" the Cat wanted to know.
Richard shrugged.
"Precisely," said the Cat. "That's why I don't say that about the Queen. I'd hate to be Queen, or King."
"Is there anywhere you think we can go, where the Queen won't look for us?" Chloe wanted to know, looking up at the Cat.
"I know," answered the Cat. "Way off in that direction-" it pointed with one paw "-is a Hatter. And in that other-" it pointed with its other paw "-is a March Hare. Please. Do visit any one you like."
"Do you think you can come with us?" Chloe said. "Maybe they would like having you."
The Cat grinned, and laughed through its teeth. "I never get involved with the Hatter and the March Hare. I think it's amusing merely to watch them, and laugh at what new tricks they've learned from drinking tea from breakfast till dinner."
"Well…" Chloe shrugged helplessly. "Maybe we'll see you again soon, Cheshire Cat."
"You'll see me, rest assured," said the Cat, before disappearing into thin air.