Sorry for the long wait everyone. It took me a while to write this chapter, plus I have school to focus on. I hope you enjoy Chapter 8! (: Review! Subscribe! Follow!

UPDATED: 2/22/15

~YogurtPanda


Chapter 8: Which door is the right door?

Fakir and Alice came to a series of doors. There were four total. The doors themselves were unison in color and size, but had a playing card symbol on the front. The keyholes also matched the symbols of the doors.

"Which door do we go through?" Alice asked Fakir.

"I guess we'll find out when we find the keys…" Fakir said.

Alice decided to look on one end of the room, while Fakir looked on the other.

The room itself, being round, was furnished with chairs and small tables. A vase with a single rose could be seen on one of them. The rose itself was limped over, probably due to not being watered regularly. The only windows were towards the ceiling, preventing the two from knowing what lied outside. They were round, just like the room. The flooring matched the tile from the hallway they ran through earlier.

The walls of the room itself had many portraits. One showed a white rabbit dressed in proper gentleman ware. Another depicted a woman dressed in red and black. She wore a gold crown on her head and held a tray of tarts in her hand. Fakir noticed another one of a person, but the face had been smeared away. Fakir could make out a hat and gentleman clothes that seemed uniquely odd.

The very last one showed a man in a dark violet tunic. He had orange eyes; purple whiskers; a purple-striped tail; purple cat ears; long white hair and a long white beard. The grin on his face seemed so realistic that it seemed as if he was grinning at Alice and Fakir's current situation.

Wait a second. Long white hair? A white beard?

Fakir made an annoyed face at the painting.

"What are you doing here, Drosselmeyer?" Fakir asked, softly, trying not to get Alice's attention.

The Cheshire Cat chuckled lightly before leaping out of the painting.

"I have no idea who Drosselmeyer is, but I am a Cheshire Cat."

"I didn't know cats could grin like that…" Alice said, amazed.

"They can't." Fakir said, annoyed.

The Cheshire cat took Alice by the hand.

"Are you looking for a way out my dear?" he asked her.

Alice nodded. "Can you help us find the way out?"

Before the Cheshire cat could say anything, Fakir moved in front of him.

"Just tell me where the exit is and we'll be on our way."

"Why are you being so rude?" Alice asked Fakir.

The Cheshire cat laughed before patting Fakir's head roughly, earning him a sharp glare in response.

"Don't worry child. I believe jealousy is the word."

Fakir felt his rage building. He wasn't jealous! He just didn't like that old geezer touching her.

"If you want to get out, just pick a key from that box over there." He said, pointing a gloved hand towards one of the glass tables.

Fakir and Alice looked to where he pointed and saw a glass box containing four keys, each with a different symbol.

"But which one do we pick?" Alice asked.

When they looked back, they noticed the Cheshire Cat had disappeared. Fakir noticed the painting that Drosselmeyer was watching from now showed a purple striped cat, but the facial expression Fakir found odd. Almost a crazed look mixed with sinister.

"Come on, Alice. Let's pick a key and get out of here." Fakir said.

The two approached the glass box. Fakir opened it and looked at the four sets of keys. Fakir pondered over which one to pick.

"I think we should try the Heart Key first." Alice said to Fakir.

"How did you come up with that decision so quickly?" Fakir asked.

"Well, hearts are usually good things, like love. Love is always a good thing, don't you think?" she smiled at Fakir.

Fakir blushed at Alice's smile, feeling his heart melt completely.

Alice reached for the key and went over towards the door with the heart symbol. Fakir stood behind her if something happened to her. Alice inserted the key into the keyhole and turned it. The door didn't open.

"Did I use the wrong key?" Alice wondered.

Suddenly, the room they were in began to fill up with water, but at a slow pace. Fakir's expression turned to anger, realizing they were tricked. Fakir hurried to collect the other keys. He handed Alice the Club Key, while he tried the Spade and the Diamond Key. Once he tried the Spade Door, the water began to fill up faster inside the room. He quickly tried the Diamond Door, but the same result occurred. Before Alice could get to the Club Door, the entire room was filled with water. Fakir struggled to hold his breath as there was no air. However Alice, found that she could breathe underwater just fine.

"I'm able to breathe underwater...?"

She noticed Fakir was starting to losine consciousness and quickly went towards him, holding him in her arms.

"Mister, hang on! You have to stay with me, ok?"

Fakir saw Alice looking at him. Her eyes held a serious yet worried look. He struggled to move, but Alice held him as she swam them to the Club Door. When she inserted the key, it wouldn't turn. Alice struggled with turning it until Fakir held the key with her. Alice blushed at the sudden action. She looked back to Fakir and saw him give her a nod to continue. Alice nodded and they began to use all their force to turn the key.

A click was heard. The door opened with a great force, pulling them inside like a vaccum.