Chapter 7

As she grew, the look of fear on Alice's face itself grew. I mean, she was a child. I would be afraid if I was about nine feet tall and had just hit my head on the ceiling.

Then she started to cry. Remember when you were little and you parents called your tears "crocodile tears" because they were so big? Alice's tears were more like elephant tears. Blue whale tears. Yeah, they were that big. It was insane.

As each one dropped to the ground around me, I feared for my life. I was as small as a mouse, and I feared that I would drown in the tears quickly filling up the room. I didn't know where I could go -- there were no cups for me to climb into, and the door to Wonderland was not open yet.

Goodbye, cruel world.

Okay, I'm being overly dramatic. I knew something had to happen. Something that would help Alice get smaller and open the door to Wonderland. I then saw Alice reach for something in the air. It was a pair of white gloves and a small fan. I vaguely remember in the story how the White Rabbit had dropped them in front of Alice...

She began to shrink. And quickly. I reached for her, like I would have a sister in need - but she dropped the fan, and stopped shrinking.

There in the water, was a small mouse. Alice called out in French, something about a cat and the mouse started to swim away. Silly Alice, the mouse must have thought she was talking about a cat. As you know, the cat and mouse are not close friends.

This, like everything in this story, was no ordinary mouse. He swam towards Alice and I (and, to my surprise, gave me a nod of acknowledgement), and told us to head towards the shore.

As the shore came nearer, I was very glad to see it. Since we were swimming though tears that had turned into the sea, the salt water was making me very thirsty. My clothes were getting very, very heavy. Wearing jeans and a t-shirt was not a good idea. I couldn't imagine how Alice was feeling, since her dress, apron and petticoat was at least twice as heavy as my jeans and t-shirt. She was not complaining. No, of course not. Why should she complain?

The Dodo and the Lory greeted us on the beach, and Alice soon started an argument with the Lory about age. You guys remember the Lory and the Dodo, right? The Dodo is that flightless bird wearing a cravat and smoking a pipe when Alice washes up on shore. He’s the one that tells Alice the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter. With the little oysters? Got it? Sweet. The Lory is a little harder to describe. Since he wasn’t in the Disney version, just imagine him as another flightless bird like the Dodo.

"Thank you for coming to save us," the mouse whispered to me. I looked at him with amazement. I was convinced that none of the creatures in the story could see me. I was just going to do my thing and get out. But apparently, I was mistaken.

"What?" I chocked out. I was still in shock, and cold from the water.

"Well, that's what you're here for, right? These nine strange women rounded all of us in Wonderland and warned us of a great evil that was about to befall on us. Then this golden man came to join them and told us of a savior who would join Alice, THE ALICE, and make sure that our world would survive. We're supposed to help you." The mouse winked -- yes, winked -- and walked toward the Lory and Alice to break up their fight about age.

The mouse gathered Alice, the Dodo and the Lory (and me, I guess) around a campfire to dry off. I was thankful to be included, since the sun was starting to set, and the temperature dropping.

I must have fallen asleep, because I don't remember any of the Mouse's stories. I knew he said something, maybe, of Shakespeare and others. But I don't really remember. 

"Oh, my dear Dinah! I wonder if I shall ever see you any more!" I heard Alice say. It made me think of my dear Tylee. I was really starting to miss my family. I hadn't really thought about it before now. I really missed them. 

Was I ever going to see them again? Was I ever going to get home? I looked around me. I saw Alice, starting to cry again, hoping the mouse would continue his story. I then realized how small and young she actually was. I realized how small and young I actually was. 

I needed a hug. I needed a cup of tea. I needed my parents. I bet Alice needed her parents, too. Did she have parents? I don't remember that part of the story. I knew that she had her sister, but what about a mom and dad? I wanted to comfort her, again. It was beginning to be very hard not to touch and interact with someone so young. I thought she could use the comforting.

As I was wallowing in self-pity, the White Rabbit came up to Alice. 

"Mary Ann! Fetch me some gloves!" Or something to that affect. I am as shocked as you are -- the White Rabbit was real. Or maybe I was just beginning my descent into madness like so many others.