Alices of Wonderland

Peculiar Playdates

"Get down," Mitch whispered calmly, yanking Jenny and wrapping one arm around her, with his dominant one poised with his rapier. She hadn't enough time to analyse what was going on when a flash of light zipped across her vision, blinding her.

She shut her eyes. There was a slashing noise which led her to conclude that she and Mitch weren't alone. 'An enemy?' She thought as numerous balloons popped in unison. Jenny scanned the trees, but the night sky was already rising above them overhead, darkness sweeping away the warm sun and blue colors, replacing the light with the moon and stars. It was too dim for her to see clearly.

Panic and alarm surged within her. She tensed, and as if Mitch could read her mind, he tightened his arm securely around her. His expression became serious again- the exact same copy as Jenny had first met him on her first day in Wonderland.

A ray of light bounced wildly towards them. Jenny squeaked as she felt Mitch make a swift move, blocking whatever it was that was hiding under that light with his weapon. He deflected about three strikes, before shooting up spikes of ice at it from his rapier.

The light veered off to dodge it, and in a split second, it was on to them again. Jenny held on tightly to Mitch. She felt his weight shift under her own as he held her protectively; and as he did a little footwork while fighting.

She would have been amazed by him, if it weren't for her life on the line. It was all going too fast, she didn't think she could ever keep up. To begin with, her energy's been sapped away, and she was most definitely dizzy. 'Is this because of the position I'm in right now, or am I just going insane?'

When her hands threatened to slip from Mitch, he pulled her closer. He growled, countering another strike from the light. "Hang in there, Jenny," he said. He planted the tip of his rapier on the ground, and turned it like a doorknob. The earth beneath them shuddered, and a concrete wall of ice rose up to separate him and Jenny from their opponent.

"Looks like we've gotten ourselves in a bit of a kerfuffle right 'er." Said Mitch as he sat Jenny down by a tree, hiding her in the creeping shadows.

"What are you going to do?" Jenny asked as he turned his back on her. "Don't tell me that you're going back there! That thing is crazy fast! There's no way you could win!"

Mitch laughed. He glanced over his shoulder, and flashed her a grin that sent shivers up and down her spine. "I'm the White Queen's champion. There's no bloody way that I'm gonna let something like that loose."

Jenny bit her lip. "But... You might not come back.." 'You might die.'

"... And here I thought you hated me," he sighed, raking a hand through his entangled, brown locks. He looked away from her. "But if it makes you feel better, I promise I'll come back."

'Why is he being nice to me?' Jenny wondered, watching as Mitch approached the enemy that was rapidly breaking down his wall of defence. He raised his rapier, coming to a fighting stance; his grey orbs were completely focused. A cool breeze went by, combing both the leaves and his hair back.

At that moment, the air froze and turned into a frightening frenzy of snow as the ray of light burst through the icy wall.

"Mitch!" Jenny cried, but it didn't seem like he heard her. Or more likely, he's ignoring her.