Once Upon A Now: Alice Through The Selfie-Cam

Baseball Caps and Carrot Juice

Alice stood up and dusted any dirt off her clothing.

"Oh no, I lost the mushroom."

Alice looked around to find the lost piece. Although Alice was back to normal size, or at least she believed she was, she didn't know if she'd need any more growing.

"And where did that lizard go?!" Alice continued as she moved her sight from the floor to eye level.

"Goodbye Sam and Fran! See you tomorrow," Alice could hear a voice from around the corner. Curious and needing to find her way back up the path, Alice made her way to the voice.

As Alice turned down the road, she saw a black and white bird, Alice couldn't believe it, it was a penguin.

"Excuse me!" Alice called out to the penguin before he entered his home just to the side of a river.

"Oh, hello miss," the penguin greeted.

"Hey, I'm sorry to offend, but I was curious how are you here, in this warmer weather that is?"

The penguin looked at Alice confused, then he laughed, "You must be from outside of Wonderland, I'm a river penguin, we live along the rivers."

Alice smiled and looked at the river beside them. "Of course! A river penguin!" Alice mumbled to herself.

"May I offer you something to drink?" the penguin asked. Alice nodded, realizing she hasn't had anything to drink since lunch, which felt like hours ago.

The penguin motioned Alice to follow him into his home. His home was small, just the right size for a penguin. The penguin opened the fridge as Alice sat at the kitchen table.

"Carrot juice?" the penguin asked pouring a glass.

"Carrot juice?" Alice repeated.

"It is quite wonderful, if I must say so myself," the penguin sat and handed Alice a glass.

Alice took a sip and a smile broke out on her face, "Wow, I'm not a big fan of carrots but this is delicious."

The penguin chuckled, "Homemade, you know what's even better than carrot juice? Carrot tea!"

Alice looked puzzled, "Carrot tea?"

"Yes! One day the Hare was having tea and I was sipping on my carrot juice when he had this crazy idea of mixing the two. It was wonderful. Although the Hatter very much dislikes when we change the tea."

"The Hatter? The Hare?" Alice questioned the two characters.

"Oh, why, they live down the river. Such a fun time with them both. It's always time for a tea party," the penguin gestured towards the window where you could see the river.

"Maybe I should stop by and have a cup of tea," Alice suggested taking another sip of her carrot juice.

"It would be a lovely time, let them know I said hello," the penguin smiled back at Alice.

"Can I ask about the queen?"

"By asking if you can ask about the queen, you've certainly have already asked," the penguin informed Alice as he sat back down.

"I'll just ask then, what do you know about her?" Alice looked down crossing her hands on the table.

"The queen is the queen. Simple as that. You do as she request and you should be fine," the penguin patted Alice's hands.

Alice nodded not wanting to ask any more questions.

Alice let out a small laugh, "So you're a penguin who lives by the river and drinks carrot juice?"

The penguin nodded, "My name is Steven by the way."

"Anything else you do that beats the penguin stereotype Steven?" Alice asked looking around his home.

"That's the thing, miss, you shouldn't pay stereotypes any mind," Steven the penguin stood up and headed to his closet.

"You're right, Steven," Alice called out as Steven the penguin made his way back to the kitchen with a baseball cap on.

"Baseball cap? Nice. Way better than the top hat cliché," Alice nodded in acceptance.

"It's almost time for tea, you should go if you want to make it," Steven the penguin rushed Alice out the door.

"I thought you said they always had time for tea?" Alice queried.

"Yes, but it would be rude to make them restart a tea party," Steven the penguin informed Alice.

Alice nodded seeing he was right. Steven the penguin brought Alice to a boat on the side of the river bank. He helped Alice in and smiled, "Go straight down the river, it will lead you to the tea party,"

"It was nice meeting you Steven," Alice proclaimed as Steven the penguin pushed her with the current.

"Goodbye Steven! Goodbye!" Alice called out as she sailed away.

"What a great penguin," Alice remarked to herself. "Wait! Is that a waterfall?!"

"Oh no, I'm going to die" Alice tried to row the boat backwards up the river, but the current was too strong. "Oh please, please, I'm not ready, I just want to go home," Alice cried out as she shut her eyes embracing for the fall.