Alice and the Queen entered a large room with crowds of people waiting around.
"The Queen," could be heard throughout the room. Alice could see familiar faces. The Hatter was there as was his faithful companion The Hare. Twiddle-Deena and Twiddledum-Ella were there too. Even Mr. Caterpillar, although Alice found it odd since he was now a butterfly.
'Maybe one shouldn't have to change their name just because they changed on the outside since they are still the same person on the inside,' Alice thought eyeing Mr. Caterpillar. Alice was now thinking of all the things she could apply that to in her world.
"Let the game begin!" the Queen announced breaking Alice's thought. Everyone rushed in small circles around the room. In confusion Alice followed what seemed to be a griffon, into a small circle to her left. It seemed everyone knew what to do except Alice. But how would she? She isn't from Wonderland and things aren't as they should be.
Alice looked around, looking for a camera. "Maybe I just have to photobomb a few people to win," Alice spoke aloud to no one in particular.
"5!" a large crow screeched the number from a stage behind Alice.
"Excuse me, how do you play?" Alice asked the griffon who held a goofy grin.
"Weren't you listening to the Queen?" the griffin asked surprised someone could ever ignore the queen.
"4!" the crow screeched once more.
"I had planned to, but you see I started thinking of name changes and being true to oneself I forgot to listen," Alice rushed her words out.
"Don't let the queen hear such a thing! You'd be beforeheaded in no time." The griffon spoke in worried tone.
"3!" the crow screeched out.
"Beforeheaded? Don't you mean beheaded?" Alice asked with a confused but intrigued expression.
"I meant what I said and said what I meant!" the griffin argued offended by Alice's question.
"2!"
"My sincere apology, I get a bit confused here in Wonderland, now can you please tell me how to play?" Alice pleaded to the griffin.
"Awe shucks, it's all right. It's simple, we pass a camera, take a photo of the person to our right. If the camera doesn't flash, you pass it along to the right. But if it flashes, and oh boy this is the fun part! We must pass it 2 times to the left, the person with the camera must switch places 3 times to the right and once across than pass it back once to the left. AND BOOM! Photobomb," the griffin explained.
"Photobomb sure means something else where I'm from," Alice replied to the not so simple game instructions.
"1! Camera's drop!" the crow screeched louder.
In a blink of an eye, a camera dropped into Alice's hand and the game began. Click, there was no flash and Alice passed the camera to the griffin, it continued this way until each circle only had 3 players each.
"Pause," the queen called out. Alice was relieved, she was dizzy from all the turning, trading and crossing she'd be doing
"One-minute break," the Queen continued.
The mad hatter passed tea around, carrying his purple kettle of tea. Alice found her a small chair near the door. 'I should ask the queen now about the camera room before I forget or faint from all this dizziness,' Alice thought sipping her tea.
As if Mei-Yun read her mind, she slithered up behind Alice, speaking in a low whisper, "Alice, my dear, the queen shan't understand your request. You must sneak out now and head to room 921."
"Sneak out? In a middle of a game, that's rude, don't you think?" Alice asked turning to face Mei-Yun, but she was nowhere in sight.
"Who are you talking to young missy?" asked The Hatter with a new kettle of tea in hand.
"Well, I was- I mean, I suppose no one," Alice answered questioning her own sanity.
"And they call me mad!" The Hatter cried out as he poured Alice more tea.
"Final round!" the Queen shouted placing her teacup down. The remaining players gathered in a circle. The griffin stood to the left of Alice and The Hatter to her right. The Queen stood across from Alice with the biggest smirk, knowing she would win.
The griffin leaned down to whisper to Alice, "the Queen shall win, it's the way it goes."
"She must be very good then," Alice said half-aloud.
"What was that my dearie?" the Queen said picking up a few of Alice's words.
"Well I said you must be very good considering you are the lovely Queen," Alice replied with a smile. Sucking up to her parents had to have been good for something.
The game carried on and the Queen had almost lost the game twice but yet seemed to still be playing. Alice knew the Queen hadn't been playing by the rules
"Unfair isn't it?" the Cheshire Cat appeared on top of The Hatter's hat giving Alice a startle.
"Define it?" asked Alice taking a photo of The Hatter than passing it to him after there was no flash.
"The Queen, you know, she's never been good with rules. Even though she makes so many ridiculous ones," the Cheshire Cat let out a small laugh that sounded more like a purr.
"When you're queen, you can do as you want," Alice half-heartedly defended the Queen.
Someone must have got a flash, for now Alice was moving across the room.
"We can make it even," the Cheshire Cat smiled his wide grin and disappeared. Next thing Alice knew she was passing the camera to the Queen.
Boom.
The photobomb went off in the Queen's face. The Queen turned bright red and Alice could see steam coming from her ears. Since this was wonderland Alice expected nothing less.
The film-men rushed to her side, whiping the bomb powder from her face and removing camera pieces from her hair. Alice stumbled for words, for the first time in her life, Alice was speechless.
"Look at the time, it's may 4th, I'll be late for tea!" The Hatter yelled out and The Hare nodded in agreement as they exited the room. Many other guest left with no excuse. The griffin just shook his head at Alice, but she knew what he was trying to say.
"It wasn't me; it was the Cheshire Cat!" Alice defended herself.
The griffin sighed, "Now why would the Queen's cat cause so much commotion?"
"The Queens cat? They need to have a talk after this," Alice commented wondering the answer to the griffin's question.
Alice waited, she knew it would be rude to leave without an apology. Even though she knew now would be the best time to go find that room before she got thrown out.
After the Queen cleaned up she shooed her film-men away. The Queen adjusted her big gown and called for Alice. Alice rushed over, questioning everything bad anyone had ever said about the Queen.
'The Queen just lost in her favorite game, yet she's so calm' Alice thought to herself.
"Alice, I know this is your first game, but you SEE I ALWAYS WIN! ALL WINS ARE MY WINS!" the Queen was now yelling at Alice in a massive voice.
Alice could barely mumble an apology before the Queen spoke again, "And one more thing, OFF WITH HER FOREHEAD!"
"My- my forehead? Nonsense," Alice laughed at such a crazy demand, "girls crop their foreheads out of photos all the time."
Alice looked around and could see the film-men coming towards her, remembering she was in Wonderland. Where things are taken too literal or too crazy. She pushed the one coming at her from the left. then the right. She picked up a cup of tea someone left behind and threw it on the rest of the film-men.
"Film isn't much useful soiled," Alice smiled at herself as she ran out the room, "and by the way, you look better in pictures!"
YOU ARE READING
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