The Heart of Wonderland

Chapter 16

Alison squinted down at the forest floor—or what little she could see of it, anyway. Trees brushed at her clothing, catching on her dress, and she could just barely make out the enormous shapes of her feet beneath their branches. She stood stock still, wary of trampling the caterpillar or any other wildlife who might be scampering about underfoot.

At least my clothes grew with me, she thought. Bad enough that she was a giant and had no clue how to shrink back to normal. She definitely didn't need to find herself naked in the middle of Wonderland.

"Um...Caterpillar? Can you hear me down there?" Immediately after she spoke, she clapped a hand over her mouth at the sound that came booming out. Of course. Her vocal cords had grown with the rest of her. Now everything she said was ear-splittingly loud, as if broadcast through an amplifier at a rock concert. It certainly wasn't the best way to go unnoticed by the Red Queen's knights, or anyone else who might not be thrilled that there was a new Keeper in Wonderland.

Alison's heartbeat pounded like a bass drum in her ears as she waited for a response from the caterpillar. But there was no answer.

"Hello? Anyone?" she tried again. What was she going to do?

Oh my, a soft voice spoke in her head. You have gotten yourself into a predicament, haven't you?

Alison breathed a sigh of relief and sent a bird flying nearby off course. Oops. "Rabbit? Is that you?"

It is. I've been looking for you all over. Though you're certainly not hard to find now.

A blush crept up Alison's neck. "I don't suppose you know how I can shrink back to my normal size, do you?"

Hmm, the rabbit replied. I might be able to help. But you have to promise you'll listen to what I've been trying to tell you. Every time I find you, you run off with that boy who's always sneaking around.

The rabbit clearly didn't have a high opinion of Maddox, but Alison was willing to listen to whatever it had to say if it would help her. "I promise! Just get me down from here."

Very well. I'm sending another piece of mushroom up to you. This one will shrink you back to normal.

"What do you mean, you're sending it—"

But Alison didn't have time to finish her sentence before a bluebird emerged from the tree cover, carrying something in its beak. It fluttered insistently around her head until she held out a huge palm to accept its offering. It twittered at her—reproachfully, Alison thought—then flew away. She looked down at the tiny piece of fungus in her hand, very carefully pinched it between her forefinger and thumb, and carried it to her mouth.

Then she was shooting back toward the ground at a dizzying speed. When she reached her usual size, she fell to her hands and knees, unable to keep her balance. She dry-heaved and when her stomach had settled, she realized her arms and legs were badly scraped from her rapid growth through the trees.

"Why did you let me do that?" she gasped at the caterpillar, who was still sitting on the mushroom where she'd left it.

But the overgrown insect wasn't listening, busy as it was arguing with the rabbit.

"How dare you?" The rabbit spoke aloud for the first time since Alison had encountered it. "She could have been killed!" The animal's voice was harsher than it had sounded in Alison's head.

The caterpillar didn't deign to answer, just took a puff from its hookah and blew the smoke in the rabbit's face. It yawned widely, then rolled over to ignore them, presenting the rabbit with its chubby green backside.