Careful with the tea

Part 16

They two were staring at the forest with noticeable expectations, what I didn't understand, but wanted to know the truth.

„Alice, could you just tell..." I was going to start asking, but David broke off.

„Let's discuss it later, shall we? Now you should find yourself a very high tree."

„What?" Marcus and I shared a look, while Alice was already climbing up the branches of a pine-tree.

„Kate, come on, hurry!" she shouted at me, and I tried to climb after her. With not too much success. Suddenly I felt some force lifting me up at my waist. Alice took my hand, and finally I was sitting next to her upon the branch. I saw Marcus quickly taking his place next to David, trying to find their own tree.

„What is it? Tell us!" I cried to them, and David answered with a smile.

„It's just a Jabberwock." He threw a kiss to Alice, then they ran away.

The words of a next sentence were already sitting on my tongue, but Alice nudged me.

„Don't ask. You'll see." And she smiled too. I didn't like this whole thing it at all.

David was already climbing upon a tree nearby. That awful growling sounded again from a distant brushwood, and I finally could see that thing I was so curious about. A dinosaur melted into a chameleon was approaching toward us, howling dreadfully, snapping its birdlike mouth and rolling its swelled eyes.

A heartattact was upon me, when I saw David and Marcus still standing on the ground. Alice placed her hand on my arm, only that's why I didn't cry out with panic. However I started to tremble like a leaf. David waved to Marcus to show what tree to climb on, then started to run toward the monster. Alice whispered to me:

„Don"t worry. He knows what he's doing."

She didn't manage to calm me down, especially because Marcus had no intention to climb upon the tree David chose him.

I could see clearly, that David was running in a specific direction, while he was waving and doh is best to call all attentions. He succeeded, the monster turned away and followed him. Sorry to say it would've take it only a few steps with four legs to catch him.

Marcus was still standing very near. The Jabberwock changed its mind in a bad moment and changed course.

Right in the direction of Marcus.

I couldn't bear the stress any more. I ignored the calming words of Alice. Only one thing counted. I saw, that the monster would get Marcus in a second, and no doubt it'd kill him. This would've been too much for me.

„Marcus... look out!" I screamed, doing the most stupid thing ever. The lizard turned its head to me, leaving Marcus and David in peace, and I already knew, even if we survived this, the others would give me a fine dressing-down.

Yet my heart was happy, as Marcus was safe at last.

The Jabberwock was running at full speed to our tree. I looked at Alice, and wasn't smiling any more, I saw fear in her eyes too. It was obvious they didn't plan the whole thing that way.

We heard a sharp whistle and saw David throwing a piece of rock to the back of the lizard. The monster braked suddenly and made a full turn. Its head was only some feet away from David. But he looked not worried at all. He pulled back his arm, then threw an enormous straight right in the eye of the lizard. It screamed and started to scratch its head with the front leg.

David wasted no time, and began to run again. In the meantime Marcus rushed to our tree. He looked up to us, but I was so embarrassed of shame, that I dared not to look at him.

The Jabberwock seemed to recover, and it was following David again. Now nothing could've draw its attention, and it was getting closer and closer with each jump. It was only three steps away... Only two...

I turned my head away, as I couldn't watch, but I had to see, that Alice was staring at the scene not scared, rather excited. I looked back to see David jumping up in the air and the Jabberwock disappearing in a large pit.

„Yes!" Alice shouted and laughed, already climbing down the tree.

The monster in the hole screamed in vain but couldn't escape. David walked back gasping for breath, still smiling, and closed Alice into his arms.

„Don't wait so long next time." the girl scolded him, and he picked her up into the air with a hearty laughter.

I remained squatting upon the tree. Now that danger left I knew they all will blame me. I considered not getting down for the best solution.

„Kate." I heard Marcus from down calling me in his silent voice. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Only then I dared look down.

„Come down." He reached his arm to me to help, and I accepted it, though with a small delay. When I got closer to him and he could catch me, I stretched my hands out, and he carefully took me down to the ground. I stepped away immediately, and wished I could just get underground.

By the time I got down, Alice and David were there too. They were still smiling, though David looked a bit pale after the big rush.

I grabbed the rest of my courage and looked at them.

„I'm so sorry... I know it was a stupid thing..." I couldn't continue, because my voice trembled and I almost cried. I felt ashamed, but it might've been the result of the thing I went through.

Alice hold me at my shoulder to raise my spirits. But she said something different from what I expected.

„You really shouldn't have worried about Marcus that much. David was prepared for all possibilities, so there was no danger."

When she saw, that I'm still very upset, she had me sit on the ground, and cast me a glass of water out of nowhere.

I didn't feel better at all. Now that Alice made my worries about Marcus so obvious for everyone, I felt they all were staring at me. But above all I couldn't bare the searching look of Marcus.

„You knew that thing would come this way?" Marcus asked David.

„We lured it this way..." David answered. „We only had no clue you two had get here somehow."

„We came through the Mirror." Marcus explained. „But we'd have surely reconsidered, if we knew, what's this work like."

„Oh yes, you can never be prepared enough for Wonderland." Alice laughed with an easy heart. Then she looked at me, while taking David's arm. „Look, I guess the Jabberwock was a bit too much for Kate. We should take her to Charlie."

David shook his head.

„Charlie will be busy for a while to finish the lizard. Let's go to the Library instead."

„Right." Alice nodded. They all three looked at me, a question in their eyes, whether I could go the distance.

I looked back and thought, this couldn't be more worse than that. I had to stop feeling sorry for myself and moaning. I shook myself and and stood up. I drew myself up and said:

„I'm fine. Let's go."

David nodded with acknowledgement in his eyes, then took Alice on the arm, and we were off. I followed them with determined steps, but with my arms folded in front of me.

Marcus were behind us, speechless.