A Song Named Alice

Chapter 32

Chapter 32~We're almost to the end! (Only two more chapters left)

Then the cracks start to break off pieces of the walls, forming new holes and expanding older ones. Even if they risk falling over, they can't stop running with chunks, even if they are small, raining on their heads. 

Tom starts to reason with the situation again. Did the shock waves from the building's failing supports actually make all the holes in these walls instead of explosions from Asgard and Wonderland? If so, what is the other hallway going to look like? Much like this one? 

As he reasons, a scream comes from the back of the group, wrenching and painful. Tweedle Dum cries out, "Dee! Are you okay?" 

A portion of the ceiling had fallen on top of Tweedle Dee's leg when he had tried to dodge it. 

Tweedle Dee grimaces at the immense pain surging from his injured leg. Slowly, in between gasps, he calls out for help. "H-Hatter, it hurts. Get it off me. I can't move." 

The Mad Hatter hastily flies to Tweedle Dee's side, endeavoring to lift the heavy block off of him, but to no avail. The group stops in their tracks; the Knave of Hearts hands Raven over to Tom and runs to the Mad Hatter's aid. 

"Everyone, leave this area at once!" the Mad Hatter yells to the rest of the group in fear of their endangerment, "The Knave and I will take care of Dee. There's no need for you to risk your lives as well. We'll be fine on our own. We'll take the exit on this side if the hallway gets blocked up, but if not, then we'll catch up from behind once we get Dee out." 

Casting his head aside, Tom calls for the group's continue. 

Lacie quickly says, "You'd all better come out of this alive, okay? You hear me? I don't want to go visit a cold grave!" 

"We'll see you again soon. Now go," the Mad Hatter reassures her. Then he starts to heave the block off of Tweedle Dee again. 

Then Tom runs off, the rest following. Meg and Erik keep close by, watching for loose pieces of ceiling and making sure that Raven doesn't fall off of Tom's shoulder. Forseti and Odin casually sweep in behind them, but their rivalry with Wonderland fails to shake their worry for the people left behind. Loki stays near Lacie, following just behind Forseti and Odin, but the White Rabbit stays at the back. Occasionally, before the hallway eludes him, he would glance back at his friend's safety. 

In the back of their heads, though, everyone knew that the chances that all four of them coming back alive at this point stands little. 

The Mad Hatter knew this best. So, before the group leaves his sight, he calmly addresses to Tweedle Dum, "Listen, I know this won't be easy, but you need to leave with everyone else as well. Right now you can still catch up to them. Please listen to me Dum; you need to go before it's too late to escape." 

Tweedle Dum shakes his head profusely in denial. "No! I won't leave! I won't leave you behind! You can't make me." 

Again, the he speaks softly, but more firmly, "Tweedle Dum, you know that you won't be able to help the Knave and I that much, so for your own sake, go!" 

"Hatter, I'm staying!" Tweedle Dum yells as he shakes his head once more, "I know there's something that I can do. There must be. Besides, I can't leave my brother behind, like I can't leave you either. We've been together all this time, so I won't leave now, not when I could be needed more than ever." 

The Knave of Hearts releases his grip from the stone and stands up on his knees in front of Tweedle Dum, resting his hands on the boy's shoulders. "D-Dum," he says after a few second, trying harder than ever to speak fluently, "We know that you want to...to stay, but H-Hatter, he's worried that you'll get caught...like Dee has?"