Wonderland Unearthed

The man leads a tour through the public pathways discussing the finds that they have found underneath the rocks. "And now people, step lively and cautiously. We have found amazing artifacts that appear to have come straight out of a a storybook tale of Wonderland. Things such as this fellow on the right here. Take note of the figure in stone. He seems to have the body, for the most part of a human man, though his eyes are noticably different. We've also found that aside from a basic skeletal structure, this man, also seems to have very well preserved nerve endings throughout this square like box around him. Almost as if a card guard from the stories of Wonderland could have actually existed at one point in time." He motioned the group forward once more then pointed out various other simularities, such as the giant chess pieces and unusual animals.

Through tddle of the tour the ground would rumble and quake beneath the feet. Soon rocks and boulders would fall or loosen and even the earth beneath the group would cave in out from under them. Sending those unfortunate enough to fall what would seem like and endlessly dark tunnel to land harshly on the tiled floor of a room. Upon looking up there would appear to be just black empty space with no sign anywhere of where they had fallen from. Within the room it was dark and damp with cobwebs everywhere as if it had been years since someone had been there. A small round table sit in the middle with a small bottle and a box covered in dust and grime. To one side of the room a door about half the size that a normal door should be. The handle an odd looking ornament but it's features too were hidden in years of dirt.

And so our story begins as those within find themselves undoubtedly in some form of trouble....

It was rediculous to consider, actually going on a tour that was supposed to offer those occult followers of conspiracy and fiction a glimpse into the real Wonderland. Rubbish, in his eyes, but it was a slow weekend and there was little else to do in this town. So, taking with him his small stash box, a cleverly disguised cigarette box, and his cell phone to be able to take some memorable pictures to laugh about, he had gotten in with the tour crowd and actually seemed to enjoy the momentary break from reality.

The earthquake was what unsettled him the most. The ground shook and walls, and cieling, as if the whole house was going to come crashing in around them, but then the ground itself opened it's arms to welcome them. It was darkness after that, but he felt what could have been someone touching him on the shoulder, then back, down his side, over the side of his leg... then he realized the touch was far too solid to be any hand, or hands. Upon opening his eyes he found himself on the ground of that dark tile, the "room" they were in seeming to spring up out of nowhere, with no trace that they had fallen, or any wreckage from the building above this one.

She had arrived to this town not wanting to be there. She hadn't much familiarity with the story of Wonderland, though her grandmother insisted she go. She sighed signing up for the tour and continued on with the others. Vague bits and pieces of memory from what her grandmother would tell her as a child. Though still no point as to why she would want her there. She didn't even know the main characters or point of the story. She soon felt the ground shaking violently and fell to her knees, only to be swallowed by the earth itself. Great, she thought as she continued falling. She would finally open her eyes once more coughing slightly at the dust around them, and the tour guide calling for shou outs. She looked about a bit more going to the one closest to her seeing if he was okay. "Hey mister.. you all right?.." She stood holding out a hand in case he needed help getting to his feet. "What's your name?"

Things were getting entirely too strange for his liking. His eyes focused on the girl holding out her hand and he slowly pushed himself up, beginning to brush himself off a little, not yet concerning himself with everyone else's safety. There'd be enough heroes in this crowd for that, and it meant he wouldn't have to make any difficult decisions about what was going on without having the facts.

"For having fallen through the floor of an old, dusty ass mansion into a pit of darkness, and landing on a tile floor... I'm doing amazing. No bumps, no bruises, sore spots.." he confirmed, checking himself over and in the process digging out his half empty pack of smokes to retrieve one, careful not to let the green painted rolling paper covered one. Taking the offered hand afterwards he smiled a bit, nodding his head to her. "Logan. Logan Small. And yourself?"

She watched him a moment seeing he was fine and shook his hand. Her voice in a light british accent. "Alice, Alice Dodgson. Some tour huh, Seems only that stuffy guide is enjoying it. Don't know much about this story everyone keeps saying it is though." She watched the tour guide as he moved about the dusty table and small door to one side of the room. Though she didn't see any other way out of the room. "So what brought you here? To this tour I mean.."

"Irony.." he chuckled, looking over and watching the tour guide as he lights up his cigarette. This seemed a bit insane, but at least they hadn't died with the fall. "So, Alice.. This your first time down the rabbit hole, then?" he mused at a bit of drug humor, turning his attention over to her once again and deciding to stay close by. If the stories were any indication she was going to be his ticket out of this joint by the time all was said and done..

"Irony? How would that bring you to a Tour about some fictional place?" She was confused a moment then noticed the table and room changing as a wind swept through it. She heard the man's other comments but covered her eyes as what looked like centuries of dust and webs were taken n the wind and out of the room. When she looked again everything looked like it was new. The walls looked freshly painted, the tabel shown the bright marble, and even the small door seemed to be alive. She caught herself on her last thought shaking it off as a silly thing. After all inanimate objects weren't alive.


"This is amazing folks. This appears to be the very same room that allice fist fell through to enter wnderland. Now in the story Alice had to eat or drink somethings to change their size. Seeing how there is no way up from where we fell.. Hopefully this will get us out of here."

She listened to the tour guide figuring that's what Logan had meant about Irony. shewatched the tour guide drink from the bottle, then was gone. She looked around as the others did but didn't see him. "What just happened?.. and hey Logan.. Can ya do me a favor, seeing how he's mentioned an Alice being in this wonderland story, can we kinda not tell anyone my name. I get the feeling my grandmother may have been setting me up for a good joke.."

"Aha just as expected. Everyone take a small sip from the bottle. And one of you please remember to take the key that should be appearing soon."

She heard the tiny voice to see the Tour guide only about two inches tall. She wasn't sure if she were seeing things or not, but watched the others debate the idea, and some following his lead.

He waited in the shadows after the calling. He had sensed a possible blood tie to the earthly dimension and couldn't chance the risk of letting it pass them by. They had waited so long for their savior's return already, and with the threat of the nightmare growing stronger, they needed help once again. He watched sulking through the shadows unseen by the group. His own gifts were weakened having to stretch his image back to the entrance he knew only the one he sensed could see him. His smile a true sign of his great grandfathers shown brightly against his darkened fur. He moved his image jumping to the table and looking to the one with steely eyes. His voice would then reach out once the others ahd all begun shrinking in size. "Hello Alice.. From what we've been told, you've not changed much of your appearance. A bit older, but the scent of your blood proves it's you." His smile broad as he let only that appear now. He had to move quick for the time. "Take this gem, it's the eyes of our world." His smile would fade though he was still there watching her. A key for the door as well as a small red gem would appear upon the table. His time running out he had to let his mind rejoin his spirit until the next time he would have the strength to reach out and help the girl.

Alice watched as the others finished taking their turns and shrinking to roughly the same sizes as the tour guide. She looked to Logan then the bottle a moment not sure she liked the idea. She heard a voice and turned to see a dark cat with an unusually large grin of white teeth. She thought the smile resembled something more of a tiger or panther rather then the household cat it appeared to be. She turned to Logan wondering if he could see or hear this cat talk as well but it didn't seem so. She turned back as it mentioned her name and staired blankly at it. She started to say something but stopped seeing all but the smiling teeth now. Curious she thought as it spoke again to see the gem and key appear. She also noticed the small clear box with what looked like two cupcakes inside appear beside the bottle everyone was drinking from. She moved about the table looking around for the rest of the cat untill even the smile was gone. "Logan, did you just see a dark grey cat on this table? or hear it talk?" She realized what she had said and knew he would think her crazy. She picked up the gem putting it her jacket pocket as well as the key and small box. She'd hold onto the bottle after they both would drink from it. "Does eyes of our world sound familiar to the story to you? If you've ever read it that is.. If not that's is fine."

Logan was turning the small bottle over in his hand thoughtfully but looked over at her with the question, seeming to be distracted by his own thoughts. "Cat? Like.. the cheshire cat?" he asked, giving his head a small shake. "I didn't see anything. Wasn't paying attention though, why, what did you see?" he asked, then looking to the stone curiously and taking a small sip from the bottle. this was all very interesting, but he was skeptical as to just how safe it was to even leave this room. Last he checked, the world of wonderland was far from safe..

He set the bottle down just as he started to shrink, then becomming the same size as the others and hurrying across the floor to the door that would take them out. Though, he wasn't sure if he wanted to stay closer to th group, or closer to alice.. this surely wasn't going to be safe either way. "Alice, come on!" he called out making sure she could hear him as he ran, lifting his sunglasses up a bit and tossing the shrunken cigarette off to the side. Forget it... He'd have to save his smoke breaks for important moments and this didn't seem like one of them, he wanted to be as alert as possible.

"A cheshire cat? I don't know.. " She watched him drink then shrink down to call out to her. She nodded looking to the bottle and making sure she had everything one last time before drinking. The juice tasted sour then she felt strange as she shrunk down like the others. She fished the key from her pocket and handed it to the tour guide before returning to the group looking about for Logan being the only real one she knew.


The tour guide took the key excited as if he had a speacial secret. Before he could turn the key the door handle yawned and started speaking what she assumed was gibberish. "No entry today. Come back later. Like never." She thought it rude, as did their guide. "Now listen here, we wish to get into wonderland."

"No, you don't. And not without the key."

"But we have the key right here." The guide looked upset and she couldn't help but stifle a chuckle towards his expression. She watched the door yawn again and sighed knowing this may take a while. Then realized the door was talking and moving like a face. She had a strange thought so went with it. "Oh mister doornob.. you like lollypops?" She moved forward and took the jey from the guide walking over. She held it behind her back taking one of the cupcakes from the box and sticking it on the end of the key.

"Oh yes very much, and goodies."

"I have this cupcake here. I could share it with you." She held out the treat covered key for the door to see and watched him open his mouth wide. She smiled putting the cake in and turning it as soon as his mouth was close. She then turned the knob and opened the door. She looked to everyone's expressions and sighed. "What? I didn't hear anyone else giving any bloomin ideas." She handed the key back to the guide and followed him inside the dark area.

As their eyes would adjust they'd find themselves in a dark forrest. Barely any light came through the trees to tell if it were day or night. Strange sounds and calls were heard from everywhere, And before them the faintest outline of a path with a crossroad sign, though it's words had been weathered away. She moved closer to Logan finding him and held his arm, not realizing it. The place made her feel creepy and wanted to go back. She turned though and the door was no longer there, but more forrest instead. "I don't like this place.. we need to go from here.."

The creature would watch the group entering into Wonderland. The smoke that trickled from his dragonesque figure barely noticable in the fog that loomed in the air of the foorest. It's teeth shown only slightly as it smiled. A fitting meal this group would become. Though knew his master would be pleased the scent the group carried. He moved quietly using the darkness to hide as if the trees were playing shadows. As the creature poised itself for the attack it picked which of the delisious group to munch on first. Once it's main targets were figured out the creature would sit waiting for them to begin moving in any direction. Soon it would have a meal, and plenty to share with it's master. The only possible hint to it's whereabouts, a set of pale yellow eyes amoung the firefly group.

"A little different than I had imagined it.." Logan offered as he stepped into the dark woods. It was strange, actually seeing something in the first person rather than hearing about it through some author's description, but at least he knew he'd have some kind of edge when all the confusing crap started up. Which he was certain it would.

Lighting up another smoke he looked around thoughtfully. The woods seemed quiet enough save for the local wildlife and the bugs, but something didn't quite sit right with him. Mostly, the fact that they still had to be small... so what happened if they got big again? Would the woods stay the same size and make them giants, or would it not make a bit of difference. "Brilliant trick with the key by the way. Kudos for that one. So! Mr. Tour Guide. Where do we go from here?"

"Well we follow this pathway of course. Just as Alice had in her story. I'm sure we may run into a card guard or two. Wouldn't that be something folks. All right, now everyone stay close and no wandering off."

She started walking with the group still feeling unsettled. She looked to the fireflies seeing two that looked strange and paused a moment. She then started following along with the group thinking her mind playing tricks on her. "So Logan, I hope I'm not bothering you by talking to you. But, since you're the only name I know. I thought it would be just easier." She paused a moment again to look around at the area. "Do you get the feeling..." She paused thinking herself silly and shook her head. "Never mind, I think this place just creeps me out too much."

The creature stalked the group a bit more as they walked. He found it amusing one had noticed him without realizing it. Oh what fun toys these mortals would be. He waited untill the oppertune moment charging out at the group with a ferosious roar, and engulfing the closest to him in fore from his throat. The other he simply inhaled rather then eating. He smiled hearing the screams of the group and looked to the one that seemed to lead them on taking a bit into his mid section. Now, there was the scent of the one he wanted, as well as at least eight others. He growled loudly once more savoring in their fear. The Jabberwocky would have his dinner untill only the summoned remained.

Alice heard the loud noise and turned in tim to see one of the group taken by flames as well as another eaten whole, and the tour guide started. She took a step back holding her hands over her mouth frozen in fear not knowing what to do. She wanted to call out to Logan but couldn't. She was almost affraid to ask what sort of creature it was. She soon heard a familiar voice in her mind telling her to move, run, anything to get away. She took another step then grabbed logan't arm as she started running in no direction in particular seeing other group members doing the same. "Wha.. What was that thing?!"

Despite the situation and how fast it had turned to chaos he knew that they couldn't panic.. even with that fire breathing thing eating people left and right, they just had to get as far from it as possible. Though it may not have been the best thought he figured so long as he stuck with Alice he would have something to feed the beast to give himself some more time to run, but he mentally scolded himself for the line of thought, taking her arm instead when she grabbed for him and hurrying after her. This couldn't be real.

"To be honest, I have no clue, but it was big, and smelled, and ate three people before we knew what happened, so let's keep running!" he urged, staying parallel with the path. He wasn't excited about running into any cards who'd be crazy ans wanting to sever his noggin but it sure as hell beat being chomped on by the thing hunting them now. And with any luck they would be able to pit the two forces against eachother.

She continued running seeing what looked like a door in one tree and stopped. She looked between the path, door, and the monster and made a judgement call. She pulled Logan and called to the others and ran for the door. She hopened it after a bit of struggle seeing the creature get another one. As everyone piled on top of each other, they were yet again somewhere else. She stood realizing the creature was still following though turned to see no doorway there anymore. She sighed in relief and motioned to help logan back up. She looked around at the fields thinking of how odd it looked. The grass around the trees seemed to be cut, but in different shades of green but in squares. "Do I want to know? I'm starting to see rather quickly why my grandma didn't let me read the story."

"A shame. Otherwise you'd know where we are." Logan offered in response, straightening himself up and trying to salvage his bent smoke with a little tending between his fingers, trying to patch a small tear in it from the excitement, just glad he hadn't dropped it somewhere.

"Good news is, I think we got away from it.." he spoke, almost hesitantly before looking back over his shoulder to where the door should have been.

He sensed the one he was to look after in danger again and tried to bring his image to her once more. This alice as he had come to know seemed very stubborn, though was glad to see she had found the doorway to save the group. "That my dear Alice was the Jabberwocky. I would have thought you would have remembered that creature. Afterall, you were the one to defeat it the last time you were here." He looked to the group a moment before letting only his smile show again. "This is the chessboard as if you didn't already know. Really one would think you would have gotten your head out of the clouds. Any good a chess my dear?" He would appear on Logan's shoulder and motioned to scratch his face though knew he wouldn't feel it or even know he was there.

Alice turned seeing the cat once more and sighed as he spoke. "Look I've never even heard of a Jabberwocky before, heck barely heard of this place." She watched as he moved to sit on Logan's shoulder and sighed. "And yes I've played chess, but honestly, I don't see how this place is a chess board." She watched the cat move to claw Logan and went to try and grab it though there was only nothing. She looked to Logan a moment puzzled. "Please tell me you see this cat?"

"Lady, who are you talking to?" One of the group spoke up. She looked to the others seeing her looking at her funny and sighed. "There's a cat that's been talking to me. Can't any of you see or hear him?" She watched as they shook their heads and started talking amoungst themselves. She turned back towards Logan a moment though doubted he'd believe me if they didn't. "Do you believe me?" She noted the cat had moved once more and looked to it not liking how it was making her look.

Logan seemed preoccupied by the surroundings. This was going to be difficult should an opponent appear. Granted, he was pretty semi-pro at chess, and had a decent head on his shoulders, but that was only normally after a bowl and with some jazz playing in the background. Blinking at the thought he smiled, taking a drag off of his cigarette, remembering he still had the small bit of his stash with him. "This, is going to be a cinch. No worries, Alice." he offered before turning back to the group, as if he hadn't heard a bit of what had been going on until people started asking about her mental stability and some cat that nobody else could see.

"If you'll remember... the enigmatic, though often bothersome, Chesire Cat in the stories would choose who to appear to, when and where, as well as how. Some might even say he had a little crush on Alice from the books, but was too damned smart, and indifferent to emotions, to admit it to himself. Herself. Itself. Whatever." he offered in her defense.

She looked to him sighing inwardly that at least he believed her. She looked to the cat seeing only it's smile stil and rolled her eyes. She looked about the area not sure about this. "A cinch huh? I'm starting to think something doesn't want us to win. We need to get away.. this place, it feels wrong." She wanted to say the idea of wonderland existing was wrong in general but wouldn't.

"Whatever, you two can do what you want, we're going this way." She watched the others turning and leaving and wondered if Logan was going to go along with them or not. Not that she knew what she was going to do. Too many things seemed to be revolved in her name and wanted to know why. "Are you going too?"

He smiled moving to allow all of himself to show in a tree just over head. "Let them go Alice dear, not much longer, they won't have much to fear." He watched them all go curious about the one sticking by her. He hoped the man's skills at chess were as well as his ego. "Man knows much may have heard, but simple things are not of wonderland nature." He pulled back a bit then reappeared on a patch of the ground. "Start this way, beware of the red, the white are mean but at least ou won't be dead."

"Well, what do you suggest then? A game, or following the others? Personally, I've never much been one to follow the crowd... especially when they're dumb." Logan added, folding his arms over his chest and looking thoughtfully toward the gaming board before them.

"This place gives me the creeps. Yeah, the dragon thing was scary as hell, but even in the books I didn't imagine this place could be so... dark." he offered, taking another drag off of his smoke and letting his mind wander back to the size issue before scolding himself for losing focus. "Something tells me you'd be the one to follow on this little adventure, so lead on, fearless Alice Dodgson. I'll watch your back."