Painting Flowers

Danielle's six year old self cuddled her body underneath the covers. She couldn't wait to hear the rest of her mother's fabulous stories. Alice walked into the room and sat at her usual spot at the foot of the bed. She cleared her throat before speaking.

"Now, where were we?" she asked.

"You were at the part where you ate the cake and grew seven feet tall!"

"Oh, yes! After I grew I grabbed the key off the table and drank the potion that made me shrink. It was then that I went over to the small door and unlocked it. I pushed it open and found myself in Wonderland. The white rabbit that I followed waited for me, along with the Tweedles, and Mallymkun the Dormouse. They all said I was the wrong Alice which I too thought so myself. This so called Alice slays a Jabberwocky. That's what the Oraculum said."

"Tell me about the Hatter!" begged Danielle.

"We'll get to that another night. Go to bed my angel."

Danielle rushed over to the table. She remembered her mother's story clearly but she went ahead and tried to open all the doors. They of course were all locked. Even the tiny one. She grabbed the key off the table and reached for the vile. It had a tag on it that read; drink me. She opened the Pishsalver potion and began to drink. Her body started to shrink to two feet tall. Danielle thought it odd that she was so short. Her mother thought the same.

"What was it like being two feet tall?" Danielle's sweet voice asked.

Alice smiled. "It was terrifying. Everything was bigger than me. I thought I was going to be eaten."

"So after the Bandersnatch hurt you what happened?"

"The Tweedles took me away from there but sadly they were taken by the Queen's Jubjub bird. I was left on my own until the Cheshire Cat saved me. He took me to the March Hare and the Hatter."

Danielle sat up. "I love the Hatter!"

"I know angel. The Hatter is an amazing man! He's got red hair, lime green eyes, and a top hat that he is very fond of."

"Do you regret not staying in Wonderland?"

Alice sadly looked away from her daughter before she spoke. "Sometimes I do but if I would've stayed I never would've met your father which meant you wouldn't have existed."

Danielle nodded. "One day I'd like to meet the Hatter."

Alice bent down to kiss her daughter's soft cheek. "One day you will."

Danielle rushed to the small door with the key in her hand. She stuck it into the key hole and unlocked the door. She pushed it open then stepped through it. What she saw next was something she didn't expect. Her mother always told her that Wonderland was colorful but everything was dead and rather gloomy. She slowly descended from the stairs. Waiting in front of her was the White Rabbit and the Dormouse.

"That's not Alice." the mouse said.

"Mallymkun?" asked Danielle.

The Dormouse widened her eyes.

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

"My mother told me so much about you. She also told me about you rabbit."

The White Rabbit and the Dormouse stared at each other.

"What is your name?" asked the rabbit.

"Danielle Watson. My mother was Alice Kingsleigh."

"Well, then where is your mother?" asked Mallymkun.

Danielle sadly looked down at the ground. She knew her mother asked her to tell the creatures of Wonderland about her passing. She didn't know if she could though but she had too.

"She died two days ago."

"Oh no." Mallymkun cried.

The small mouse fell to the ground which made Danielle's heart break.

"There there." the White Rabbit patted her back.

"We're all doomed. Without Alice, Underland will not be saved."

Danielle couldn't let this happen. She wouldn't let her mother's favorite place be doomed. She had to do something.

"Maybe I could help." she offered.

"You?" asked Mallymkun. "You're two feet tall!"

"I believe I have some Upelkuchen." said the White Rabbit as he reached into his waist coat and pulled out the cake. "Just a small bite." he told Danielle.

"No! Don't let her eat it yet. Wait until we're safe. Andromeda's knights are on the look out." said Mallymkun.

"Fine, but if she gets eaten it's your fault. Where do you suppose we go?"

"To see the Hatter. He'll want to know about Alice. Come on love. Try to keep up."

Danielle felt her heart quicken at the sound of his name. She couldn't believe she would soon be meeting the man she's dreamed about all these years. She noticed that the Rabbit and the Dormouse were already walking away from her. She quickly ran after them. She just hoped that she didn't get eaten.