Vorpal- Chapter one

Val awoke in the early morning, the of dawn had not yet broken the horizon and a cold sweat crept down his brow. He flailed his right arm at his nightstand searching for his alarm clock, the glowing dial read four o'clock. Val sighed, exhausted from his restless tossing and turning while asleep he laid on his back looking up at his bedroom ceiling. This was the eighth night in a row that Val was awoken from his sleep and what made the situation worse was the fact that the same dream had been waking him. He couldn't wrap his mind on why he was having this weird dream; he was only 25 years old so his mind couldn't be degrading already. He was healthy and it's not as if he partied anymore now that he was out of college. Before long Val's clock struck six and it was time for him to begin his preparations for the workday ahead. Once he was dressed and ready, Val began the bike ride through the urban jungle to his publishing job downtown.

He had been working at what would seem like his dream job for the past two years, having a degree in English Literature made the job simple. Val was in charge of editing manuscripts that arrived from would be novelist and inspecting them for literary merit. Unfortunately finding any literary merit in the works he had to edit was as easy as smuggling diamonds. Most of the time Val would be reading through an endless supply of dime store romance type manuscripts. They would obviously be written about a popular idol by a fan in hopes of spreading their love through words. The result most often was a mash of horrible grammar and spelling that would make most fifth grade teachers cry in their sleep. These works though fell on Val's desk in his small nook in the wall he called an office. Val's coworkers on the other hand were a completely different experience than the papers he had to read. Most were quiet and work diligently except for a selected few such as Evan Myer. Val didn't dislike the man but Evan had the notion that he and Val were friends and would often sit during his lunch hour with Val. Today was to exception and right on the dot Evan appeared his food in hand and anecdotes in his head.

“Dude, I have to tell you about last night”

Now Val had come to realize that every Monday, Evan would recollect his night life to him. Part of Val wondered if the stories that Evan told him were even true or if they were a attempt on making so sort of connection with someone in the office.

“What about it?”

“I have to tell you about his awesome bar I went to. The drinks were strong and the women easy”

“Really? That sound like a great time”

Val never broke his gaze at the manuscripts he was editing, his red pen barely leaving the paper before he happened upon another mutilation of the English language.

“It was man. I had like six. No, seven shots. While totally plastered I got two girls on each arm and we went back to my place.”

“Let me guess, you had sex with both of them.”

“Oh yeah. Wanna smell my fingers?”

“I rather not.”

The conversation continued in the same fashion; Evan would speak of the past night's event describing the liquor he drank, the women he met and the illicit activities he wasn't present for. The day wore on and soon it was time to clock out. Val made his way out of the office and on to the sidewalk; the skies seemed to darken as clouds rolled in from the east. Expecting rain Val dialed his girlfriend, Megan in hopes she would be kind enough to pick him up. The receiver rang until he heard the all too familiar message.

“Hi, you've reach Megan. I can't answer right now so leave a message and I'll get back to you.”

Val hung up his phone and strapped on his helmet, he new plan was to beat the rain to his house. Val was nearly half way home when the rain began to come down, it soon became a downpour. The heavy rain came down like a gray curtain in front of Val, all he could do was squint his eyes to better see the road ahead. Cold and wet, Val made the quick decision to take a shortcut he normally didn't take in order to get to his nice dry bed sooner. The paths were not the main reason Val avoided this shortcut, it was because many people speed on the roads around the park. Weighing his options Val came to the conclusion that he would rather risk the cars than risk becoming ill. Jumping the curb Val raced through a park on its narrow and winding trails. The trails were full of puddles and the dirt had begun to turn to mud making it even more difficult to ride through.

Val reached the other side of the park and the rain continued to make visibility terrible as the large drops of water collided with his eyes. He jumped the curb again to cross the street as the headlights of an oncoming car became visible in the corner of his eye. Val slammed on his brakes in a veil attempt to stop himself but it was too late. The car's grille smashed into his shin pinning Val's leg to his bike and throwing the rest of his body onto the hood of the car. Time seemed to slow as Val's head the windshield of the car. The sound of his helmet cracking under the force of the collision could be heard along with the screaming brakes of the car seem to last hours. As Val rolled off the side of the car he could feel the individual droplets as they made the sound of the ticking grandfather clock as they fell onto his face. Time caught up to Val once he made a vicious landing, he could hear the sound of the car as it drove off into the distance. The world was slowly turning black as he fought to keep consciousness but soon passed out on the side of the road bleeding.

Val opened his eyes surprised to find out that he was still alive. The sky was a now clear and the sun made its appearance once again. Val blinked a few times then realized something wasn't right about the world. First and most alarming was the fact that he felt no pain what so ever, he felt the warms of the sun and the cool kiss of the breeze but no pain. Second was the ground didn't feel right, the last thing Val could remember was landing on the rough asphalt pavement his head against the street curb. The ground instead felt soft and almost rubbery as he pushed his hand down on his surface. Val rolled over on his stomach and looked down to discover the red polka dotted surface he was laying on. Alarmed, he sprang upright to see that he was laying on a very large mushroom of sorts. Val quickly began to turn and look all around him to see that he was no longer in the city or anywhere he had been before. He was surrounded by a forest of tall grass with large flowers standing erect above and giant trees could be seen in the distance. Strange birds with trumpets for beaks too the sky sounds a thunderous call as they flew over head. Val slid down the mushroom on to the ground below, still in shock he began to wander down what seemed like a clear path. Soon more animals appeared some stranger than the ones before it; Armadillos in hats walked across the path and giant spiders carrying baskets full of other animals walked above. Before long the path Val clumsily walked down came to a small stream with two sign post floating in the water, oddly enough one sign floated with the current and read “This way” and the other which floated against the current read “That way”. None of what was happening made any sense to Val, it was like he was stuck in some twisted child's dream. Val jumped across the river and began to cut his way through the grass forest running to flowers that seemed to scream as he bumped into their stems. Unaware of where he was going Val slipped down an embankment and rolled down the slick grass cover slope. Val finally stopped when he rolled into an large clearing at what seemed like the bottom of the embankment; he laid there sure that he had gone mad when he hear a voice.

“Are you quite done?”

Val quickly looked up but saw no one, only two more of the same mushrooms he awoke on.

“Who's there? Where are you?”

“I'm in front of you. If you pick yourself up, you might be able to see me”

Val wiped the mud off his face and stood up scanning the area for the source of the voice. He began to walk towards the mushrooms only to find out that they were much smaller than originally thought. Val knelt down at the mushrooms to see a caterpillar sitting on one of the two mushrooms.

“Ah so it seems you have found me”

“Wait, what?! How are you talking to me? You're a caterpillar”

“Yes, yes they all say that but like everyone else you will understand soon. Now how about you take a seat and I can begin to explain things to you”

Val looked around for a seat or something he could sit on but the clearing was bare except for the two mushrooms at his feet.

“I would love to sit but there is nothing for me sit down on”

The caterpillar sighed and rubbed his eyes with one of his many hands then answered.

“The mushroom, you may sit on the mushroom.”

Puzzled, Val looked at the caterpillar trying to see it logic.

“I'm fairly certain I can't sit on it, I'm not as small as you”

“You have much to learn if you think I am small.”

“Well I am almost a thousand time larger than you so I'm sure you are small”

Val turned around to look at the second mushroom only to have found that it was grown in size and now was the size of a small car. Immediately he swung around to see the caterpillar sitting above him on the other mushroom. The caterpillar now the size of a large man, much larger that Val sat on top of the mushroom with what appeared to be a pipe in his hand and looked down on Val.

“As I said before you have much to learn and we have very little time. Now please sit down.”

Val took a seat on top of the second mushroom and looked up at the caterpillar as it took another drag off its pipe and exhale the smoke in the shape of a butterfly then began.

“Tell me, what is your name?”

“Valentino Leon but people just call me Val”

“Val? An interesting name”

The caterpillar took another drag on his pipe.

“Can you tell me what's going on and what I am doing here?”

It exhaled this time the smoke took the form of crane before drifting off.

“You were meant to come here. It's in your blood”

“What do you mean? I've never even heard of a place like this”

“You are a Vorpal or should I say a bearer of the Vorpal”

“Vorpal? What is that some weird blood disease or something?”

The caterpillar crawled down from its mushroom and gesture Val to follow it. The two began to walk towards the edge of the clearing. The caterpillar rang a bell mounted on a post near the edge of the clearing within a few moments a elevator car came down. It was then that Val realized that it was not sky or a canopy that was above his head but rather the ground that he had no sooner been walking on. The doors to the elevator opened and the caterpillar motioned for Val to enter; the doors closed it seemed as if the elevator was traveling in an upwards motion. When the door opened once again the elevator was correctly orientate with a clean brick path laid out in front of the two. The two exited and the door shut behind them as the elevator rose into the air and disappeared out of sight.

“Come now, we can't stop.”

Val quickly caught up to the caterpillar as they marched up the winding path to the base of what seem to be giant oak tree. Many animals gathered at the base of tree many offering food or other items to an basket at the feet of statue. The close Val got to the statue the more clear the image of what it was became, it was a young woman no older that Val standing with what appeared to be a sword on her waist and a shield on his back. The animals began to part as the caterpillar and Val approached the base of the statue, Val could hear whispering among the crowds.

“This is the first Vorpal. She arrived not unlike you, she was confused and scared by the different surroundings.”

“Why is she armed?”

“This of course was after she rid the our world of the Jabberwocky”

The crowd became agitated by the mention of the name.

“The what?”

“It was the corrupter, the destroyer, the devourer. We all had given up hope until she came.”

“So how did she rid the world of the Jabberwiki?”

“She was the first to wield Vorpal Blade of course. The blade of legend, the only thing that could kill the Jabberwocky”

The crowd all made a slashing motion with their right arm while yelling out.

“One, two! One, two! and through and through.The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!”

The caterpillar walked closer to the statue still explaining the story to Val.

“She slew the Jabberwocky and brought peace finally to our world. Unfortunately peace does not last, war and other evils blossomed over time.”

At the base of the statue the caterpillar inserted his pipe into a small hole and turned it like key causing a compartment to open up. The caterpillar opened the compartment and pulled a box out from it dark reaches. The caterpillar handed the box to Val and gestured him to open it.

“We were blessed though, when we thought the evil would consume our world and all hope had died. Another Vorpal would appear to cleanse our world again. I believe that you are our new Vorpal.”

Val opened the box to reveal a silver pocket watch with a heart emblem engraved on its cover and an old mirror covered in dust.

“What I am supposed to do with these?”

“Look into the mirror and it will prove you are a Vorpal.”

Val wiped off the dust with a piece of cloth that one of the animals provide him. The dust was thick, thicker than he anticipated but it slowly began to wipe clean off letting the reflective surface taste the light. Val gazed into the mirror only to be shocked at who was looking back through the glass, It was girl. Val could not help but stare at the girl in the mirror, she mimicked every movement he made and stare back at him with a pair of deep emerald eye. After a few moments Val finally realized that his hands didn't look quite normal, they were slender and his skin was much fairer. He began to touch is face only realize that his face had change from its once sharp features with a strong jaw to a more narrow face with a soft bone structure. Val grabbed his hair to find that it was much longer than before, it was well down the middle of his back and it was no longer a chestnut brown but a raven black. Val put the mirror down slowly and starred at the caterpillar trying to come up with something to say.

“It would seem the unyou has finally come to light. The green eyes though prove you are a Vorpal.”

“What do you mean 'unyou'? I'm a girl! How is this possible?!”

“Simple, the unyou is you but not at the same time. But that is beside the point, the mirror has reveal that you are a Vorpal.”

“So what I'm supposed to save the day or something?! I mean look at me, I don't know this body or its limitations.”

“You will get used to it in time but now I believe it is time for a change in clothes. The current outfit seems to be a bit too big for you”

The caterpillar was correct, Val might have changed but his clothing didn't. He was noticeably smaller than he was before and the clothing he was wearing made it look as if he just stole his older brother's clothes. Val followed the caterpillar to a building off the brick path, walking was slightly difficult to the fact that Val's pants were now too long causing him to trip every other step. Inside the caterpillar pointed to a large set of wooden doors and explained that all Val need would be behind those doors. Val entered the room as the caterpillar took a seat on a sofa in the adjacent room. The door slammed shut behind Val, the room was large with mirror hanging on the wall across the room, a wardrobe to the left, a bed to the right and many sets of cabinets lining the wall ahead. Val opened the wardrobe to find that is was much deeper than it appeared, in the front was a set of dresses with matching footwear for each. They all seemed to be of the same basic design but each with their own twist or style, Val took the most “normal” looking dress out along with a pair of knee high boots. The dress was much more complicate that Val anticipated as there were many layers to the gown, the lowest layer of cloth was what appeared to be a white slip and an petite coat. The next was the powder blue outer layer with short sleeves and a skirt that ended right about his knees; the next piece to the dress was the white sash that wrapped around his waist that was tied in a bow and pinned into place. This of course was easier said than accomplished, Val fumbled trying to put on the first layer of clothing getting his arms stuck and putting on the petite coat backwards. After a few moments of bumbling around the room fighting with his new body and new style of clothing there was a knock on the door followed by a soft voice.

“ Excuse me, Ezekiel called for me and explained that you may need my assistance. May I come in?”

Val took a moment to look down at his progress in assembling his new outfit then answered.

“ Yes, I think I may need a hand.”

The door slowly opened as a large octopus crawled into the room. It wore a bonnet and what appeared to me an apron around its midsection.

“Well lucky for you I have eight hands to lend you.”

Val slowly backed away for the octopus as it closed the door behind it. Horrible thoughts of tentacles ran through his head and to make things worse was that other than his improperly worn attire he was naked.

“Ah, tell me how are you able to be out of water?”

The octopus stopped and looked at Val with a puzzled face.

“Why would I be in the water, I've always lived on the land.”

“But don't octopuses live in the ocean?”

“Well maybe some do but I, Josephine Broussard, never go into such a cold and harsh place.”

“Oh, I didn't know. Everything here is just so much different than what I am used to.”

“It's quite alrig'. Now let's get that dress on you.”

Josephine went to work quickly readjusting the under dress within a few minutes Val was ready to wear the next layer. The blue dress went on with out a problem, it was almost dizzying to Val how fast Josephine's tentacles fitting the blue cloth and adjusting where needed. The entire ordeal was done and over when sash was tied and a red rose pin was placed in the middle of bow to keep everything secure in place. Val stood in the mirror in awe of Josephine's work, wearing a dress made Val feel more free in his movements. Josephine handed him a pair of blue and white stripped stockings then began to lace the knee high leather boots.

“Tell me, who is Ezekiel?”

“The caterpillar of course. Didn't you know that?”

“No actually, he never really told me his name.”

“Well that's not surprising, when you're as old as he is you then you forget those simple formalities.”

Josephine placed the newly laced boots on the floor next to Val and took her leave before he could ask anymore questions of her.

Finally dressed, Val stepped out the room and was greeted by Ezekiel still smoking his pipe and Josephine was seated across from him. A tea pot had been placed on the coffee table in the middle of the room, an odd red steam wavered from the spout. Val took a seat in a chair near the end of the coffee table as he did a tea cup and the tea pot sprouted legs and walked to his end of the table. The two pieces of china stopped when they reached the end of the table the cup rested down on the table as the pot pour the green liquid it contained. Val picked up the cup and blew to cool what he assumed was tea the red steam was even more visible now out of the pot. Gathering his courage he took a slip of the hot brew to find that it was sweet almost as sweet as honey. Val exhale a warm breath to see the red steam escape from his mouth and dissipate. Ezekiel tapped his pipe on a ash tray emptying out its bowl of residue and ash before presenting the same wooden box that was under the statue. Creaking as the lid opened Ezekiel pulled out the silver pocket watch and place it on the coffee table. He lit his pipe and inhaled deeply before beginning.

“I believe this watch is yours, I think it will be most useful in the near future.”

Val place his cup down and walked over to pick up the watch. It was surprising intricate for a small watch, Val opened the face cover to see not two hands on the dial but five. All five hands moved to be independently and erratically, the longest of the five hands turned counterclockwise and the shortest hand would move clockwise but would randomly stop and reverse direction. Val closed the lid and turned the clock to inspect the back where the image of a keyhole was engraved.

“I'm not totally sure what I am going to use this watch for. I don't think it really keeps time and if it does I'm not familiar in how to read it.”

“Well that is fine because it isn't meant to just keep track of time. It will allow you to travel through the rabbit holes around the world.”

“Rabbit holes? What are those so kind of road ways?”

Josephine put down her cup and reached over to take the watch from Val. She crawled across the room to what appeared to be an empty wall, she took a glance at the dial before continuing. Val was stunned as he witnessed Josephine pass right through the wall just how he would imagine a phantom or ghost would. Val stood up and walked quickly over to the wall placing his hand on the its solid surface in disbelief. Moments later the front door was heard closing and Josephine crawled through the hallway back to her seat.

“What just happened?”

“I used a Rabbit hole. I thought it would be easier to show you than try to explain it.”

She placed the watch back on the table as another cup of tea was poured for her. Val took his seat and picked up the watch intending on trying to understand its mysteries.

“So how do you know there is a Rabbit hole nearby?”

“You see that smaller hand that doesn’t move all the way around? That hand isn’t moving like all the others because it is pointing to the closest Rabbit hole.”

“So it is like a watch and a compass all rounded up into one?”

“Yes, you could simplify it that way.”

Ezekiel slid off the couch and headed towards the window.

“The watch will help you travel and allow you to save time as you cross the world.”

Val finished his tea before standing up and pinning the watch chain to his sash and placing the actual watch under his sash for safe keeping. The only thing Val still couldn’t understand was where exactly he was, there is no possibility that he was anywhere near home or Earth for that matter. He walked over to the window where Ezekiel stood gazing out the transparent material in deep thought. Val looked out the window the sun had begun to set and all the animals that had been paying tribute to the statue were beginning to make their way home.

“They’re scared. They know that our world is in trouble and that only now you have appeared.”

“I’m still lost. I just don’t understand what I’m doing here, why I’m here in the first place or where here is.”

Ezekiel took another drag from his pipe before answering.

“Our world is deeply connect to where you came from. Some have called it Wonderland, others Underland or even the Dreamscape. Truthfully they are all correct, our world is the collective.”

Val rubbed the back of his head in confusion then walked back to his seat.

“Why am I here then?”

Josephine poured Val and herself another cup of tea, this time the tea had turned to a shade of orange and the steam that wavered off was blue. She then proceeded to crawl over to a closed curtain against on the wall behind her seat.

“You see dear, you are a Vorpal.”

She pulled a hanging rope that drew the curtain revealing a very large painting running the length of the wall. It wasn’t as colourful as Val would imagine a painting from Wonderland would be but simple and yet complex at the same time. The painting was drawn with a combination of different inks and showed the story of a girl traveling through Wonderland. The girl fell to Wonderland and was met by a caterpillar, a rabbit, a man, a hare and a mouse. The painting then transitioned to another scene of the girl meeting a queen in a courtyard but the girl in the picture didn’t look the same. The finally piece of the painting showed yet another girl leading a small army against a very large and vicious looking dragon. Josephine opened up a seal tube that was resting under the painting and placed its contents on the table. Ezekiel took his seat again and began to unroll the scroll of paper that was sealed in the tube on the table.

“This is a record along with the painting you see on the wall of the history of the Vorpals.”

Val looked down at the piece of paper to see that all of the letter and words written on the scroll were moving erratically on the paper. Ezekiel placed his finger on the paper and to Val’s amazement the letters and words began to fly into comprehensive sentences above Ezekiel’s finger. Ezekiel read the text out loud for both Val and Josephine to hear.

“When corruption rose Wonderland fell into disarray and chaos. Our queen had been exiled by her older sister and Wonderland’s best means of protection left with her. The air became thick and noxious as the smell of death and decay flooded the world. The people of Wonderland fear both the headsman of the new queen and her loyal servant, the Jabberwocky.”

Val took his gaze from the text and back to the painting on the wall.

“Is that giant dragon thing the Jabberwaka?”

“Yes, it was one of the most dangerous and fierce creatures ever to call Wonderland home.”

Josephine visibly shivered at the sound of the Jabberwocky’s name then slowly began to sip her tea again. Ezekiel looked back down and continued to read off the scroll.

“The citizen of Wonderland were weary and their bones ached from many years of suffering when a young blonde girl fell through a Rabbit hole. She knew nothing of what was occurring in Wonderland only that she fell to a world very alien to her. She hid by a group in the hopes she might be able to save their once peaceful land. The young girl safely left Wonderland shortly after but returned often to see the group that protected her.”

Ezekiel stopped reading for a moment to refill his pipe and take drink of tea. Val looked back at the painting and at the group in the illustration that met the girl. Val realized that the caterpillar in the painting was smoking a pipe.

“You were there, weren’t Ezekiel. You were in the group that protected the young girl when she fell into Wonderland.”

Ezekiel sighed then lit his pipe with the fresh tobacco.

“I was there, I was the first one to meet that stupid little girl as she wandered aimlessly through Wonderland. It was a miracles that she didn’t die before that.”

“Who was she?”

“She was the first Vorpal, the one who’s image is craved into stone outside.”

Ezekiel sat back into his seat and took a few puffs from his pipe. Val continued to examine the painting on the wall wondering who the other members of the group were. They seemed familiar but Val couldn’t place where he had seen them all before. It was strange even though Val had never is his life been in place such as this it all felt like he had been here once before. Wonderland was like a distance dream or memory long forgotten and Val was reliving it. He could swear that he heard of Wonderland before but any memory before the day he was hit by the car was all a large blur in his mind. Josephine put one of her tentacles on the scroll and began of read where Ezekiel left off.

“Before long the young blonde girl had grown up to a young lady and could not help but see all that was wrong in Wonderland. With the guidance of her protectors she traveled to the land of the exiled queen to seek advice to restoring Wonderland. The queen with all her grace bestowed the young lady with a shield and told her to seek out the Vorpal Blade.”

Val stopped Josephine.

“What is this Vorpal Blade I hear so much about? I mean you told me it killed the Jabba the Waka but what is it?”

“It is an ancient blade from when Wonderland was born at the same time of the Jabberwocky. At first only the knights of our great queen were able to wield it but after her exile is was locked away and the art of wielding the weapon was lost.”

“So it was a sword the knights used?”

Ezekiel pointed Val’s attention back to the painting on the wall and to the many girls painted. Each one of the young ladies in the painting wielded an edged weapon but not all of them wield a sword. The first girl hand a sword in her left hand but the next had a spear and the next image had the girl swinging an axe at the mouth of the Jabberwocky.

“The Vorpal Blade is not just a sword, it changes form to the current Vorpal. In the case of what Josephine is reading the first Vorpal did wield a long sword and the shield given to her.”

Josephine cleared her throat and began to read again.

“Where was I, oh yes right here. Carrying the shield of the rightful queen the girl left in search of the Vorpal Blade that was hidden away in the farthest keep of the Wonderland. When she reached the keep the girl found that only two guards protected the keep and the blade. Luck fortunately was on her side as the two guards were dense and slow, using her wit and skills taught to her by her guardians she mislead the guard to allow her into the keep. She quickly recovered the Vorpal Blade and raced back to face the evil that was causing to much pain in Wonderland.”

A thunderous boom echo from outside of the building and the sound of the creatures yelling could be heard. Val jumped to his feet and ran to the window to see what was causing the disturbance. The sun had set but the sky was red and pulsating from a fire that was coming from below the giant tree. Val stood slightly dumbfound on what would cause such a large disaster in mere second when he witness a huge figure rise into view. It raised a giant scythe in the air then swung down with great ferocity on the creatures below. The sound of screams tore through the air that made Val shutter and quake to the very bone. Ezekiel and Josephine quickly packed the scroll and put out all the lanterns in the room. Josephine guided Val away from the window as Ezekiel drew the curtains closed. They moved into the bedroom, Val still shocked from what he just heard took a seat on the edge of the bed. Ezekiel opened on the cabinets and dug tirelessly through drawer after drawer in search of something as Josephine tried to rouse Val from his stupor state.

“Val, Val, Val dear come on! Snap out it! This is no time to be shock dumb.”

Josephine rock Val back and forth even gently slapping him in the face hoping to get some reaction. Ezekiel quickly moved to the next cabinet at a feverish pace pulling out all the drawers.

“He’s been scared dumb Josephine, he wasn’t prepared to handle seeing a thing. You remember when Alice first fought the Jabberwocky, she was scared so badly she froze in place.”

Ezekiel pulled out a small metal box and quickly made his way to where Josephine was still trying to wake Val. Pulling a small patch of cloth out of the box, Ezekiel pinned it to Val’s dress before picking him up and carrying him over to the wardrobe. Josephine opened the doors of the wardrobe and push aside the dresses revealing long corridor lined with with gas lit chandeliers.

“We have to hide her. If they find her before she is ready then all hope for Wonderland is lost.”

Ezekiel handed Val to Josephine with the instruction of moving as fast as she can down the corridor until she reached the Rabbit hole at the end. Josephine crawled with all her might as Ezekiel closed the wardrobe doors behind her. Val watched the lights of the gas lanterns as they seemed to fly by above him, he felt the smooth skin of Josephine’s tentacles on his legs and shoulders. Moments later Val came to his sense and found himself on the ground looking up at the dimly lit ceiling. He sat up looking around hoping to find Ezekiel and Josephine sitting around the coffee table drinking tea. He stood up and saw Josephine on the ground only feet away from him. Val ran to Josephine’s side rolling her off her face, she looked exhausted and water bubbled from her mouth.

“Josephine! Wake up. What’s going on? Where is Ezekiel?”

Josephine coughed and tried to regain her breath before trying to answer him. Her breathing was heavy and labored as if she had been running for miles with out stop.

“He... stayed... behind. You have... to... keep... running”

Val looked down the long corridor, he couldn’t see the end of the room and was unsure of the length remaining. Turning back down to speak with Josephine Val noticed the green patch of cloth pinned to his dress. It had a odd symbol finely embroidered on it that Val had never seen before. Josephine reached out and placed one of her tentacles on the patch pointing to the symbols.

“This will... protect... you. When... you... reach... the... Rabbit hole.”

She then pushed Val and told him to run till the corridor ended. He began to run as fast as he could down the corridor only looking back once to find that the lanterns went dark as soon as he left Josephine’s side. He sprinted down the corridor his lungs burned and sweat began to drip down his forehead. Finally he reached the end of the corridor to find it was a dead end. Val ran his hands frantically along the wall hoping there was a secret door or lever that would allow him to pass but he found nothing. Exhausted from sprinting what felt like ten miles his knees buckled and he sat there frustrated. He didn’t know what to do, he was frightened. All he think of was the thing he saw massacring the creatures below the tree and its horrible grin as it did. Val put his hands on his face trying to calm himself down but it was almost too much to handle and it felt as if was going mad. Slowly he heard the sound of a ticking clock, the sound became louder and louder. Val looked around for the source of the sound when he realized he still had the silver pocket watch tucked safely in his sash. He pulled out the watch and popped opened the lid to find the smallest watch’s hands pointed directly at the wall. He stood up and made his way to wall as he drew closer to the end of the corridor the hands on the dial began to spin quickly two going clockwise two going counterclockwise and the smallest hand pointing straight ahead. He reached out to touch the wall for a second time and as his hand made contact with the solid barrier it slipped through, Val quickly pulled his hand out. Mentally readying himself Val closed his eyes and jumped through the wall and disappeared from the corridor.