Yikes. “Go, go, go!” I say to the swallow. “Can you take us to the hallway with all the doors and up through the rabbit hole?” I ask.
The swallow nods and soars away.
We zoom out of the castle and over to the metal blue door. The swallow stops short, and I jump off his back to open the door.
“Let’s go!” I cry, getting back on the bird in front of Penny.
“Hang on!” the swallow says.
The bird flies through the doorway and then down through the hallway of doors.
“STOP THAT SWALLOW!” I hear the Three of Clubs shout from outside.
Oh, no! The cards! Our fifty-two-second lead must be up.
The door behind us bursts open and the entire deck of cards is chasing down the hallway after us. Well, minus the Queen and King of Hearts.
Ahhh!
“Faster, Mr. Swallow!” I cry.
The swallow looks up to the bottom of the rabbit hole. “Hold on, girls. There’s lots of furniture flying around up there. And going up through the ground might hurt.”
“He’s not going to push his way through, is he?” Penny asks, cringing.
But the swallow isn’t moving at all. He’s just flying low at the bottom of the rabbit hole.
“Something is on my leg!” the swallow cries.
“What?” I say. I look down. Ahh!
It’s Gluck!
He’s lassoed the swallow’s foot with a rope! He’s holding it tightly.
“Try to fly!” Frankie cries.
“I can’t,” the swallow says. “His grip is too strong!”
I try to kick at Gluck, but I can’t reach him.
“You’re going to be trapped here forever,” the evil fairy says to me. “Mwahaha! You’ll never be able to save Maryrose!”
Oh. OH.
Gluck is trying to trap me here because of Maryrose! He doesn’t want me to help her!
“Are you the evil fairy who cursed her?” I ask.
“I helped!” he cries. “And I’m helping now!”
He’s holding on to the rope with a steel grip. The poor swallow is trying to fly up but can’t.
“Let go!” I yell down at Gluck.
“Never!”
Robin takes out her cell phone.
Is it really the time for a selfie?
The next thing I know, Robin throws the phone at Gluck’s head.
“Ouch!” he cries, letting go of the swallow and cradling his nose with both hands.
“Good-bye, phone!” Robin cries, watching it fall to the ground in Wonderland.
“I’m free!” the swallow says, flapping his wings.
“THANK YOU, ROBIN!” I cry as the bird soars up.
We all hold tight to his feathers.
We pass the flying loaf of bread and the jar of mayonnaise. The ketchup floats toward us.
“Eat the ketchup!” the swallow calls out.
“Really?” Penny shouts back.
“Yes!” the swallow shouts. “It will bring you back to normal size!”
Wait until Jonah hears about this. I grab the bottle of ketchup and squirt some in my mouth. Suddenly, my hands are getting bigger! My legs are getting longer. I’m growing back to my original size! I hand the bottle to Penny and she squirts some in her mouth. Frankie and Robin do the same.
“Don’t forget me!” the swallow cries, and Robin squirts some ketchup in his mouth, too.
Soon, Penny, Frankie, and Robin are growing alongside me. Before I know it —
We’re all regular size again! And the swallow is extra-big, so we all fit comfortably. Hurrah!
A bookshelf goes swirling past us on our way up. And a bed. There’s the kitchen. There’s that polka-dot umbrella again. And a rocking chair. Good-bye, weird Wonderland. I will miss you.
A shelf floats overhead.
“Ooh, an egg salad sandwich,” Robin says, reaching for one and popping it in her mouth.
“Watch out!” I say, but it’s too late.
When Robin took the egg sandwich, the shelf tilted and now a container of what looks like baby powder is sprinkling over our heads. The powder lands mostly on Robin, a little on Frankie, and a tiny bit sprinkles on Penny. It just barely misses me.
It smells like … like … I can’t place it. Oh! It smells like watermelon. Ha.
“What was that?” I ask.
No one answers.
“Guys?” I turn back and see that Frankie, Robin, and Penny’s eyes are closed.
Are they sleeping?
I think they are!
The baby powder put them to sleep!
The swallow continues to fly up and up and up, and even though my friends are asleep, it’s like they’re seat-belted in.
Finally, the swallow bursts up through the ground. We’re out of the rabbit hole and back on the golf course!
“Do you know where Penny lives?” I ask the swallow. “Just over the fence and through those trees.”
The swallow flies over the fence and into Penny’s backyard. Luckily, I don’t see Sheila the nanny anywhere.
“You can put us on the patio,” I say. “That’s where we were playing cards before.”
“Will do,” the swallow says. He gently lowers his back and turns slightly so that each girl lands right on a chair.
“Thank you, swallow,” I say. “You saved us!”
“My pleasure,” the swallow says, and then flies away. I watch him soar through the trees toward the golf course.
I’m home! Wahoo! Well, I’m in Smithville, anyway. I look through the sliding glass doors to the family room of Penny’s house and can see the clock on the wall.
It’s not six o’clock! It’s only one! Hardly any time has passed at all.
WHEW.
Frankie, Robin, and Penny each let out a snore and turn over onto their sides.
I let out a huge sigh of relief. We’re in Smithville. Everything is back to normal.
Except for the fact that there’s an evil fairy out there who maybe wants to trap me.
I wonder what happened to Gluck after we left. Did he turn to dust? Become a puddle of fairy goo? Is he stuck in Wonderland? Or is he somewhere out here in the real world?
I shiver.
Because if he can disguise himself, I won’t recognize him in the future.
Or know when I might see him again.
While I’m waiting for Frankie, Robin, and Penny to wake up, I think about how I’m going to handle the fact that THEY KNOW. They know I go into stories. They know an evil fairy is after me.
I guess I’ll just have to see how the conversation goes when they wake up. Right now, thinking about it is giving me a headache, so I go inside the house. Sheila is sitting in the family room, watching a reality TV show. She doesn’t even notice me. I can see what Penny is talking about. It has to be lonely around here.
I head upstairs to Penny’s room.
I look at Penny’s trophies. And her old stuffed animals. And her one book. Her fancy copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
The copy her grandmother gave her. The grandmother she seems to miss a lot.
I learned a lot about Penny in Wonderland. She’s so much more than I thought she was.
I guess everyone is. Even Frankie and Robin have more to them than I ever knew.
I carefully take the book off the shelf. The cover is leather and has a big swirled A for Alice and W for Wonderland, with an illustration of Alice. She looks just like she did when we met her.
I open it to the beginning. Looks normal. I keep turning the pages, and then I get to the part when Alice falls down the hole:
“Down she came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over. Alice was not a bit hurt, and she jumped up on to her feet in a moment …”
I blink and read what’s next:
“In front of her were four tiny … what were they? Mice? No. They looked like little girls! Why did this place have tiny little girls?”
Oh, wow. Oh, no. I’m almost positive t
hat’s not in the original story. Which means …
We’re in the book! We’re in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland! And on the next page, there’s an illustration! Of a tiny me, tiny Frankie, tiny Robin, and tiny Penny! I can’t believe it. I’ve never seen myself in a book before.
I flip ahead a few more pages to see what else might have changed.
Cliff was adopted by the king and queen and he’s turned Wonderland into a disco?
The Mad Hatter wins a dance competition?
What is going on?
I flip to the last page. Alice wakes up from her dream. She’s sitting beside a tree with her sister.
Whew.
My friends were right. Alice really does wake up on her own and she’s okay.
All’s well that ends well.
Still, Gluck is out there somewhere. I need to talk to Maryrose.
But first, I have to make sure my friends agree to keep this OUR secret. Will they? I know I can count on Frankie and Robin. But what about Penny?
I put the book back on the shelf. I rush outside and find the three of them still sleeping at the patio table. But a few minutes later, I hear a big yawn. Robin is waking up. Frankie and Penny are both still asleep.
“Wow,” Robin says. “Did I fall asleep?”
“Yes,” I say slowly. “You did.”
“Weird,” she says, looking confused. “Are we still playing crazy eights?”
Really? Nothing about Wonderland at all? Does that mean what I think it means? Does she not remember? Did the baby powder make her forget?
Robin blinks. And blinks again. She looks at the table. “Where’s my phone?”
Last time I saw it, it was flying through the air and hitting Gluck in the nose. I don’t say this. I don’t say anything. Instead, I shrug.
Penny sits up and stretches. She tightens her ponytail. She looks around the table.
Frankie shifts in her seat, also waking up. She rubs her eyes behind her glasses. “I had the craziest dream,” she says.
I freeze.
“Tell us about it,” Penny says. “Was I in it?”
Frankie nods. “You were. You all were.”
Uh-oh. “What happened?” I ask.
“Well, we were playing cards in the backyard. And then we fell into Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland!”
“Really?” Penny asks. “You dreamt about Alice in Wonderland ?”
Phew. Penny doesn’t seem to remember.
“I’ve always wanted to meet Alice,” Robin says.
So Robin and Penny didn’t dream it, then? Only Frankie did?
But she didn’t dream it, of course. She lived it.
“Alice is one of my all-time favorite books,” Frankie says. “Have any of you read it?”
“Of course I have,” Penny says smugly.
Puh-lease.
But at least things are really back to normal.
“Can we go inside now?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Robin says. “I’m cold.”
“I’m changing the schedule up,” Penny says. “I think we should make jewelry.”
“Yeah?” Frankie asks. “What kind?”
“New necklaces. FRAP necklaces. They were Abby’s idea.”
Huh? “You … you … you … remember?”
Penny turns to me and smiles. “I remember everything.”
My heart stops. Oh, no. But how? Why does Robin remember nothing, Frankie thinks she dreamed it, and Penny remembers everything?
I think back to the falling baby powder. Most of the powder fell on Robin. Then some fell on Frankie. Then hardly any fell on Penny. And none fell on me. That must be it. In fact, I can still see a bit of powder on Robin’s nose, covering a freckle. So Robin doesn’t have any memory of what happened, Frankie has half-memories that seem like dreams, and Penny …
Penny links her arm through mine. “Don’t worry,” she whispers. “Your secret is safe with me.”
Penny knows!
“It is?” I whisper back. “Swear?”
“Yup,” she says. “But maybe the necklaces can be PFRA? Or PARF? What do you think about PRAF? That’s much better than FRAP.”
Definitely back to normal. “I think that could be arranged,” I say.
“Hey,” Robin says, patting her pockets. “Guys? I really don’t remember what I did with my phone.”
Poor Robin.
“Are you guys ready for spaghetti with tomato sauce?” we hear Sheila ask from inside.
Frankie frowns. “Weirdly, I’m not that hungry.”
“Me neither,” says Robin, and lowers her voice. “And I’m not in the mood for anything with tomatoes.”
Penny and I share a look and a smile.
* * *
When my parents pick me up, Jonah is already inside the car.
I give him a big kiss on the cheek. I missed having my brother in the story today.
“Don’t slobber on me,” he says.
I smile. “You will NEVER believe what happened,” I whisper.
“What?” he asks.
“I’ll tell you when we get home.”
Back in his room, I tell Jonah everything. Falling down the hole into Wonderland. The magic potions. Being one foot tall. Then twelve feet tall. All the talking animals. The card-people. The flying ketchup. The two White Rabbits. And Gluck.
Prince barks like crazy, clearly jealous.
“No fair,” Jonah says. “Flying ketchup! And you got to eat it!”
“Yeah,” I say.
He lowers his voice. “Do you think Gluck is still out there?”
“I don’t know,” I say. I take the piece of mirror from my hoodie pocket. “Probably. I know it’s not midnight but I’m going to fix the frame and try to tell Maryrose what happened. Coming?”
Jonah nods. “Of course.”
Prince barks twice. Guess he’s coming, too.
I stop by the kitchen for the superglue, and then Jonah, Prince, and I head downstairs and close the basement door behind us.
First I superglue the stone wand back into place on the frame. Perfect.
Then I knock on the mirror three times.
The glass starts rippling. Here comes Maryrose.
I see a fuzzy image of a woman’s face with long wavy hair.
“You’re back!” Maryrose says. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”
“Does that mean you know what happened?” I ask. “You know that I went into Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?”
“I am aware,” Maryrose says, clucking her tongue. “Gluck made the portal. He led you there, I’m afraid.”
“He’s that powerful?” I ask.
“Yes. But his power is somewhat limited. He was able to carry your card onto the golf course, and to replicate the rabbit hole, but he’s not able to appear in the real world. I’m sorry. I tried to warn you. That was me shaking the piece of mirror frame in your pocket.”
“It was?”
“Yes.”
“Ah! I shouldn’t have glued it back on, then!” I try to remove the piece, but it won’t budge.
“Don’t worry,” she says. “My presence in the piece of frame only lasts for a short while. I could no longer communicate with you once you fell inside the story. I could see what was happening, but my hands were tied.”
“Yikes,” Jonah says.
“Do you know that Gluck tried to trap me so I couldn’t help you?” I ask Maryrose. “He really has it in for you.”
She nods. “I’m afraid so. Just as he wanted to keep Cliff from helping me over forty years ago. Cliff was close to saving me, just like you are. I would visit his mirror at night and Cliff would visit fairy tales. Until one day, he disappeared. I’m sorry I put you in danger,” she says. “Once upon a time, a group of evil fairies cursed me, and now they are determined to do the same to anyone who comes to my aid.”
I feel cold all over. Beside me, Jonah shivers.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you in Wonderland,” Maryrose goes on. “I didn’t rea
lize Gluck was responsible for Cliff’s disappearance until today. I never expected that an evil fairy would decide to hide Cliff in a book. A book! I can’t reach inside books. I might never have known what happened to Cliff if you hadn’t had the piece of mirror with you.”
“Good job, Prince,” I say, scratching behind my dog’s ears. “The mirror wouldn’t have broken if not for you!” Prince barks happily, and I turn back to Maryrose. “I tried to bring Cliff home, but I guess he’s been in Wonderland so long, he got used to it. And he —” Now his last words to me make sense. “He said as long as I went back, he wouldn’t have to. I guess he wanted to make sure I would help you escape. And I will. I will, Maryrose. I promise.” I straighten my shoulders. “But will Gluck and his friends come after us again?”
“As you know, Gluck and his friends are powerful,” Maryrose says. “They can’t enter the real world, but they may try to trap you again. Perhaps in another book. You must promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I promise,” I say. “But, Maryrose, I —”
The mirror ripples and she’s gone.
“Wait, Maryrose! I have more questions!” Like why did Gluck and his friends curse her? How long has she been cursed for?
I wait a couple of minutes, but all I see in the mirror is me, Jonah, and Prince.
I have many questions. But no answers. I don’t know what shape or form the fairy might try to take next.
But I do know the evil fairy is trying to stop me from helping Maryrose.
Thing is, I WON’T stop trying to free her from the magic mirror.
No matter what.
* * *
Back upstairs, Jonah takes Prince into his room, and I head into my room. I spot my jewelry box on my dresser. It’s decorated with characters from fairy tales. Whenever I get home from a fairy tale, the characters change to show how the ending of the story changed. But Alice isn’t a fairy tale character. And the story changed in Penny’s copy of the book.
I head to my bookshelf and take down my copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I flip through the pages. There is no mention of Alice meeting four tiny girls. And no mention of Cliff. So only Penny’s copy has changed. Interesting.
I lie down on my bed with the book in my hand.
Is it worth reading, even though I’ve already kind of lived it? Will it give me a different perspective on what I experienced? Will I learn more about Wonderland? About the people I met? About myself?
Abby in Wonderland (Special Edition) Page 12
