Alex's Adventures Through the Looking Glass - Part 1 by Cleo

submitted by admin - Apr 6, 2002

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Chapter One: Through the Glass

Alex strolled through the woods carrying only a bottle of water and a spirit of excitement. The warm pine air filled his lungs and renewed his appreciation for the wilderness. On the spur of the moment, he decided to go off the trail and wander where his feet would take him.

Bluejays darted through the trees and squirrels scampered along the branches, alarmed at the presence of the intruder.

He crossed a little creek and walked up a sloping meadow and into a shady alcove.

A little cottage sat nestled within the forest at the edge of the meadow.

Alex walked up the steps of the wooden house and was about to knock on the door when it opened on its own.

Inside he went.

The door closed behind him and latched firmly shut.

"What is this place?" he asked looking around the room.

The furniture was old fashioned, crafted out of oak and shaped in intricate swirl patterns with maple leaves carved in miniature all about.

The hearth was empty of firewood and a great mirror sat above the mantle.

A cuckoo clock sat opposite the hearth. It was nearly five o'clock.

He set his bottle of water down on a coffee table and walked over to the hearth.

Glancing in the mirror, Alex noticed that his reflection seemed to have a double image in it somehow. Two faces in one stared back at him.

"What's this then?" he asked staring closer. "Do my eyes deceive me or is there a little girl staring back at me from behind this glass?"

Indeed his reflection was barely stronger than the image of the girl who stood there on the other side gazing back at him in wonderment.

He looked with more intent now and saw that there were other images not completely normal to the expected reflection of this room.

The cuckoo clock in the mirror seemed to be upside down and the furniture was arranged differently.

Alex walked over and brought a chair up to the hearth.

He stood on the chair and tapped on the mirror.

The girl tapped back in unison.

He pressed his hand on the smooth surface of the glass and felt his whole arm slipping through as if he stuck his arm in quicksand.

"It's a portal of some sort," he mused to himself and climbed up onto the mantle.

The little girl on the other side also climbed up and met him there at the looking glass.

She was shorter than him and yet she seemed to mimic his every move.

"Here goes nothing," he said and stepped through the mirror.

The first thing he noticed was his size.

He'd shrunk down in height a few feet or so.

The next thing he realized was he was wearing a dress, white stockings, and little black flats.

Alex looked down upon himself and saw that he had somehow become the little girl he had seen in the looking glass moments before.

"I'm a girl?" she asked in disbelief.

Little blonde braids lay cradled over her shoulders and she turned in place on the mantle to face the mirror.

There on the other side was the image of the Alex that he knew and grew up to expect to see when looking in mirrors but this image was laughing and climbing down from the mantle on the other side.

Alex pushed her hands up to the mirror and tried to climb back through but the mirror was solid now.

She started pounding upon the glass and the figure on the other side laughed and walked out of the cottage.

"Wait! No! Come back! You can't leave me like this!" Alex cried. It was no use. Somehow they had traded places. Indeed they even traded worlds.

Alex climbed down from the mantle and looked around the room.

The cuckoo clock chimed "oook-oook" and a mouse scampered across the floor after a black cat.

"What is this place?" Alex asked and walked out of the cottage.

She sat down on the steps of the little house and looked at her little legs. She moved her feet back and forth and wriggled her toes in them. Her little, black flats were shined to perfection and she could see her own reflection on the surface of the shoes.

She clasped her small hands together and rubbed them over each other nervously.

"Oh, what am I going to do?" she cried. "I'm not supposed to be here. I'm not supposed to be a girl. Oh, what am I going to do?"

A white paw tapped her upon the shoulder and she turned about to see a rabbit standing there.

He was standing up on his hind legs and wearing a smart, red vest. The rabbit held an hourglass in one paw.

"You're late, my dear Alice," the rabbit scolded her. "The Queen will not hear of this. Come along now. Off to the castle with you, my dear. Off to the castle. You know you aren't supposed to be near the looking glass house. The Queen forbids it. Now hurry along my child. Sand is running low. Mustn't keep the Queen waiting."

The rabbit ran off down a trail nearby and left Alex sitting there with a puzzled look on her face.

"Alice?" she said to herself. "My name is Alice?"

With a shrug she got up and walked off down the path after the fidgety rabbit.

"Maybe the Queen knows why I'm here and why I'm stuck in this little girls body," she reasoned as she walked along through the pink woods.

An owl flew backwards through the air and vanished into the trees.

"You'll be more than stuck, my dear, if you don't hurry along," the rabbit said up ahead of her on the trail.

"Wait for me!" she cried and skipped along.

Back in the looking glass house, a curtain parted in the upstairs window and a wide grin appeared out of the darkness within.

"Another one for the training," said the teeth. "Another one for my amusement."

The drapes shut and the wind howled with laughter.

Chapter Two: Monarch

The rabbit was too fast for Alex/Alice. She watched as the white rabbit vanished around the bend and left her behind. She found a clearing and sat down on a log for a rest.

"You there," a voice cried out from above. "Little girl. What are you doing in my garden?"

Alice looked up and saw a great caterpillar sitting atop a great mushroom. The caterpillar puffed away on a cigar.

"Yes, you," the creature said blowing smoke down at her.

"Who are you?" she asked looking up. "And what are you doing up there?"

"I am Monarch but that is of no concern to you. The real question is who are you? You came from the glass house didn't you?" the creature asked and said. "They never learn. It's always the same thing. Did anyone invite you then or do you always sneak about in other peoples houses and climb through the mirrors?"

"I found the house by accident," she said while another bit of smoke streamed out at her.

"Makes no difference now does it?" the caterpillar asked and moved around to peer down at her. "You're not sitting like a girl. You've ruffled up your dress there. Quite unladylike. Who are you really?"

"I'm Alex," she said coughing at an incoming smoke ring. "I'm really a thirty year old man but I got trapped in this body somehow."

"I knew it. Well, you're not the first of your kind, child. I've seen this sort of thing happen before. Are you comfortable with your age?" he asked.

Alex shook her head,"No. I don't mind being young but this is too young for me. Plus I'm not so sure about being stuck as a girl. Is there a way back? Can you help me?"

The caterpillar picked up a monocle from his vest pocket and brought it up to his eye. He observed the little girl and how she seemed quite nervous in her current state of existence.

"I can indeed help," Monarch said and gestured to the mushroom he sat upon. "On either side of this mushroom is a quality of material that will make you big or little. Take care not to eat too much or you will become too big or too little. Feel free to take a couple pieces with you on your journey. The only other thing I can do is point you along the way. Keep heading down this trail until you find another cottage. You might find additional help there. Good day, little Alex, and good luck."

She picked a couple pieces of mushroom and stuffed them in her blouse pockets. Then she waved goodbye to the caterpillar,"Thanks Monarch."

The creature puffed away on his cigar and watched her walk away down the trail.

___-----___

She paused for a moment on the trail.

"I think I'll try one of these mushroom pieces," she said to herself and brought a bit of the spongy material up to her mouth and ate some.

Immediately she started to grow.

Her hair became longer, her hips and chest became more defined, and she grew.

When it was done, she stood there and looked down upon herself.

She saw not the body of a child but the mature body of a beautiful young woman.

"Why I didn't turn into a giant at all," she exclaimed looking down at her chest in wonder. "I've just grown up is all. So this is what Monarch meant by the mushroom making a person big or little. It's for growing older or younger."

Oddly enough, the dress she was wearing seemed to have transformed with her so that it fit perfectly on her adult body. Every curve was accentuated. Her little black flats turned into black high heeled shoes.

She wobbled in place trying to get used to the heels and then decided she'd neither try walking in them now. After all, she couldn't likely walk through the forest in them even if she had known how to walk properly in heels, which she didn't.

Opting not to ruin her stockings, Alex decided to take them off and go barefoot.

The pink trees loomed up above her still but she seemed happier with her current form than the previous two. She felt much more content to keep her current body than go back to being either a little girl or a thirty year old man again. Everything about her was designed to perfection and she enjoyed every bit of her new existence. A smile escaped her mouth and she proceeded to walk down the shady trail and into a bright, green meadow.

A cow walked along beside her and said,"Uh, pardon me, miss, but you wouldn't happen to have seen a magic wand lying about the grass nearby would you?"

Talking caterpillars were one thing but a talking cow?

Alex looked over at the cow and said,"A wand? Nope. Never saw it."

"Oh, okay," the cow said. "I need it, you know. I accidentally turned myself into a cow and I lost the wand. If you see it, please let me know, okay?"

"Sure," Alex said and walked off out of the meadow and into more forest.

The cow turned about and began munching on the grass.

"Strange place," Alex said to herself.

___-----___

A bright pink cottage sat nestled between the redwoods. A small flower garden lined the cobblestone walkway up to the porch. Surrounding the place was a white picket fence.

Alex walked up to the porch and knocked on the door.

The door opened and a large grin of teeth appeared just within the hall.

A purple and red striped cat appeared around the smile.

"It certainly took you long enough Alice," the cat said and beckoned her inside. "I've been waiting for you."

With a shrug, she walked inside and the cat shut the door.

Chapter Three: Mushroom Cookie

The cat led her into the living room. "Have a seat Alice," the cat said gesturing to an antique sofa nearby.

She sat down and the cat took a seat beside her.

"My name is Alex, not Alice," she told him with mild annoyance.

"Exactly, my dear," the cat said with a smile and his face vanished, leaving only the grin visible. "You want to tell me you are stuck in the wrong body or something, right?"

"Well, sort of," she said looking down at herself with a blush. "Actually, I sort of like this new body after all."

"I see," the cat said revealing its wide eyes which gazed at Alex's face with interest. "Either way, I shall continue to call you Alice because, quite frankly, you are her now, you see?"

"It's weird," she admitted smoothing her dress along her thighs. "This whole place is weird. Is there a way back? I mean, I really like this new body and all but I'd like to go back to where I came from."

"And keep that body?" the cat suggested.

"Yeah, I want to keep this body," she admitted. "I didn't want to at first but when I ate that mushroom and grew up into an adult, well, I'd just assume stay this way now."

"Well, my dear," the cat said materializing completely. "You need to find the house of mirrors if you are to take that body back with you to where you came from."

"Like the house I came from?" she asked.

"Oh no," the cat said standing up and cartwheeling across the room."The looking glass house only works if you can trick someone on the other side to climb through the mirror, like the former Alice did to you. The house of mirrors is different. There, you will find mirrors that lead into many places. One mirror will take you back as you are. The others are unpredictable."

"How will I know which mirror?" she asked crossing her legs and uncrossing them nervously.

"That, my dear, you will have to find out for yourself," the cat said floating up into the air and vanishing. "The mad hatter may know a way. Take care, Alice, and good luck on your adventures."

With a shrug, she stood up and walked out of the cottage.

The air outside was scented with pine from the forest.

She walked barefoot back onto the main trail and continued her trip into the woods.

The white rabbit dashed across the path before her.

"Hurry, hurry, or you'll be late," the rabbit cried scampering along into the forest.

"He went off the trail," Alex mused and followed after the strange creature.

She walked through some bushes and emerged upon a great picnic table.

Three cows were wandering around the table in a slow circle.

"What's this?" Alex asked.

"Oh, Alice is back," said the cow wearing a large, green tophat.

"We're saved!" cried another cow.

"Quick, you there girl, grab the wand off the table and change us back," the third cow said.

Alex looked at the messy table and saw only teacups, saucers, a teapot, and scraps of food.

"Why, there isn't any wand on this table," she said as a cow licked the back of her leg.

"I knew it," cursed one cow. "That mock turtle must be the culprit. He suggested we test out the wand and now look what happened. We're cows!"

"Hey, stop licking my leg," Alice complained and gently pushed the cow away.

"She doesn't taste real," the cow said. "I think she's an imposter. What did you do with our Alice?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. She traded bodies with me is all," Alex said.

"Oh," a cow nearby said passing by.

"It happens," said the cow with the tophat.

"Poor thing," said the third.

"Why are you all walking in circles?" Alex asked.

"What else are cows for?" the tophat cow asked.

"Milk," Alex suggested.

"What a silly idea," the tophat cow exclaimed. "Who's been telling you these tall tales, child? Milk from cows, indeed."

"Everyone knows milk comes from milkweeds," another cow added.

"Can you help me find the mad hatter?" Alex asked.

"I'm the mad hatter," the tophat cow announced. "Or I was, anyway, until that blasted mock turtle turned me into a cow."

"Well, the cat said you might be able to tell me how to get to the house of mirrors," Alex said.

"House of mirrors?" the tophat cow asked. "Hmmmm. Seems like I'd remember better if I weren't a cow. If you could get that wand and change me back, I might be able to remember where the house of beer is."

"House of mirrors," Alex corrected.

"Right, house of beer. Just what I told you," the tophat cow said and munched on the tablecloth.

"Oh, it's useless," Alex said and tossed her hands up in the air. "I'm leaving."

"Well, if you do find a wand, won't you please make a point to come back and change us to normal?" the tophat cow asked.

"Sure," Alex said and walked off down another path.

She walked past some weeping willows that were busy crying rain drops down into a babbling brook.

The path continued down some stone steps and Alex found a little cave set in the face of a large, rocky cliff.

With a shrug and a whistle, she entered the cave.

A small fire burned in the center of the main cavern room.

An old crone stood there beside the fire moving her arms around in circles as if she were stirring something.

"Hello there," Alex called out.

"Oh, Alice," the old lady said beaming with a wicked smile. "My arch enemy. What brings you here into my trap?"

"Trap?" Alex asked looking around."What trap?"

"My net has got you, it's no use struggling child," the old woman said cackling.

Alex looked around and said,"There's no net on me. What are you talking about?"

"I've got you! I've got you!" the old witch said jumping up and down in her black dress and then resuming her imaginary stirring of the air.

"What are you doing waving your arms about the fire like that?" Alex asked.

"I'm stirring my cauldron with this iron spoon," the witch said with a wicked laugh. "I'm making a potion to turn you into a newt. That'll teach you a lesson."

"But there is no cauldron or spoon and I'm not trapped in any net," Alex informed the witch. "In fact, you're just imagining things."

The witch pretended to drop her spoon in shock.

"Darn it! Now see what you made me do? I've lost my stirring spoon in the boiling cauldron," the witch said and walked towards Alex. "I'm going to fix you for that. I'll learn you plenty. You just wait."

Alex reached into her blouse pocket and pulled out a piece of mushroom and offered it to the witch.

"Hungry?" Alice asked.

The witch grabbed the mushroom away and said,"Thanks, but bribing me won't help you now, my dear. I'm still going to turn you into a newt."

The old lady munched on the mushroom and smiled,"Not bad. Who made this cookie? How'd you know I like chocolate?"

"It's not a cookie," Alex said and gave up on it. Obviously the old woman was seeing things.

"You wouldn't happen to have any milkweed would you?" the witch asked.

"Sorry," Alex said.

Suddenly the old woman got a glazed look in her eyes and she began to shrink.

"Funniest thing I ever felt," the old woman said shrinking down and getting younger. "Must be the additives. You've got to give me the recipe for these cookies, my dear. I think you used too much salt though . . ."

The transformation finished up and the witch stood there in the body of an eight year old girl. Her dress shrunk with her and changed to a sweet black dress with white ruffles on the edges. She had long black hair and brown eyes and looked about the room with a puzzled look on her face.

"Uuhh!" the witch-girl cried looking down upon herself. "I'm a child again."

Alex laughed,"That oughta teach you to try turning me into a newt."

"You couldn't have done this to me," the witch-girl argued looking down at her shiny black flats. "I must be allergic to your cookies or something. Yeah, you don't have any magic that can do this to me. You're just Alice. I'm the one with magic. I'm just allergic to your cooking, that's all. Now I'm really gonna turn you into a newt."

Alex stepped back as the little girl swung a punch at her.

"But first I'm gonna sock your lights out," the witch-girl cried in anger. "Nobody's cooking is gonna turn me into a child. I won't let you get away with it. I'm gonna sock your lights out!"

Alex turned and ran for the exit with the little girl chasing after.

They ran off the trail and into the woods.

Within the dark corners of the cave a gleaming, white smile emerged.

The cat laughed and crept through a secret passage into the forest.

The game was on.

Continued in part 2