The mid-afternoon breeze sweeps through the fields, ruffling the grass in the valley below. Three girls appear at the top of a green hill, dashing down into the clearing with the wind right behind them.<\/p>\n
Two of the girls are decked in pink dresses with bows in their black hair, but the third is wearing a blue sundress, white-blond hair free of any form of decoration. She\u2019s running and laughing, as the two dark-haired girls try to catch up to her, barely at her heels.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop\u2026 Jia\u2026 stop!\u201d yells one of the girls. \u201cI caught you hiding there! You can\u2019t\u2026 You can\u2019t just run away!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I am!\u201d the blond-haired girl laughs, looking behind her and throwing them a grin.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not fair!\u201d shouts the other. \u201cShe beat you fair and square, Jia!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jia giggles and glances to them again. \u201cI didn\u2019t think you liked to kiss ass, Fei!\u201d she teases. \u201cWhat, is there something you want to tell Suzy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Fei nearly stops and sends Jia a contemptuous look, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment. \u201cThat was mean!\u201d she says, now going after her faster than ever.<\/p>\n
Jia laughs again and calls, \u201cDon\u2019t let your knickers get caught in a bunch\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWatch out!\u201d shouts Suzy.<\/p>\n
Jia turns back to the front, but a second too late, as her foot slips on a rock in the middle of her path. Then suddenly she\u2019s flying through the air, dangling helplessly as her body is pushed forward by some invisible force behind her. She\u2019s about to close her eyes to brace herself for impact\u2014when a small hole in the ground suddenly catches her eye.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s on a little grassy mound, barely covered up by a log, but still large and visible and wide enough for her to fit inside. Curious, Jia tilts her head, observing it\u2026 she hadn\u2019t seen it before. What could possibly be inside?<\/p>\n
Then the unknown force is pushing her harder than ever and she finds herself being forced headfirst into the hole\u2026 she squeezes her eyes shut, waiting to be met with a face full of dirt and grass\u2026<\/p>\n
\n…and then she’s falling\u2026<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a rabbit.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s wearing a petticoat. A large watch is hanging from his wrist as well, though it\u2019s much too dark to tell what time it is. The rabbit\u2019s eyes are red and staring at her intently.<\/p>\n
Jia blinks.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s sure she must be dreaming. Rabbits don\u2019t wear petticoats, much less wristwatches. Jia rubs her eyes, pinches her arm and wills herself to wake up.<\/p>\n
The rabbit\u2019s still standing there.<\/p>\n
He doesn\u2019t make a move to step closer to her, much less say anything; so Jia takes the time to take in her surroundings. The rest of the cavern (which apparently she\u2019s in) is dark, so it\u2019s a wonder how she can see the rabbit in great detail anyways. But when she looks up, she sees a faint white hole in the distance. That must be where the light is coming from. That must be where she had come from.<\/p>\n
Jia looks at the rabbit again.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello,\u201d she says, because it\u2019s the polite thing to do.<\/p>\n
She stands up and pats down her dress, brushing any dirt or stains aside; astonishingly, though, her dress is as clean and smooth as ever. She looks back to the rabbit, whose whiskers are twitching in anticipation.<\/p>\n
Perhaps he hadn\u2019t heard her? She tries again.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, how do you do?\u201d she calls out to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou!\u201d he suddenly squeaks.<\/p>\n
Taken aback, Jia stops moving. \u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t belong here!\u201d<\/p>\n
The rabbit\u2019s ears flick upward for a millisecond, as he continues to stare at her, gaze glossy and fixed. It reminds Jia of herself when she\u2019s at one of her lessons\u2014but no, she mustn\u2019t think about her lessons right now, she must figure out where she is.<\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me?\u201d she says to him. She must have heard him wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t belong here!\u201d the rabbit repeats. His eyes suddenly turn wide, frantic. \u201cYou don\u2019t belong here!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jia merely stares at him for a few more seconds, before huffing and turning away. \u201cWell then,\u201d she says, glancing back at him. \u201cIf I don\u2019t belong here, would you mind telling me where<\/em> exactly I am?\u201d<\/p>\n But before the rabbit can open his tiny white mouth to speak again, another figure enters through the shadows. The figure is a bit bigger, around Jia\u2019s height. From the light in the distance, Jia can see that it\u2019s a black-haired girl.<\/p>\n The rabbit stops moving at the new presence. The girl grins to Jia upon catching sight of her; the girl\u2019s lips are astonishingly bright red.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry,\u201d she says, walking toward the rabbit. \u201cWas my pet bothering you? He does that a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n She bends down to pick him up. The rabbit trembles slightly in her arms, as if he would pay every arm and leg to get away from her. The girl rolls her eyes, noticing, and drops him back down on the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cCreepy little fucker, isn\u2019t he?\u201d she says to Jia.<\/p>\n She kicks the rabbit from behind. The rabbit yelps. The girl chuckles.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, you dumbshit, let\u2019s go,\u201d she says to the rabbit, and then starts walking off into the darkness.<\/p>\n The rabbit turns around and looks at Jia for one last time; then after a second, he\u2019s disappeared as well.<\/p>\n Jia stares at the spot where they had been, mouth open in surprise. Then suddenly she calls out, \u201cWait, where am I?\u201d<\/p>\n But the girl and the rabbit have disappeared. Jia is alone now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>It takes Jia several seconds to regain her composure, before she decides that she can\u2019t stand around in here forever. So after a moment, she walks to the space where the girl and her pet had gone, hoping that maybe she\u2019ll run into them again.<\/p>\n But this thought stops suddenly when she makes her way past her shadows, and finds herself in the middle of a forest. The forest pauses as well, as if noticing her presence. And Jia takes the time to, once again, look around.<\/p>\n Trees are scattered everywhere, branches and vines encircling them. Faintly, Jia can see a little path ahead where an apparent clearing has been made, although it may just be a natural coincidence. The animals and plants are all whispering to each other\u2014about me<\/em>, Jia thinks as she makes her way past a growling shrub. They don\u2019t seem to be plotting against her, though. They actually seem to be more afraid of her than she is of them.<\/p>\n With this idea and a newfound confidence in mind, she makes her way along her observed path. The animals are all glaring at her, though they don\u2019t make any move to attack her. However, they don\u2019t seem to be normal animals\u2014Jia peers down and squints at one sitting beneath a leaf off the path.<\/p>\n It appears to be a frog, but second glance and Jia can tell that it\u2019s not a frog at all. Well, technically. Its hind legs are certainly of a frog\u2019s, though its green face seems more brown close-up, and two little horns are sticking out of its head. Jia realizes what it is at once.<\/p>\n \u201cA bullfrog,\u201d she says aloud.<\/p>\n Startled, the bullfrog leaps up, swells, and then bounds off through the grass and the trees. Jia gazes after it thoughtfully, before continuing on her way.<\/p>\n The sound of a melody catches her ear soon afterwards. Jia glances around, to see a small garden on the edge of the wood. Normally, she would have wondered what a garden is doing in the forest\u2014but she\u2019d already seen a talking rabbit and a literal bullfrog, so it doesn\u2019t catch her too off-guard. Interested, she walks over to the garden; she\u2019s always liked flowers.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t take her long before she realizes that the flowers in the garden are singing, an orchestra of a cappella voices. The roses are in one corner, the tulips in another: none of them seem to be paying too much attention to her, caught up in their song. Jia watches with a slightly dazed look on her face, enraptured by the song.<\/p>\n When it seems to be over, Jia can\u2019t help but to call out, \u201cYou sound lovely!\u201d They deserve to know, she thinks. Flowers always deserve attention and praise.<\/p>\n But when the flowers turn around and see her, they shriek immediately. \u201cWeed<\/em>!\u201d they call out. \u201cLarge, scandalous weed\u2014not here, not here, not for us<\/em>!\u201d They attempt to run around and duck out of sight\u2014which is sort of ridiculous, Jia thinks, as they\u2019re pretty much attached to their roots.<\/p>\n Sighing and feeling a little less enthusiastic, Jia continues on.<\/p>\n She ends up on a beach. That is, the beach had appeared out of nowhere, though when Jia turns around she still sees the trees behind her, as if they\u2019re still in the middle of the forest. She speculates on this for a little, before deciding that this clearly isn\u2019t a normal place and she shouldn\u2019t question the geography of the land\u2014if a beach wants to be here, it can be here, and Jia isn\u2019t one to stop it.<\/p>\n She walks along the shore, wondering how long the beach stretches out. She doesn\u2019t cover too much distance until suddenly, she spots two figures prancing at the edge of the water, far, far away. Surprised, she runs toward them, calling out, \u201cHello!\u201d As she approaches, she realizes that one of the figures is a large walrus, the other a man.<\/p>\n Jia runs as fast as she can; the walrus and the man hadn\u2019t seemed to have noticed her. But before she can open her mouth to speak again, two more figures appear right in front of her, and she ricochets right off of them.<\/p>\n Picking herself up from the sand and rubbing her ribs, Jia gets up to see that two large identical boys have blocked her path. Their collars are tucked up, their rice-bowl shaped hats red, and they\u2019re staring at Jia like she\u2019s a large, seven-eyed purple dinosaur.<\/p>\n \u201cHello,\u201d Jia says cautiously, approaching them slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cHello!\u201d says the boy on the right.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you do!\u201d chirps the other.<\/p>\n Jia continues eyeing them warily. \u201cI don\u2019t suppose you can tell me where I am,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t be here!\u201d says the boy on the right.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t belong here!\u201d adds the boy on the left.<\/p>\n Jia sighs. \u201cSo I\u2019ve heard,\u201d she murmurs under her breath. Then she says to the boys, \u201cPerhaps you can tell me how to get out\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t tell anything!\u201d says the boy on the right.<\/p>\n \u201cWe never tell nothing!\u201d says the boy on the left.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t tell nobody anything!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe tell nothing to nobody!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe hardly ever never tell nobody nothing!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe tell everybody barely never nothing, no!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t tell nobody nothing but anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe tell nobody anything and nothing, never.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s tell nobody nothing<\/em>\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo<\/em>, it\u2019s not tell anybody anything<\/em>\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n At this point, Jia\u2019s head is hurting and she tunes the boys out before glancing around. But nothing\u2019s changed, and, as usual, Jia feels utterly and completely lost. She briefly wonders if Suzy and Fei are worried about her, although they rarely do; she\u2019s always been able to go about her business by herself.<\/p>\n But she feels a bit scared, anyways.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you!\u201d she says loudly to the two boys, who are too busy bickering to notice her. Sighing once again, she turns around and heads off in a different direction. Those two boys should be grateful, she thinks. She had thanked them when they had done absolutely nothing to help her. Or maybe they had done anything but never nothing\u2014her head hurts again, so she shoves these thoughts to the back of her mind.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>By the time she decides to rest, her feet are sore and aching. After all, she had probably walked more kilometers than she had ever walked at a time in her entire life, and had gawked at everything she\u2019d encountered on her way through the forest. And after seeing a large old woman chase after a baby, and then<\/em> seeing the baby turn into a pig, Jia knows that she should probably stop before she loses her head. Out of all the curious (and curiouser) things she\u2019d seen, this had probably startled her the most.<\/p>\n The moment she sits down on a nearby rock, someone speaks from up in a tree.<\/p>\n \u201cGiving up now, are you?\u201d says a sly voice.<\/p>\n Jia doesn\u2019t bother looking up, and instead stares at the dirty ground beneath her feet. \u201cI\u2019m not giving up, I just need some time to rest,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you\u2019re giving up for now.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia glances upward to see a lone smile perched on a tree branch; she blinks, and suddenly a cat appears behind it. It takes a while for Jia to realize that he\u2019s the owner of this smile, and his mouth stretches wider the longer Jia stares at him.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure I\u2019m not giving up,\u201d she finally says. Her eyes rake over the Cat\u2019s purple-striped fur. \u201cAnd who are you, anyways?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA Cat,\u201d the Cat replies, and Jia snorts; the Cat looks at her scornfully above his grin and continues on. \u201cCheshire, to be precise, although I am<\/em> the only Cat in this forest for it to matter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Jia,\u201d says Jia in an attempt to be civil. She bows her head in a slight curtsy, from sitting down. The Cat eyes her.<\/p>\n \u201cStrange little one, are you?\u201d he finally says.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not strange!\u201d says Jia indignantly; she shouldn\u2019t have tried to be polite.<\/p>\n The Cat smirks. \u201cYou\u2019re rather normal,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not normal either!\u201d Jia shouts, for being called normal is being called not special, and Jia believes that she\u2019s certainly special in some sense.<\/p>\n The Cat\u2019s grin grows wider. \u201cMake up your mind then, are you normal or not?\u201d he says.<\/p>\n A thought suddenly occurs to Jia, and her defiant stare is replaced by a thoughtful one. \u201cYou\u2026 You can speak, can you?\u201d she says dumbly.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last time I checked,\u201d the Cat says, his eyes glowing with amusement, \u201cI could sing as well. Though I\u2019m not sure if you\u2019d like to hear that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was wondering,\u201d Jia says, ignoring this statement, \u201cif you could tell me where exactly I am. Or what way I should take.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou should take your way,\u201d the Cat says helpfully. And when he sees the glare on Jia\u2019s face, he adds, \u201cOf course, there are many ways through this forest. There is my way, a fool\u2019s way\u2014which is to say your way\u2014and his or her way. But I do heavily recommend the Queen\u2019s way. It is rather fetching.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd which way would that be?\u201d Jia asks, pointedly ignoring the Cat\u2019s ruse about her being a fool.<\/p>\n \u201cThat way, of course.\u201d The Cat points further into the forest. \u201cYou\u2019ll have to get through the Mad Hatter\u2019s house, first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Mad Hatter?\u201d Jia asks blankly, looking to where the Cat\u2019s paw had indicated. Far off, she can see a cottage in a small clearing of the wood.<\/p>\n She turns to speak to the Cat again\u2014but the Cat is dematerializing, disappearing into the air. Quickly, she shouts, \u201cWait, wait! Don\u2019t go! I still don\u2019t know where I am!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re in this world, of course,\u201d says a voice by her left ear; Jia spins around to see the Cat floating right behind her. \u201cIt\u2019s not your world, and you don\u2019t belong here. But perhaps you\u2019ll be of some use.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome use?\u201d Jia stares at the Cat, stunned; but he only winks before slowly fading away again. His body and his stripes leave him, and his face is the last to go\u2014and then nothing more is left of him, except for his wide, shimmering smile.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>Jia trudges through the wood. She\u2019s probably being stupid, taking advice from a talking cat<\/em> of all things\u2014but it\u2019s the only thing she has, she reminds herself. Besides, it\u2019s not like he\u2019d lead her into any danger, or else she\u2019d squash him to death by sitting on his fat stomach.<\/p>\n She finally makes her way in between two trees before she\u2019s at the cottage the Cat had indicated earlier. The cottage looks like any other old cottage she would have seen back in her own world, but before she can fully examine the house, she hears a loud noise coming from the back. Startled, Jia jumps and glances around, wondering what it is.<\/p>\n Carefully, she makes her way around the side of the house, listening intently for any threatening noises. It\u2019s after a moment when she finally realizes that noise is actually singing<\/em>. Even more curious now, she peeks around the corner to the backyard.<\/p>\n A large long table is placed directly behind the house, covered up with a pink tablecloth, and is lined with plates and kettles and silverware and food. All of the dishes are clanging merrily along with the beat, as a man in a large top hat and a human-sized Hare sing.<\/p>\n \u201cHappy unbirthday to me!<\/em> \u201cUm.\u201d Jia attempts to clear her throat. But neither the Hare nor the Hatter seem to be paying any attention. \u201cExcuse me,\u201d she says loudly.<\/p>\n Everything suddenly falls silent. Then a kettle hoots in response.<\/p>\n The Hatter shushes the kettle and turns to Jia. \u201cWho might you be?\u201d he asks suspiciously.<\/p>\n \u201cI was, um,\u201d Jia starts, but then movement at the end of the table suddenly catches her eye. Someone else is there. And that someone else is coming towards her.<\/p>\n As the person approaches, Jia realizes she\u2019s looking at a girl\u2026 a very familiar girl\u2026 with short black hair and bright red lips\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re the girl from the tunnel,\u201d says the girl, grinning at Jia. Her teeth are shockingly white.<\/p>\n Jia nods absently. \u201cAnd so are you.\u201d<\/p>\n The girl holds out her hand, still grinning. \u201cI\u2019m Min.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Jia.\u201d<\/p>\n Min tilts her head to the side and observes her. \u201cLost, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow can you tell?\u201d says Jia, her eyes widening.<\/p>\n \u201cI can always tell,\u201d Min says smugly. \u201cYou\u2019re definitely not from here, too. You smell it.\u201d She sniffs the air precariously. Jia tries to catch a whiff of her body as well, wondering if she\u2019s giving off some sort of strange odor.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, don\u2019t worry,\u201d says Min, as if reading her mind. \u201cIt\u2019s not terrible at all. It\u2019s actually quite nice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Well thanks,\u201d says Jia.<\/p>\n The Hatter, who had been watching this exchange with the Hare, can\u2019t seem to contain himself any longer and suddenly blurts, \u201cCome celebrate with us!\u201d<\/p>\n Jia glances around to the pots and pans clanging around, hooting approval at the Hatter\u2019s words, and she smiles a bit. \u201cOkay,\u201d she says, and the pots clang jovially, even louder. \u201cWhat are you all celebrating?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnbirthdays!\u201d The Hare grins. \u201cIt\u2019s all three of ours\u2014\u201d and he points to the Hatter, Min and himself \u201c\u2014and it\u2019s only reasonable to celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia glances around to the three faces beaming at her. \u201cWhat\u2019s an unbirthday?\u201d<\/p>\n The Hare falls over. The Hatter gasps. Min smirks.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, a non-birthday of course,\u201d she says to Jia. \u201cIs it yours too? It\u2019d be delightful if it was.\u201d The light dances in her eyes.<\/p>\n Slightly dazed, Jia nods and stares at Min\u2019s face. She hears the Hatter and the Hare cheer zealously behind her, but her gaze is focused on Min\u2019s dark eyes, her pale milky skin and her bold red lips. She\u2019s suddenly aware of the little space between the two of them.<\/p>\n Then Min breaks it, turning to the Hare and saying, \u201cOh, Hare, have you seen the Dormouse lately? I have an unbirthday present to give him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI dunno,\u201d the Hare says, shrugging. \u201cMaybe he\u2019s in one of the kettles.\u201d He indicates the pots on the table, and his eyes glint, perhaps in excitement with the idea of smashing them all open.<\/p>\n But Min is quicker; she grabs the nearest kettle\u2014a large gold one\u2014pops the top open, and shakes it rapidly, letting out a loud clattering noise from inside. Jia looks on in trepidation as Min continues shaking the kettle around, and then turns it over, releasing something small, grey and furry from the top.<\/p>\n The Dormouse lifts its head and looks around, lidded eyes half-open. \u201cHuh? Is it over?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot nearly, my friend!\u201d the Hatter says with a beam, scooping the little creature up. The Dormouse yawns into the Hatter\u2019s hand, and then curls up in his palm, promptly falling asleep.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, gives this to him when he wakes up,\u201d says Min, pulling out a small box from out of nowhere. Jia looks at curiously as the Hare takes it, greed in his eyes. Min slaps his hand swiftly. \u201cAnd don\u2019t you dare think about opening it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, okay,\u201d says the Hare. He glances to the Dormouse again. \u201cHe\u2019s not much of the party type,\u201d he whispers to Jia, and Min giggles. Jia glances to Min, and manages to force a smile on her own face, though she\u2019s not quite sure what\u2019s amusing about the situation.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, are we just going to stand here like ducks all day?\u201d the Hatter says suddenly, toppling the Dormouse into a nearby teacup and looking over at them. \u201cCome! We must have something to eat!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not very hungry,\u201d Jia says truthfully, but while the Hare says, \u201cDon\u2019t be stupid!\u201d and the Hatter beckons them over, Min merely grabs onto Jia\u2019s wrist and leads her down the table.<\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d she says, shoving her into a seat before taking the chair next to her. \u201cYou should try the pound cake.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia blinks. \u201cPound cake?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know.\u201d Min rolls her eyes. \u201cSurely you know what pound cake is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, yeah,\u201d Jia manages to splutter out, \u201cbu-but it\u2019s only for the rich.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what? We\u2019re not rich?\u201d the Hatter says indignantly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are very rich indeed!\u201d the Hare adds.<\/p>\n \u201cRich in wealth!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRich in power!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRich in character!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRich in taste!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to know how you know that,\u201d Jia mutters under her breath, and she hears Min snicker.<\/p>\n \u201cWell come on then, try some,\u201d says Min, scooping up a piece of a large brown cake and dropping it on a plate in front of Jia.<\/p>\n Jia looks at it warily, but when Min nudges her and says, \u201cGo on,\u201d she can\u2019t help but oblige. Gingerly, she picks up a fork that seems to have appeared out of nowhere and digs into the cake. It tastes warm and sweet in her mouth, thick against her teeth, and Jia quickly swallows for a forkful of more. But as she continues eating the cake, she notices something odd: each piece seems to be getting a little bit heavier and heavier, until, it seems as though the last piece has the density of a bowling ball.<\/p>\n After staring at her piece of cake bemusedly, she glances up\u2014only to see that the Hare, the Hatter and Min are all staring at her intently.<\/p>\n \u201cWell?\u201d says the Hatter.<\/p>\n \u201cHow was it?\u201d asks the Hare.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you like it?\u201d says Min.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good,\u201d Jia replies, \u201cbut a bit odd. Why is this last piece so heavy?\u201d She lifts up her plate as if testing it, and is surprised when she feels like she\u2019s lifting up thirty times its weight.<\/p>\n Min snorts and rolls her eyes. \u201cBecause it\u2019s pound cake, duh. It\u2019s supposed to weigh a pound.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA pound!\u201d the Hatter says excitedly. \u201cA pound cake weighs a pound!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNever more or less,\u201d the Hare chimes in.<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter how much you eat\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014no matter how big the slice\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014it\u2019s never a quarter or a half pound\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014just always a pound cake\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n As they continue to chatter on, Min turns to Jia. Her eyes glint..<\/p>\n \u201cForgive them,\u201d she says. \u201cThey\u2019re a bit mad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMad?\u201d Jia echoes.<\/p>\n Min nods, and then sighs as she looks around. The Hare and the Hatter have stopped blabbering and started bickering. Min watches on with mild interest, before turning to Jia again.<\/p>\n \u201cYou never told me where you were from.\u201d<\/p>\n A little startled at the accusatory tone, Jia hesitates for a moment. but when she tries to speak, she has no idea what to say. \u201cI\u2026 I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t know where you\u2019re from?\u201d Min, of all things, chuckles. \u201cThat\u2019s rather unfortunate. Where are you going, then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026\u201d Jia pauses again, and Min sends her a look that says don\u2019t tell me you don\u2019t know that either<\/em>. Determined to prove her wrong, Jia stammers, \u201cWell\u2014Well, the Cat said that I should take the Queen\u2019s way\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Queen? You mean the Red Queen, right?\u201d Min says immediately. \u201cThe Queen of Hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026sure,\u201d says Jia, looking at her warily.<\/p>\n But then Min beams. \u201cGreat! I know how to get there. You must<\/em> need to go to the palace. It only makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Jia finds herself saying suddenly. \u201cIt does.\u201d<\/p>\n They sit there silently for a few more minutes, with Jia wondering what exactly they\u2019re doing and why they\u2019re not moving yet. The forest seems to be as still as ever, though the Hare and the Hatter have moved on from having conversations about nonsense to prodding the Dormouse awake. With nothing else better to do, Jia turns to Min once more, a question on the tip of her tongue.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026 I\u2019ve been seeing things all day. Here,\u201d she clarifies at the bemused expression on Min\u2019s face. \u201cIs this normal?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d says Min very practically, \u201cI\u2019d be concerned if you couldn\u2019t see anything, you know.\u201d She chuckles.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not what I meant,\u201d Jia says impatiently. \u201cI mean, the strangest things\u2014like illusions, hallucinations, just things I don\u2019t think are\u2026 are real.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell that\u2019s concerning,\u201d says Min in a pleasant tone. \u201cBecause everything here is<\/em> real. It\u2019s okay if you\u2019re crazy though. We\u2019re all a little mad here.\u201d<\/p>\n The wan grin that spreads across her face makes Jia feel a bit uncomfortable, and she fidgets in her seat nervously. Min takes this silent opportunity to press her palm to Jia\u2019s forehead, making Jia feel like her skin is on fire. Then Min withdraws her hand, and then without warning, suddenly kisses Jia\u2019s cheek.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re cute,\u201d says Min, smiling. And before Jia can even formulate a proper response in her head, Min grabs her hand and says, \u201cLet\u2019s go to the Red Castle.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>\u201cWhat is this place?\u201d Jia asks as she steps around an old tree.<\/p>\n Min is concentrating on hopping over a large rock. She glances at Jia. \u201cHome,\u201d she answers, before leaping and landing on the other side of the boulder.<\/p>\n Jia\u2019s breath catches in her throat as she watches Min\u2019s black hair brushes against Min\u2019s cheeks. She finally finds the words to speak.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but what exactly is<\/em> home?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t really expect me to answer that, do you?\u201d Min\u2019s red lips curl. She looks back ahead. \u201cHome is different for everyone. This, to me, is home.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia is a little bit thrown off by Min\u2019s answer. But either Min doesn\u2019t notice or doesn\u2019t care, because then suddenly she grabs Jia\u2019s hand and runs fast, faster than the speed of light. Jia feels like she\u2019s left her body behind as the wind rips around them, and everything turns to a blur.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the strangest thing Jia\u2019s ever seen. One moment she\u2019s walking at a steady pace\u2014the next, it\u2019s almost like she\u2019s flying. She can barely see what\u2019s going on at the side, like looking out the window of a fast-speeding train, with Min as the conductor and their legs as the wheels. Jia does her best to try to trust Min with where she\u2019s going with this, although a slight feeling of fear overtakes her. She does her best to ignore it though, and instead attempts to talk to Min.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2026 do you\u2026\u201d Jia gasps out. But Min doesn\u2019t turn around, apparently not hearing her. As Jia gets dragged around she can feel herself getting more and more weary by the second.<\/p>\n Not up for collapsing, she tries to wrench herself out of Min\u2019s grasp; but Min\u2019s hand is so tight that she barely lets up at all. Jia then tries to get Min\u2019s attention, but Min is too busy dashing through the forest to care, and Jia can\u2019t be bothered to try to let go for now. Finally, after much struggling, Jia digs her fingers so deep into Min\u2019s palms that she regrets it for a second, in case she draws blood.<\/p>\n Min must\u2019ve felt it, though, because she stops in a clearing, scaring the gathered animals away. Letting out a shriek of laughter, she turns around to Jia, who is hanging back, bent over and trying to catch her breath.<\/p>\n \u201cWasn\u2019t that fun?\u201d Min beams. \u201cGot it from Mother. Pity she can\u2019t do it anymore, though.\u201d<\/p>\n Min must be inhuman, because Jia can barely speak, much less breathe, and doubts she ever will again judging from the pain on her sides. Min merely walks around and sits on a log.<\/p>\n \u201cAll ready, Your Highness?\u201d she says with a smirk when she sees Jia getting up again.<\/p>\n Jia attempts to glower, although it\u2019s rather difficult to do when Min is looking at her like that. Min suddenly hops off the log and puts her chin on Jia\u2019s shoulder, lips close to her cheek. Her arms wrap around Jia\u2019s body, and she lets out a small purr, nuzzling Jia like a cat. Jia freezes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou do<\/em> smell good,\u201d Min says right into her ear.<\/p>\n She pulls away and grins at Jia. The blue birds flee from the tree above them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>Min leads her to a wooden building at the edge of the forest. It looks rather homey and not at all out-of-place against the messy shrubbery on the side; but when Min opens the door without bothering to knock, or at least peer inside, Jia feels wary. Is this Min\u2019s house? And what are they doing here?<\/p>\n Min turns around briefly to see Jia still standing in the doorway. An amused expression flickers across her face. \u201cWhat are you doing still standing there? Don\u2019t worry, just follow me.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia hesitates again, but when she sees the honesty in Min\u2019s eyes, she decides that she can trust her. So she steps on the wooden porch at the doorway, and enters.<\/p>\n The house doesn\u2019t seem like a house at all from the inside.It contains a single room, the room that Jia and Min are standing in, shelves lining the walls and a singular table standing at the far end. Pieces of cotton are tucked between each floorboard, messy and scattered about. Random things are littered all across the shelves and various pieces of paper with numbers hastily scribbled upon them lay in front of each item. Jia suddenly realizes that this isn\u2019t a home\u2014it\u2019s a store.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are we doing here?\u201d she wonders aloud.<\/p>\n Min doesn\u2019t bother to answer her. Instead, she browses around the shelves. Again, Jia wonders if she lives here, though she\u2019d imagine that Min would live in some glorious mansion rather than a dusty room like this.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure we\u2019re allowed to be here?\u201d Jia asks, more directly at Min this time.<\/p>\n Min ignores her again. She picks up a pair of two long metal rods on a shelf and examines them carefully. Then she turns around to Jia, the rods still in her hand, and hands one to her.<\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019ll need these.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia turns the rod overto see that it looks remarkably like a knitting needle. Probably what it is, she realizes.<\/p>\n \u201cFor what?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n Min sends her an incriminating look. \u201cFor rowing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor rowing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Across the creek.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat creek?\u201d<\/p>\n Min sighs exasperatedly at Jia\u2019s apprehensive look. \u201cThat\u2014\u201d she impatiently grabs a hold of Jia\u2019s shoulders and turns her around \u201c\u2014creek.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia blinks, and is completely baffled. They\u2019re suddenly in a small wooden rowboat, trailing along a stream of water. Tree branches and leaves are dangling in their faces, covering up the sky so well that the sun is barely peeking out from above.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did we\u2014\u201d she starts, but stops when she sees that Min isn\u2019t paying any attention to her; her eyes glow as she stares down at the water below them.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a while since I\u2019ve last been here,\u201d Min says absently. She turns to Jia and grins. \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s\u2026\u201d Jia looks around again. The trees no longer seem afraid of her: rather, they seem to be embracing her, like their master. The grass beneath them is rustling contentedly, and through the bushes, Jia can see little animals peeking out to stare at them. Even the fish in the water are hovering near to the surface as if dying to touch them.<\/p>\n \u201cAmazing,\u201d finishes Jia. She concludes that this must have something to do with Min\u2019s presence. After all, Jia would join them if she could.<\/p>\n Min chuckles and moves the oar in her hand\u2014wait, oar?<\/em>\u2014and puts it into the water. Then she looks at Jia and says, \u201cWell, you should help row too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I don\u2019t have\u2014\u201d Jia stops again when she realizes that something large and wooden is in her own hand. Incredulously, she looks down and sees that she is indeed holding an oar. The knitting needle seems to have disappeared.<\/p>\n Min chuckles again, probably at her baffled expression. \u201cWell come on then,\u201d she says, nodding her head towards the creek. \u201cLet\u2019s get a move on.\u201d<\/p>\n The two girls row through the creek silently, aside from the paddle of the oars being slowly lifted up and out of the water. Jia manages to clumsily fasten the middle of her oar on the side so that it stays mostly in place, while she can roll the handle end in a circular motion. Min seems to be enjoying herself, Jia notices as she glances to the side. Jia\u2019s eyes linger on her far too long, but Min doesn\u2019t seem to be noticing: she hums softly under her breath while taking in the rest of the forest. So Jia looks around for a third time, trying to see what Min is seeing.<\/p>\n She must be so used to this place that she loves it<\/em>, Jia thinks as she glances to the trees and the stream. Jia can\u2019t imagine getting used to this place; it\u2019s way too chaotic for her. But it\u2019s probably what Min likes, probably what Min is<\/em> like. The prospect doesn\u2019t make Jia falter, though\u2014actually, she\u2019s intrigued to know what Min\u2019s like. She\u2019s intrigued to know Min.<\/p>\n Jia\u2019s gaze drifts to the stream again, where the fish are bobbing near the edge. She hears a noise at her side, and turns to see Min bending down close to the water, whispering something\u2014something to the fish. Jia watches in awe although she figures she shouldn\u2019t be too surprised. Jia tries to decipher what Min is saying, but cannot understand a thing.<\/p>\n They continue to row until they arrive at a little pool at the end. Min moves them closer to the edge, and Jia blinks: she\u2019s definitely not imagining the fish and the frogs sitting at the river banks, exchanging money.. But Min pays no attention to them, as she tugs Jia out of the boat and onto the grass.<\/p>\n \u201cWell that was fun,\u201d Min says cheerfully. \u201cAnd I think you might be a little hungry now. That pound cake hadn\u2019t been very filling, had it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was all right,\u201d says Jia, although her stomach does indeed rumble at the mention of food. To cover the embarrassed blush rising over her cheeks, she glances around. \u201cWhat can we eat then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure a pine apple tree is somewhere around here. I remember them being in this part of the wood.\u201d Curiously, Min glances around, examining the trunks of some trees and roots. Finally, she stops in front of one which looks remarkably like a Christmas tree, and beams, plucking a bright pink fruit from a branch.<\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d she says, sticking her hand out to Jia.<\/p>\n Jia eyes the fruit warily.<\/p>\n \u201cOh come on,\u201d Min laughs. \u201cIt\u2019s just a pine apple.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t\u2026 look like one,\u201d says Jia.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes your world have pine apples?\u201d Min asks interestedly. But before Jia can answer, she shoves it into her palm and urges, \u201cEat it,\u201d before taking one for herself and biting it with her pearl teeth.<\/p>\n Still rather cagey, although at this point she\u2019s learning to let her guard down around Min, she lifts the apple up to her hesitant lips and then sinks her teeth into the skin. It\u2019s rather hard, but the juice flows into her mouth, sweet and slightly minty. Jia bites off another piece, chews, then swallows.<\/p>\n Min looks at her. \u201cGood. You like it.\u201d She grins and leans over, surprising Jia with a kiss on her cheek, brief but still there. Then Min resumes speaking, as if she hadn\u2019t stopped. \u201cThe rest of the forest\u2019s food is shit, anyways,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd the crab apples are so<\/em> not worth catching.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d says Jia, eating her pine apple with a little more enthusiasm at Min\u2019s words.<\/p>\n Min nods and leans against a nearby tree. \u201cReally. The forest fruit may be nice, but it\u2019s nothing in comparison to the food in town.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia continues eating her apple thoughtfully, nodding at this concept. Then a thought strikes her, and she turns to Min.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere do you live?\u201d she asks after swallowing a bit more of apple. \u201cI mean, surely you don\u2019t live here, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course not,\u201d Min scoffs, taking one last bite of her own apple before tossing it aside. \u201cYou expect me to live in the wild<\/em>? But don\u2019t worry about it. You\u2019ll find out soon enough.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia continues eating as Min watches her. She wonders what Min tastes like.<\/p>\n When she\u2019s done, Min grabs onto her, causing the apple core to fall from her hand; and Jia is swept off her feet once more.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>They don\u2019t get very far when they come to a large clearing in the middle of the forest. It sort of reminds Jia of home, aside from bluegrass billowing in the breeze. Min laughs and runs toward the middle as fast as she can, flopping onto the cerulean sea of crass. Jia sits down beside her, cautiously.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where we\u2019re going,\u201d Min says with a beam, pointing upwards. At first Jia thinks she\u2019s pointing to the sky, until she notices the angle of Min\u2019s finger and follows her gaze. She gasps; a large red and white castle is far off in the distance, high towers hidden by oval-shaped clouds. It\u2019s like from a fairy tale, and Jia wouldn\u2019t be too surprised if it is. She takes a deep breath, feeling something like a balloon rise in her stomach.<\/p>\n \u201cLike it?\u201d Min grins. Then she tugs at Jia\u2019s hand, pulling her down on the grass next to her and says, \u201cOh, you\u2019re so cute.\u201d She leans over to peck Jia on the cheek. A waft of minty apples and blooming flowers drifts under Jia\u2019s nose.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me about your world again,\u201d whispers Min in Jia\u2019s ear, lips dangerously close to her skin. Jia can feel the heat prickling off of her, but it\u2019s a nice sort of heat: heat that she doesn\u2019t want to leave.<\/p>\n Jia stares at the cotton clouds floating above them across the blue sky. \u201cMy world\u2026 is different,\u201d she starts. \u201cA lot different. It\u2019s boring, it\u2019s big, and it\u2019s empty. You wouldn\u2019t like it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, you wouldn\u2019t.\u201d Jia sighs. \u201cIt\u2019s probably far too boring for you, not exciting enough\u2026 I wish I could live in a world like this with you, exploring, having adventures, doing anything\u2026 everything\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cBut I suppose it\u2019s not too bad, either. My parents are always nice, and I have friends, like Fei and Suzy. We play a lot together. And I have lessons, even though sometimes they can be really annoying. The adults can be kind of stupid sometimes, but it\u2019s alright. There are some who are really nice. I can\u2019t wait to be an adult.\u201d Jia lets out a wistful breath. \u201cThen when I\u2019m an adult, I can do whatever I want\u2026 explore, see the world\u2026 with no one to tell me what to do. When I was younger, I\u2019ve always wanted to be a princess\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but,\u201d Min suddenly interrupts. \u201cYou grew out of that, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Jia frowns. \u201cI suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd,\u201d says Min, getting up from the grass and looking down at Jia, \u201cin this world, no one wants to be an adult. You must be crazy if you do. Everyone wants to be a child! Adults are boring.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut they can do anything,\u201d Jia insists.<\/p>\n Min shakes her head. \u201cNot here,\u201d she says. \u201cHere, adults and children can do whatever they want\u2014though adults barely do anything.\u201d She scoffs. \u201cLike you said, they\u2019re really stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell.\u201d Jia frowns again. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBesides,\u201d says Min, \u201cchildren can even boss adults around! Tell them to do what they want! In the palace, at least. I don\u2019t know about the peasants. But at least the filthy adults know a thing or two before even thinking about telling a child what to do!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do the children ask them to do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, you know.\u201d Min waves her hand. \u201cClean their rooms, take their showers, go to lessons\u2014not that we have many, anyways.\u201d She chuckles.<\/p>\n \u201cThey can really take your baths for you?\u201d Jia asks, wide-eyed. She\u2019s never really liked baths.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d scoffs Min. \u201cSounds a hell lot better than your place, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Jia stares back at the sky. \u201cI guess\u2026\u201d she says. \u201cBut it\u2026 it\u2019s my home.\u201d<\/p>\n Min, however, doesn\u2019t hear her response. Instead, she rustles around and suddenly appears in Jia\u2019s line of vision, her hand stretched out. Her hair sweeps in the wind, dark against the blues and whites serenely drifting above them.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on,\u201d says Min, catching hold of Jia\u2019s wrist and tugging her up. Her lips brush against the skin of Jia\u2019s cheek. \u201cWe should get going.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>It\u2019s not much longer after they\u2019ve started walking back through the forest, when Jia\u2019s stomach suddenly makes a gurgling noise. Embarrassed, she tries to cover it up. She knows that they had just eaten those apples before going into the field, but\u2014her stomach makes another loud noise and her cheeks flush.<\/p>\n Min turns to her, eyes glittering in amusement. \u201cHungry again?\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s okay. Pine apples aren\u2019t that filling, anyways. Here. I\u2019ll try to find you something.\u201d<\/p>\n She bends down and starts picking at the forest grounds, moving leaves and twigs aside. Finally, after a few minutes of searching, she gets back up, holding something small in her hands.<\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d she says, breaking off a piece and handing it to Jia. \u201cEat it.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia glances at Min\u2019s other hand, which is holding something that looks like a mushroom. The mushroom has a large chunk torn off from the head, though: the chunk that Min is offering to her. Jia takes it and eyes it carefully.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure it\u2019s safe?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n Min glances to her from tearing off her own piece. \u201cOf course I\u2019m sure. It\u2019s completely safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut why can\u2019t we eat\u2026\u201d Jia looks around and points to a different mushroom, which looks oddly like a tree stump, but also more safe. \u201cThat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat? Are you kidding? The toads will get furious.\u201d Min grabs the piece from Jia\u2019s hand and waves it in her face. \u201cHonestly, you\u2019d think I was trying to poison you or something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014N-no, of course not!\u201d Jia splutters, snatching the mushroom back. \u201cI just\u2014Is this going to fill me up?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d says Min, scoffing. \u201cOnce you eat it, that is. Cheers.\u201d<\/p>\n And without warning, she takes Jia\u2019s hand and shoves the mushroom piece into her mouth, and Jia swallows instinctively. Then a small rumbling noise starts in her stomach, growing louder and louder in her ears. Jia squeezes her eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable to happen.<\/p>\n The rumbling suddenly stops, and Jia feels a poke at her side.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can open your eyes now.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia opens her eyes and gasps in amazement. The trees are all towering above them, shadows cast as far as they can see. The leaves are as large as they are, scattered, barely reaching the top of their heads. The ground is more vast than ever, and the stump-like mushroom a few centimeters away now looks like a stool of some sort.<\/p>\n \u201cWe shrunk!\u201d says Min\u2019s cheerful voice, and Jia swivels her head to see Min standing next to her, about the same height.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d says Jia, \u201cwe did, but I don\u2019t see the point\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you full now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014Oh! Yes!\u201d Delighted, Jia pats her stomach. Even if her body had shrunk, it\u2019s evident that the mushroom piece hadn\u2019t. Jia suddenly feels a wave of gratitude wash over her, and turns to Min.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think we should go that way,\u201d says Min, tapping her chin and not noticing Jia. She points between a couple of trees a few meters away. \u201cYeah. Carriage\u2026 desert\u2026 castle. Let\u2019s go!\u201d<\/p>\n With a joyful shriek, Min grabs her hand and starts sprinting across the forest. They run even faster now, grass, dirt and leaves whipping behind them in a cloud of dust. Jia feels like she\u2019s going to fall behind at any moment, though,, and the only thing keeping them together is the link of their hands.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy\u2026 are we\u2026 going\u2026 so fast?\u201d she manages to gasp out. \u201cAnd how\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n Min turns and sends a smile that makes Jia feel warm on the inside. \u201cIt takes a lot of practice,\u201d says Min. \u201cBut don\u2019t worry about it. I\u2019ll teach you one day, Jia.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia relishes in the sound of her name on Min\u2019s lips; but only for a second because then they stop. Jia sends Min a questioning look\u2014she<\/em> certainly doesn\u2019t look tired at all\u2014but then a sudden rush of air hits her in the face and Jia inhales sharply.<\/p>\n Min sends her another small smirk and wordlessly kisses her on the cheek. But the moment is quickly ruined when they hear a deep voice behind them.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2026 are\u2026 YOU<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n Jia and Min turn around to see a large periwinkle caterpillar perched on a grey pebble. He\u2019s holding a large, smoking stem, and is staring down at Min and Jia like they\u2019re a couple of the strangest pests he\u2019s ever seen.<\/p>\n Min grabs Jia\u2019s hand and glares the Caterpillar down. \u201cIt\u2019s none of your business,\u201d she says rudely.<\/p>\n The Caterpillar glances at their clasped hands, and then at their faces. His gaze lingers on Jia\u2019s for too long, but he stays silent.<\/p>\n Finally, Min snaps. \u201cWell, who are you<\/em>?\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIf your business is yours, then my business is mine,\u201d the Caterpillar answers simply.<\/p>\n Min scowls. \u201cFine. Whatever. We don\u2019t care, anyways. Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n She swiftly drops Jia\u2019s hand and turns away, pushing through some brambles and disappearing behind them. Jia goes to follow her, but stops when she suddenly feels something heavy on her shoulder.<\/p>\n She turns back around to see the Caterpillar standing mere millimeters away (that is, if caterpillars can stand), his stem slung over her shoulder. He leans down and whispers harshly into her ear,<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t belong here. This isn\u2019t your place.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Stunned, Jia says, \u201cWhat\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you coming?\u201d Min\u2019s voice says suddenly. There\u2019s a slight rustle of leaves, and then Min appears through the thicket. Her eyes narrow at the Caterpillar and Jia\u2019s close position.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, fuck off,\u201d she says, going over to them and hitting the Caterpillar in the face with the stem. The Caterpillar backs off in slight, but sends Jia one last look before slinking off into the bushes.<\/p>\n Min rolls her eyes and then looks at Jia once more, who still seems rather bemused. \u201cWell, are you coming or not? I swear, you inhaled too much of that old thing\u2019s smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia shakes herself out of her daze and turns to Min. She nods slightly. \u201cYeah. We can go.\u201d<\/p>\n As they make their way back through the forest, she tries to get the Caterpillar\u2019s words out of her head.<\/p>\n [—– CUT \/ PART TWO STARTS HERE —–]<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to your rabbit?\u201d says Jia.<\/p>\n Min glances to her while stepping over a tree root. \u201cWhat rabbit?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know. The white one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the hell are you talking about?\u201d says Min, staring at her.<\/p>\n \u201cThe white rabbit! You said he was your pet!\u201d Jia says exasperatedly.<\/p>\n Min frowns. \u201cWhen was this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen- When I first came here! When we first met!\u201d says Jia. \u201cI fell in a hole and I saw a rabbit, and then you came out of nowhere and said he was your pet and then you walked away, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI told you you were crazy,\u201d Min says cheekily, kissing Jia again. \u201cNow come on! We\u2019re almost there!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2014\u201d Jia starts to protest; but then stops when she suddenly sees a small carriage made of leaves and twigs appear out of nowhere. She rubs her eyes and blinks to see if she\u2019s just imagining things\u2014but of course, she\u2019s never imagined things, and she wonders where the carriage has come from.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will take us to the Red Castle,\u201d explains Min, tugging her into the cart. She pulls her inside and settles onto a bench, before moving over to make room for Jia. Jia sits down next to her and glances around. It\u2019s all green, with light through the thin ceiling, and shadows dancing on the leafy ground.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve been in this thing before?\u201d she asks Min, who is amusing herself by prodding the other passenger in the car, a worm who happens to light up each time Min touches it.<\/p>\n Min nods enthusiastically. \u201cYeah! We just go through the Insect House, then a few more stops, and then we\u2019re there!\u201d She points out the window in the front. \u201cSee those? Those are dragonflies. They pull some of the carriages.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia peers out the window. A large, scaly lizard with rather fly-like wings is dragging the cart along, looking utterly bored. Another carriage passing by them, made up of red leaves, has a pair of rocking horses in the front, leaves protruding from their backs as well.<\/p>\n \u201cHorseflies,\u201d murmurs Jia.<\/p>\n Min turns to her and grins. \u201cYes! How did you know?\u201d she says. \u201cAnd there\u2014\u201d she points through the entrance of the carriage and indicates a few more bugs in the distance \u201c\u2014are the butterflies. And houseflies! I like the houseflies best. Mostly because they have no eyes and it\u2019s funny to see them run into things.\u201d She giggles.<\/p>\n \u201cWow,\u201d Jia breathes, reveling at the sight. Min\u2019s loving words ring in her ears, cradling every word like they\u2019re all her own.<\/p>\n She turns to Min and sees Min smiling at her. Jia can\u2019t help but smile back, especially when Min\u2019s mouth meets her flushing cheeks once again. Min\u2019s taste lingers at the tip of her tongue.<\/p>\n It feels like something magical, something unreal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>Soon enough, they arrive at the castle. Jia can see the palace beyond the gate, but she can\u2019t make it out quite clearly; it seems sort of fuzzy, like the rest of her memories.<\/p>\n \u201cWell?\u201d says Min, holding her hand out to her to guide them through. \u201cWhat are you waiting for?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re kind of\u2026\u201d Jia indicates both of their bodies, emphasizing their smallness in comparison to the large walls looming in front of them.<\/p>\n \u201cOh right, I forgot,\u201d says Min, grinning. \u201cYou\u2019d think I\u2019d get used to it by now.\u201d<\/p>\n She rummages through her dress pockets before a little vial slips out, but catches it before it lands. With astonishingly quick and delicate movements, she pops open the cork, drops a bit of whatever liquid is inside into her mouth, and then hands it to Jia. \u201cDrink up.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia takes the bottle and examines it in her hands. A small purple label is on the glass, reading \u201cdrink me<\/em>\u201d. Feeling wary but undeterred\u2014after all, everything Min had given her so far today had been safe\u2014she mimics Min\u2019s motions and suddenly finds herself shooting straight up.<\/p>\n When she glances around, she sees that Min is looking at her, amused. They\u2019re both now at a normal height for the gate, although it\u2019s still rather tall and beyond their reach.<\/p>\n \u201cThat always gives me the strangest feelings,\u201d Min says thoughtfully. She takes the glass vial from Jia and puts it back in her dress pocket, and then walks toward the castle gates.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t we take that earlier?\u201d Jia asks, running to catch up with her. \u201cYou know, after we had gotten small.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you wouldn\u2019t be full, would you?\u201d Min sends her a contemptuous look, and pushes the black gates aside. \u201cCome on. There are people I want you to meet.\u201d<\/p>\n They step down the gravel pathway leading up to the large wooden doors of the palace. To the side, Jia can see rose bushes on the bright green grass, looking dry and untouched. The roses are red, all up to a group of men who are standing on the side with metal buckets in one hand, red-coated paint in the other. Jia glances ahead, and realizes that the remaining flowers are all white. She\u2019s not sure whether she wants to join them or laugh at them.<\/p>\n Min seems to have noticed as well when she glances to the side. She scowls. \u201cGoddammit. Not again<\/em>.\u201d Grabbing Jia\u2019s hand, she marches down the stone pathway to the castle doors, with Jia still marveling at everything she can lay her eyes upon.<\/p>\n The castle is much bigger in person, as Jia realizes when she casts her gaze up high. The shortest red tower seems to be thousands of meters above her, and the highest tower, a million. They\u2019re made of a whitish grey stone, although the tower roofs are all a scarlet red. They remind Jia of Min\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n Jia shakes this silly thought out of her mind.<\/p>\n When they approach the door, Jia expects Min to knock; instead, Min shoves the door aside like it weighs nothing and stomps on ahead. Jia\u2019s rather reluctant to go inside\u2014after all, she\u2019s never been here before\u2014but she doesn\u2019t dare to pull herself out of Min\u2019s grip, so she allows herself to be dragged inside.<\/p>\n And inside is a large, intimidating room. The grey walls are cold and hard, deflecting all heat and making Jia shiver, a little. The floor is of the same stone and shade. However, a long red carpet starting from the door entrance slithers all the way to the end of the room, where it pools and holds a large golden throne, along with several smaller thrones and a tiny golden table.<\/p>\n Jia stares at the woman on the largest throne. The woman is wearing a regal red and black dress, although it seems rather baggy on her; she looks tired, old, much too weak to be a queen of any sort. Yet the large golden crown on her head does not lie, and the red heart in the middle looks like a drop of blood.<\/p>\n The Queen looks up as soon as she hears the two girls enter the hall. Her face brightens up by a fraction.<\/p>\n \u201cMother,\u201d Min says, unceremoniously dropping Jia\u2019s hand and glowering at the Queen\u2014her mother<\/em>, Jia realizes with a start. \u201cThe men are painting the roses red again.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike Min, the Queen doesn\u2019t seem bothered at all. She sighs, looking more tired than ever, and shuffling a deck of cards in her hand (they\u2019re all hearts, Jia notices), she says, \u201cAgain? Don\u2019t they know it\u2019ll contaminate them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho cares if it\u2019ll contaminate<\/em>, you know that they were supposed to have bought the red roses!\u201d Min sneers. \u201cGod, Mother, if you don\u2019t care, I might as well be Queen already.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know you\u2019re not of age yet.\u201d The Queen sighs again. Then her eyes slowly drift to Min\u2019s side, landing on Jia. \u201cWho\u2019s this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Oh.\u201d Min glances at Jia. \u201cMy friend.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s her name?\u201d the Queen asks interestedly, leaning in so close to Jia\u2019s face that Jia shifts around uncomfortably.<\/p>\n \u201cJia,\u201d says Min. She grabs her hand and squeezes it. Cocoons explode inside of Jia\u2019s stomach.<\/p>\n The Queen stares at her for a few moments, and then looks back at Min. At first, Jia\u2019s afraid that the Queen will say something rude\u2014but then the Queen sighs for a third time and rests back in her throne, eyes drooping in the slightest.<\/p>\n \u201cI used to have friends,\u201d she says wistfully. \u201cAnd your father\u2026 I wish he would come back\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The Queen slumps even further down in her throne. Her crown topples slightly.<\/p>\n Min rolls her eyes. \u201cDon\u2019t be such a drama queen, Mother,\u201d she says. \u201cIs there anything we can eat?\u201d<\/p>\n The Queen waves her hand to the small gold table at the side. Not saying anything further to her mother, Min goes over to the table, with Jia following along. Jia sees that there are several biscuits sitting on a golden tray, and her stomach rumbles slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cHere. I know you\u2019re hungry,\u201d says Min, handing Jia a biscuit before getting one herself. \u201cAnd don\u2019t listen to what my mom says. She\u2019s never had a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Jia takes a bite out of her biscuit, suddenly no longer hungry.<\/p>\n \u201cUgh, that damned knave probably stole the tarts again,\u201d says Min, glaring at the biscuit tray and then eyeing her own food. \u201cThe tarts are so much better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened with your father?\u201d Jia can\u2019t help asking as she watches Min settle on the carpet. She sits down next to her..<\/p>\n Chewing noisily, Min shrugs and crosses her legs. \u201cLeft her. My mother, that is. He was sort of sick of all her\u2026 violence.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cViolence?\u201d repeats Jia. She glances to the Queen again, who is still lazily sitting in her throne, position unchanging.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Well, she wasn\u2019t like that before my father left,\u201d says Min, waving her hand in her mother\u2019s direction. \u201cAfter he left, she completely just fell apart. Totally immature, in my opinion.\u201d She scoffs and bites into her biscuit, and then talks while still chewing. \u201cShe used to be a total bitch, but at least she was respectable. Now she\u2019s just pathetic. I still think I\u2019m more of a queen than she is. I should take over now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does she mean you\u2019re not of age?\u201d asks Jia interestedly. \u201cI thought children and adults have the same rights.\u201d<\/p>\n To her surprise, Min flushes a bright red. \u201cNot in hierarchy, though,\u201d she says, pointedly avoiding Jia\u2019s gaze and looking away. \u201cI still have a few years to go. But then I\u2019ll be the best damn queen this town has ever had.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy\u2026 Why won\u2019t your father come back?\u201d Jia holds her breath, afraid that this question may be going too far.<\/p>\n But Min doesn\u2019t seem to care.<\/p>\n \u201cViolence. I told you, remember?\u201d she says. \u201cYes, the Queen\u2019s usually violent by nature\u2026 but now she\u2019s stopped with all of her executions. Doesn\u2019t have the heart for it, she claims.\u201d Min looks at Jia and rolls her eyes. \u201cBut I think she\u2019s only trying to get my father back, and that\u2019s never going to happen. I\u2019d say that a bit of beheading would do her good right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia\u2019s eyes widen in horror. \u201cBeheading?\u201d she squeaks.<\/p>\n But Min merely ignores her and finishes her food, and then grabs Jia\u2019s hand and leads them out of the hall, the red carpet still dusted with their crumbs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>They walk through the dark corridors of the castle, hands still clasped together. Jia feels compelled to be scared, and she is; but only a little.<\/p>\n She glances at Min, who seems to know where they\u2019re going. \u201cDo you spend a lot of time in the castle?\u201d she asks her.<\/p>\n Min looks at her through the darkness. \u201cI guess,\u201d she says. \u201cI mean, not like there\u2019s much to do around here. Sure, there are a lot of rooms,\u201d and she indicates the red doors on the sides, \u201cbut after having an adventure over and over again, it all just gets boring, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d says Jia even though she has no idea what she\u2019s talking about.<\/p>\n They continue on in silence. Light flickers down at them from a glass window above, but then Min pulls them into another dark hall.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the Buttery,\u201d says Min. \u201cAnd the Bottlery.\u201d She points to a few more doors in the shadows. \u201cI can show you my room, if you\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d love\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd who\u2019s this?\u201d says a voice.<\/p>\n Min spins around, Jia swiveling with her, and they both turn to see a man approaching them from a lightened hallway. His figure isn\u2019t easy to make out, though Jia imagines that he\u2019d be rectangle-shaped. In the dark, she can make out the number 10<\/b> on the left breast of his white, heart-decorated suit.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Jia,\u201d she says without hesitation, sticking out her hand. \u201cHow do you do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJia<\/em>!\u201d Min hisses, but the man merely ignores Min and shakes Jia\u2019s hand, smiling broadly.<\/p>\n \u201cPleasure to meet you, my lady,\u201d the man greets, and then bends down and sweeps his lips over Jia\u2019s hand. Min positively growls. Jia notices that his lips aren\u2019t as smooth as Min\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u201cNice to meet you too,\u201d she says cheerfully, attempting to seem oblivious to Min fuming beside her.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you, Mistress Min?\u201d the man says, turning to her and offering his palm out, as if to take her hand and kiss it as well.<\/p>\n Min ignores the gesture, and merely glowers up at the ceiling. \u201cI\u2019m great,\u201d she says dismissively. \u201cJia, let\u2019s go\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou two ladies shouldn\u2019t be dressed in such drab clothes,\u201d the man continues on as they turn to leave. Jia stops, making Min reluctantly stay behind as well.<\/p>\n The man eyes them both up and down, unfazed by this change of heart. \u201cEspecially you,\u201d he adds to Jia, gaze fixated on a large stain at the front of her blue dress. \u201cYour clothes are horrendous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Jia says, blushing.<\/p>\n A snarl suddenly sounds in the back of Min\u2019s throat. \u201cWe don\u2019t need<\/em> new clothes,\u201d she says, seething. \u201cWe\u2019re perfectly fine the way we are. Come on, Jia.\u201d<\/p>\n She jerks her head to the side, indicating that they should go. Jia looks torn. She has<\/em> always wanted to be a princess\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cDo you have dresses?\u201d she can\u2019t help but hastily ask the man.<\/p>\n The man beams. \u201cOf course! Hundreds and hundreds of dresses, more than you could ever imagine!\u201d<\/p>\n Excited, Jia turns to Min\u2014but her face falls when she sees that Min now has her arms crossed and her eyes are silently blazing in anger.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I\u2019m sorry Min,\u201d she says hurriedly, running over to her. \u201cI mean\u2014I guess, we don\u2019t have to, if you don\u2019t want to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, we can,\u201d Min says shortly.<\/p>\n Jia, if possible, looks even more crestfallen. \u201cBut- But you don\u2019t seem like you want to do it at all, and\u2014and, well, if dresses aren\u2019t really your thing and I don\u2019t want to pressure you into doing anythingyou don\u2019t want to do\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not pressuring me into doing anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2014\u201d Jia bites her lip and looks at Min. \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n Min nods.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to annoy you,\u201d Jia says quietly.<\/p>\n Min\u2019s expression softens, and then suddenly she smiles. \u201cYou\u2019re not annoying me,\u201d she says to Jia, unfolding her arms and taking one of Jia\u2019s hands. Her palm feels more real than ever. \u201cReally. You know how I feel.\u201d She brushes aside a stray blond hair and kisses Jia on the cheek, and Jia giggles. \u201cWe can go try on the dresses. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll look stunning in yours.\u201d<\/p>\n And with this, she leads them down through the dark halls, the man slithering behind them like an invisible voyeur.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>Min is beautiful. The white walls of the room are dull in comparison as her skin shines bright, short black hair tucked behind small ears, red lips bold like blood. Jia shivers unconsciously as she watches Min drift into her room and flop onto the large, satin-curtained bed.<\/p>\n \u201cAh. Feels like home, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d she says, grinning and looking at Jia through her eyelashes.<\/p>\n Jia blushes as she feels Min\u2019s eyes scan her up and down. \u201cYeah,\u201d she breathes, trying not to watch Min\u2019s every movement.<\/p>\n Instead, she glances around at her surroundings, finally taking in what Min had called home. It\u2019s oddly neat and tidy: nothing like Min. The bed sheets are a dark, dull sort of red, matching the crimson hangings and curtain at the large open window. Jia glances outside; it\u2019s still bright, making Jia wonder if she\u2019s been here for only a day. Her gaze sweeps to the far wall, which is covered by a large, single mirror.<\/p>\n Jia walks over and looks into it, mouth turning downward at her reflection. The red fabric on her body simply hangs there, like a bag, trying to find her nonexistent curves and widening her hips too much. A thin sleeve slides off her shoulder; she doesn\u2019t bother fixing it. Jia sees that her face is pasty and her hair is like straw and her dark eyes speak nothing but shameful fear.<\/p>\n She sees Min get up from the bed and come over to her, winding her arms around Jia\u2019s torso. Jia tenses, but moves no further. Min smirks and releases her, shifting a little until she\u2019s standing at her side. Their arms brush slightly. Her fingers absentmindedly fix Jia\u2019s dress strap.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look gorgeous,\u201d Jia murmurs, because Min does.<\/p>\n Min\u2019s black eyes glitter in approval as she cocks her head to the side, examining her tight red-and-black dress, hugging her in all the right places. Her lip curls.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d she says, looking to Jia again. \u201cYou do too.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia looks at herself again.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see it,\u201d she whispers.<\/p>\n She hadn\u2019t meant for Min to hear. She hadn\u2019t meant for anyone to hear at all. The walls could have had eyes and wouldn\u2019t have seen her moving lips. The furniture could have had ears and wouldn\u2019t have heard her tiny voice. Even the mirror, standing mere centimeters away from her mouth, couldn\u2019t have felt her breath against its face.<\/p>\n But Min hears. And Min turns to her. And Min wraps her arms around her once more and presses her forehead against hers and her eyes grow dark with clouds and she says, \u201cLet me help you with that.\u201d And then, and then all of a sudden her mouth is on Jia\u2019s and her hands are on either side of her face and she\u2019s kissing her, sucking all the life out of her. And Jia kisses her back and her lips fall open and their tongues entangle and their teeth clash and their come together, come together as one.<\/p>\n Min breaks apart to breathe and grins at Jia; Jia grins back. She catches a glimpse of someone in the mirror. A brilliant blond stranger in a cherry red dress is smirking back at her, cheeks flushed pink in pleasure. Jia beams back. The stranger\u2019s smirk, if possible, gets bigger.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on,\u201d Min giggles, pulling her towards the bed.<\/p>\n Jia giggles as well, and the two fall onto the mattress in a heap of breaths and kisses.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>This isn\u2019t her bed.<\/p>\n Jia doesn\u2019t want to get up, though. The bed is large and cozy, albeit a tad too cold for comfort. She opens her eyes to a slight darkness, and wriggles her body beneath the blankets, wondering whose bed this is\u2014when suddenly her bare arm brushes against another\u2019s.<\/p>\n She becomes aware of the fact that she\u2019s completely naked, and so is the body next to her.<\/p>\n Jia rolls over.<\/p>\n A familiar face stares back.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d whispers Min.<\/p>\n Jia has urge to shout in surprise; but strangely, a peace overcomes her and she allows herself to stay beneath the sheets.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d she whispers back.<\/p>\n Min\u2019s mouth curves, a little. She leans in to kiss Jia on the nose. Jia can feel her skin tingling afterwards.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know what I love?\u201d says Min in a hushed voice.<\/p>\n Jia shakes her head.<\/p>\n \u201cBlood.\u201d<\/p>\n The word hangs still in the air, before slowly drifting away in front of them, crumbling to dust. Neither of them move or speak; they lay there in the silence, staring at each other, through the dusky blues flitting into the room. There isn\u2019t even a slight breeze or a single movement from outside or anywhere else. Nothing changes and the world is still, and their gazes are locked into each other, refusing company from the rest of the universe. Even such things as small as their breathing goes quiet, almost until they disappear. Time freezes in the one silent moment they have together.<\/p>\n Then Min gets up from the bed.<\/p>\n She gracefully slides off the mattress and starts walking around the room, ignoring the pile of dresses on the floor. \u201cCome on,\u201d she says, not turning around to Jia who is watching her bare form. \u201cWe should get dressed.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia nods numbly, staring at Min\u2019s body, at all her skin and very little hairs. She suddenly feels exposed in the bed, and is aware of the heat between her thighs.<\/p>\n Once Min has a new dress on\u2014a silky red pouf\u2014she walks over to Jia and tugs her away from the bed and to her wardrobe. \u201cI\u2019ll find something for you to wear,\u201d she says, sending her a reassuring glance. She drops her hand and Jia feels alone as Min browses through her clothes, searching for another dress.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t take Min long and soon Jia finds herself donned in a pale red dress, which Min remarks, \u201cLooks fucking fantastic on you.\u201d Jia isn\u2019t sure about this: it feels too tight and there are places where it hurts, a little. But she trusts Min\u2019s judgment so she passes this off without a word, and decides that it\u2019s probably only because it\u2019s Min\u2019s dress and they\u2019re not exactly the same size.<\/p>\n They walk out of the room, out of the halls, out of the castle. Once they\u2019re outside, Jia\u2019s astonished to see that the sky is dark; it must have turned night when they had been sleeping. Altering her sense of time, she tries to make out of she\u2019s only been here for one day, or many, many sunlit days. How long had they been asleep? How long had they been awake? How long have they been out of the castle? And why does the moon look like it\u2019s smiling at her?<\/p>\n \u201cMin,\u201d she says as they walk along the now grassy path\u2014they\u2019re suddenly back in the forest again, and Jia doesn\u2019t quite recall getting here.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d says Min, stepping over a bramble and turning her head.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2026 How long had we slept?\u201d says Jia, asking the first question on her mind. Then she would know how long the day had been. Maybe. Unless it had changed from day to night while they were sleeping. Jia doesn\u2019t even recall being tremendously tired when she and Min had flopped onto the bed shortly after they were finished\u2014she blushes at the memory.<\/p>\n Min raises her eyebrows. \u201cAll day, probably,\u201d she says. \u201cMaybe a few.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA few days?\u201d Panic rises in Jia\u2019s chest. \u201cHow long is a day, then? It feels so much shorter. Or longer.\u201d She glances at Min, a fearful look in her eye. \u201cI-I don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, calm down Jia,\u201d says Min, patting her on the back. \u201cA day is just as long as any other day. Though, in the summers we tend to take our days longer here, and the nights are shorter.\u201d<\/p>\n Hearing Min\u2019s confident tone makes Jia feel a little better, although she\u2019s baffled at this explanation. \u201cWell, so do we,\u201d she says almost defiantly. \u201cIn my world, I mean. The nights are shorter for a longer time, and the sun usually doesn\u2019t set until eight o\u2019clock\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t make any sense,\u201d Min interrupts, carelessly waving her hand in Jia\u2019s face. \u201cI mean, we have a few nights at a time, and then several days. In winter it\u2019s the opposite, and in March, sometimes we have two nights and other times we have two days.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike now?\u201d asks Jia.<\/p>\n Min laughs. \u201cWell it\u2019s not March now, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n Jia doesn\u2019t know what to make of this statement, but she doesn\u2019t have much time to think; Min suddenly grabs her hand and jumps over a log, before turning around and grinning.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n They make their way deeper into the wood, and while Jia tries to make sense of her surroundings, Min leads them along, making a way through the bushes and trees. Deeper and deeper they go, until it\u2019s all dark and Jia can no longer see the sky, and finds herself trying to make sense of the figures in the shadows. Faintly, she can make out Min\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d Min says, stopping all of a sudden into a small clearing. A small pool of moonlight spills out between a few leaves, illuminating a small cottage Jia hadn\u2019t noticed before.<\/p>\n \u201cHere?\u201d she says to Min, looking at her confusedly.<\/p>\n Min nods, and then heads towards the cottage\u2019s front door. Still bemused, and more lost than ever, Jia follows her. The cottage looks like any old cottage, with a small wisp of smoke coming from a chimney made of bricks and stone. Jia wonders what she and Min are doing here.<\/p>\n Without even bothering to knock, Min opens the cottage door and steps inside. Rather stunned and wondering if this is like the other house they had been in before, Jia peers through the doorway. But it looks like any other house, with a few shelves against the walls, and a kitchen far inside. Jia shifts from foot to foot near the doorstep, not going inside.<\/p>\n Min seems to have noticed this. She turns around and gives Jia a look. \u201cWell? Come on then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut.\u201d Jia moves around uncomfortably. \u201cThis isn\u2019t ours, is it.\u201d It\u2019s not a question. \u201cAnd shouldn\u2019t you have knocked?\u201d<\/p>\n Min scoffs. \u201cWhy would I knock on the door of an empty house when I know no one\u2019s going to answer? Come in.\u201d<\/p>\n Her feet obey these words even though Jia\u2019s still reluctant to join her. But she can\u2019t help but look around a bit more, anyways. It seems as though they\u2019ve stepped in the dining room; there\u2019s a long, cherry red wooden table in the middle of the room, standing on a large navy blue carpet. A few shelves and cabinets hold trophies and delicate pieces of china. The house seems comfortable enough, but Jia\u2019s still wondering what they\u2019re doing, and why Min had decided to bring them here. She wonders who this house belongs to.<\/p>\n She enters the kitchen, where Min is looking around at the shelves, picking up various bottles of liquid. Min glances at Jia as she comes in, and then beckons her over.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Jia asks, walking over to her and noticing the glass vial in her hands. It reads \u201cdrink me<\/em>\u201d, although it\u2019s not the same one that Min had given her the previous day. This one is blue.<\/p>\n \u201cLooking around.\u201d Min puts the blue bottle back on the shelf and grabs another one. This time, it\u2019s orange. Min turns it over and examines the potion inside, and then hands it to Jia.<\/p>\n \u201cHere. Drink this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cW-What?\u201d says Jia. \u201cWhy? I don\u2019t\u2014I don\u2019t even know what it is!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I said so,\u201d says Min patiently. \u201cAnd I know what it is. Don\u2019t worry. It won\u2019t hurt you.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia eyes the bottle carefully. \u201cBut\u2014how do you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just know,\u201d says Min. \u201cDon\u2019t be such a pussy. You trust me, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Her words come out with a bit more force than Jia\u2019s prepared for; Min stares at her and Jia feels scrutinized, like a little bug. But Jia does<\/em> trust her\u2014she trusts Min more than anything. So she takes the bottle from her hand and, popping the cork out, starts drinking the orange liquid.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t taste as all as she had expected. It\u2019s warm and sweet and slippery, running down her throat without hesitation. Eagerly, Jia tips her bottle back even further so that more and more of the liquid spills out into her mouth, and she feels it splash along her tongue and the roof of her mouth and it tastes like honey. Closing her eyes, she enjoys as much of the taste as she can.<\/p>\n And when Min notices her over-enthusiasm for the drink, her eyes widen and she shouts, \u201cSlow down!\u201d and Jia doesn\u2019t even notice. She doesn\u2019t stop drinking until she suddenly feels a pair of hands on hers and Min is pulling the bottle away from her, and Jia feels a bit dazed.<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d says Min, looking through the glass at the empty bottle. \u201cThat certainly might have been too much. How do you feel?\u201d She glances at Jia.<\/p>\n \u201cFine,\u201d says Jia, shrugging. Then she lets out a large burp. Giggling, she claps a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. \u201cOops, sorry\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She stops talking when she suddenly feels a tingling sensation at the soles of her feet. Her feet tingle and tingle, until the feeling rises from her toes to her knees and her legs. And then to her hips and her chest and her neck and her head, and then it\u2019s all over her body and she\u2019s not quite sure what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n And then she looks down.<\/p>\n The ground seems to be pushing beneath her; either that or her entire face is being lifted up. Strangely, though, she doesn\u2019t feel<\/em> like she\u2019s moving\u2014although, that might be because her feet are still firm on the ground. But her feet and her dress and her everything is growing, and she\u2019s growing and growing until suddenly her head bursts through the roof\u2014I should have ducked<\/em>, Jia thinks\u2014and the floorboards nearly give way to her now giant weight. She gets taller and taller as the world gets smaller and smaller until her head is high up in the clouds.<\/p>\n When she\u2019s sure she\u2019s finally stopped, she gets the sense to look up. The moon seems so much closer now. The stars, too. Though, when she lifts her arm up, she still can\u2019t quite touch the sky.<\/p>\n Jia looks down again, to see Min beaming at her, teeth glinting in the moonlight. \u201cWell,\u201d says Min\u2019s voice, oddly clear in her ear even though she\u2019s about fifty feet away from her. \u201cThat\u2019s certainly not what I had in mind. But there\u2019s no such thing as too big, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Jia nods faintly, and Min\u2019s grin grows wider. \u201cCome on, pick me up,\u201d she instructs.<\/p>\n Jia frowns, a bit hesitant. \u201cWhat\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n A rattling noise comes from the front door.<\/p>\n She stops and they both freeze in their spots, not knowing what to do. From up high, Jia can see a small, lizard-shaped figure, fumbling with the doorknob and then walking in, muttering to himself and completely oblivious to the wreckage around him. He walks through the front hall and the dining room, throwing things aside and not paying attention to the fact that the table he had just flung his keys on had collapsed under the additional weight, and that the glass window on his left side is completely shattered. It\u2019s only when he walks into the kitchen and sees Jia\u2019s big, black, buckled shoe, that he finally looks up.<\/p>\n And his eyes nearly bulge out of his eye sockets.<\/p>\n \u201cGIANT!<\/small>\u201d he shrieks. \u201cGIANT! THERE\u2019S A GIANT IN MY HOUSE AND- GIAAAANTTTT!<\/small>\u201d<\/p>\n His voice isn\u2019t actually that loud, Jia figures as she watches the little slimy reptile hop up and down next to her foot. She resists the urge to squish it.<\/p>\n The lizard darts around and spots Min.<\/p>\n \u201cAND YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THIS GIANT AND WHY ARE YOU IN MY HOUSE? WHY ARE YOU IN MY HOUSE AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH IT<\/em>, WHAT BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE BEING IN MY<\/em> LIVING SPACE AND WRECKING MY<\/em> THINGS, AND\u2014<\/small>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRun! Jia, run!\u201d Min yells at Jia, her voice still louder than the lizard\u2019s.<\/p>\n Jia, still shocked in her place, merely blinks down at the both of them. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you just standing there, Jia? Pick me up and run! RUN!\u201d<\/p>\n Almost instinctively, Jia bends down and scoops Min up in her palm, and then starts sprinting away from the house, her large long legs carrying her across the forest. In the distance, she can hear the lizard\u2019s voice slowly get fainter; but she doesn\u2019t stop running. Her elbows skim the tops of trees and her hips crash into the trunks and she runs and runs and runs to the edge of the sky, with Min\u2019s laughter ringing in her too-large ears.<\/p>\n Jia finally comes to a stop when she runs out of breath, and then pauses in the middle of the neverending forest, still panting slightly. She looks down in her palm where Min is sitting, grinning against the night.<\/p>\n \u201cBrilliant,\u201d says Min. \u201cI think we lost him. That was fun, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Jia\u2019s pretty sure they lost him a while ago, but she nods and pants a little bit more. It had been fun, running with nothing pushing against her, feeling the breeze ruffle her eyelashes. All of a sudden, Jia feels free. Jia is invincible.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, we better find a clearer place to sit before you scare all the birds out of their nests.\u201d Min chuckles and gazes into the distance, among the vast seas of green. \u201cDo you see a field anywhere nearby?\u201d<\/p>\n Jia looks around too. It\u2019s fascinating to see everything from up high, like her eyes are the stars in the sky. She can see everything in the land beyond; in the distance, she\u2019s pretty sure she can make out the castle. She glances to the other side, and spots a small patch of yellow.<\/p>\n \u201cThere,\u201d she says confidently, pointing in the direction. \u201cI\u2019m pretty sure that\u2019s one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGreat,\u201d Min says enthusiastically, and settles on Jia\u2019s palm as Jia strides over to the field. Min seems to be enjoying this as much as Jia is, and this makes Jia happy.<\/p>\n They stop among the yellow grass and Jia sets Min down, before sitting down herself, the grass crumpling under her weight. She looks over and sees that Min is grinning, though Jia can\u2019t be sure if she\u2019s grinning at her, or herself.<\/p>\n \u201cI love living here,\u201d says Min, looking up to the moon. \u201cThis world, everything is so perfect. You never know if you\u2019re going to get in trouble or have an adventure the next second. Or maybe both.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia\u2019s breath hitches in her throat. \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n Min settles down a little and looks at her. \u201cI like being with you,\u201d she says. The words ring in her ears. \u201cI like you, Jia. You know that, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cO-Of course.\u201d<\/p>\n It sounds different, though. Hearing Min say it. Jia isn\u2019t sure if she likes it.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d Min sighs. \u201cOf course you know. Do you like me too, Jia?\u201d<\/p>\n Jia nods vigorously. \u201cYes!\u201d she says. What a ludicrous question to ask. Of course she likes Min.<\/p>\n Min glances at her hand. \u201cPick me up again, Jia?\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Jia picks her up.<\/p>\n \u201cNow bring me close to your face,\u201d says Min. Slowly, Jia brings her palm to her face until her own fingers are nearly cupping her cheeks. She looks down and sees in the corner of her eye that Min is kneeling, her face only centimeters from hers.<\/p>\n \u201cCloser\u2026 closer\u2026\u201d Min moves herself onto Jia\u2019s fingers until she\u2019s nearly touching Jia herself, and then she is Her small fingers brush against the skin of Jia\u2019s cheek, and Jia almost blushes. She can feel a faint wetness linger on her cheek, and then suddenly Min\u2019s voice is saying, \u201cOkay, you can bring me down now.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia brings her down. Min speaks nothing of the matter, so Jia doesn\u2019t either, even though questions are already clouding in her mind. Min settles back onto the grass, her arms around her knees and her gaze cast up, back to the diamonds in the sky.<\/p>\n Jia watches as the moonlight illuminates every sharp angle on Min\u2019s body. Her heart stutters. She wonders if she\u2019s allowed to sit here all day, staring at the way Min contrasts with the night, looking more beautiful than the sky itself. This certainly wouldn\u2019t be a bad way to spend a lifetime, even here. So as long as she has Min.<\/p>\n \u201cHey,\u201d says Jia suddenly, a thought overwhelming her. \u201cSince you love this place so much\u2026 do you know everything that goes around? Like, everything<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n Min turns to her and laughs. \u201cEverything? Not even close. But I\u2019m used to this world.\u201d She sighs and stretches out her legs, settling back on her hands. \u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful place, really. I just take whatever happens and make it up as I go along. That\u2019s really how you\u2019re supposed to live, anyways.\u201d She chuckles.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I just\u2026 I can\u2019t imagine really living<\/em> here,\u201d Jia replies honestly. \u201cIt\u2019s just\u2014it\u2019s hard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you already are. Living here, I mean.\u201d Min\u2019s eyes glow in amusement. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Jia. There aren\u2019t any rules here. And you have me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d says Jia, relaying on her previous thought.<\/p>\n \u201cHey.\u201d Min turns to Jia, looking her straight in the eye. \u201cYou\u2019ll stay here forever, right? With me?\u201d<\/p>\n Jia stops breathing for a moment and glances back up at the night sky. The moon seems to be mocking her, twinkling and saying, Well, aren\u2019t you going to answer?<\/em> In her peripheral vision, she can see Min watching her, waiting for her expected response. So Jia gives it to her.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d she says; and Min looks at the moon as well, smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>After what feels like forever, something prickles at the side of Jia\u2019s foot. She glances down to see Min standing at the base of her ankle, holding a large stick.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay.\u201d Jia waits for Min to jump off before she stands up, brushing the dirt and grass from her dress.<\/p>\n \u201cHere. You\u2019ll probably want to come back down to size, too.\u201d Min pulls out two small pieces of what appears to be mushroom heads, and hands them to Jia. \u201cI found these in the lizard guy\u2019s house. Knew you\u2019d probably need them sooner or later.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia takes the stolen mushrooms from Min\u2019s tiny palms and puts them in her mouth, swallowing them instantly. Almost immediately afterward, she finds herself shrinking as the trees get taller and taller and her feet get smaller and smaller. Once she stops, she looks back up to see Min grinning.<\/p>\n \u201cWell let\u2019s go, if you\u2019re done,\u201d says Min, leaning in. Her mouth brushes the spot where it had been before, almost in a possessive manner. Then she takes Jia\u2019s hand, fingers grasped nimble and tight, cool and familiar. Jia allows herself to be pulled away by the strong hold fastened around her palm, and wonders how long this moment will last.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are we going now?\u201d she asks, wondering if they even have a final destination\u2014not that they\u2019ve ever had one before.<\/p>\n Min turns around to her, laughter in her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Jabberwocky! We\u2019re going to see the Jabberwocky!\u201d she says. Her voice echoes in the shadows between the trees.<\/p>\n \u201cTh-The Jabberwocky?\u201d<\/p>\n A chill runs up Jia\u2019s spine, but quickly goes away when her eyes catch sight of the dark wood around them. She swears she\u2019d just seen\u2014but it can\u2019t be, because it\u2019s dark. You can\u2019t see anything in the dark, can you? And even though she can barely make out Min\u2019s figure, it certainly isn\u2019t very bright.<\/p>\n But then Jia sees the flash of teeth again, and feels every obligation to stop. Min hadn\u2019t seemed to notice, though, so Jia doesn\u2019t bother. But she glances around again, eyes searching for the thing she had seen before, the brief flash of light she knows she hadn\u2019t imagined.<\/p>\n A crescent smile is on her left; then on her right, she hears a voice whisper, \u201cYou don\u2019t belong here<\/em>.\u201d Startled, she turns to her other side. A bright purple cat is perched on her shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cYou!\u201d Jia breathes. \u201cYou, what are you doing here\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJia?\u201d Min\u2019s voice asks concernedly, and Jia snaps. She turns to see that Min is looking back to her. Jia glances to her shoulder again. The Cat is gone.<\/p>\n \u201cI-I\u2019m fine,\u201d says Jia, a little shaken.<\/p>\n Min\u2019s eyebrows furrow in worry. \u201cYou sure?\u201d<\/p>\n Nonplussed but finding her voice again, Jia nods a bit more defiantly. \u201cYeah. I\u2019m sure. Don\u2019t worry about me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right,\u201d says Min, and then they continue on through the wood.<\/p>\n It isn\u2019t long before Jia finds herself blinking at the sudden appearance of light. When she looks up, she sees that a faint ball is glowing in the sky\u2014the sun, maybe, although she doesn\u2019t quite recall it being there before. Dark grey clouds barely cover it up, though Jia can see everything around her clearly.<\/p>\n \u201cLook!\u201d Min says gleefully, indicating the land before them. \u201cWe\u2019re here!\u201d<\/p>\n Jia looks around. They\u2019re standing on a large, black and white tiled floor\u2014sort of like a chess board<\/em>, Jia thinks to herself as she gazes around. The tiles are cracked and dusty, as if no one\u2019s been here for ages. In the distance, she\u2019s pretty sure she can make out a palace, though whether or not it\u2019s the Red Castle she can\u2019t be quite sure. The air around them is still and silent. Jia suddenly feels cold.<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t it awesome?\u201d Min\u2019s voice breaks her out of her spell. Jia suddenly finds that she wants to get out of here as fast as she can, and that they need to leave. Now.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026\u201d she starts, but stops when she sees Min step out in front of her, observing the skies thoughtfully. Another smile drifts across her face, and she turns to Jia, index finger in front of her own lips.<\/p>\n \u201cShh,\u201d says Min, grinning. \u201cWait for it.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia doesn\u2019t know what they\u2019re waiting for; she doesn\u2019t even know if she wants<\/em> to see it. But Min turns back to the grey clouds barely covering up the faint bright sun, and Jia can\u2019t just leave<\/em> her. She can\u2019t. Even if she wants to.<\/p>\n But she doesn\u2019t have too long to think, when suddenly a screech pierces the air. Jia\u2019s eyes go straight up to where Min is watching. A faint shadow is among the clouds, even darker against the dirty grey, moving around, like a large bird. But something about this shadow tells Jia that it\u2019s not<\/em> a bird, that it\u2019s something much bigger, much faster, much worse. Ever part of her body wants to get out of there as quick as possible, but she finds herself rooted to the spot, unable to move.<\/p>\n The shriek sounds again, shattering against the quiet. Jia looks back down to Min. Min has moved to the center of the board, among the dustiest and dirtiest black and white tiles, directly below the creature\u2019s flight. Jia wants to yell out to her to move, to get out of the way, to go!<\/em>\u2014but her breath gets caught in her throat and for the first time, she loses all will to fight.<\/p>\n Then something snaps inside of her. Min has glanced away and turned around. She\u2019s staring at her, and there\u2019s something unreadable in her eyes, something that Jia is afraid of. And as she continues watching her, the screeches from the creature above get louder and louder, and suddenly they\u2019re both in a whirlwind of dirt and dust.<\/p>\n The wind is strangely silent, though when Min opens her mouth to say something, Jia can\u2019t hear a thing. \u201cWhat<\/em>?\u201d Jia yells, straining her voice and hoping that Min will hear her.<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t this amazing?\u201d Min shouts back. She laughs and grasps onto Jia as they stand their way through the tornado.<\/p>\n Jia doesn\u2019t answer. Instead, she points up and says loudly, \u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n Min\u2019s eyes sparkle even more and her face breaks out into a wide grin, as she says, \u201cThe Jabberwocky, of course!\u201d There\u2019s something about the way that she says the creature\u2019s name that sends shivers all over Jia\u2019s body, even though she\u2019s cold already.<\/p>\n \u201cI-Is it\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLook!\u201d Min shouts, cutting her off again. Jia lifts her gaze up, to where the clouds are getting darker and darker, and then suddenly the clouds part and she can see what it is.<\/p>\n Hovering above them, about fifty meters off the ground, is a large scaly dragon, with a long serpentine neck and almost bulging eyes. Its wings are wide and leathery, but its face is ugly and skull-like, scarred with years and years of grime. It\u2019s looking down at them, down at Min and Jia, circling around them and flying faster toward the ground with its mouth wide open and teeth bared, and\u2014<\/p>\n Before the creature can do so much as to snatch them up, Jia grabs Min\u2019s hand and tears her out of the tornado. She runs, runs as fast as she can, pulling Min along with her and fleeing back into the forest.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>\u201cAre you insane<\/em>?!\u201d<\/p>\n Jia throws Min\u2019s hand down and turns on her, fear and anger raging in her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe could have gotten killed!\u201d she shrieks. \u201cWe could have died, we could have gotten eaten<\/em>\u2014What were you thinking, leading us there? Staying<\/em> there!\u201d<\/p>\n To her furious surprise, Min just laughs. She laughs and laughs\u2014although she stops when she sees the look on Jia\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cOh come on,\u201d she says, still chuckling a bit. \u201cLive a little, you know? Wasn\u2019t that fun?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFun? Fun<\/em>? You think it\u2019s fun, almost being eaten alive, being torn apart limb from limb<\/em>\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, don\u2019t be such a drama queen.\u201d Min waves her hand at her. \u201cThe Jabberwocky\u2019s harmless.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHarmless? You think it looked harmless when it looked at us like we were its afternoon snack? snaps Jia. \u201cWe\u2014You got us into this mess! We nearly died because of you!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo it\u2019s my fault now,\u201d says Min, the twitch in her lip gone. She glares at Jia.<\/p>\n Jia glares back.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it is! Because you\u2019re the one who wanted us to go there, and if it wasn\u2019t for me<\/em>, we would be inside that\u2014that thing\u2019s<\/em> stomach right now, but instead we\u2019re actually alive and not dead!\u201d<\/p>\n Min stares at her for a long time. Then she sighs, and reaches out for Jia\u2019s hand. Jia pulls back.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, okay, I get it,\u201d says Min, looking at her long and hard. \u201cI just didn\u2019t think that you\u2019d be that scared<\/em>, you know\u2014I mean, I would never\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I was scared,\u201d says Jia furiously, feeling the anger bubble inside of her again. \u201cWhen you\u2014when we\u2019re both put in danger like that, of course I\u2019d be scared!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI told you, I get it,\u201d Min says patiently. She even cracks a small smile when she reaches for Jia\u2019s hand again. This time, Jia doesn\u2019t protest. Min strokes the top of her palm, running her small fingers along her skin.<\/p>\n Jia stiffens, but does nothing more.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, come here,\u201d says Min, and her grip fastens around Jia\u2019s wrist and she pulls her towards her. Her lips meet Jia\u2019s and Jia does her best to protest, but when a tongue sweeps over her bottom lip, she can\u2019t help but give in. They stand there, kissing, for a few heavenly minutes.<\/p>\n Min pulls away. \u201cI told you, I get it,\u201d she says softly. \u201cI\u2019d never put you in danger like that. Trust me, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cY-Yeah,\u201d Jia manages to stutter out. Her teeth fall together. \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n Min smiles. \u201cGood. Now come; we have places to be.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>They end up in a tree. Jia can feel the roughness of the branch beneath her, and shifts slightly. Min is on the other side, back against the tree, legs stretched out in front of her. Occasionally she\u2019ll grab an acorn from the branch above them, toss it around in her hand, and then chuck it at the ground. Jia watches her, mesmerized.<\/p>\n Min sighs again after throwing another acorn, and rests her head against the tree trunk behind her. Jia\u2019s eyes go from Min\u2019s torso, down to her legs as white as sheet, and then to her feet. It\u2019s then for the first time when Jia realizes that Min is not wearing any shoes.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nice here, don\u2019t you think?\u201d says Min, breaking her out of her thoughts. \u201cI like climbing trees. You can see the sunrise from here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan you?\u201d says Jia, and peers through some leaves on the tree next to them. A faint ray of light shines through the branches.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d says Min. \u201cAnd it\u2019s quiet, too. Peaceful. Away from all the noise, all the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia is silent as she tries to absorb Min\u2019s words. It\u2019s sort of like when they had been in bed. Except now, Jia can hear something crumbling away and she doesn\u2019t know what it is.<\/p>\n Min turns to face her. \u201cCome here,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Hesitantly, Jia moves a bit on the tree branch.<\/p>\n Min brings her hand up, and her fingers trace the details on Jia\u2019s face. They run down her thin nose, stroke along her jaw, grip around her chin\u2014then her mouth moves forward and she\u2019s kissing Jia, steadily. Jia shivers a little; but the pleasure is only momentary, because then Min moves away, a satisfied smile on.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to have so much fun later,\u201d she says, leaning back against the tree. \u201cMaybe one day I\u2019ll show you the mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTh-The mountains?\u201d says Jia, touching her lips absently.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. The mountains.\u201d A dream look passes over Min\u2019s face. \u201cWhere there are dragons\u2026 wyverns\u2026 the fiercest animals in the world. Greatest creatures you can ever imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia watches her every movement.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2026 What else will you show me, one day?\u201d she asks. A knot tightens in her stomach.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, everything,\u201d says Min. \u201cFrom dragons, to swordfish, to tap dancing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTap dancing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, tap dancing,\u201d Min says in all seriousness.<\/p>\n Jia stares at her, not sure if it\u2019d be appropriate if she laughed.<\/p>\n Min rolls her head to the side, scraping the tree bark slightly. She closes her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll do everything together,\u201d she murmurs. \u201cWe\u2019ll do anything and everything. We\u2019ll have all the time in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll the time?\u201d whispers Jia.<\/p>\n Min opens an eye and smiles.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of it.\u201d<\/p>\n [—– CUT \/ PART THREE STARTS HERE —-]<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re close to the White Palace,\u201d says Min as they step over a brook. \u201cDo you want to go there now?\u201d<\/p>\n They\u2019re back on the ground, soil firm beneath their feet, though Jia still feels like she\u2019s floating. She\u2019d probably spent too much time in that tree.<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d says Jia, moving her way around the water bend. \u201cWhat\u2019s the White Palace?\u201d<\/p>\n Min\u2019s expression darkens. \u201cIt\u2019s the other side of this land. My mother rules the West, and the Queen of the White Palace rules the East. There used to be an alliance, but then a war broke out\u2026 and the power was split.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Jia frowns. This certainly doesn\u2019t sound like the peaceful land she\u2019d always thought this place was.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that bad, really. Though,\u201d Min continues, \u201cit\u2019s a lot different, and there\u2019s a lot more peasants.\u201d Her mouth curls with disgust. \u201cActually, the Palace consists of the Village and<\/em> the castle\u2014waste of space, in my opinion. Plus, the Queen\u2019s ugly and a total bitch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs she?\u201d says Jia.<\/p>\n Min nods petulantly and shrugs when she looks at Jia again. \u201cBut we can still go there, since you seem to want to see it so much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI-I didn\u2019t,\u201d says Jia, \u201cI never said\u2014you\u2019re<\/em> the one who brought it up!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid I?\u201d Min smiles wanly. \u201cCome on. It\u2019s not far from here.\u201d<\/p>\n They make their way out of the forest and onto a gravel road, one that leads far off in the distance. Min points to what seems to be a lumpy mountain among the clouds. \u201cThat\u2019s the Palace,\u201d she says. The White Palace, from what Jia can tell, is stark bright and covered in snow, making everything around it seem even whiter. The sky above them is not the blue Jia is so used to, but instead a pearly calming color, soft above them.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that the Village?\u201d asks Jia, pointing to where she can see some people and perhaps a few houses down in the valley below the mountain. Min nods.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. The Village actually isn\u2019t too bad,\u201d she says. Tthough with all the peasants running around, you\u2019d expect it to be covered in shit.\u201d She rolls her eyes. \u201cThey do have croquet, though, which makes up for it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCroquet?\u201d Jia says blankly; but Min doesn\u2019t give her any time to think as she grabs her wrist and tugs her down to the small town.<\/p>\n Their journey there is minimal and smooth, although Jia feels like the world is stopping and working in slow motion now. As she tries to adjust her eyes to the sudden light all around, as opposed to the dark forest at night, her brain attempts to make sense of all that\u2019s happening. Of all that\u2019s already happened. She can\u2019t quite recall everything, and even as she tries to look back on the night, it seems so far behind when it\u2019s morning already. Jia wonders when it had turned morning. When she had first seen the sun after the night. Had it been when they were in the tree? Or maybe it was when they were with the Jabberwocky\u2026 Jia shivers. The sun shouldn\u2019t come up with the Jabberwocky; it would make no sense. Maybe the sun had already been up while they were in the forest, after they had escaped from the lizard\u2026 but the moon had been fresh and full at the time\u2026 Jia shakes her head, and pries through her memories.<\/p>\n \u201cJia?\u201d Min turns to her. Her eyes glimmer in concern. \u201cYou all right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d mumbles Jia, although remembering things is becoming harder and harder. She can barely remember anything from yesterday, only mere outlines and traces of what had happened. And perhaps that housefly had just been her imagination\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cWell good, \u2018cause we\u2019re here!\u201d says Min, and Jia\u2019s forced to push away her thoughts and focus on Min. Jia looks around: there are horses and carriages carrying people back and forth across the Village. All the buildings and houses are as shockingly white as the palace up in the mountains. People are shouting and yelling, but there\u2019s a definite smile in each of their voices, and it\u2019s nothing like the Red Castle.<\/p>\n Down the street, there\u2019s a larger, whiter carriage, lead by two larger, whiter horses, with larger and whiter knights. Sitting in the open carriage is a beautiful woman, with a crown made of pearls and a necklace made of diamonds. Her dress seems to shimmer in the morning sun as she stands up and waves at the villagers, a broad smile on her face. It\u2019s evident that she\u2019s the Queen; Jia frowns a little and reflects on Min\u2019s previous words.<\/p>\n \u201cHey Min,\u201d she says, turning a little. \u201cDidn\u2019t you say that the queen was\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go to the center of town!\u201d interrupts Min. Not even paying attention, she grabs Jia\u2019s hand and pushes through crowds and crowds of people on the cobblestone streets, away from where the White Queen had been. She leads them further into town, until they\u2019re surrounded by even more people than before.<\/p>\n Min nudges Jia\u2019s body and nods to the front. \u201cLook!\u201d she shouts.<\/p>\n Jia isn\u2019t sure what they\u2019re supposed to be looking at, though deafening cheers and screams are roaring in her ears. She glances to Min, to see that Min is grinning at whatever\u2019s in front of them. So Jia pushes people aside, trying to figure out what<\/em> exactly people are so excited about. Finally, she just stands up on her tip-toes and looks over two short peasants in front of her, watching the scene from above.<\/p>\n A large Unicorn is at one side of crowd, while a mangy old Lion is standing idly at the other. The Unicorn thrashes around, evidently trying to find an opening for him to attack; to Jia\u2019s surprise, not only does the Lion look rather tired, but bored as well. From this, Jia can conclude that the Lion is winning, even though he doesn\u2019t seem to be putting up much of a fight.<\/p>\n Then suddenly, the Unicorn charges headfirst for the Lion. Jia gasps along with the crowd\u2014but it\u2019s not much of a surprise when the Lion merely steps to the side, and the Unicorn almost runs into an old woman instead.<\/p>\n \u201cAwesome, isn\u2019t it?\u201d says Min\u2019s voice by her ear. \u201cBest thing in this town. Aside from the croquet, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is croquet, anyways?\u201d Jia asks, turning to her as the people cheer again.<\/p>\n Min grins. \u201cYou don\u2019t know what croquet is? I\u2019ll show you. It\u2019s a little farther off town, but completely worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n She shoves her way back through the crowd and Jia struggles to follow her. Only when they manage to avoid the masses does Min stop again, and turns to make sure that Jia has followed her. Then she smiles and kisses Jia lightly on the cheek, saying, \u201cYou look like I just fucked you.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia blushes a bright red, and adjusts her tousled yellow hair. \u201cTh-Thanks,\u201d she stutters, although she\u2019s not entirely sure if that had been a compliment. Changing the subject, she says hastily, \u201cWhat were they fighting over, anyways?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, plum cake,\u201d says Min offhandedly. \u201cThey\u2019re the King\u2019s. The Lion and the Unicorn, I mean. Well, the plum cake is too,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n \u201cAh.\u201d Jia nods, still trying to digest these words. \u201cSo, croquet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight, of course!\u201d With a happiness that Jia had never seen before, Min runs down the street, not even bothering to hold Jia\u2019s hand. Jia sprints after her, but stops quickly when she sees Min stride over to a park in the middle of town.<\/p>\n It\u2019s mostly just a large patch of grass, about half an acre wide. Trees are planted here and there, and along with them are small ruts sticking up from the ground (probably for playing croquet.) Jia assumes that the park is manmade. She looks around for Min, and spots her over with some men, next to a rack of upside-down flamingos and balled up hedgehogs.<\/p>\n She starts walking toward her when the sound of a shout stops her; peering closer, she realizes that Min is arguing with one of the men. Curious, Jia leans in a bit more to listen to their conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean, I\u2019m just a child?\u201d Min snarls at the man. \u201cYou\u2019re<\/em> just a filthy old peasant; you\u2019re<\/em> the one who doesn\u2019t deserve to play here!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor your information,\u201d the man says haughtily, \u201cI am not a peasant<\/em>. I am an archbishop, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, archbishop, right.\u201d Min rolls her eyes. \u201cThat\u2019s just what they call snooty old peasants like you who think they\u2019re better than everyone else when they\u2019re not<\/em>. The only people who deserve to play an ounce of croquet are people of royal<\/em> blood.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you are of royal blood?\u201d The archbishop\u2019s eyebrows go so far up that they almost disappear into his hairline. Jia stifles a giggle.<\/p>\n Min\u2019s cheeks turn pink. \u201cOf course I am of royal blood! I am the Red Queen\u2019s daughter, and I say that I can play croquet whenever I want!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell you are of no matter to us.\u201d The archbishop waves his hand and turns away, refusing to look at her any longer. \u201cYou cannot play croquet, Red Queen\u2019s daughter<\/em>. Go, run off and play with your little friends.\u201d<\/p>\n He laughs with the other men with him. Min\u2019s eyes darken, as she watches them, like she\u2019s going to attack. Jia stops breathing for a moment\u2014but then suddenly Min spins around and starts stomping towards her, looking like she\u2019s trying very hard not to lose her temper any further.<\/p>\n \u201cWho the fuck does he think he is!\u201d she explodes once they\u2019re out of earshot. Min grabs Jia\u2019s hand and yanks her out of the park, ignoring Jia\u2019s tiny squeak. \u201cArchbishop<\/em>. That\u2019s just a fancy name for a poor, low-down piece of trash! I bet he can\u2019t even play<\/em> croquet! I\u2019d kick his ass! And then he\u2019ll just be another self-righteous asshole who doesn\u2019t deserve to live, and no one will care about him anymore. He doesn\u2019t even deserve to be talking to me. I\u2019ll make him one of my servants and have him clean my shoes every day. Who\u2019s an archbishop now<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n They stop in the middle of the path. Min breathes heavily. Jia hesitantly looks at her, and gently touches her arm.<\/p>\n \u201cMin? Are you\u2014Are you feeling okay?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n Min shuts her lips firmly, evidently trying to prevent herself from screaming. Then she glances to Jia and says through gritted teeth, \u201cYes, I\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs there any way I can help you?\u201d Jia says softly.<\/p>\n Min seems to have an inner battle with herself for a moment, and then looks at Jia again. \u201cLet\u2019s just go somewhere. I don\u2019t care where. Anywhere. I\u2019m just sick of people treating me like I\u2019m a baby<\/em>.\u201d She spits the word out like it\u2019s poison.<\/p>\n Jia takes her hand and inclines her head to a small nod. \u201cO-Okay,\u201d she says, and then leads them away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>They stop at a stone wall at the edge of town. After buying pound cake from a nearby market, Min hands a slice to Jia before settling down on the ground. Jia slides down next to her, relieved to rest her sore feet.<\/p>\n They eat in silence.<\/p>\n Then a hacking noise comes from above. Jia thinks at first she\u2019s imagining it\u2014but when she\u2019s pretty sure she\u2019s heard a very loud and exaggerated cough come from above for the the third time, she looks finally looks up.<\/p>\n Sitting above them on the wall is a large white egg (or at least, that\u2019s what it appears to be), with long white legs dangling off the edge. Half of the egg\u2019s body\u2014shell, rather\u2014is docked in a green outfit, while a cravat is fastened neatly around his waist. He\u2019s looking down at them expectantly, almost desperately, eyes watering.<\/p>\n \u201cIs there something you need?\u201d Jia asks politely.<\/p>\n At the sound of Jia\u2019s voice, Min looks up: first at her, then to where Jia is staring. Her eyes narrow at the sight of the egg.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014\u201d The egg\u2019s eyes dart nervously between the two girls. He licks his lips. \u201cThat looks mighty delicious.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Oh.\u201d Jia looks down at the cake in her hands. \u201cDo you want some, then?\u201d<\/p>\n The egg nods eagerly.<\/p>\n Min bends her head down and leans into Jia. \u201cWhat do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d she hisses. \u201cYou can\u2019t just offer food to people in the street!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but he looks hungry, doesn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n Jia holds up her slice of pound cake to the egg, and in one swift motion, he swipes it out of her hand, tosses it into his mouth and gobbles it up, and then smacks his lips together.<\/p>\n \u201cMm, that hits the spot,\u201d he says, licking the crumbs from his fingers. \u201cWhere are you girls heading?\u201d He peers down beneath his hand.<\/p>\n Jia opens her mouth to answer, but Min quickly says, \u201cThat\u2019s none of your business.\u201d She shoves the rest of her own cake into her mouth, swallows, and then gets up and says to Jia, \u201cCome on, we\u2019re leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014but wait!\u201d the egg shouts indignantly.<\/p>\n Min regards him coldly as she starts walking away. When she realizes that Jia\u2019s not following her, she spins around and glares.<\/p>\n \u201cWell? Aren\u2019t you coming?\u201d she snaps.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but\u2014\u201d Jia glances up at the egg, who again is looking back and forth between them. \u201cHe said he wanted us to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo?\u201d Min snorts and reaches out to grab Jia\u2019s wrist. \u201cCome on. We don\u2019t have time for this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Min\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Min lets go of her.\u201cYou\u2019re saying that you\u2019d rather spend time with a talking inanimate object instead of me<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo! That\u2019s not what I meant at all! I just think\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re going to listen to someone you\u2019ve given some of your food to, but not someone whom you\u2019ve spent the past days<\/em> with? Someone you\u2019ve kissed? Someone who knows you more than you know yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n Min\u2019s eyes glow with fury. Jia recoils.<\/p>\n \u201cMin, I just\u2014I just thought\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n CRASH!<\/em><\/p>\n Both girls spin around at the sound, to see large white shards scattered below the wall where the egg had sat, even though the egg isn\u2019t in sight. Among the shards is a large green cravat; but there isn\u2019t a single trace of clothing with them. Come to think of it, the shards sort of look like parts of a broken egg shell.<\/p>\n The king\u2019s men rush over and jump off their horses, starting to put the pieces back together again..<\/p>\n Min sniffs. \u201cGood riddance,\u201d she says from Jia\u2019s side. \u201cCome on, we better get going.\u201d<\/p>\n And Jia follows her, feeling like she\u2019s leaving something behind.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>It seems like each adventure is slowly fading away, from journey to journey, dissolving into the air. Jia struggles to keep herself in the moment\u2014only, she doesn\u2019t even know what the moment is. Maybe this is all just a dream. Maybe one day she\u2019ll wake up and remember everything that\u2019s never happened to her.<\/p>\n But not today. Because today she\u2019s on a briny beach, sitting on the sand next to Min, listening to a large old Turtle sing. What seems to be a Gryphon is sitting on a boulder next to the Turtle, watching him intently.<\/p>\n When the Turtle finishes warbling, Min and Jia clap politely. The Gryphon flaps its feathery wings, cawing appreciatively.<\/p>\n The Turtle beams and bows his head. \u201cThank you, thank you, thank you very much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou sounded horrible,\u201d says the Gryphon, smiling. (That is, if Gryphons can smile.)<\/p>\n \u201cI know. Are you up for another one?\u201d says the Turtle.<\/p>\n \u201cSing the Ode that I wrote!\u201d says the Gryphon.<\/p>\n \u201cBut that one is terrible,\u201d says the Turtle, batting his head playfully against the Gryphon\u2019s body.<\/p>\n The Gryphon frowns. \u2018I like to think that that one is quite lovely myself, thank you very much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell I\u2019m<\/em> not going to sing it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe lyrics are nonsense! Why would you skin a sheep?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause their skin is quite lovely!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s shear<\/em> my old friend\u2014you shear a sheep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can skin a sheep too!\u201d<\/p>\n While the two animals continue arguining, Jia moves closer to Min. \u201cWhere are we?\u201d she whispers.<\/p>\n Min frowns at her. \u201cYou mean you forget? We\u2019re on a beach, of course. I brought you here to listen to the Mock Turtle\u2019s tales.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Jia searches through her head, trying to recall any of this being mentioned to her. She finds nothing.<\/p>\n Min merely laughs and leans over to kiss her on the cheek. \u201cYou\u2019re cute when you\u2019re confused,\u201d she says, grinning widely.<\/p>\n The Turtle and the Gryphon pause and turn to them.<\/p>\n \u201cAw, isn\u2019t that sweet?\u201d the Gryphon croons.<\/p>\n \u201cMakes me wish I had a mate myself,\u201d the Turtle says wistfully.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, you guys,\u201d says Min, getting up and dusting her dress off. She gazes at them, not looking fazed at all. \u201cIt was nice talking to you. Jia and I will be going now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOhohoho,\u201d says the Gryphon. \u201cAre you now? You girls feel safe, going through the forest alone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. I\u2019ve got Jia with me.\u201d Min grins and tugs at Jia\u2019s wrist. \u201cCome on. We should get going now.\u201d She starts leading them away.<\/p>\n \u201cWait\u2014Wait, but where are we going?\u201d asks Jia, running after her.<\/p>\n The Turtle and the Gryphon laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at how lost she is,\u201d crows the Gryphon.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure you can trust her to come with you?\u201d the Turtle says to Min, chuckling.<\/p>\n \u201cI trust her,\u201d says Min, pulling on Jia\u2019s hand. \u201cEven when she\u2019s crazy most of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n She and the two animals laugh. The Gryphon peers down at Jia.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me, dear girl, do you know where you are now? Where you come from?\u201d<\/p>\n Jia furrows her eyebrows in concentration, trying to block out everything else in her head, where nonsense is swimming about. She tries and tries to remember, to remember where everything is, where all of this had started, when everything had happened: she goes through each memory, each dream. In the very back of her mind, though, she can see a long dark tunnel, with a faint bright hole in the distance; but the rest of it is all dark, empty.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t\u2026 I don\u2019t know,\u201d she whispers.<\/p>\n The Turtle howls with laughter.<\/p>\n Min, however, just snorts and rolls her eyes. \u201cYou guys are fucking insane,\u201d she says to the two animals. Then she turns to Jia. \u201cWant to go back to the castle?\u201d Min asks gently.<\/p>\n Jia nods numbly, still searching. \u201cYeah,\u201d she says. \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/center>Days and nights pass, though Jia doesn\u2019t know this for sure by the way her mind is stilted slightly. Min leads her into places, through alleys, in between trees and thrushes and buildings. Jia follows her with an open mind and an empty heart, turning right and left and left and right until she doesn\u2019t know if she\u2019s right or wrong anymore. They keep running and running, not long enough for Min to make a crude remark, not short enough for Jia to remember\u2014but does she want to remember anyways? The world whizzes past them like a thought in the breeze, and Jia holds her hand out to catches it. She misses.<\/p>\n They finally end up in a large polished room, though Jia doesn\u2019t quite remember how they had gotten here. She tries to focus at the matter at hand; except the matter at hand is that she doesn\u2019t have her head on straight and she doesn\u2019t know how to fix it.<\/p>\n Min\u2019s eyes meeting hers for the first time in a while suddenly stop her mess of thoughts, and Jia holds onto her gaze, trying to find something in them. But Min merely says, \u201cYou\u2019ve been quiet an awful lot, Jia. Are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019m\u2014\u201d Jia clears her throat, finding her voice. \u201cI\u2019m all right.\u201d<\/p>\n Min shrugs. \u201cOkay,\u201d she says. \u201cI trust you. Now come on, follow me.\u201d She goes to the curtain at the end of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are we going?\u201d says Jia as she follows her, watching as Min pulls back the curtain.<\/p>\n Min glances to her. \u201cThe castle, of course,\u201d she says. \u201cThe Red Castle. We always pass through this room whenever we go in or out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe-We do?\u201d Jia doesn\u2019t remember coming here before. She doesn\u2019t remember at all.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Min says patiently. \u201cNow help me move this curtain, it\u2019s always so heavy.\u201d<\/p>\n She and Jia push the purple velvet aside until there\u2019s a slight opening between the fabric, which they slip through. The other side, to Jia\u2019s disappointment, is exactly the same. The only difference between the two rooms is a glass table in the corner, and a small golden door on the far wall.<\/p>\n Min runs over to it, with Jia trailing behind, still lost in her thoughts. Min rattles the doorknob, until it suddenly lets out a loud sneeze and shouts, \u201cWell that won\u2019t do you a lot of good!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOpen up!\u201d Min says to the door. \u201cCome on, let us through!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d the doorknob says sullenly, apparently a bit offended at Min\u2019s ruthlessness. \u201cSqueezing my nose isn\u2019t going to help, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGoddammit,\u201d curses Min. She spins around and starts pacing the black-and-white floor. \u201cStupid fucker\u2026 help me, Jia!\u201d<\/p>\n Jia, who\u2019d just realized that they\u2019re standing on a chessboard, jerks up. \u201cYeah?\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cHelp me find a key,\u201d says Min.<\/p>\n \u201cI still won\u2019t let you through!\u201d shouts the doorknob, but neither of them listens. Jia runs to the table she had seen earlier, while Min studies the grounds.<\/p>\n A small golden key lays on the table top. Jia blinks for a moment to make sure she\u2019s not hallucinating. Then, gingerly, she picks it up from the glass surface and holds it for a second. She\u2019d expected that the key would morph into something, or at least sprout and grow wings; but other than being a little heavier than size would suggest, it seems to be completely ordinary.<\/p>\n After a moment of contemplation, Jia calls across the room, \u201cMin, I\u2026 I think I found it!\u201d<\/p>\n Min walks over to her and beams when she sees the key in Jia\u2019s hand. \u201cYes! That\u2019s it!\u201d She grabs it and fiddles it into the hole on the doorjamb. The doorknob makes an odd sound like it\u2019s being choked, but Min pays no attention. After a brief click!<\/em>, the door swings open, and a small breeze flutters through the room.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d Min says cheerfully.<\/p>\n Jia dubiously glances between them. \u201cAren\u2019t we a little too big?\u201d she says, eyeing the doorway which only comes up to their waists.<\/p>\n Min laughs lightly. \u201cOh yes. I forgot.\u201d She pulls out a small blue vial from her dress pocket and hands it to Jia. \u201cHere. This will make us smaller.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia feels a bit skeptical, but takes the vial from her anyways. After squeezing three drops of the liquid in her mouth, she hands it to Min, who does the same. Both of the girls shrink at an alarming rate, but it\u2019s over as soon as it had started.<\/p>\n Min smiles at her and takes her hand, before leading them into whatever\u2019s beyond the door. And what is beyond the door is, as far as Jia can tell, a desert. It doesn\u2019t seem to be anything more, even though Jia had expected something more interesting, something more exciting. For a moment, though, she swears she sees a raven sitting on a writing desk\u2014but then it disappears, and she wonders if it had been just a figment of her imagination, and if she\u2019s merely hallucinating.<\/p>\n But I can\u2019t be hallucinating<\/em>, she says to herself in her mind. Because Min had said that everything here is real. But Min had also said that Jia\u2019s also a little crazy, which Jia isn\u2019t sure if she should believe, too. But she should trust Min, right? Min knows what to do. Min knows everything here. Min knows where they\u2019re going. Or at least<\/em>, nags another part of Jia\u2019s brain, so she claims.<\/em><\/p>\n Jia shushes this part of her mind. Why should she doubt Min? Min has all the answers, Min comforts her\u2014she likes<\/em> Jia. She wouldn\u2019t lie to Jia. Min knows where they\u2019re going, and even if she doesn\u2019t, she knows how to get them out of trouble. Sure, she had led them to the Jabberwocky\u2014but that had just been a poor judgment of safety in her part, and Jia isn\u2019t going to start blaming her for that now. Everyone makes mistakes, and Min makes them too. It doesn\u2019t mean that Jia should think of her any less.<\/p>\n They walk on for a good while in silence, with Min occasionally humming under her breath and Jia observing the land around them. It\u2019s all desolate, abandoned. The air is dry and thick with heat, though not thick enough to make her thirsty at all. But she\u2019s in a desert\u2014she should<\/em> feel thirsty, right? Maybe Jia is just losing her head. Min wouldn\u2019t like that.<\/p>\n Jia strains her eyes as she looks around. Nothing seems to have changed in the desert; they hadn\u2019t seen a single cactus, or at least some sort of strange desert animal that this place would have. Jia wonders if they really had passed through that polished room and this desert every time they had come in\u2014and out\u2014of the castle. Surely she\u2019d remember. But as she searches through her mind, no memories come to her\u2014no memories between the Insect House and the Main Hall, no memories between leaving the Castle and staring at the night sky. She frowns to herself a little and wonders where they\u2019re going, anyways. How are they supposed to find the Castle in a place like this?<\/p>\n Squinting into the distance, Jia tries to perhaps find a door or maybe a large figure waiting for them ahead. But there\u2019s nothing. Absolutely nothing. All there is is the white, white sky and the invisible sun beating down on their necks, and suddenly Jia\u2019s head feels even lighter than before. Where are they? Which direction are they walking in? What if they\u2019re just going in circles, going absolutely nowhere, or maybe have been veered off course, or are even just going back to that annoying talking door? Jia\u2019s hands grow clammy as she thinks more and more\u2014they don\u2019t seem to be going anywhere in particular, and Min looks completely carefree, like she\u2019s barely paying attention to where they\u2019re walking. All of a sudden, a strange panic overcomes Jia as she turns to Min, fear rising in her throat.<\/p>\n But then she pauses and stops herself, urging her body and mind to calm down. Min knows where she\u2019s going. Jia had told herself this earlier. Of course Min knows where they\u2019re going; she always does. Why should Jia doubt her now? Min will lead them somewhere safe, and then they\u2019ll be together at another place, content and happy. But the paranoia nags at the back of Jia\u2019s mind, so when Min turns to her expectantly, she asks her question anyways.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, do you know where we\u2019re going?\u201d she asks in the most casual voice she can muster.<\/p>\n \u201cNope,\u201d says Min cheerfully.<\/p>\n A chill runs up Jia\u2019s spine, and suddenly she feels cold even in this blazing weather.<\/p>\n \u201cN-No?\u201d she says, and her voice is quiet, to her immense surprise. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think I mean?\u201d Min scoffs. \u201cI mean, no<\/em>. I don\u2019t know where we\u2019re going.\u201d<\/p>\n A lead block settles in Jia\u2019s stomach. Min doesn\u2019t know where they\u2019re going. Min doesn\u2019t know where she\u2019s leading them. Min doesn\u2019t know\u2014Min doesn\u2019t know anything.<\/p>\n Min doesn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n Jia stops suddenly, dropping Min\u2019s hand. Min turns around and stares at her, eyebrows raised.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d she says, seemingly annoyed.<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t this your castle?\u201d Jia\u2019s voice sounds too loud for her ears. \u201cIsn\u2019t this your home? Shouldn\u2019t you know where you\u2019re going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d says Min. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why don\u2019t<\/em> you?!\u201d Jia all but shrieks.<\/p>\n Alarmed, Min walks over to her. \u201cWhoa, calm down,\u201d she says, putting her hands up in self-defense. \u201cYou weren\u2019t like this when we first came here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s because I can\u2019t<\/em> remember when we first came here!\u201d Jia shouts, sounding nearly hysterical. \u201cI can\u2019t<\/em> remember\u2014I can\u2019t remember anything, anything we did, anything we said, all that we- all that we experienced\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you all right?\u201d Min says concernedly, leaning down and looking deep into Jia\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n Jia nearly explodes in that moment. \u201cOh yes, I\u2019m fine!\u201d she yells sarcastically, tearing her gaze away. \u201cI\u2019m just great and fine and dandy\u2014no, I\u2019m not<\/em> fucking fine!\u201d The curse word comes out of her lips strangely, like something foreign. \u201cI\u2019m not okay at all! Do you see\u2014Do you see where we are? We\u2019re in nothing! Nothing!<\/em> We\u2019re in the middle of nowhere, because you\u2014you<\/em> have no idea where we\u2019re going and we\u2019re not going anywhere and we\u2019re utterly and completely lost, and we\u2019re hopeless, an-and it\u2019s all your<\/em> f-fault!\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s crying at this point, collapsed on the hot stand, tears streaming down her face. Min kneels down beside her and rests a small hand on Jia\u2019s wrist, trying to make eye contact.<\/p>\n \u201cJia\u2014\u201d she starts.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t!\u201d Jia pulls her hand away. \u201cDon\u2019t you see? I\u2019m scared<\/em>, Min! I\u2019m scared! I\u2019m scared that we\u2019re lost, and I\u2019m scared that we\u2019ll be stuck here forever, and I-I\u2019m scared that I\u2019ll never go back home! There\u2019s nothing we can do\u2014we\u2019ll just be in this desert for the rest of our lives and we\u2019ll die here and be buried in the sand, and- and no one\u2019s going to come and no one\u2019s going to kn-know and I c-can\u2019t\u2014\u201d She blubbers into her palm and tries to wipe her tears away, but they spill even more furiously, splashing around her and scorching the hardened sand underneath her legs.<\/p>\n Min\u2019s soft voice says, \u201cOh\u2014Oh Jia, don\u2019t be like this.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia sniffs.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, Jia.\u201d<\/p>\n A hand touches her own. Jia is cautious in taking it, but when she feels the warm hand turn over small in her palm, she grasps onto it. The hand helps her up, and leads her away, in a direction that Jia can hardly make out. Jia continues crying softly and sniffling into her hand, eyes blurred from seeing anything clearly beyond her own wrist. But she doesn\u2019t care\u2014all she wants is to get out of here, now, leave and be gone.<\/p>\n They walk a little longer before Jia feels the sand turn into hard stone beneath her feet. She glances up and looks through her eyelashes, to see that they\u2019re in the Main Hall of the Red Castle. Min is looking at her, still worried. Jia\u2019s insides turn cold at the sight.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you all right now?\u201d Min asks gently.<\/p>\n Jia pushes back the tears still threatening to spill from behind her eyes. \u201cI want to go home,\u201d she says. It comes out a bit quiet, but she knows that Min will be able to hear it.<\/p>\n Min blinks, and then leans her head in as if she hadn\u2019t heard correctly. But her eyes as wide as saucers give herself away. \u201cWhat?\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cI said, I want to go home.\u201d<\/p>\n Min stares at her for a good ten seconds. Then her expression hardens.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cI can,\u201d says Jia. \u201cNow tell me how to get home.\u201d<\/p>\n Min clenches her jaw and her eyes narrow. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Jia looks into her eyes and sees that there\u2019s something there, something unreadable. \u201cWell fine<\/em>,\u201d she says fiercely. \u201cI\u2019ll just go figure it out myself.\u201d<\/p>\n She turns on her heel and storms out the hall, to the left corridor where she and Min had gone her first time. When she hears footsteps following her, her hands curl into fists at her sides. From behind, she can hear Min call, \u201cYou won\u2019t figure it out!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will!\u201d she shouts back. The footsteps quicken, and Jia walks even faster, faster and faster until she breaks out into a run. She can hear Min running too; somehow this knowledge pushes her to run even harder.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think you\u2019re doing?!\u201d yells Min. \u201cRunning away from me like this? Being the scaredy cat that you\u2019ve always been?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m<\/em> not the scared one; you are!\u201d shouts Jia. \u201cYou\u2019ve always been scared, of what you knew was right, of what the world is supposed<\/em> to be\u2014finding comfort in things you know that can always be changed!\u201d<\/p>\n Min is silent at these words, though Jia can hear that she\u2019s gaining speed. Then Min\u2019s voice finally yells, \u201cAt least I know who I am<\/em>! You don\u2019t even know\u2014Poor little Jia, always looking to other people for comfort, faking your own sanity\u2014What am I now, a forgotten security blanket?\u201d<\/p>\n Jia refuses to turn around, although she can feel the tears swelling up inside her already. She charges through the endless maze of halls, lights flickering from the shadowed corridors, sunlight seeping through the glass windows above.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to staying here forever?\u201d screams Min. \u201cWith me! What happened to me<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n Jia tries to pound these words out of her head. \u201cYou don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about!\u201d<\/p>\n Min\u2019s sardonic laughter rings through the next corridor. \u201cDo I, Jia? I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m talking about? If I didn\u2019t, then why did you listen to me\u2014why did you stay<\/em> with me?\u201d<\/p>\n They run from hall to hall, through dark and light.<\/p>\n \u201cI DON\u2019T KNOW!\u201d yells Jia, and tries to find somewhere to go, anywhere<\/em>\u2014but she\u2019s faced with another blank wall so she just keeps on running, running and running.<\/p>\n \u201cLIKE HELL YOU DON\u2019T!\u201d shrieks Min, sounding near deranged. \u201cWHEREAS I, I<\/em> KNEW WHAT TO DO, I KNEW WHAT TO SAY\u2014I KNEW YOU<\/em>, JIA! I KNEW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU! I THOUGHT YOU TRUSTED<\/em> ME!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO TRUST YOU IF YOU DIDN\u2019T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE DOING HALF THE TIME?!\u201d<\/p>\n Their voices echo off the walls, reverberating with each footstep.<\/p>\n \u201cGET BACK HERE!\u201d Min screams, just as Jia turns a corner and spots a door. She runs towards it and tears it open, not knowing what to expect.<\/p>\n To her great surprise, she\u2019s back in Min\u2019s bedroom\u2014even though she doesn\u2019t know how she had gotten here. She stops in her tracks and gazes around. The room is as still and white as ever, completely undisturbed. Jia stares at it all like she\u2019s seen them efore, in a dream.<\/p>\n Footsteps sound near the doorway. Jia spins around to see Min leaning against the door frame, breathing heavily and watching her. Min seems as shocked as she is.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d she growls.<\/p>\n Her voice seems to trigger something inside Jia, and she turns away. She has to leave, she has to escape from Min\u2014she runs, desperately trying to find her way home.<\/p>\n \u201cGet back<\/em>!\u201d shouts Min from behind her, and the chase starts once more.<\/p>\n And Jia pays no heed to her words, but instead looks straight ahead\u2014her eyes widen when she sees her own reflection staring back. Then she blurs for a moment; she sees something in the distance\u2026<\/p>\n Min\u2019s panicked voice cries, \u201cWait, Jia, don\u2019t\u2014!\u201d but Jia blocks her voice out. She closes her eyes as she continues to run, and braces herself for impact, for pain, for nothing\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cJia, what are you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n is all she hears before her body makes contact with the mirror, with herself\u2014and everything turns black. In the distance, she can hear a crash, a shatter, a voice continuously shouting through the darkness, \u201cJia! Jia! Jia!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \n\u2026and then she’s falling\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cJia! Jia! Jia!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n A hand slaps her hard across the face. Jia opens her eyes to see two blurry figures above her, staring down at her.<\/p>\n \u201cShould we get some help?\u201d says a voice worriedly.<\/p>\n \u201cI-I\u2019m fine,\u201d Jia murmurs, shaking and rubbing her head. She glances back up to see two familiar faces staring down at her, concerned.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d says Suzy. \u201cYou look really pale\u2014Well, paler than usual.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d repeats Jia, this time with a bit more confidence. She falters when she sees where she is.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n \u201cYou hit your head on a log and passed out,\u201d says Fei, indicating something behind Jia\u2019s head. Jia turns around and sees a log resting on a small grassy mound. Nothing else seems to have changed.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you, I\u2019m fine,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n When she turns back to her friends, she sees a strange expression on Suzy\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d says Suzy, reaching out to touch Jia\u2019s cheek.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s what?\u201d Jia lifts up her own hands to feel her face as well..<\/p>\n Suzy frowns and pulls back. \u201cThere\u2014There\u2019s red stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Jia touches her other cheek. \u201cMust be blood from the fall, or something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s not.\u201d Fei leans in to examine her. \u201cIt looks like lipstick.\u201d<\/p>\n All of a sudden, memories wash over Jia like a bucket of ice cold water. Memories of Min\u2026 memories of a castle\u2026 memories of a Cat\u2026 memories of a world forgotten\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cDoes it? That\u2019s what I thought,\u201d says Suzy, looking pleased as she glances at Fei.<\/p>\n Fei nods. \u201cYeah. Didn\u2019t know you wore make up, Jia.\u201d She giggles. \u201cCome on, we should probably go see if supper is ready.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah! I wonder if my mom made us smoked chicken\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n As the two girls run off, Jia glances around. It all looks the same, the way it\u2019s always been. The tree across from her, the hill on the side, the sun standing still in the sky.<\/p>\n She moves off the mound again, and pushes away the log. She isn\u2019t too surprised when she sees a small hole behind it. \u201cThat wasn\u2019t very funny, you know,\u201d she says to the hole. \u201cAnd I really thought that all of that did<\/em> happen.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s about to turn away when something in the cavern catches her eye: something glinting, bright. At first she thinks it\u2019s nothing; but the second flash of white is unmistakable, like a wide, wide smile. Jia waits for a moment, for another response, for anything else\u2014but nothing else comes.<\/p>\n Yet, as she turns around, she swears she catches a glimpse of a pair of shining black eyes staring up at her, so real that they make the world around them look fake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a world full of thrills and wonder, Jia loses sight of what’s real.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[269,146,197,270],"fandom":[532],"rating":[675],"ship":[],"relationship":[607],"minorfandomships":[624],"class_list":["post-228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-default","tag-alice-in-wonderland-au","tag-crossover-fusion","tag-gaslighting","tag-kpop_olymfics-2011","fandom-kpop","rating-teen","relationship-femslash","minorfandomships-jiamin"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228"},{"taxonomy":"fandom","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fandom?post=228"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=228"},{"taxonomy":"ship","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ship?post=228"},{"taxonomy":"relationship","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/relationship?post=228"},{"taxonomy":"minorfandomships","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/minorfandomships?post=228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nHappy unbirthday to you!
\nWe\u2019re as dandy as we can be
\nTo us, happy unbirthday three!\u201d<\/p>\n