I felt along the walls of the room. Eventually I found a door, and pushing against it revealed a well lit corridor. I strode down it with new found confidence. After all, what illusions could hurt me? I eventually came into another ballroom, the same one as where the masked ball took place. Same old marble floor. Same old chandeleirs. Carlotta sat on her throne, clapping her hands slowly. The claps echoed around the enormous hall.
"I congratulate you," she laughed. "Although not much. I helped you through most of it."
"But why?" I asked. "And was it me or did those tasks seem to get shorter every time?"
"I am easily bored. And I kept you alive, because none of those could cause as much agony as this final trial. I wanted to see your face twist in misery as you breathe your last breath."
"Oh how theatrical," I said sarcastically. Carlotta scowled momentarily.
"Besides," I said. "Your trials are merely illusions. What could possibly hurt me." Carlotta sighed irritably and produced a bow and arrow. She plucked it and sent a golden arrow soaring towards me. It struck my foot. I cried out.
"That hurt!"
"Of course it did. Unlike my other trials, this one is perfectly real. Now, I would like to get down to business. Have you any last words?"
"Yes, I do. Schism, Miniscus and Enchilada." I laughed.
"My, what a strange child" Carlotta muttered. "Anyway, I present to you, Tarrant Hightopp!"
"Tarrant?" I whispered. Tarrant limped out from behind the throne.
"Oh Tarrant!" I cried sadly. His hair drooped, his clothes were ripped, and he had cuts all over his face.
"He put up a good fight" Carlotta said. "But even the strongest spirit can be broken."
"With love," I whispered, quoting Coraline. Carlotta ignored me.
"Now you shall be destroyed by your closest friend." She handed the Hatter a sword. He grunted and started towards me.
"No," I whispered. "No No No!" He raised the sword and ran towards me. I narrowly dodged.
"Tarrant please! Its me! Megan!" He ignored me and tried to bring the sword down on me. I dived to the side.
"He's mad!" I whispered. "But not in a good way!" I tried everything to stop him.
"What was it you liked? Games? Quotes? Riddles?" He put the sword down momentarily.
"Riddles," he murmured.
"OH GET ON WITH IT YOU GREAT LUMP!" Carlotta bellowed. The Hatter blinked and raised the sword again.
"Wait! I cried as I dodged."Um, uh. Oh! Round like an apple, deep like a cup, yet all the king's horses can't pull it up." He paused in thought. At least I was getting through.
"That's easy," he said. "A hole." I nodded my approval.
"TARRANT!" Carlotta screamed. He ran at me and his sword narrowly missed my neck.
"Another!" I cried. "Little Nancy Etticoat, has a white petticoat, and a red nose, the longer she stands the smaller she grows! Who is Nancy Etticoat?" The Hatter let his hand fall to his side. While he paused in thought I backed further and further away.
"A candle" he said and chased after me. I found a winding staircase and sprinted up it two at a time. At one point I tripped and he was upon me. He swung his sword and I ducked just in time.
"As I was going to St. Ives," I began as I hopped up another step. "I met a man with seven wives! Each wife had seven sacks" I ducked again. "Each sack had seven cats. Each cat had seven kits. Kits, cats, sacks and wives, how many were going to St. Ives? He sat on the steps and thought. I dashed up the rest of the steps. There was an indoor balcony. I ran onto it, and the Hatter was behind me.
"One!" he said, lunging at me. I only just dodged.
"Umm, ah, uh, oh yeah! Old mother Twitchett had one eye, and a long tail that she let fly, and every time she went through a gap, she left a bit of her tail in the trap."
"Needle and thread." He said instantly.
"A hill full, a hole full, you cannot catch a bowl full." The Hatter paused, then raised his sword.
"Mist!" he cried as he dropped the sword on me. I leapt out onto the chandeleir and hung, my legs dangling. Carlotta shrieked with delight below me. I stiffened my body, and let go of the chandeleir. I floated down, but with more urgency. I waved at the Hatter on the balcony. He grunted and leapt over. He floated down speedily and gracefully.
"What force and strength cannot get through, I with a gentle touch can do, and many in the street would stand, if I were not a friend at hand."
"A key." The Hatter grunted. "My turn. Why is a raven like a writing desk?" Oh god, I thought. I began to back away. It was the impossible riddle. I racked my brains. Then I remembered something I'd read.
"Because it can produce a few notes, though they are very flat; and it is nevar put with the wrong end in front!" The Hatter stared, wide eyed. He dropped his sword. His eyes, which had been flaming red, turned back to their emerald green. He smiled.
"How did you know?" he whispered. I shrugged. "Lewis Carroll. I read it somewhere." He walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder.
"Welcome back, Tarrant."
"No! How dare you!" Carlotta screeched. She rose from her throne and screamed.
"GUARDS! GET THEM!" The Hatter turned to me.
"Hold on," he said. He grabbed me round the waist and we shot into the air. We shot past the chanderleirs, up to the skylight. This reminded me of the great glass elavator.
"Up and Out!" I yelled. We shot up and the glass smashed around us. Miraculously, I felt no pain. I laughed long and loud. The Hatter laughed too. We dropped to the ground and sprinted away, still laughing. We ran and ran all the way to the tulgey wood. There Chess was nibbling her tail, Queenie was pacing up and down and the doormouse was hunched over. Chess saw me and Queenie and her ran over and hugged me. The Hatter smiled.
"Have a nice nap did you?" I asked laughing.
"Where have you been?" asked Queenie. Her eyes were swollen. It was obvious she'd been crying.
"You might want to sit down" I said.
"Wow," Chess breathed.
"Are you okay?" Queenie asked. I nodded.
"I was worried about Tarrant" I said.
"Oh I'm fine. I actually learned some stuff."
"Really?" I asked. "What?"
"I know where the white queen is."
