“We are going to stay in there?” Chase questioned as he too looked inside. “It’s pitch black. I mean, I can see everything fine but the rest of you can’t see a thing.”
“Which is why we are going to find some trisings.” Malcolm pulled out a vial from his pocket and tossed it to Davis. “Go find us some.”
“Why do I have to do it?” Davis frowned as he examined the bottle.
“If you are so scared, then take the cat with you.” Malcolm gestured with his hand. “Now go before it gets too dark.”
“Fine.” Davis started back into the woods. “Come on cat.”
Chase reluctantly left with him, rolling his eyes about the task.
“What do we do now?” Melvin asked Malcolm.
Malcolm sat down on a tree stump. “We wait for them.”
“I know! Let’s play a game!” Kenny clapped his hands together. “Let’s play twenty-questions. Okay, I’m thinking of a person, place, or thing.”
“Alice,” Malcolm said.
A look of disappointment appeared on Kenny’s face. “That’s not fair, how did you know?”
“You’re a very predictable person, Kenny, just face it.”
I laughed. I couldn’t believe that he would pick me for the game, and the fact that Malcolm knew exactly what he was going to pick was even more amusing.
Kenny plopped down on the ground. “All right, mister hotshot, it’s your turn.”
Malcolm rubbed his chin for a moment. “Fine. I have one.”
“Is it a person, place, or thing?” I asked, wanting to join in on the game. It was one of my favorite games to play on long car rides after all.
“Thing.”
“Is it round?” Melvin asked.
“No.”
“Is it large?” Kenny questioned.
Malcolm thought for a moment. “Not large, but not small. Moderate size.”
“Can you take it with you?” Melvin asked.
“You could, but it wouldn’t be practical.”
“Is there one in these woods?” I asked. I still had no idea what it could be at this point, but I was trying to eliminate anything around us.
“Theoretically there could be one in these woods, but usually they aren’t found in a forest if that is what you are asking.”
Kenny scratched the scruff on his chin. “Is it heavy?”
“It can be, or it can be light.”
“Is it something that can be found in both the real world and Wonderland?” I asked. This was getting intense, as I was that weird person who always had to figure out what a person was thinking for this game.
“Good question. It can be found in both.”
“Does it have practical use?” Melvin asked.
“Yes.”
“Do people use it on a daily basis?” I asked.
“Mostly, yes.”
“Oh oh! I know,” Kenny jumped up and down. “Is it a toilet?”
I hit my head with my palm. Did he really think that Malcolm would pick that? He had so much more class than that.
“No.”
See, I was right.
“Damn,” Kenny whispered.
“Do you sit on it?” I asked.
“It’s purpose isn’t to be sat on,” he answered. He was particular with his answer, that meant we were getting closer.
“Is it flat?” Melvin asked.
Malcolm nodded. “Yes.
“Is it a table?” Melvin asked.
“Not quite.”
“Oh, oh!” Kenny shouted.
“Is it a desk?” I asked.
Malcolm smiled. “Yes. Good job.”
“Hey, I was going to say that.” Kenny frowned.
I stuck my tongue out at him and laughed.
“It’s your turn, Alice,” Malcolm said.
I thought for a moment, then smiled. “All right, I got it!”
“Person, place, or thing?” Melvin questioned.
“Thing,” I answered.
“Paint brush,” Malcolm said.
I frowned. I hadn’t even thought of it until they asked me what I should pick, how in the world could he have known that. It also was no fun when someone could always guess what the other person was thinking, as he had done to Kenny as well. “How did you know?”
Malcolm laughed. “You all are so predictable.”
“Found them!” Davis appeared with Chase at his side, his arms still crossed, not happy that he got sent on a task with Davis. Davis held up a jar, looking a bit scratched up. I wondered what had happened for him to look like that.
“Have any trouble?” Malcolm took the jar from him.
Davis gave him a look. “Seriously? You going to ask me that?”
Malcolm chuckled as he took the jar into the cave. All of a sudden, the jar began to light up. I gasped. Inside the jar were little figures, people almost, like fairies.
“Fairies,” I whispered. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, did they actually exist?
“They are called trisings,” Kenny explained as he examined them closely and tapped the glass. The trisings jumped back from where his finger hit the glass. “Sort of like a fairy, but smaller and they only come out at night. More like fireflies but can last through the entire night. Really hard to catch.”
“What is Malcolm using them for?” I asked.
“To light up the cave, of course. It’s not safe to be anywhere in this forest without some kind of light.”
“Oh.” I forgot that it was supposed to be getting dark soon, as the woods itself seemed dark already. I just hoped the light coming off these creatures would be enough.
“The creatures that come out at night are far worse than anything in the day,” Malcolm said as he had overheard our conversation. “So you never want to be without light. It scares them off.” He sat the jar down and looked at the beings inside. “I just need you for a night. In the morning, I will let you go.”
The creature pounded its tiny fists against the glass, mouth moving as if it were yelling obscenities. I couldn’t hear anything though, either they were too quiet
