Kitabı oku: «Alice in Zombieland / Алиса в Стране зомби», sayfa 2

Tick-tack. Tick-tack. Hee-Haa.

The ticking swelled in her ears, filled her head, pressed into her chest. She gasped as though all the air had gone missing. Her heart thudded against her ribs in time with the erratic clicks. She pressed the watch away from her, but the sound didn't fade. It was everywhere. “Stop it,” she whispered, though whether to the watch or herself, she didn't know. How could this tiny thing be the source of such a tremendous sound? Her thoughts turned to the desperation she'd seen in the Rabbit's eyes, his muttering voice echoing faintly in her memory.“No time… no time…”

The ticking grew louder still, a roar of seconds and minutes collapsing in on themselves, each tick stabbing through her like a pin. It was unbearable – no longer a sound, but a force shaking her bones. Her head spun, her breath came in shallow gasps.

And then – she landed.

It was so abrupt it made her flinch. The world around her went utterly still and quiet.

She sprawled for a moment atop a bed of soft tiny mushrooms and thick moss, catching her breath, the vibrant caps of the fungi bending slightly beneath her weight before springing back. She scrambled upright and looked around, her eyes wide.

The world was strange and otherworldly. Towering mushrooms stretched overhead, their caps shimmering faintly, and moss blanketed every surface, pulsing faintly as though alive. Shadows danced across the space, but no clear source of light could be found. The air smelled damp and faintly metallic. Alice glanced down at the watch in her hand. It ticked steadily, hands no longer jerking in confusion but circling forward with purpose. It was nearing 4:40. For a moment, she just watched it, mesmerized.

In the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the White Rabbit, his movements jerky and hurried as he disappeared between a cluster of vines. “Wait!” Alice called. He turned his head slightly, just enough for her to hear him mutter, “Hurry, miss! Wonderland's been waiting long enough!” Then, with a flick of his ear, he was gone. Her feet squished against the moss as she ran after him, each step accompanied by the persistent ticking of the watch in her hand.

She emerged into a grand hall lined with towering doors, each more peculiar than the last. Some were enormous and others so small she would have to crawl to fit through. None of them had handles, and their polished surfaces gleamed in the dim, shifting light. Her eyes darted around, searching for the Rabbit, and then she saw him. He slipped through a door with a handle, the only one of its kind, leaving it wide open.

Alice rushed toward it and stopped at the very threshold, her hand gripping the cold, ornate handle tightly. She saw a radiant summer garden bathed in golden light. Roses bloomed in vibrant reds, and a beautiful woman sat at a tea table in the center, smiling kindly. The warmth of the scene drew her in, and for a moment, Alice thought of home – the comfort of her sister's voice and Dinah's soft purr. She leaned closer, one foot hovering over the threshold, but before she could move further, the door slammed shut with a deafening thud, nearly catching her foot in the process. The handle in her hand twisted sharply, pulling her away and dragging her toward another door.

The new door creaked open – six feet above the ground, lodged absurdly in the upper row of the wall like a misplaced cupboard. A faint chill wafted out, and Alice, now several inches off the floor, dangled awkwardly by the handle.

“Well, this is entirely uncalled for,” she muttered, kicking her feet to find purchase. She scrabbled the points of her shoes against the wall and managed to plant them against a knot of molding beneath the frame. Her grip tightened.

“Now see here!” Alice scolded the doorknob, her voice wobbling between indignation and curiosity. “You can't just drag me about without so much as a by-your-leave! What kind of doorknob are you, anyway?”

The doorknob, of course, gave no reply, but it shuddered slightly, as though offended by her outburst. Alice tilted her head, her curiosity outweighing her fear. “I daresay you're the rudest handle I've ever encountered,” she continued. “And I've met some rather rude ones in my time, you know. Do you even know where you're taking me?”

She gave it a small tug, then a firm twist, but the knob wouldn't budge. It rattled once, then pulled sharply back, nearly jerking her off balance. “Oh, so that's how it is, is it?” Alice muttered. “Well, two can play at this game!”

With a huff, she braced her foot against the molding and gave one final pull. The doorknob seemed to decide it had had enough of her resistance. With a decisive twist, it yanked her forward into the doorway like a bag of onions on market day – her shoulder bumped against the doorframe as she was swung through and the space beyond swallowed her whole.