By
The Celesta’s November challenge have you ever wondered what would happen if Snow White had met the Seven Gunslingers instead of the Seven Dwarves? Or generally wondered at the chaos that would occur if the Seven ended up in your favorite novel. This month I want you to hit the books for your ideas. You can put the Seven into your favorite story, or bring the characters out into whatever universe of M7 you think fits the best. Or the book itself can be a central plot device, much like NotTasha's "Down the Amazon" Series. If it's a published work of fiction, such as a novel, fairy tale, manga, graphic novel, or a TV series in book form, you can use it. Oh yes I realize this may seem at little out of character but bear with me. All appropriate credits to Mr. Lewis Carroll his words and story I have twisted to suit my purpose. I don’t own the boys. And I suppose I should mention this is a sequel to “Through the Eyes of a Rabbit”. 12/1/02
Ezra Standish was getting very tired of sitting by the riverbank, of having little to do. Twice he had peered over his companion’s shoulder, but the pages in Mr. Tanner’s book were all blank, they had no illustrations or words. What was the use was a book like that he wondered to himself. Though on such a hot day he felt he had fallen in weary stupor the comfort he normally sought in his well-worn deck of cards did little to appease his growing boredom he smirked to himself knowing his mother would be displeased with that small tidbit. The gambler stared at the water shoved the thought aside watching a leafy branch as it swept by. A smile tugged a his lips as a some what inane thought of making a daisy chain was actually given serious consideration, though he wondered if getting up to pick the flowers was worth the effort he was pondering this peculiar notion when a pink eyed white rabbit came skittered by.
Not that was remarkable at all, nor was the rabbit’s mutterings. “Oh dear, Oh dear I shall be late! Now at any other time Ezra would have deemed this highly unusual but at that moment it seemed the most natural thing in the world until the rabbit took a gold pocket watch out of its waistcoat and looked at it the hurried on did he jump to his feet. Thinking that Rabbits don’t wear waistcoats nor do they carry watches, he gave chase. Following the furry white creature across the field. Catching up in time to see it disappear down a large rabbit hole nestled in the thick brush. The gambler quickly followed not giving much thought on how he would get out again.
The rabbit hole had changed as he entered, becoming long like a tunnel only as he continued to tumble did he realize that he fallen into a very deep well. Going ever so slowly end over end desperately trying to see what lay so far below him. Only able to see what he passed by bookshelves and cupboards even the maps that lined the edge of the well. Down and down he fell. Leaving him to wonder would the fall ever end or was he plummeting past realms known to man.
Mathematical equations filled his had, Ezra was calling upon any lessons he had ever had to figure out the seemingly impossible. That he was plunging fast perhaps to fall completely through the earth itself.
Suddenly the unhappy southerner came to a hard painful stop.
“Ez don’t move…”
The distant voice sounded so familiar but for the life of him Ezra couldn’t remember just who it might be. He didn’t mull it over long instead he concentrated on regaining his bearings as he lay face down in the dirt with his eyes squeezed shut amazed that the intense pain he felt faded with each passing second. Making the decision to roll over and open his eyes easier to undertake. Wherever he had landed it was dark, slowly sitting up he realized that he was at the end of a long passage and could see the white rabbit fleeing quickly towards its end. He could hear the creature wailing as it rounded the corner.
“Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!”
With a swish of a puffy tail it was gone, no where to be seen when the gambler finally got to his feet and followed its path down until he came to long hall decorative oil lanterns lined its walls, lighting the ornate entries of a multitude of doors. Each was securely locked and under ordinary circumstances wouldn’t be much of a barrier to the wily conman but at some point as he tumbled end over end he lost the tools that were secretly stashed in the lining of his coat. His pace slowed considerably as he fumbled through his pockets. He was a bit flustered by their loss when something at the far end of the long hall garnered his attention that something glittered atop a small table made of glass. As Ezra got closer he realized that it was a tiny golden key, much too small to fit any of the doors he passed in the long hall, it was at that particular moment that he saw a curtain draped along the wall. Strange because he hadn’t noticed it before he carefully pushed it to the side to reveal a wee door barely over a foot high. The curious southerner inserted the tiny key into the lock and pushed open the small door, barely wide enough for him to peer through, to see what lay beyond the rat hole sized passage. The lush vibrant garden beckoned just out of reach with its wide array of exotic flowers, stone pathways and cool fountains.
Wishing that his talent to change his appearance would allow him to shrink to such a size to allow him access to the garden. He let out a soft sigh knowing that he no matter how hard he tried he still wouldn’t be able to get through the opening. Ezra slowly stood up brushing the dirt from his pants. A small bottle filled with a blue liquid caught his eye, it sat where the key had and he was sure it hadn’t been there before. There was a paper tag attached to its stopper, which read, “Drink Me!
Although everything the gambler had learned in his life screamed not to heed such a message, he followed the simple direction and drank down the concoction which tasted a curious mixture of peach, apple and pecan pies. As soon as it splashed down into his empty stomach an odd feeling came over him a moment later he was no taller than ten inches high.
“He awake?” Tanner’s drawl filtered into his mind. Ezra grimaced and wrinkled his brow trying to figure out just what was going on.
“He’s trying…” Larabee spoke up close by as Standish threw an arm over his face trying to block the morning light and the noise of the quiet conversation. The memories flooded back and he tried to bolt from the bed only to be met with a bout of muscles spasms before he was pushed into the bedding buy a firm hand.
“Oh lord…” The words slipped out through clenched teeth.
“Drink this.” Ezra groaned as he was carefully pulled up enough to drink the bitter brew and again as he was gently lowered back. “How you feel?”
Larabee’s insistent voice got through the gambler’s foggy brain. Panic surged through his addled mind desperately fought to figure out just what was going on and came out with. “Fine.”
“Uh huh… go back to sleep Ez.” Chris
No longer able to the effects of herbal tea, an exhausted Standish drifted off trying to listen to the conversation that was going on next to him. Only managing to catch a few snatches as his brain slid towards oblivion.
“Chris, why didn’t ya say anything to Nate?”
“Because everyone is entitled to their secrets…”
The queasy sensation the abrupt change in size still lingered, leaving Ezra slightly dizzy and he leaned into the leg of the now huge glass table, steadying his stance with an outstretched hand. The room spun as he looked up and saw something twinkle overhead.
The key.
The sinking realization that he had left it atop the glass table when he drank the potion was driven home after teetering across the earthen floor only to find the once small door was shut and securely locked. At his current size there was no way for Ezra to retrieve the key. The conman slumped heavily against the door giving his head a little time to clear. It had been a strange day from the start and was growing more so as hours slipped by quite like that day so long ago when he found out where his peculiar hidden ‘talent’ lay. Ezra grimaced at the memory. He had just turned eleven and had the misfortune to bring out the bad side of Maude’s paramour. The big dark eyed man wanted to thrash skin off his back and had chased him half the day through the wide expanse of fields. The furious man had the unfair advantage of riding horse back as the eleven version of himself fled on foot. As the sun went down Ezra was no longer able to run and as he hid in a thicket of brush listening to the sound of an approaching rider. He wished with all his might that he was someone else and an image of a local farm boy had flickered through his mind.
Much older dirt tired Ezra chuckled at the memory.
The stunned look on man’s face had been priceless angry brute had dragged him out of the thicket and with a hand raised rain down blows stopped short as the bewildered man stared at him for a moment muttering a string of expletives under his breath before releasing his hold. Leaving an equally confused Ezra in his wake to watch him ride off into the fading light not understanding the significance of what had happened until much later.
The gambler had been preoccupied with his thoughts when a white blur caught his attention and he was on his feet running after the vested white rabbit’s departing form. Following the creature through an open doorway flailing into a dark abyss. A familiar voice spoke from its depths.
“Dammit Ezra… stop fighting me.”
Strong arms encircled his mid-section held him firmly in place during the long moment it took for him to recognize the owner of the voice and he ceased his struggles but still queried the speaker. “Mr. Larabee?”
“Yep it’s me be a good boy and let me help you back into the clinic before you fall down and break your neck.”
Chris’ quietly spoken words had Ezra’s eyes fluttering trying to focus in on the world around him and finding himself precariously teetering as he stared down the steep flight of wooden stairs that led to the darkened street below. Muttering “Oh dear...” as he allowed the man in black to steer him into Nathan’s humble clinic.
Safely ensconced in narrow cot Ezra wearily watched his companion snap out the remaining wool blanket before laying it over him. Hazy memories from his strange dream flittered through his mind as the southerner’s attention turned to the clinic’s other occupant. Sadly gazing across the room to where Vin lay on his side sleeping more or less comfortably with the aid of one of Nathan’s brews as he tried to gauge his own physical strength knowing that he had to depart soon.
Dragging a chair next to the cot Chris sat down studying him for a moment before he spoke.
“Ezra?”
“Yes Mr. Larabee?”
“Thank you what you did for Vin, you saved his life.” The gambler gave the formidable man a curt nod but didn’t say anything. “How you did it doesn’t matter…” Ezra opened his mouth anything he might have said was cut off as Chris continued. “Whether or not you want to explain remains your choice…” Larabee laid a hand on Ezra’s knee before he stood up. “I should let Nathan know you are awake.” With those words the man was gone leaving Ezra to think over the strange turn of events. The exhausted man felt like Alice had when she had tumbled down the rabbit hole.