<span style="font-weight: bold">Questions, questions.</span>The caterpillar pushed his antenna back. Why shouldn't she have questions? And yet she hasn't gotten a single answer since she arrived in this place. It was then that Alyss began to notice her surroundings. She was standing near the shore on a rocky slope where the water couldn't touch her feet. The sky was a dark shade of grey. A thick fog made it difficult to see anywhere else beyond where she was now. The rocks traveled steeply upward,  but Alyss couldn't see what was at the top. Behind her there were three paths that looked anything but welcoming. There were various kinds of trees everywhere else to be seen. Alyss wasn't sure if she was just imagining it, but the branches seemed to droop with sadness. This entire world seemed to be quite morbid and sad. If a place could feel this place seemed terribly sad as if an awful tragedy has just happened. Alyss remembered something the caterpillar had said. He mentioned something about a king and a funeral. She was about to ask when the caterpillar started talking again.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">I donâ€™t suppose youâ€™ve got any sweets on you? No? Well, as a dear friend of mine is wont to say, the better question is; Who are you? Oh youâ€™ll say youâ€™re Alyss, but everyone that comes through is Alice!</span>Alyss couldn't make sense of anything that was going on. So many things have been thrown at her at once and the caterpillar was talking in circles. Apparently he found the previous statement amusing for he started laughing so incredibly hard tears were forming in his eyes. Alyss wasn't sure what was so funny. In fact she found herself getting quite a bit agitated. This caterpillar obviously knew what was going on. Instead of bothering to answer her questions he asked questions he already knew answers to.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Now then, youâ€™ll need to goâ€¦ </span>His tone suddenly becoming more serious. He pointed toward a wooden thicket.<span style="font-weight: bold">That way! â€¦And do try to stay on Selenaâ€™s good sides, will you?</span>This statement frightened Alyss a bit.<span style="font-style: italic">Selena's good...sides?</span>Before she could protest the caterpillar reached over and touched the top of her cheek. Alyss became very stiff, unsure of what his motifs were. There was a flash of golden light. Alyss squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them there was a golden heart on the back of her hand. She tried to rub it off, but it wouldn't fade the slightest. Alyss wondered if perhaps it was a tattoo.<span style="font-weight: bold">Good on ya! Mayhap the Hearts will still have a chanceâ€¦ Now shoo! You frightened my catâ€¦</span>With that the caterpillar smoked his hookah and disappeared into the fog. "Wait!" Alyss yelled but it wasn't any use. The caterpillar had left Alyss with more questions and a strange tattoo. She supposed the only thing to do was to find this Selena and get some answers. So with that Alyss set off into the strange thicket in search of what... She didn't quite know.<br/><br/>Alyss wondered in the dull grey land. She couldn't see more than a few feet in front of her face. Fog circled in every direction. At this point she wasn't even sure she could go back where she came if she wanted too. She was still wearing the towel wrapped around her shoulders. There hasn't been a single living creature in this entire world besides the caterpillar. Not even the tiniest insect. This thought made Alyss shiver... and it wasn't because of the cold.<br/><br/>After walking for what seemed like decades, Alyss plopped down frustrated in front of a withered tree. Her legs were extremely sore and her stomach ached with hunger. Everything just seemed to hopeless. How would she survive in such a strange place. Tears started to form in her burning eyes. She tried to push them back, but it wasn't any use. Before Alyss knew it she was bawling. Suddenly a pistol shot sounded in the air behind her. She dropped the towel, stood, and spun around facing the person who had shot into the air.