by Aelwen Iredale & Charlesie Robison
One day as I sat studying in the library, I saw a familiar dog run by. It was rather curious to see Blue in such a rush without any humans guiding, so I couldn’t help myself but stand and follow. As I peered outside, I saw Blue running towards my dorm.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Unable to help myself, I abandoned my work and followed Blue. I followed him all the way to my dorm room. I stared in astonishment. Blue wasn’t on the floor, no. His wagging tail was disappearing into the ceiling tiles. It was an astonishing sight, but dogs are known for tricks, I suppose. Climbing appears to be one of Blue’s.
I hesitated but a moment before climbing onto my desk and pushing the ceiling tile open. To my amazement, I saw Blue disappearing into the distance among the ceiling tiles. They went on forever, their own world separate from Centre. Too curious to stop myself, I awkwardly pulled myself up into the ceiling tiles.
I fit perfectly, able to walk comfortably through the ceiling. I could hear people speaking below me in their dorms—some roommates were arguing, a poor student was sobbing over homework, and one was screaming in despair.
However, the oddest thing I discovered was not the salacious secrets I overheard. No, I found a piece of lettuce. The leaf lay on the ground, and tied around the stem was a paper reading “eat me.” I paused. Should I? It seemed so innocent, if a bit strange. It was just a piece of lettuce. And, well, what was the worst that could happen? I already had three labs and ate at Cowan. I could not possibly put my mind and body through worse with a mysterious piece of lettuce.
I ate it.
A tingle ran through my body, and as I looked down, I found my feet falling away from me. No, that was wrong—I was growing.
Oh dear!
I hunched over to fit in the ceiling tiles as my head bumped by the floor of the dorm above me. What was I going to do now? I couldn’t go to classes this size; I wouldn’t fit in the building. In fact, I wouldn’t even fit through the ceiling tile to escape this strange world of ceilings.
Sorrowfully, I crawled forward. Maybe if I found Blue, he would lead me to an exit I could fit through. Unfortunately, I’d lost the wily dog—he couldn’t hide his true nature from me now that he’d abandoned me in the ceiling without a trail to follow—and was alone. Close to tears, I stopped and sat on my own. Was this my fate? Was I going to be stuck in these ceiling tiles for the rest of my life?
A soft clink grabbed my attention, and I looked down.
A nearly-empty bottle of vodka was rolling around by my feet, looking like a tiny beaker from my labs from this height. With nothing else to console myself, I reached down and picked it up gingerly between two fingers. I lifted it and found another label tied to its neck.
“Drink me,” it said.
With no better plan to rectify my situation and not many ways for it to get worse, I drank. Another tingle ran down my spine, and I fumbled the bottle as it suddenly grew bigger in my arms. No, not bigger. I was smaller. I was too small.
The vodka bottle towered over me.
Oh My!
If I couldn’t go to my classes large, I certainly couldn’t attend this small either! I would certainly be stepped on! Or even worse, be put in an aquarium in Young by the axolotls and snakes!
I will never be able to get back now! My education is done for!
Defeated, I curled myself into a ball and cried. Tear after tear trickled down my face and through cracks in the ceiling tiles beneath me, plopping onto the dorm floor beneath me.
“Hey now! No need to cry!”
I lifted my head, turning left and right to try and find where the mysterious voice came from. Was it Blue? But, dog’s can’t talk. And there should be nobody up here but me…
Finally I spotted it, two round orbs and a fangy smile. It was…
“A bat?”
“A cheshire bat.” The voice responded, and as soon as it said so, the body and eyes disappeared, leaving only the toothy grin. The bodiless mouth moved closer to me, before arriving at my feet and retrieving its bat form.
“Now, stop that crying. The students will complain about a leak and if maintenance checks up here, they will kick me and all the Wonderceilingland residents out.”
“But, I cannot help it! I am stuck up here, with no way to return back to my normal size! And I have traveled such a long way, I don’t think I will ever be able to find my way back home! And worst of all, I still can’t find Blue!”
“Blue? Ah! Well if that’s why you’re here, allow me!” Suddenly, I felt two claws dig into my shoulders, and my feet left the ground. The Cheshire Bat was carrying me! I watched as I was carried down the maze of ceiling tiles, staring at everything I passed—the empty bottles, loose toilet paper, poor test grades, and scented candles galore.
Who knew the ceilings of Centre were such a curious place? And who knew what other places there were to explore?