Chapter 2: The Prank and the Cookie

Alice's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of pots and pans clattering in the kitchen. She hastened to finish her chores, her mind still wandering to the fantastical world she longed to inhabit. As she scrubbed the last of the greasy pots, Mrs. Jenkins, the cook, handed her a tray of freshly baked cookies. "Deliver these to the Queen's chambers," Mrs. Jenkins instructed, her eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief. "But be warned, Alice, the Queen is in a particularly foul mood today." Alice nodded, taking the tray and making her way to the Queen's chambers. As she approached the door, she noticed the Cheshire Cat lounging in the corridor, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Ah, Alice, dear," he said, his voice low and smooth, "I see you're on a mission. How delightful!" Alice rolled her eyes, accustomed to the Cat's antics. She pushed open the door to the Queen's chambers and set the tray on a nearby table. The Queen, seated on her throne, looked up from the papers she was studying. "Ah, Alice," she said, her voice cold and dismissive. "I didn't ask for cookies. Who gave you these?" Alice hesitated, sensing the Queen's ire. "Mrs. Jenkins, Your Majesty," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. The Queen's face darkened. "I didn't order any cookies. This must be the work of that mischievous Cat." The Cheshire Cat, still lounging in the corridor, chuckled to himself. Alice's eyes narrowed, sensing that he was behind the prank. But before she could react, the Cat vanished, leaving behind only his signature grin. The Queen's face turned red with rage. "You're responsible for this, Alice! You're always getting into trouble!" Alice protested her innocence, but the Queen wouldn't listen. In a fit of pique, she snatched a cookie from the tray and thrust it into Alice's hands. "Eat this, you wretched girl!" she spat. "It'll teach you to disobey me!" Alice, taken aback, took a bite of the cookie. It was sweet and crumbly, with a strange, tingling sensation on her tongue. Suddenly, she felt a strange, expanding sensation, as if her body was growing, stretching, and swelling. The Queen's eyes widened in horror as Alice grew bigger and bigger, her body filling the room, her arms and legs stretching out of the windows and doorways. "Ahhh!" the Queen shrieked, backing away in terror. "You're a monster, Alice! Get out of my sight!" The Queen and her card soldiers fled the castle, abandoning Alice to her enormous size and awkward predicament. The Cheshire Cat reappeared, chuckling to himself as he watched Alice struggle to free herself. Alice's body parts stuck out of the castle windows and doorways, her arms flailing wildly as she tried to regain control. She was trapped, stuck in a gigantic, immobile form, with no way to escape. As she sat there, helpless and frustrated, the Cheshire Cat sauntered over, a wicked glint in his eye. "Well, well, well," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Looks like you're in a bit of a pickle, Alice." And with that, he vanished, leaving Alice to her predicament, stuck in a giant, helpless form, with no way to escape.