Alice stumbled along the forest path, one hand trailing along the trunks of crooked trees while the other clutched her aching head. The woods had become strange and unfamiliar over the last few hours. Or had it been days? Time flowed like water here.
She couldn't recall how she'd entered the forest in the first place. But the farther she walked, the more displaced she felt. The very air seemed alive, shimmering with possibility and uncertainty.
When she came to a fork in the path, Alice paused. Which way? She had no idea anymore. Sighing, she sank down at the base of an ancient oak to collect her wandering thoughts.
That's when she first noticed the mirrors hanging from branches all around her. Their surfaces reflected not the surrounding woods, but rather impossible vistas of icy mountains and deserts on fire. Alice gasped in wonder and reached out to touch the nearest mirror.
Rippling under her fingertips, the mirror's image changed. Now it showed a majestic Gothic castle perched on a cliff above a raging sea. Alice felt she could step right into the scene. And before she knew it, one foot was lifting to do just that.
"I wouldn't if I were you."
Alice jerked back and turned. Behind her lounged a massive caterpillar, smoking a hookah pipe on a giant mushroom.
"Those mirrors show reflections of reflections...echoes of echoes," the caterpillar said. "Best not go through."
"Oh but I want to explore those places," Alice said, gazing longingly at the mirror.
The caterpillar exhaled a series of smoke rings. "These woods contain all the worlds you could wish for," it said. "Just follow the path and you will find them."
That didn't make sense to Alice, but little did here. She took one last look at the mirror—now reflecting a sprawling cityscape with flying cars—and continued on her way.
Before long, Alice encountered more mirrors hanging at intervals from the trees. Each revealed an astonishing vista: glittering underwater kingdoms, alien planets, lands of candy and sweets. The urge to leap into their reflections nearly overwhelmed her each time. But she remembered the caterpillar's advice and resisted.
As Alice walked deeper into the mirrored woods, her steps grew lighter. She needed nothing but this endless path and the magical visions on either side. Every now and then, she was sure she saw her own reflection rippling across the mirrors' surfaces too. Or perhaps they were only echoes, bouncing from glass to glass.
Soon Alice forgot where she came from and where she was going. The mirrors would show her all the worlds she could ever dream of. All she had to do was keep following the path.