Tessie put on the ring and they headed back to the corridor. After taking more food from the storeroom the party proceeded to the locked door, Diane took the key and unlocked it.
The short and narrow corridor led to the central yard. It was a large park with stone paths and flower beds. There were several doors on the walls and two staircases leading down to basements.
“Let’s try all the doors before we continue,” Daniel stepped forward and headed to the next door on his right. The door was not locked. He walked over to the other doors but all of them were locked. One of the stairwells was blocked by a locked lattice.
“Where should we go? The door or the stairwell?” Thomas turned to Daniel.
“I’d propose the door first. The girls don’t like basements.”
Tessie nodded but Diane protested instantly.
“Why do you think, Daniel? I think I’m more courageous than you,” she grinned.
“Okay, let’s stop arguing,” Tessie interjected. “We can try out the door first and the staircase later.”
Diane nodded and headed towards the door. After climbing a short staircase they stopped in a long corridor with several doors on their right.
“Well, let’s start from the very beginning,” Daniel turned right and opened the first door. They entered a playroom; three wailing children were sitting at the table. Diane walked over and asked a blonde girl:
“What happened?”
“Me wet, me hungry,” was the only answer she got. The other two children reacted in the same way.
“We can give them juice or bread,” Tessie turned to Diane, “ but we can’t change diapers. What should we do?”
“Hey Tessie, we have something that helps us,” Diane pulled out a vial labeled ‘Magic changer’
“What do you want to do with a magic changer?” Tessie was confused and Diane hesitated too.
“Maybe drink it? It’s an attempt worth,” Diane shrugged, pulled out a diaper and drank the elixir.
Nothing happened.
“What if you become an adult?” Thomas asked Diane, “Adults can change diapers though and you can change the others then.”
“Okay,” Diane drank the adult elixir. Seconds later she was an adult again. She took diapers from the bag and changed all three children.
“What about you three?” she asked Daniel, Tessie and Thomas.
Daniel and Thomas were wet and Diane changed their diapers as well. Meanwhile Tessie gave juice to the children.
“Find our nurse, please,” a girl asked the adult Diane.
“Your nurse? What happened?” Diane was taken aback by her words.
“Bad men took her away and I heard something about a dungeon.” the girl replied.
“Don’t worry; we will find her,” Diane stroked the girl’s hair, “What’s your name? I am Diane.”
“I am Alice, miss Diane. We miss our nurse.”
“Okay, we will do our best but … tell me how you got here. Where are your parents?”
“Miss Diane, it’s long ago when we arrived at this place. However I was a big girl … Hey, miss. You were a little girl moments ago. What did you drink?”
“We found a vial of adult elixir, Alice. Would you like to have one?”
Suddenly Alice hesitated. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to become adult again.
“Miss, I don’t know,” she shook her head, “This life is very nice and when the nurse comes back, I’d like to stay that little forever.”
Diane shook her head; she didn’t understand Alice but she didn’t say anything.
“Well, let’s look for the nurse now,” she turned to the party and stepped forward.
