The Dewdrop Kingdom

Chapter One.

I woke up and rubbed my eyes as I flung my hand across onto the blearing alarm clock. The deep purple door was fresh in my mind from the dream last night. A grimace appeared on my face.

"What is it with this dream?" I muttered under my breath.

Yawning, I dragged myself out of bed.

"OOF." looking up dazed with a groan, as the floor offered little comfort from the tiny floor, I noticed my legs must have gone dead in my sleep.

Instead of getting up again, my back hit the floor softly after I dragged the covers to partially cover my small body.

"Five more minutes then..."

"Clare! Let's go!" My mum had been attempting to get my attention for the past ten minutes.

Her hands stood firmly on her hips, a glare hitting me with her lips left pursed. She now stood at my doorway, looking down at the position I had left myself in, hating it when I was this lazy and refused to get ready for school. But I had no problem with being late, not wanting to go.

"I'm not in the mood for this today, Claire. Get up! Get to school or you'll be grounded."

"GEESH, I'm going.. I'm going!" I replied, rolling my eyes and holding my hands up in surrender.

She let out a dry laugh as she left the room. Presumably getting ready herself for work.

The cool morning air hit my face as soon as I left the house. Pulling up the light green scarf that complimented the dark jeans, light green top and grey hoodie. A glare accompanying me on the walk to school.

In my own world, I looked up at the clouds, smiling slightly, remembering the game with me and my mum used to play. The game of pointing out what the clouds looked like. Still remembering the little giggles my mum would let out when noticing the shapes.

I was jolted out of my trance when something caught my attention. Staring in wonder, I noticed the balloon shaped cloud similar to the one I'd been seeing in my dreams for the past couple of weeks. Squinting, I followed the edge with my memories, searching intently, not realising I had stopped walking at this point. My breath caught slightly, seeing the glint in between the cloud.

Peering at my surroundings, having now fully grasped that I had stopped, I saw no one around me, cars passing every few minutes. The school was only about five minutes away. The trees danced in the light breeze on the edge of the path near me. Taking out my phone, I snapped a picture of the cloud, enlarging it.

My breath caught in my throat. Stuck there for a while as my eyes widened in shock.

"No..." The whisper escaped in disbelief.

Moving my head closer, eyes narrowed as I took it in. Faintly in the picture, you could see the door. The same door that had been taunting me.

A silent promise of adventure.

"It's not possible. No, how is that possible?" The words left my mouth in a tumble.

Walking forward, my head shook, mouth slightly agape.

'There's no way to get up there.' I thought.

My eyes kept wondering back towards the sky, hope lightening my eyes. A sparkle in my being.

Stopping again, I couldn't help but think that there must be some way up. There was no way the door would be there without a way to get to it.

By this time, I had completely walked past the school and without knowing it was standing directly under the cloud. My lip jutted out in a pout, thinking deeply. Yet no ideas came to mind. Huffing and stamping my foot, I was about ready to give up for the day, to come up with a proper plan, maybe including a plane parachute and good aim.