The Timekeepers

Volume 1 Chapter 4: The Cottage in the Woods

The girls find each other after class and begin walking out of the school together. They all prepare to go their separate ways until Lillian suggests they all walk home together. 

When they're walking home together by the forest, Lillian spots a small woodland creature. A little brown rabbit. The three girls look at it as well and start to come closer to it curiously.

"Isn't he cute?" Lillian says, looking back at them. The three girls smile, even Vivian, actually enjoying the moment.

All of a sudden the little rabbit snatches off Lillian's bracelet, quickly.

"Hey!" She says running after it.

"Hey, Lillian wait!" Harriet calls after her, following close behind. Scarlet rolls her eyes.

"Well, are you coming?" Scarlet says to Vivian. Vivian looks away from her nails and frowns at her, laughing a bit.

"In there? Are you kidding?... I'll ruin my clothes." Vivian says. Scarlet looks away from her and shrugs, heading inside the forest.

"W-W-Wait!.." Vivian says, looking away from her nails completely now, watching the girls venture into the forest.

"C-Come on guys seriously.?!" She said, yelling a bit. There was no answer and she stood there alone. She looked from side to side, seeing nobody around.

"Ugh, I can't believe th-" She started to say as she made her way into the forest, her heels tiptoeing on the leaf-covered ground, her arms raised up near her sides.

She didn't really know why she went in there after them, but she just knew she didn't want to be alone.

"Lillian?? Lillian, where are you?!" Harriet's voice echoed out into the forest.

"Lillian?... Where are you?... My feet are starting to hurt." Scarlet said in a taunting manner, huffing and puffing as she soon followed suit.

"I swear, what are we going to do with that girl?" Harriet asked Scarlet.

"Hey, you wanted to include her in the group," Scarlet said, pointing her finger at her.

"Excuse me? What are you talking about? That was you." Harriet said back, the two beginning to argue for a while.

Meanwhile, Lillian still continued to chase the rabbit.

"Come back here!" Lillian said, following after the small creature. Soon she finally saw him facing her, just waiting there in an open spot.

"There you are, little guy." She said, smiling as she saw that the bracelet was still in his little mouth. She approached him slowly and was happy that he didn't move. She crouched down. When she was close enough, she took the bracelet out of his mouth.

"Thank you for giving it back Mr. Rabbit." She said smiling at him and his little nose twitched. She scratched the fur on the back of his neck.

She stood up, preparing to go back to her friends but she noticed that she didn't even realize that she was standing in front of something.

There, in front of her, stood a small structure made of brick or cobblestone. It looked like a house with its door and window and it had moss and flowers growing from it, as well as shrubs and flowers growing around it. Little gnats and butterflies flew around it and it was almost like the sun was shining down on just it and nothing else.

Lillian stared at it for a while. Her eyes were captivated by what she was seeing. She stepped forward. It was almost like she was in a trance. Like it was calling to her.

Suddenly she heard the voices of Scarlet and Harriet, arguing, come out of nowhere and she broke out of it and turned towards them.

The little rabbit ran off at the sound of the noise and the two girls finally caught up to Lillian, a little tired and out of breath.