Amoretta

Chapter 3 - Faces

"I don't know how to thank you enough!" A man beamed proudly down at a young, brunette girl, her hands clasped excitedly between his. "How can I thank you? You can have anything you want!"

"Anything?" the little girl asked slowly.

"Anything," the man repeated while nodding. The little girl looked up at the man and into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. It felt like looking right at the ocean; his eyes swam and swirled, like waves in the ocean and seemed to crash like waves hitting the beautiful beach sand. His hair was many shades of brown - brown so dark that it seemed black, the lightest brown she could imagine, and all the browns in between - with streaks of silver shining through (not that he was old, he was only twenty!). His hair reminded her of the seasons for some reason she didn't know. Looking at him, she realised what she really wanted.

She jumped and squeaked in excitement, making up her mind. "I want to stay." She looked up at the man and saw the unsure look on his face. She bit her lip and, before the man could say anything, she blurted, "I know I can't stay forever but . . . can I stay 'till the end of the week?" She brushed some stray hair out of her face and looked up pleadingly. "It's only three more days!"

He thought for a moment then nodded slowly. "I can try and keep it paused home until then." The little girl stared at him, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

Suddenly she shrieked and threw her arms around the man. "Thank you! Thank you!" she yelled excitedly. She hopped around a little, gaining a laugh from the man, then ran off saying she had to tell her friends.

.

Amoretta's eyes fluttered open. She laid still a moment and stared at nothing in particular. She felt like she knew that little girl and that man. They looked so strangely familiar. . . A slight breeze rustled her hair and tickled her cheek, bringing her from her thoughts. Mumbling and turning to her side, she reached for her blanket to cuddle up in for warmth. Instead of finding the soft fabric of her blanket, her outstretched hand met something cold, fuzzy, and a little itchy. She propped herself up on her elbows and sleepily looked around for her blanket. Her eyes widened as she realised something. . .

. . . she was laying outside in a grassy field. It stretched as far as the eye could see in front of her and woods a few yards behind and to the right of her. She sat up all the way and stared around her. "What the heck-?!" she mumbled to herself. If this is some stupid prank Rein and Dolan are trying to pull, I'll kill them! she thought angrily. But taking in her surroundings fully she realised there isn't a field or any woods near Dolan's house. And there was no snow on the ground. So. . . where was she?!

A sudden feeling of fear crept up her back as she jumped to her feet. She gulped as different questions zoomed through her head. Where was she? How did she get there? Who brought her there?! Something caught her eye and she warily turned her head toward it.

It was the grass, it was glowing. It was being rustled and shook by a light blue wisp floating through the air. The wisp circled up and disappeared into the sky and Amoretta watched in awe as the grass slowly settled and resumed its normal green. Wind blew over her and rustled her hair around her head and she watched as the blue streaks whipped past her.

Blue wind and glowing grass, she thought exasperatedly. OK. . . She stood stock-still and watched more blue wisps blow lazily across the blades of glowing grass. She couldn't help thinking about how oddly beautiful it looked and how it couldn't be real.

She followed the path the blue wisps and glowing grass made, all feelings of fear leaving, and found herself at the edge of a giant and beautiful lake. The body of water was an impossible blue and dazzled like diamonds under the shining sun. Glowing ripples appeared as a warm breeze blew over the surface of the water.