Alchemy

CHAPTER ONE

"What do you see?" She asked into her ear piece.

"Just a very large car, must be from one of those domes," Alice replied. It was a very large car indeed. Long and jet black with white exterior. The windows were tinted a sickly green. You don't see cars like this much, especially outside of domes. Not many roads anyhow, so no reason to drive this pretty vehicle along a dirt patch. She couldn't quite grasp what was so ominous about it. Why was it so strange? Maybe it's a banking car, and she shouldn't be looking.

A man stepped out of the drivers seat, he looked relatively normal. A long black coat dangling just above his ankles, and a leather cap covering the visible blonde hair under it. The cold weather was only dropping right now, making the wood floor under her feet freeze like ice. He turned around, his eyes a cold blue. For a split second they had made eye contact, and a strong shiver shot down her spine. That was just enough to send the hairs on her hand standing up. Alice reached up and hit her ear piece so her call with her sister had ended. She slid down and put her back on the wall, her head just barely above the sill. It was cold, and she wasn't supposed to go get wood until her brother came. The blankets on her bed were in a large heap, needing to be set again before she has to start her chores. She shivered one more time and rubbed her hands together. The sun was up, but the fluorescent clouds gave the world a silver-ish glow. There wasn't much ice yet, but you the snow was so thick and dense you could stand on it and walk acrossed without sinking. Only some places have the snow though, the forest is completely green right now. The river is still rushing, but the night time wind had ruined our little power connection we usually have. Normally we have power in the mornings to heat up the house. Then it dies for the rest of the day. But today not a speck of electricity has come. With my brother at the river, and my sister in town I have to take care of their chores as well as my own. Like chopping wood, making breakfast, getting eggs, milking the cow, taking care of the garden, harvest our few remaining fruits and vegetables, and go to the fields and un-freeze the soil.

Her mother is working at the hospital, with the sudden drops in temperature their has been lists of case of serious frost bite.

She stands up one more time and looks outside. The car is still there, but that man is gone. Why was he in the fishing district? And why in the winter?

Alice decided to start going, and see if she can find him outside. With it still freezing she rubs her arms and hands trying to stay warm. She pulls off her bed dress and starts putting on the warm winter clothes. Leggings under three- lair black pants and thin leather boots with rubber soles. A red short sleeve shirt, and a thin button up on top. Then a long, heavy, fur filled, corduroy jacket with a wolf fur lined hood. She tied her long, black hair into braid that rolls down her back and two short, front strands fall onto her face.

She leaves to go outside and the cold air stings her face like needles. Her bare hands clutch instinctively into fists to contain heat. Alice's ears freeze immediately, she flings her hood over her head and starts to the field. A few other youngsters are out on the field trying to de-freeze it. She turns to the pen and throws the dogs a few scraps of meat and let them out to go hunt. While she downs the hill she hears a kid scream, thinking of it nothing more than the child getting hit with a snowball. But suddenly she saw crimson snow.

The kids retreated to their homes, abandoning the injured child. Her mind raced. What was happening? Had a fox come along? A coyote? No... there was too many people. She ran down the hill to the large fields and knelt down next to the child. It was a young boy, with a arrow deep in his thigh. Luckily he was young and Alice easily scooped him up into a cradle and ran desperately to the housing. Older siblings looked around the corners of their homes, looking to see the chaos.