live is evil backwards

'Holly, come take the garbage out please!'

I gently trotted to my mothers call, Luke and Jarred watched BMX racing in the lounge room, Dad was still at work. I shifted my light blue pyjama shirt around, and threw a bundle of pearly blonde ringlets over my shoulder.

The plastic rattled as I placed the bag on my hooked fingers, embrassing a hot woft of rosemary and lamb as it was taken from the oven.

'Mmm, smells good Mum'

My feet quitely drummed on the carpet in the lounge room, I chuckled at my bothers, sitting with legs wide open and daft looks on their amused faces.

'Lambs out'  They sprung up from their inappropriate, slumped positions and paced to the kitchen.

A simple push of the screen door sucked in a tumble of cold air, chilling my feet. I curled my toes under, strolling down the steps and clenching my feet. The concrete was freezing cold.

Following the path, I lifted the bag into the bin, admiring the blush tinges of pinks and oranges as they steadily darkened the sky, Mum faintly ranting in the background 'No, Luke get out of it!'

A crisp winter breeze caressed my arms and snapped at my skin, like crows at a snowy foals carcass. A blue Holden ute squealled to a halt, the driver shunting forward and climbing out. Clutching my arms and drawing them close, I jogged to the house to avoid the chilly darkness and him..

'Hey, could I get a hand ere' ?' I turned my head wearily, I wasn't supposed to talk to strangers. His face was unrecognisable, hidden with a dark hoodie and a white mask or something smothering his face.

'Ah. My Dad has tools in the shed, I'll go get...'

'Na, she'll be right- I just need an extra pair-a hands.'

I reluctantly walked to the white picket gate and closed it with a little clunk.  His face hidden behind white paint, with a large red smile and animated, excited eyes... A clown

'Just left a birthday party.' He explained when I raised my eyebrows and swallowed.

'Just-a, put ya hands where mine are' Crouching down, my knees cracked and I felt for the mans hands. He was only holding the back of the bumper bar. Nothing wrong with it. The wind's frosty hands ran up my back.

'Oooo, that sounded nasty'

'Yeah, I have osteo arthritis in my knees.'  He removed his hands, still crouching, he elevated one knee to rest his elbow on. He scrutinised me, with those large staring clown eyes. It was getting dark and the whites surrounding his dark iris' were so large and bright they almost glowed. He tilted his head to the side...

' Whats your name?' The icy tar hurt my feet and I grew more weary of the stranger while my hands uselessly remained beneath his ute. I thought about calling out to Mum, but my mond protested he'd grab me. If I got up and ran to the house, he'd follow.

'Its... my name's Alice.'  He gave a sinister chuckle, slapping his elevated knee

'Ha! Thats-a, thats really ironic. You look just like her...' He squinted and gave a creepy wide smile.                                                                                                                                                                         'You look just like her. Alice in Wonderland I mean, that sweet blond hair and those electric blue eyes, even your pygama's, that light blue matches my ute, doesn't it...' He lifted a big hand a rolled a tight ringlet behind my ear, that finger venturing down my neck and chest. Pulling away, I fell back on the road, taking advantage he stood up immediately...

'But, unlike Alice in Wonderland you're a liar...' His sillouette towered over me, as the heat in my body seeped into the icy road.

'... I thought your name was, Holly.'

 My heavy breathing evolved into painfully weasing, his sillouette grew larger as I struggled to get up.

'And sweet, dearest Holly, you must be punished for lying.'

An intense thwak punched into my head....