The cold air whipped around the two sisters as they walked forward into the snowy night. The snow softly crunched and crumpled beneath their boots, leaving a trail of prints showing where the girls had been, and gave a clue to guess at where they might be going.
Of course, if you were to guess correctly, you would know that the two of them were heading towards the old, long abandoned estate at the edge of the town. No one in the town had been there for years, and any foolish enough to enter either came out without harm or sight of the creatures that were rumored to live within, or they were never seen or heard of again.
However, neither sister held any sense of fear as they approached the large, rusted gates that separated the “cursed” land from the rest of the world. Tall, black, bare trees grew, covering the structure that was once a great mansion from the view of prying eyes.
The elder sister was returning home with her much younger sibling after a long day of travel. The young girls stood side by side, their faces hidden by their hoods. Though, if one had caught a glimpse of the two of them, they would know the two were indeed sisters.
The elder sister, only seven, was quite tall for her age, already four and a half feet tall. Her long, curly, brown hair was spilling out of her velvet blue hood and around her shoulders, bouncing as she moved. Her skin was tanned from hours in the sun, though many would have thought the tan would have faded during the long winter the area had suffered. Freckles dotted themselves across her small nose, bringing a bit of childish charm to her looks that would remain well into adulthood. The girl’s eyes were captivating, putting those who saw them into a deep trance as the violet color swirled around with a bright blue hue, constantly changing and combining the two colors. Her eyes may have been the biggest hint that she was not human.
Despite being so young, the elder sister was quite smart and mature, and was often able to keep up with even the fastest paced conversations with the adults around her. That was why her parents had trusted her to escort her sister on a brief day trip to the human world, just so the two could see what it was like first hand.
The younger sister, only two years of age, looked quite similar to her elder sister. Her skin was a little paler, though it still held a sun kissed tone. Her features were soft, like her blonde hairs that had only just begun to grow and barely reached her ears, the soft waves curling around the lobes. Her eyes were as mesmerizing as her sister’s, however they were a soft, subtle sapphire with sparks and flecks of gold about them. But, her eyes looked far more natural than her sisters.
“Addilyn, are you ready to go home?” The elder girl spoke softly, her voice a whisper, only barely able to be heard over the wind.
The younger girl simply gave a small nod, looking up at the gate. She had only seen it a few times in her short life, but she had never thought much of it. The toddler never thought much about anything however, and forget things easily.
“Alright, I’ll signal the gate master then.” The elder girl let go of the younger’s hand, which caused the younger to let out a small whine. “I’ll be right back, just wait right here. Don’t move and don’t speak with anyone if they come up to you, alright?”
Again, the younger just gave a small nod, though annoyance was written across her features. Clearly, she was upset at the thought of her sister going off somewhere and leaving the girl alone, but she was too tired to argue. The younger girl didn’t want to move another step, let alone scream and cry to get her way.
The elder sister simply flashed a smile, darting off, around the corner of the fence, her footprints trailing behind her. Of course, the girl couldn’t know what was waiting just around the corner, hiding in the shadows and out of sight. The girl looked around for the gate master’s quarters, hidden so that regular humans couldn’t see it. There was a soft crunching of snow behind her, causing her to turn. “Addi, I told you to wait.” She sighed a bit, pulling down her hood slightly so she could see better. But, she saw nothing. “Addi? Are you trying to play? We can play when we get home...Come on out.” The girl started to walk, looking around for her sister, but the other girl was still by the gates.
