The sea of lush green grass smelled of rain that had never fallen. This sweet fresh smell was mixed in with the light fragrance that tiny white wild flowers that were hidden in the sea carried with them and the wind. Every few seconds a light breeze would carry over head, stirring the sea and taking the smell with it to someone else who would enjoy it.
In the middle of the sea stood a large tree with branches that stretched out as if it was trying to shade the whole world. Plump ripe red apples hung from its branches. Waiting to be picked and baked into a pie that would be eaten by children with a sweet tooth.
A small stream ran its path a few feet away from the tree. This stream as the home to frogs and tiny fish that made their way down the stream to an unknown future. The stream was the main water source for the small creatures in the area. Rabbits, squirrels, stray cats, a few foxes and raccoons, and the occasional deer would drink the streams always cool water.
“Alice! Come inside before you catch your death!” Alice’s mother, Lillian, cried out from the back door of their home.
Alice finished reading the last sentence of the paragraph she had been on before closing her book. After tucking it into a small pocket that was sewn on the front of her dress she put her hands on both sides of herself to hold onto the low tree branch that she had perched upon. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes she gave a light push making her body slip off. No hard ground greeted her when she fell; instead, the soft snow enveloped her in a cold wet hug.
Giggling softly she pulled herself up and slowly made her way towards her home. Her gaze fell on the window that she knew belonged to their sitting room, a warm glow coming from inside that let her know that her father would be sitting in front of the fire. A paper would be in his hands, Rose would be playing at his side, and Diana would be curled in a ball sleeping in front of the fire place. Slowly her light pink lips curved into a smile at the thought of seeing the same image that she saw every night during winter.
Lillian was still standing at the back door with her hands on her hips and her eyes on her eldest child. A stern look was all to be seen in her ocean blue eyes as Alice walked into the kitchen and shook the snow from her hair. The stern look that she worked so hard on melted away when her daughter looked at her with her warm and loving brown eyes. Alice had her father’s eyes and she knew how to use them to get out of trouble with her mother.
“Am I in trouble?” Alice asked innocently as she got her self a small cup from the cupboard and went to the stove to see if her mother had boiled water.
“Yes.” Lillian straightened her back and crossed her arms in front of her chest, “I distinctly remember telling you not to go outside this late. It’s freezing outside and we never know when another snow storm will hit, you have to be more careful.”
After having confirmed the water has been boiled, she poured herself a cup and added some cocoa powder to it. Stirring the mixture in with the water she turned to look at her mother, “I’m sorry mother… But I love reading in the snow, it helps me to see what I’m reading when it’s not there.”
Her mother’s new attempt to be stern fell as she walked to her daughter and pulled her into a tight hug, “I know darling… I just grew scared when it got dark and I saw you were not here…” Letting her daughter go, she looked down into her brown eyes and tried to smile, “I just… Have this feeling that something bad is going to happen and I thought that…”
Alice watched her mother looked away from her as her voice cracked. Sadness enveloped her heart at the thought that her mother had thought something bad had happened. Sitting her cup to the side, she took her mother’s hand and kissed it to get her attention.
“I’m sorry; I won’t go out again without telling you.” Her voice dropped to whisper that she was sure her mother could hear. But her mother gave no verbal response, she just nodded and stepped away to go back to cleaning up the kitchen.
Not wanting to be in the and definitely not wanting to upset her mother any more then she already had, Alice took herself and her cocoa into the sitting room. She spoke no words to her father or little sister who gave her kind smiles as she walked to the stairs. Alice knew that both of them had heard what had been said and wanted to do nothing to add on to it. Reaching the first step she stopped and looked over at the snow white kitten that was curled in front of the fire.
“C’mon Diana.” She called to the kitten before making her way upstairs.
Hearing her owner’s soft command, Diana slowly lifted her tiny and tired body. With a yawn she stretched herself out in that way that all cats do before she trotted over to the stairs. In no time the tiny kitten was racing up the large stairs to her owner who herself was finally reaching the top stair.
Alice walked to her open bedroom door and stopped once inside. Diana raced in after her and jumped on top of Alice’s large bed. “I’m going to sleep.” She called over her shoulder to no in particular before she closed her door and went to set her cocoa on her night stand.
Stripping off her dress, she pulled on her night gown then crawled under her warm sheets. A smile tugged at her lips as Diana weaseled her way under the warm sheets as well and curled up against the small of Alice’s back. The tiny body felt so warm against her and helped to comfort her that she was not as alone as she usually thought she was.
Alice’s bedroom was not very large, but had more stuff in it then it should. A large dresser sat across from her medium sized bed with a desk next to it. The rest of the room was taken up with book cases that were over flowing with books of all kinds. Cases holding butterflies and flowers hung on her wall along with a clock whose ticking was the only sound in the room.
Hours ticked by in the large house as all the lanterns and candles were put out and everyone went off to bed. The only sound in the whole was the ticking of Alice’s clock. Slowly the hand fell to mark the midnight hour and let out it’s lard chime, and along with it came a scream.
Alice shot up in bed as panic and fear washed over her as the screaming continued. Sweat beaded her forehead as heart seeped into the room making her rip the sheets from her body. Getting out of her bed she rushed to the door and tried opening it. Pain shot through her body once she grabbed the door knob to find that it was scorching hot.
“What’s going on!?” She screamed as smoke started to seep it’s way in from under her door.
Alice, this way.
A soft voice seemed to fill her mind having her turn to see who it belonged to. But all she saw was Diana scratching at the window and mewing to be let out. Alice covered her mouth and nose to keep the smoke from affecting her as she rushed over to the window. Slightly she moved Diana to the side while she unlocked the window and pushed it open. Diana wasted no time to get out for as soon as the window was opened she leaped out.
Jump Alice! Jump!
Squeezing her eyes shut she lifted herself up into the window and held onto its sides. Harsh cold wind hit the front of her body while heat burned at her back. Taking a deep breath she let go of the sides of the window and let her body fall forwards.
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A/N
Dedication is in thanks for the amazing cover :) I'm going to be putting a riddle at the end of every chapter, first person to get it right gets a dedication and fan :p
A man was going to bleach his socks because they had gotten muddy the day before. As he was pouring the bleach into the washing machine, he spilled some on the floor. He got some cleaning fluid and mopped it up with a rag. Minutes later he was dead. What killed him?
