It wasn’t something that much different from their friends. They knew all the classics, just like everyone else. They could tell you the tale of sleeping beauty, snow white and the seven dwarves, little red riding hood, the three little pigs, beauty and the beast, and the little mermaid.
They loved those stories and Seth dressed up as the beast one year when Kendra was red riding hood.
But Kendra and Seth also knew some fairy tales that were less popular. Ones that got them some odd looks from their friends when they mentioned them.
Like the tale of the fall of the Fairy King, how there’d been a betrayal and he’d fallen to the Demon King who hated the fairies and all that they stood for. Or the War of the Dragons, how they lost against the wizards who then gave them the choice of death or a treaty, they picked the treaty. Or even the imprisonment of the Demons in the mythical Zzyxx, with thousands of demons locked inside and created by the most powerful of wizards.
And there were some more niche stories, like the fall of the manor house at their granddaddy’s home (though they didn’t know a lot of that myth, it was lost to time apparently). There was also the demon Bahumat being imprisoned beneath an old chapel, still straining at his bindings in hopes of destroying all once more. And then there was the witch Muriel in her wooden house tied with a rope to keep her powers in check so she could harm no one else.
They knew that fairies shone in the dark and spoke with voices like bells. They knew that demons were tricky and that was their nature. They knew that dragons were massive beings hidden away where none could see. They knew all these stories because they’d been told them their whole lives by all their family.
Their dad would tell them the stories, holding them on his knee as he told them the tales his parents told him about the manor houses and the demons that lived there.
Their grandparents would sit them down and tell them whispers of beings called blixes and their great foes the unicorns, or how the astrids were once great proud beings that served the fairies, or of the centaurs and their pride within their powerful homes.
Their other grandparents raised them on tales of the great adventurer Patton and his many adventures, from dragon preserves to magical forests. He was a role model to Seth for his adventures, and to Kendra for his vast knowledge.
Yes, Kendra and Seth were raised on fairy tales. And they believed them for a long time. Just as every child believes the tooth fairy comes to take their teeth, or that Santa Klaus leaves them presents under the tree, or that the Easter Bunny hops through their yard to deliver eggs and chocolate.
But children grow up, and magic fades from memory.
Kendra and Seth were no different here, they grew up as well. They were exposed to a world that doesn’t believe in magic, and in time they stopped believing too.
The siblings grew up and relegated their childhood stories to just that, stories.
They never forgot them, but they didn’t believe them like the once had.
A bit (lot) late but life happens. Thanks to Library Forest for giving me the inspo to write more for this :)
(Find Chapter One with a search of “Fk ch 1″ on my blog)
Come chat with me on discord: https://discord.gg/nwwcSQSUjh
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Seth slunk through the bushes and trees until he reached a faint crooked path.
He was glad that there hadn’t been any brambles, that would’ve sucked. But he’d finally gotten on the path, even if it was just a small one. Barely there, like animals had wandered through here enough to cut a path but not enough to clear it.
He paused on the path, studying his sleeves for ticks. There didn’t seem to be any, he’d basically drenched himself in bug spray so hopefully that worked well enough.
He hadn’t seen any ticks so far, so high hopes!
He stooped then and stacked some rocks into a small pyramid to mark the point where he joined the path.
He was pretty sure he’d be able to find his way back regardless, but better safe then sorry. If he did end up taking too long, then he might get caught by Grandpa.
He hummed as he rummaged through his cereal box, studying the compass he pulled out.
The path seemed to be running northeast, though he’d started off heading east. The undergrowth was getting thicker though, so the path was a good reason to head off course a little. It would be far easier than trying to cut through the shrubbery with his pocketknife.
His dad said no to buying him a machete.
Life was unfair.
Seth straightened once more and studied the path.
He shivered despite the warmth, it seemed almost foreboding. The tall trees stood close together, letting through very little sunlight. The bushes waved, and he eyed the large spider crawling up the side of the tree. A gnarled black tree with thorny leaves almost seemed to reach for him.
The forest almost seemed alive, but that was silly. He wasn’t living in a fairy tale.
Seth straightened. It was fine! He was going exploring in a cool forest and he’d bring back a shiny rock or something to show Kendra that it was perfectly safe.
He paused, glancing at the rocks he’d collected.
Yeah none of them were shiny enough for Kendra, she liked sparkly, pretty things.
He’d find something.
He definitely did not jump when something rustled in the bushes but did dig out a small pair of plastic binoculars from his cereal box.
He scanned the area slowly but didn’t see anything interesting.
He shrugged and headed down the path, not making it twenty feet before an animal emerged from the undergrowth onto the path.
He froze, it was a porcupine. It’s bristles gleamed in the faint light and it’s eyes seemed too sharp and intelligent.
It studied him for a moment, then started towards him.
He quickly backed up, it’s slender quills shiny and sharp and very very close.
Weren’t animals supposed to be afraid of humans? Maybe it had rabies? That was bad right? Kendra would definitely tell on him if he got bit by an animal with rabies.
Maybe it just didn’t see him, he was perfectly camouflaged with his camouflage shirt after all!
He stopped backing up and straightened up, trying to look big. He stomped a foot hard and growled at the porcupine.
It stared at him for a long moment, seeming almost unimpressed a it’s nose twitched, but then it turned away and scurried off the path.
He let out a breath, that had been a bit scary. If he’d gotten bitten, or worse covered in those quills, he would’ve had no chance of hiding his excursion into the woods.
And worse, Kendra would stop him from coming back out.
He wished Kendra had come, she might’ve screamed, or spouted some boring fact about porcupines that would’ve made it seem tame. He could have made fun of her instead of being frightened.
Not that he was very frightened of course, but it felt… exposed being stared down by the porcupine with all those bristling quills. He should probably be careful to not step on one in the undergrowth.
He wavered for a moment, wondering if he should head back. He’d come a long way though, and if he went back with nothing to show for it Kendra would say she told him so and then make him stay in the yard for the week.
He nodded, he needed to find something interesting first, to show off to her. Then he’d go home. It wouldn’t be hard to find his way back.
Seth headed off down the trail again. He studied the trees and growth as he passed, noting the trees with moss and lichen growing on them (don’t some mosses only grow on one side of the tree? Or is that all of them? Or something else? He swears Kendra talked about it on the car ride). There was ivy twisting around some trees too, he’d have to be careful cause they might be poison ivy.
He frowned as the path forced, before checking his compass. The right one went northwest, and the other due east. Seth decided to stick with East.
Slowly the trees began to space out, and the shrubs grew lower and more spread out. The forest slowly grew brighter as well, and he was able to see around much further.
He was studying a cool red bird that was watching him from a tree when he noticed something strange.
There was what seemed to be a wall of ivy just sitting in the woods to the left of the path.
That certainly seemed interesting, maybe there was something cool there he could bring back to show Kendra. That would show her, she’d definitely come along next time and he could show her the ivy wall.
He grinned and headed off the path.
The dense undergrowth almost seemed to cling to his legs, the plants darker than the rest of the forest, and he was pretty sure that the one bush was covered in poisonous berries. He shoved through it all, pausing by a tree as he realized that the wall of ivy was actually some sort of structure, overgrown with ivy.
He shifted, something seemed off.
The forest was quiet.
He shook his head, it was fine, it was just some ivy. Honestly why was he so worried.
He trudged closer, studying the ivy. He wasn’t sure what the structure (a shed maybe?) was made of, probably wood but he couldn’t see it beneath the ivy.
He managed to walk around the shed, and faltered when he stumbled onto another path, with a circle that stopped right in front of the opening to the shed.
“Hail, young master,” crooned a silky voice.
Seth spun, looking into the shed and seeing an old woman.
He resisted the urge to shudder. She looked bad.
She was old and wrinkled, with matted white hair that almost seemed yellow. In her wrinkled hands she clutched a knotted rope that seemed to be covered in blood and saliva.
Seth wrinkled his nose as he glanced at his face, trying not to cringe when she smiled, showing missing teeth. Her filmy bloodshot eyes were locked on him and her smile stretched the purple scab on her face, which was matched by more on her arms.
She stood up, supporting herself on the stump.
“What brings you to my home?” the woman asked.
Her voice was lovely, like a song, and did not match her appearance.
He swallowed, noting how tall she was despite her state.
“I’m just out for a walk,” he said carefully. “Do you live out here?”
She nodded, “I do indeed. Would you care to come inside for some tea?”
Seth almost stepped forward, almost, but he caught himself.
Something was off.
“No, sorry, I need to get back in time for lunch or my sister will be upset.”
A fool proof plan: blame Kendra. It always worked for getting out of stuff at school.
“Oh of course,” she crooned. “It’s just been so long since I had a guest. Strange for you to be wandering about alone, what about your sister?”
“She’s doing summer homework,” Seth said immediately. “And it’s my grandpa’s land so I get to wander some.”
“Oh?” she said. “You’re old Stan’s kids then?”
“You know my grandpa then?” Seth asked.
“Oh, certainly,” she grinned. “He’s my landlord after all.”
Seth nodded sagely, “Well nice to meet you, what’s your name?”
“Don’t you know it’s rude to not introduce yourself first?” She chided lightly.
Something told Seth he shouldn’t give her his name, he was reminded of the old tales from his grandpa.
“I’m-“ Seth wracked his brain for a name. “I’m Aaron.”
Sorry Aaron his friend from school, first name he could think of.
“A pleasure, Aaron,” she said with gleaming eyes. “I do wish I had known you’d be stopping by, I must look frightful.”
“You look fine,” Seth lied. “Ms…”
She ignored his question, reaching behind her stump.
“Let me show you something interesting, in apology for being so unprepared for a guest.”
“I’ll send a note ahead of time next time.”
She smiled, somehow looking dangerous despite her appearance.
Seth blinked at what she pulled out from behind the stump. A little wooden man.
It was less than a foot tall and made entirely of dark wood. It was plain, not clothes or painted features, just wood held together with tiny gold hooks where the joints would be. It had a stick in it’s back, that the woman took hold of.
Placing a paddle on her lap, she began to make the puppet dance by moving the stick. It was rhythmic and reminded Seth of Kendra when she did tap dancing, before she picked up piano.
“That’s a cool… puppet,” he said.
He should really get out of here, it felt wrong.
A rat scurried behind her stump and Seth looked away.
“It’s not a puppet, dear Aaron, it’s a limberjack.”
“Where’s his ax?”
“Not a lumberjack, a limberjack,” she chided. “It’s known by other names, a clog doll, or a jigger, perhaps a dancing dan?”
Seth shrugged.
“Well, I call him Mendigo. He keeps me company in this old shack of mine. Why don’t you come over, I’ll let you try him out.”
“I better not,” he said, something was very off. Her eyes were too bright, her smile too sharp, the doll too smooth. “I need to get back; my sister won’t be happy if I get delayed by crazy old witches in the woods.”
Her eyes flashed, “Old witches in the woods give the most interesting presents to those that treat them with respect.”
Seth shrugged, “I don’t need any presents. I’m just wandering. It was nice to meet you-“
“Leaving so soon?”
“I’ll come by another time,” Seth offered, having no intention of ever coming back. “Bye, Ms…”
She didn’t give her name, “Perhaps one last game before you leave, Aaron?”
His instincts told him to leave now, “Sorry, no can do.”
“Just one moment,” she crooned. She put the wooden doll away and pulled out a box and a shining gemstone. “I’ll even show a prize now. Simply touch the back of this box, and you may have this gem.”
Seth hesitated, he could sell the stone, after showing it off to Kendra, and have a lot of money.
But…
But this lady seemed crazy, dangerous, unhinged. And she still hadn’t given him her name.
“I’d rather play with the puppet,” he said. “I have to go. Bye crazy witch.”
“So insolent,” she mused. “Children these days really do as they please. Should you leave on this note your journey home may not be so pleasant, young adventurer.”
He shivered, her tone was dangerous, the air seemed heavy.
“I’m in a hurry,” he offered as he inched around the shed. “Lunch is soon.”
She hummed, her eyes closing as she raised a hand.
He didn’t take his eyes from her though she made no move to follow, her mumbling making his hair stand on end even when she was out of view.
As soon as he reached the far side of the shack he bolted.
Plunging through the undergrowth he dashed back to the path, pushing past the poisonous and dark plants that seemed to mirror the shed of the witch lady.
He glanced over his shoulder and though he saw no sign of her he couldn’t help but shiver. She had looked so wretched and smelled so foul and her challenge…
It reminded him scarily of one of Grandpa’s stories.
A witch in the woods.
But those were just fairy tales, everyone knew they weren’t true.
Seth couldn’t help but feel unsafe as he reached the path. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t following, or that he knew she couldn’t be a witch because witches weren’t real. Something was off and he needed to get back to the house.
Compass in hand he hurried down the path, glancing down at it to confirm the path he winced at the sudden sting in his ear.
He spun, seeing a pebble fall to the ground.
Who-
He looked around, but no one was there.
Could it be the old woman?
Another object struck him in the back of the neck, making him spin again, just in time to find an acorn flying at him.
He dodged it, tense as he noticed a rat scurrying through the bushes.
That was from two different directions.
He flinched, jumping back as he heard a cracking noise, like wood splitting.
A huge tree limb fell where he’d just been standing, a few leaves and twigs swishing him as it did.
The blood drained from his face.
If he hadn’t jumped back-
That could’ve killed him.
He swallowed, looking around, but the dark forest offered nothing.
A large spider crawled up the side of a tree, a rat scurried through the bushes.
Vague murmurs seemed to follow him as he took off at a sprint down the path.
Whispers crawled up his spine, stones and acorns whizzed at him as he ran, stinging his arms, back, legs. He ducked and wove and then cried at as something snatched at his ankle.
His hands ached as he tried and failed to catch himself. Rocks dug into stomach, his cheek was wet, blood? He scrambled for his ankle, finding nothing there. His ankle throbbed with pain, did he sprain it?
That had felt like something hard and thin, like a strong cord. A trip wire? But how? There hadn’t been one earlier, and the woman couldn’t have done it even if she’d started running the moment he’d passed out of sight.
There was a cracking noise above him, and he rolled over just in time for a branch to hit the ground where he’d just been.
Stumbling to his feet he winced at the pain in his ankle, wiping his cheek and swallowing hard at the blood on his hand.
There was a rustling noise behind him, and something that sounded almost like a laugh.
The bushes seemed to stretch out, dark and foreboding.
He flinched at the cracking noise of a dry branch behind him, and then he took off again.
He tried to watch where he put his feet, flinching at ever stone thrown at him.
He raced past the place where the trail forked and sprinted back the way he came.
He wondered if the fairy tales held some truth to them and he’d angered a witch.
But no, those were just tales. This was ridiculous, the lady must’ve had a friend close by or else this wouldn’t be possible.
His breathing was labored, gasping for breath as he felt his lungs struggle to draw. No, not having an asthma attack now, worst outcome.
He forced himself to keep going, ignoring his own wheezing, the heat in the air, the seat on his forehead. He had to get to the house.
He stumbled to a halt, breath a strangled wheeze. He knew that gnarled tree on the side of the path. He’d seen it when inspecting the path.
He used it as a reference to find the pile of rocks, but they were gone. He knew this was where he’d made the pyramid…
Leaves crunched, a cracking noise echoed above him.
Seth took a quick look at his compass to confirm that he was heading West, then dove into the forest.
Earlier he’d walked this at a leisurely pace, studying all the trees and bushes and flowers and toadstools and every unusual rock he could find. He’d even saved one or two. Now he tore through the forest at full speed, his vision blurry and his breathing strangled. The undergrowth clawed at his legs, thorns that hadn’t been a concern before tearing at his pants. Branches whipped against his face and chest, more blood dripped from his face.
And that’s not even counting the continued pebbles striking him, nor the second time he fell (his ankle throbbing, definitely injured now, and the trip wire made of a hard cord sitting innocently in the trees).
Finally, wheezing and gasping and clutching his chest, the energy his panic wearing thin and his strength lagging, he glimpsed the house up ahead.
The sounds of pursuit faded away as he stumbled into the yard, safe at last.
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The wall opposite the windows in the playroom had multiple rows of bookshelves and a few wardrobes.
She had searched the wardrobes, thinking of Narnia as she searched through them.
Though she found no secret passages, she did find some very nice jackets, a few even fit her!
There were also little drawers built into the inside of one of the wardrobes, and it held all kinds of jewelry, hair pins, and assorted beauty supplies. There was even one drawer that just seemed to have hidden weapons.
The one bracelet with a skinny blade hidden inside was very pretty and Kendra wanted. Seth would probably find them super cool too.
She’d thrown a few of the jackets that were his size there (there were even cloaks and she’d absolutely claimed one cause… cloak).
The books on the shelves looked very interesting, and Kendra was definitely gonna devote time to reading them, but they didn’t reveal a secret door either.
She’d searched with a stool tool, reaching even the highest shelves.
They did reveal something else though.
Now Kendra was holding a leather covered blue book, with gold letters on the front and edging the pages. The Journal of Secrets.
It was very fancy, and held shut by three sturdy clasps, each with a keyhole. The final key from Grandpa didn’t fit any of the keyholes, but the two she’d found earlier did.
She heard someone stumbling up the steps and quickly put the book back on the shelf and pocketed the keys. She didn’t want Seth joining in the puzzle, that was her thing.
Seth charged through te door and slammed it shut behind him.
She opened her mouth to chide him but faltered when she took in his appearance.
His face was bloody and so were his hands. His pants had tears in them, and his knees looked a bit bloody as well. He was covered in dirt with leaves and twigs stuck in his hair.
Most worrisomely, he was wheezing hard.
“Seth!” she hurried over to him. “What happened? Oh no, lets get some water, and bandaids. Can you breathe? Do you need your inhaler? Stars how did you get so torn up?”
Seth dug through his emergency kit, struggling to breathe and his hands shaking.
“Here,” Kendra said, taking it from him. “I got it.”
She found his emergency inhaler buried at the bottom, and the spacer and shook the inhaler before putting them together, then handed it to Seth.
He struggled for a moment, letting out a strangled cough as he tried to hold his breath.
In, out, in, out, in, and he breathed out all his air, then quickly put the mouth piece in front of him and hit the inhaler, breathing in.
He held his breath for a few seconds, counting silently, before he let it out and broke into a coughing fit.
After a moment he repeated the process.
Kendra turned away, digging through her own bag to find the heart rate monitor.
“How did this happen?” she asked, handing it to him to check his oxygen level.
“Uh, was in the forest-“ he coughed “-and found… found- old lady. Like a witch, she lives in the woods-- in this old hut-“ he paused to catch his breath, coughing more.
“An old lady living in the forest?” Kendra wondered. “Did she attack you?”
“No, but-“ he coughed “-seemed like… whatsername, from grandpa’s stories, the witch in the forest. Stars what’s ‘er name.”
“Muriel?” Kendra asked. “The old wife from like 160 years ago?”
“Yeah- the one locked, in a shack, with the magic rope. The lady, had a rope, and uh-“ he coughed and winced when Kendra shot a pointed look at his inhaler.
He shook it, then copied what he’d done earlier, letting out a breath after about ten seconds.
“Well uh, had a creepy doll too. Wouldn’t say her name.”
“You didn’t tell her yours, did you?” Kendra sked worriedly, checking his oxygen and frowning when it was at 92. That’s lower than it should be.
“No, I said my name was Aaron. But-“ he paused for breath “-but I left, cause she creepy with creepy box and stuff, there was something, someone? Multiple people?” he broke into a coughing fit and paused to take deep breaths.
“People did something?”
“Threw rocks,” he got out. “Lots. And a trip wire… and branches fell, almost hit me. Big ones.”
Kendra frowned, Seth didn’t have asthma attacks very often anymore, so something definitely happened, and he’s bleeding…
“Did you see anyone?”
“Just some… spiders… and rats… no people- ‘cept her.”
He stood straight, and a check of the monitor said his oxygen was 93.
Good, he’s recovering.
“Do you think Grandpa Sorenson knows he has a creepy old lady on his property?”
“She mentioned him,” Seth said, his breathing still strangled but he could talk easier. “And if she is’a witch then-“
“Those are fairy tales,” Kendra argued. “She definitely sounds creepy though, you shouldn’t go back into the woods.”
“You should come with next time.”
Kendra frowned, “Next time? Seth you’re bleeding! You apparently got attacked by a creepy old lady!”
“Yeah but-“ he paused “-I found a cool thing. And you said if I found a cool thing-“
“I said if you found a witch in the woods you weren’t going back,” she pointed out.
“Okay she’s not’a’witch then!”
Kendra huffed, “Lets get you cleaned up.”
Seth frowned, “I wanna explore more later. I’m gonna.”
“If you come back again scratched up and bleeding and having an asthma attack I’m telling Grandpa,” Kendra said. “That’s dangerous.”
“Fine, sure,” he coughed. “I’ll stay ‘way from the place I found the lady.”
Kendra frowned, but pulled out a water bottle and some napkins from her bag.
Seth brought exploration tools, she brought medical supplies.
“Stay still so I can clean up the blood.”
“You wanna come next time?”
She hummed, getting to work, “We’ll see.”
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Thanks for reading! Don't forget to reblog and leave a review, they feed my soul.
What did you think of Seth's encounter? What about Kendra's looking around the room? How about what they talked about at the end?
I had to cut out the treehouse scene, it didn't fit but I'll put it in a bit later.
As I'm following canon set up of chapters, it starts with set up still. I am trying to show a slightly different dynamic between the siblings, while keeping the spirit of it. There will be bigger changes later on, but obviously the beginning is hard to change majorly, especially just arriving lol.
(Find Chapter One with a server of “Fk ch 1)
Hope you enjoy the chapter :D
Come chat with me on discord: https://discord.gg/8Vc6w9JWxv
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Kendra had been sitting in the car for hours.
She and Seth had done just about everything they could think of to handle the boredom, but she’d finished her two books, they’d played a dozen rounds of tic-tac-toe, and he’d moved onto trying to beat her at chopsticks (that game with your fingers). Seth had had a few comics, but he’d gone through them faster then she had her books. Even his handheld video game couldn’t hold his attention anymore.
“I thought you said that Grandpa Sorenson lived in Connecticut, not India,” Seth grumbled.
Mom sighed, having listened to Seth’s complaints for the last hour, “It won’t be much longer. Enjoy the scenery.”
She’d said that the last six times.
“It’s boring! I’m hungry, can we stop for food?”
Kendra was on Seth’s side here; the scenery was boring.
Mom pulled up the grocery bag full of snacks, “How about some Peanut butter and crackers instead?”
Seth shot Kendra a pained look but reached for the crackers regardless.
“Ooh, I want some Almond Roca,” Dad said without taking his eyes from the road.
He’s still managed to keep to his New Year’s resolution of keeping Almond Roca on hand at all times.
“Do you want anything Kendra?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Kendra turned her gaze outside as Seth munched on his snack. When was this drive going to be over? At least Grandfathers house can’t be as boring as this drive.
Honestly, Kendra wasn’t happy they were being sent off to stay with their grandparents just because of some cruise. She wished her family would just let them come with… or maybe just her, Seth might be too young (and too annoying).
They would be gone for seventeen days! Kendra couldn’t believe they’d just leave them like this.
They’re getting it for free, them and all the aunts and uncles on her mom’s side. They didn’t win a contest or anything to get it, they got the cruise because Kendra’s grandparents had asphyxiated.
Grandma and Grandpa Larsen had been visiting relatives in South Carolina. Unfortunately, the trailer they lived in had some gas leak and they’d all died in their sleep. The grandparents had specified a long time ago that when they died all their kids and spouses were to use an allocated sum of money to go on a Scandinavian cruise.
Grandchildren were not invited.
“We’re almost there kids!” Kendra’s dad said cheerfully.
“Yay,” Seth grumbled. “Then you guys can abandon us for your fancy cruise.”
“Won’t you get bored stuck on a boat for seventeen days?” Kendra asked hopefully.
Dad caught her eye in the rearview mirror. “The food is supposed to be incredible, top reviews. Snails, fish eggs, the works. It’s gonna be great.”
Mom wacked his arm.
“We’re not all that excited about the trip kids,” Mom said sadly. “I doubt your grandparents envisioned an accidental death when they made the request. The cruise is to honor their memory more than for fun.”
“What kind of death did they plan then?” Seth muttered.
Kendra couldn’t help but agree, who planned their death?
The ship stops in ports as you go,” Dad said, deliberately redirecting the conversation. “You get to disembark for part of the time.”
“Are you at least going to get us something?” Kendra asked. “If you’re just going to leave us at your parent’s house.”
“Of course we will dear,” Mom reassured. “We’ll get you some chocolates, maybe some books, maybe there will be cool jewelry!”
“I want a sword,” Seth said. “A sharp one.”
“I think it’s great for you kids that you get to stay with my parents,” Dad added. “I mean, they never invite anyone to stay with them. It’s definitely better than some cruise.”
Kendra shared a look with Seth, their parents were full of it.
“They’re my parents,” Dad said. “I survived, you’ll have fun.”
The car passed through a small town, only a few buildings lined the road, many seeming old a run down. There didn’t appear to be anything more interesting than a small library at the corner.
“It’s very exciting,” Dad continued. “Like I said, they never invite anyone. You’ll have a blast.”
Kendra tried hard not to roll her eyes. She knew for a fact that they hadn’t been invited. Kendra had overheard their mom when she approached Grandpa Sorenson about letting the kids stay with him at the funeral.
The funeral itself hadn’t been fun at all, it was creepy seeing her grandparents all dressed up fancy with lots of makeup. It didn’t look like them at all.
Those grandparents, the Larsen’s, they were the ones that they’d known. They’d come to lots of holidays and done many long visits with Kendra’s family. But Kendra couldn’t remember seeing the Sorenson’s much since Seth had started second grade.
Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson had inherited an estate in Connecticut around the time her parents were married. All the stories she’d heard were fantastical, filled with fairies and demons and witches. They were obviously fake, it made her think the place was something very boring.
Honestly, everyone was shocked when grandpa Sorenson had shown up at the funeral. It’d been more than eighteen months since either grandparent had visited anywhere.
He’d apologized that Grandma Ruth hadn’t been able to come, she’d fallen ill, but it really was the norm for only one to show up.
But at the end Kendra had overheard Mom talking to Grandpa Sorenson, cajoling him into watching her and Seth. She’d been heading to the bathroom but paused when she’d overheard them at the corner.
“Why can’t they stay with Marci?”
“Normally they would, but Marci is coming on the cruise.”
Kendra had risked a peek and seen Grandpa Sorenson standing across from her mom.
“Where are Marci’s kids going?”
“To her in-laws.”
“What about a baby-sitter?”
Grandpa had seemed almost pleading then, his expression tight.
“Two and a half weeks is a long time for a sitter. You’ve mentioned before something about having them over…”
“Yes, I do recall… But does it have to be late June? What about July?”
“The cruise is on a time frame. What’s the difference?”
He’d rubbed his face with a sigh.
“Things are extra busy then… I don’t know, Marla. I’m not that good with kids. Is there no where else they could go?”
“I’m sorry Stan,” Mom said, sounding on the verge of tears. “I know things are busy for you, and I don’t want to go on this cruise. You did so good with them when they were younger, I know you don’t see them often but… This cruise was important to my parents, so I want to go for them. If you can’t take care of the kids we can stay behind-“
“No,” Grandpa Sorenson interrupted with a sigh. “It’s fine. I’m sure we can find some place to lock them up.”
So, no, Grandpa Sorenson did not invite them.
Seth finished his crackers and pulled his game back out, flipping through the cartridges.
“Which game should I play?”
Kendra leaned over, “The fashion one.”
He rolled his eyes, “That one is just for character design.”
“Then make an elf.”
“I don’t want to!”
“You asked which you should do.”
“Nevermind, your suggestion is dumb.”
Seth ended up picking a fighting game and started it up.
Kendra got bored of watching quickly and turned to look out the windows. The trees were large and dark, little light slipping through the branches.
She jolted when they turned onto a gravel driveway.
“Look at that sign,” Seth said.
She followed his finger to see signs hanging on the side of the road.
Private Property
No Trespassing
Trespassers Will Be Persecuted
Please respect our privacy
“What are all these signs?” Kendra muttered.
“Oh, you know Grandpa Sorenson,” her dad said cheerfully. “Such a sense of humor.”
“I think they’re funny,” Seth declared. “Can we get some for our house?”
Kendra frowned at them as the car continued up the long driveway, no house anywhere in sight.
There were more signs as they went.
Beware of the Dog
We do not call 911
Beware of .12 Gauge
No Public Access at any Time
Owner Shoots
Kendra leaned back. This seems so… pleasant.
“I like that one,” Seth said pointing at the Owner Shoots sign.
Kendra shook her head as they finally reached the end of the driveway. Before them was a wrought-iron fence topped with fleurs-de-lis. Open in their path was a large double gate. She peered around but couldn’t see the end of the fence through the trees.
Even after passing through the gates there was still no sign of the house through the trees, until suddenly the trees cut off.
A large house came into view suddenly. It wasn’t quite a mansion, but was definitely larger than most houses Kendra had seen.
It was constructed out of dark wood and stone, old looking but solid and in good shape. The grounds around it were much more impressive though. There was a massive flower garden blooming in front of the house, with manicured hedges and a fish pond. It seemed to wrap around the side of the house too. Kendra wondered what flowers there were, and if there was a vegetable garden as well.
Further back Kendra could see a massive barn, at least five stories tall and topped with a large weather vane that she couldn’t quite make out but seemed shaped like an animal, but not a rooster.
“Oh, it’s lovely,” Mom said. “I wish we were all staying.”
Kendra blinked, “You’ve never been here?”
“No,” Mom said sadly. “Your father came here a few times before we were married.”
Dad nodded, “Yeah. There are some wild stories about this place, haha, I’ve told you a few of them.”
Seth yawned, “Yeah, like the evil witch in a shack.”
“Or the demon in the chapel.”
“Aren’t there trolls over one hill?”
Their dad laughed, “Yeah, my dad used to tell some wild stories. You should hear the ones Aunt Sophie would tell sometimes. She swears she met satyrs one time.”
The two shared an exasperated look.
“Anyways, you’ll have a blast. We never stayed long, but it was always entertaining. Worst comes to worst you can just hang out in the pool.”
Kendra rolled her eyes. Honestly, they were too old to believe all those fairy tales.
The car pulled to a stop just outside the garage as the front door open.
Grandpa Sorenson stepped out, followed by a tall, lanky man and a thin, older woman. Mom, Dad, Seth, and Kendra hopped out of the car.
The older woman was unfamiliar to Kendra, and so was the man. The woman had white hair streaked with black strands, and yet her face seemed ageless, her age impossible to place. Her skin was a tawny olive tone that appeared completely flawless, her black hair was pin-straight and framed her face.
The man had messy brown hair to go with matching brown eyes that studied them intently. He came over to the van, helping Dad open the back and begin removing suitcases.
“Just place the things inside,” Grandpa told Dad. “Dale will take them up to the bedroom.”
“Where’s Mom?” Dad asked looking around.
“She’s visiting your Aunt Edna.”
Dad looked surprised. “In Missouri?”
“Edna’s dying,” Grandpa said grimly.
Kendra had barely heard of Aunt Edna, and never met her, so she wasn’t that affected by it. Dad seemed upset thought.
She shifted awkwardly, studying the house to distract herself from their conversation.
The windows were cool, with bubbly glass. And there were bird nests under the eaves. She also noticed a lot of butterflies fluttering around.
Mom suddenly drew their attention and Seth and her scrambled to gather their things from the car and shove it all in their backpacks to bring in.
“I’ll grab the pillows if you grab the blankets?” Seth offered.
“Sure,” Kendra agreed, reaching for the blanket Seth had brought for napping on the car ride while he snagged her pillow.
Seth also snagged his ‘emergency kit’, a cereal box filled with odds and ends he thought would come in handy.
The two hurried after their parents, reaching them at the front door.
“Oh, there you are,” Mom said. “Got everything?”
“Yeah,” Seth huffed. “Except a ticket to go on the cruise.”
Mom sighed, ruffling Seth’s hair. “We’ll miss you too.”
He groaned, swiping at her hand as she turned to Kendra.
“Watch out for your brother, and both of you stay out of trouble, okay?”
Kendra nodded, “We’ll do our best.”
“So who’s this?” Dad was asking Grandpa.
“This is Lena, our housekeeper,” Grandpa said. “She helps around the house while Dale helps me tend to the grounds.”
“Nice to meet you,” Dad said.
“A pleasure,” Lena agreed with a soft accent. Kendra couldn’t quite place it, yet it reminded her of the ocean.
Lena opened the door, beckoning them inside.
“Oh, the home is beautiful,” Mom said. “I wish we had time for a tour.”
“Maybe when you get back,” Grandpa offered.
Kendra looked around. The house really was beautiful.
The glossy wood floors shone in the light and a low table in the entry hall held a beautifully painted ceramic vase with wilting flowers placed in it. There was a tall, brass coatrack off to one side beside a black bench with a high, carved back. It looked old and very interesting.
“Thank you again for letting the kids stay with you,” Dad said. “I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.”
Grandpa nodded, looking a bit awkward.
“It’s our pleasure.”
“I wish we could visit some,” Dad said. “But we’re on a really tight schedule.”
Grandpa pat his shoulder, “I understand, another time. Don’t let us keep you from your trip.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Dad turned to Kendra and Seth, ruffling Seth’s hair.
“Have fun kids, we’ll be back before you know it.”
Kendra sniffed, tears welling up. She swallowed hard and nodded, “Have a fun cruise.”
“Bring us back souvenirs,” Seth reminded.
Mom laughed, “The best ones.”
“We love you kids,” Dad said as he headed to the door.
Mom hugged them both one last time then went after him.
Kendra hurried after them, watching as they climbed into the SUV and start it up. Dad honked the horn as he pulled out, turning around and driving away. Kendra watched until the SUV vanished into the trees.
She tried not to think that her parents were probably relieved to be off without Seth and her. They were probably delighted for the vacation, not caring that they’d abandoned their two kids alone in a pretty, but creepy home with a grandparent they barely know.
Seth was poking around the entrance room, poking at one of the cabinets and picking up one of the intricate pieces of a decorative chess set.
Grandpa stood awkwardly, watching Seth and wincing when Seth put down a piece too hard.
“Leave the chess pieces alone,” Kendra told Seth. “They look expensive and breakable.”
“It’s fine,” Grandpa said, looking relieved when Seth put them down. He cleared his throat, “Shall I show you to your room?”
“Okay,” Seth said. “When’s lunch?”
Grandpa coughed, “It’s a bit past lunch but we can make you a snack to hold you till dinner.”
Seth nodded eagerly, “I’m starving.”
Kendra followed silently as Grandpa went up the stairs and down a carpeted hall to the foot of a narrow wooden staircase leading up to a white door.
“We don’t often have guests, especially children,” Grandpa explained. “I think you’ll be the most comfortable in the attic.”
Kendra was expecting something dark and musty, like the attic back home, but when he opened the door she saw it was actually very nice.
It was set up like a cheerful playroom. Spacious, clean, and bright, the long room had two beds at the far end, one wall covered in bookshelves and a couple of dressers, and the other held two wardrobes and some toy chests. There was a unicorn rocking horse sitting to the side, and a full dollhouse in one corner with a small piano in the other. Sitting beside of one of the dressers was a hen in a cage.
Seth went straight for the chicken. “Cool!” He poked a finger through the slender bars, trying to pet the soft looking feathers.
“Be careful, Seth,” Kendra warned. “Be gentle.”
“He’ll be fine,” Grandpa soothed. “Goldilocks is more a house pet than a barnyard hen. Your grandmother usually takes care of her, but since she’s gone I thought you kids might enjoy taking care of her for now. You’ll need to feed her, clean her cage, and collect her eggs.”
Seth looked delighted, “She lays eggs?”
“An egg or two a day if you keep her well fed,” Grandpa confirmed, motioning to a white plastic bucket full of kernels. “One scoop in the morning and in the evening should be good. I’ll show you how to change the lining of her cage in a few days. Make sure she has plenty of water and a tiny bowl of milk each morning.”
“Milk?”
He smiled mysteriously, “That’s the secret behind the eggs.”
“Can we take her out?” Seth asked, now stroking her feathers.
“Be gentle,” Grandpa said. “And put her back after.”
“Is it okay for us to play with the toys?” Kendra asked, studying the dollhouse. “Some of these look expensive.”
“Toys should be played with,” Grandpa said. “Just try to take care of them and that will be enough.”
“Awesome,” Seth said, going over to the piano and banging on the keys.
Kendra blinked, the notes sounded different than a piano. She couldn’t quite place what was off.
“While you stay here, this room is your space,” Grandpa said. “Within reason of course. I won’t pick up this space, nor bother you about it, as long as you treat the rest of the house with respect.”
“Alright,” Kendra agreed.
“Sounds good,” Seth nodded.
“I also have some unfortunate news. We’re in the height of tick season, have you heard of Lyme disease?”
Seth shook his head, but Kendra considered for a moment.
“I think so, but I can’t remember what it is.”
“It was originally discovered in the town of Lyme, Connecticut, not too far from here. You can catch it from tick bites, and during tick season the woods here are full of ticks.”
“What’s it do?” Seth asked.
“It starts out as a rash,” Grandpa said. “But it leads to arthritis, paralysis, and heart failure. And on top of that, ticks in general are bad to have. If you try to pull them off the heads detach, makes them hard to remove.”
“Gross,” Kendra muttered.
Grandpa nodded, “They’re very small and hard to see, at least until they fill up on blood, then they get as large as grapes.”
“Wow,” Seth said. “Can’t you just use bug spray?”
Grandpa nodded, “That can help, but isn’t a guarantee. The point is, you kids aren’t allowed to go into the woods. Stay on the lawn, play in the pool, explore the gardens, but stay away from the woods. I won’t be taking you to the hospital for Lyme disease.”
They both nodded.
“Good. As long as you follow that rule it’ll be fine. Break it and I’ll have to take away your outdoor privileges for your own safety.”
Seth winced, “Right, got it.”
“We understand,” Kendra assured him.
Grandpa nodded again, looking satisfied.
“One last thing,” he continued. “You’ll also need to stay out of the barn. There’s a lot of old tools and ladders and rusty pieces of farm equipment. I don’t want to risk you getting injured or getting tetanus.”
“Okay,” Seth agreed easily.
“Sounds reasonable,” Kendra said.
“Is there a TV?” Seth asked, poking at a canvas on an easel by one of the toy chests.
“No TV, or radio. We don’t get good reception out here, and it’s very expensive to run lines out.”
“When’s dinner?”
“In a few hours, Lena will be bringing up a snack for you soon. On that note, if you need anything, go to Lena. I’m very busy handling the upkeep of the property, so Lena will help with whatever you need.” He motioned to a purple cord hanging against the wall near one of the beds. “Tug the cord if you need her.”
“Alright, will we eat in one of the dining rooms?”
Grandpa nodded, “When I’m able to join you yes. On the days I’m too busy, like today, you can eat in here, in the kitchen, or anywhere else in the house. As long as you keep everything relatively clean you’re free to eat where you’re comfortable.”
“Wow,” said Seth. “Mom and Dad never let us eat in our rooms!”
Grandpa’s lips twitched, “Well, if it seems you can’t clean up after yourselves I may put a limit on it. But for now, you’re free to eat where you please.”
“Awesome,” Seth muttered.
Kendra’s smiled, that did sound nice.
“Now then, I need to go and complete my chores. I’ll likely not see you again till tomorrow.” He turned to leave but paused, pulling out a tiny key ring from his coat pocket. “Each of these keys fit something in this room. See if you can figure out what each unlocks.”
Kendra accepted the keyring curiously and Grandpa headed out, shutting the door gently behind him.
Seth had opened a toy chest now and was examining the contents. The toys were old-fashioned but in excellent condition. Soldiers, dolls, puzzles, stuffed animals, wooden blocks, some blocks shaped like logs, and others.
Kendra went to the window, a telescope put before it. She tried to peer through the eyepiece but couldn’t get it to focus right no matter how much she adjusted the knobs.
Pulling away she studied the window, realizing they were made of bubbly glass like the front of the house.
She unfastened the latch, pushing the window open. Even without the telescope she could see far into the forest. She moved the telescope closer and peered through it. After a moment of adjusted the knobs she could see even the leaves of the trees in clear detail.
“Oh, let me see,” Seth said, peering over her shoulder.
“Give me a bit, I just started looking.”
“But I wanna see.”
“Go play with the toys some,” Kendra huffed. “I’ll let you look after I’m done.”
“But sharing is caring,” Seth insisted.
“I said you could look, let me use it first though. I was using it already.”
Seth squinted, “What are you even looking at?”
“The trees.”
“Boring, let me see. I’ll look at something more interesting.”
Kendra rolled her eyes but stepped away, not wanting to deal with his whining.
“Fine but let me close the window. I don’t want bugs to come in.”
“Sure, whatever,” Seth studied the telescope as she closed the window and went off to study the dressers.
They were carved elegantly with fairies and unicorns and fiery birds.
She ran her fingers over the intricate patterns, she wished she had something like this at home.
She shook her head, going to look at the wardrobes, it reminded her of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. She wondered if she stepped in would she find a mystical land on the other side.
“This stupid thing won’t even focus,” Seth complained.
Kendra smiled.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to reblog and leave a review, they feed my soul.
What did you think of the room? What changes do you think their foreknowledge will bring? What things did you dislike from the original series that you'd like changed?
Glad you all seem to like the story :D I'm having fun writing it. Sorry for the slight delay, life happens. Finals are coming up and I have a bunch of projects so I might be a bit slow on updates for the next few weeks.
(Find Chapter One with a server of “Fk ch 1″)
Come chat with me on discord: https://discord.gg/nwwcSQSUjh
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
Breakfast the next morning was good. Lena had called it “cream of wheat”, mixed with berries and homemade raspberry preserves. There was also toast and butter, and orange juice.
Seth had his tongue poking out as he angled his butter knife to bounce sun rays in Kendra’s eyes. She was not close enough to the window to retaliate, so she settled for kicking his foot.
“Don’t blind your sister, Seth,” Grandpa said.
Seth put his butter knife down with a sigh, turning to Grandpa, “Where’s Dale?”
Kendra wondered the same thing, she hadn’t seen him today, was he still asleep? It was almost nine.
“Dale and I got up a few hours ago, finished most of the morning chores. He’s still out working, I’m just here to keep you company since it’s your first morning.”
“Will you guys be back for lunch?” Kendra asked.
“No, today I’m going to the North fields, I’ll be bringing lunch with me.” He studied the wall above them, looking uncomfortable. “I’ll likely be back for dinner.”
“Oh...” Kendra murmured, nibbling on some toast. She supposed he hadn’t particularly wanted them here anyways. He wasn’t required to spend all his time with them.
“You kids remember my rules?” Grandpa asked.
Seth nodded, shoving some cream of wheat in his mouth, “This is good.”
“Stay out of the woods and the barn,” Kendra answered her Grandpa. “And keep things neat and try not to break anything.”
“Good girl,” Grandpa said with a small smile. “There’s a swimming pool out back, it’s all set up so feel free to swim in it. If you don’t feel like swimming there are gardens as well, plus the yard as a whole to run around in. You might even find some surprises if you look around.”
He stood, folding his napkin.
“You’re also welcome to play in your room. Any questions?”
Kendra nodded, “When is Grandma coming back?”
Grandpa faltered, gaze darting to the clock.
“That depends on your Aunt Edna. If she recovers quickly than Ruth could be back next week, or it could be a couple of months.”
“Good thing Grandma’s not sick anymore,” Seth said, putting some jam on his toast.
“Sick?” Grandpa asked.
“You know,” Kendra said with a frown. “The illness that kept her from the funeral.”
“Oh yes,” He nodded. “That one. Well, she was still a little under the weather when she left but was feeling much better.”
“I’m sad we missed her,” Kendra said.
“Yeah, we haven’t seen her in years,” Seth added.
“She was sorry to miss you too,” Grandpa assured them as he pushed his chair in. “I’d best be off. Don’t forget sunblock if you swim and keep your video games inside.”
“Yes Grandpa,” Seth said.
“We’ll be good,” Kendra promised.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
Kendra was dressed in her blue swimsuit, a towel over one shoulder, as she stepped onto the back porch. She had a water bottle under one arm and a very pretty handheld mirror she’d found in the nightstand by her bed in her hand.
She paused to admire the gardens that covered a good portion of the backyard. There were paths of white stones meandering through the flower beds and hedgerows. She could see the edge of a vegetable patch peeking out behind some hedges to the right of her, and some dry fountains over there too.
Just in front of the porch seemed to be an herb garden and around the pool were more flower beds and a ring of fruit trees. She didn’t recognize all the fruit there, only the two apple trees and cherry tree. Maybe that one was a peach tree?
She wondered if it was okay for them to eat any of them.
The flowers were really beautiful though, Kendra had never seen such brilliant blossoms.
Seth was already swimming, throwing some sinking toys and diving after them.
The pool looked really cool, with a black bottom and rocks surrounding it you could almost mistake it for a pond.
Kendra grinned and headed down the steps, following the short path to the pool side.
The garden around her was filled with birds and insects.
There were quick moving hummingbirds, wings nearly invisible as they moved from flower to flower.
Huge bumblebees buzzed around, two coming very close to her. She stilled for a moment, remembering the rule her dad taught her. As long as you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you. They drifted past.
Kendra paused again as two butterflies alighted on some flowers by her, wings brilliant hues of blue and red. She’d never seen such brilliant butterflies. Then again, she’d never visited a garden this incredible either, it’s no wonder Grandpa Sorenson had so many chores.
“Beautiful,” she murmured.
The butterflies fluttered back up, flying around her for a moment before drifting away.
“Wow,” she whispered as she arrived at the pool. This really was an amazing backyard.
The poolside was paved, with some recliners and a circular glass table with a big umbrella in the center.
Seth climbed out of the pool as she arrived, waving as he leapt from a stone outcropping with a whoop. He hit the water with a big splash.
Kendra set her towel and mirror on the table and grabbed a bottle of sunblock. She took a few minutes to smear it on her skin, rubbing it in until it disappeared.
While Seth dove under water for another one of the sinking toys, Kendra picked up the mirror, carefully angling it so it reflected the sunlight. When Seth came up she aimed a big splotch of sunlight right in his eyes.
“Hey!”
Seth ducked back under water, coming back up in another spot. Kendra pointed the light right back at him.
“Cut it out!” Seth called.
“But I thought you liked playing with sunlight,” Kendra said.
Seth turned to glare but had to look away with the light in his eyes.
“I only did it a little! And Grandpa already told me to stop.”
Because that always stops him from doing something, but Kendra put the mirror down anyways.
“Don’t try to blind me again,” she said.
“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled, swimming over to the side of the pool.
“How’s the water?” Kendra asked, walking over to the edge.
Seth grinned, and shoved the water forward to splash her.
She shrieked, surprised by the cold, before her eyes narrowed and she leapt over him into the water.
It took a moment to adjust to the temperature but then she quickly swam away from Seth, ducking under the water to avoid his splashing.
It ended in a splash fight, Seth swinging his arms in wide arcs and doing big but weak splashes. Kendra pushed to water in focused waves, hitting Seth head on more, though he dodged more than she did.
She ducked under water after a few minutes, when the fight was slowing, yanking Seth under water.
The fight began anew, Seth and her wrestling in the water until they were both tired.
“I definitely won,” Seth said.
Kendra rolled her eyes.
The two of them played some games with the sinking toys, racing for them and seeing who could get the most. Then they tried different dives into the deep end.
Kendra was the best at the clean dives, making only a small splash. Seth was great at doing big splashes though.
Kendra grew bored after a bit, getting out of the pool to rest on the edge.
Seth had her judge his dives.
“Watch this can opener!” He yelled as he jumped with one leg straight and the other bent.
“Eight and a half,” Kendra called back when he surfaced.
“That was definitely a nine,” he said as he swam back to the edge to jump again.
“You bent your leg when you hit the water,” she countered.
“Oh, come on!”
Kendra grinned, standing to grab her towel, but stopped when she saw the mirror.
Hummingbirds, bumblebees, and butterflies swirled in the air around the mirror. Several more butterflies and a couple of large dragonflies were actually sitting on the mirror face.
“Seth,” Kendra called quietly. “Come look at this.”
“What?”
“Come here.”
Seth sighed, walking around to reach Kendra and doing a double take at the insects and birds around the mirror.
“What’s up with them? They’re acting like the fairies from Grandpa’s stories.”
“I’m not sure,” Kendra said. “Do insects like mirrors?”
“Ones that are secretly fairies do,” Seth joked.
Kendra rolled her eyes, “This isn’t Grandpa’s fairytales, Seth, what are they doing?”
“Admiring their lovely wings?”
“Well they are pretty wings.”
They stared for a moment.
“I dare you to grab the mirror,” Kendra said.
“Sure.”
He moved forward carefully, before snatching up the mirror and bolting to the pool, diving in.
Some of the insects and birds scattered, but most drifted after him for a moment.
“How strange,” Kendra muttered before shaking her head. “Seth, get the mirror out of the pool, the chemicals will ruin it!”
“Chill, it’s fine,” he said, stroking over to the side.
“Here, let me see it,” Kendra took the mirror from him and wiped it dry with her towel. It didn’t seem damaged.
She paused, eyeing the assorted insects around the pool.
“Want to try something?” Kendra said as she placed the mirror face up on a lounge chair and backed away.
“Do you think they’ll come back?” Seth asked.
“We’ll see.”
Kendra and Seth sat down at the table, not too far away from the lounge chair. Kendra sipped her water as they watched a hummingbird glide over to the mirror. Soon it was joined by a few butterflies, and then some bumblebees, and then some dragonflies.
“Go turn the mirror face down,” Kendra suggested. “I wanna see if they like their reflections or the mirror itself.”
Seth crept forward slowly, the animals taking no notice of his approach. He reached forward carefully, then quickly flipped the mirror and bolted back to the table.
The ones that had landed on the mirror took flight when it was overturned, but only a few of the creatures flew away. A pair of butterflies and a dragonfly landed on the lounge chair at the edge of the mirror.
Kendra gasped as they took flight and flipped the mirror over, nearly sliding it off the chair in the process.
“Is that even possible?” Kendra muttered.
“That was so weird,” Seth agreed as the swarm pressed close to the mirror again.
“How are they strong enough to lift it?”
“There were a few of them,” Seth pointed out. “Want me to flip it again?”
“No, it might break… I don’t think butterflies are strong enough to flip that, it’s too heavy.”
“I dunno,” Seth said, draping his towel over his shoulder. “I’m gonna go change.”
“Take the mirror with you?”
“Sure, but if I get stung I’m telling Grandpa it was your fault.”
Seth moved to towards the mirror slowly, then snatched it up and rushed to the path back to the house. Part of the swarm drifted after him but didn’t follow far before scattering.
Kendra stared after them for a moment, frowning as she tried to figure out what was up with them. Seth was right, it really did remind her of the stories Grandpa told them about fairies.
How strange.
Kendra sighed and wrapped her towel around her waist, grabbing the sunblock and her water. She headed back to the house.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
Kendra found Seth dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved camo shirt. He was checking through the cereal box that served as his emergency kit.
“What are you doing?”
“Just checking if I need anything else,” he said innocently.
“How about some water?” Kendra said, eyes narrowed.
Seth brightened, “Good idea! I’ll grab some on my way out.”
He scooped up the kit and headed to the door.
“Where are you going?”
Seth paused, sending her a sly smile, “Promise you won’t tell?”
She huffed, “You’re going into the woods.”
He shrugged, “Wanna come?”
“You heard Grandpa, there are ticks in there, you’ll get Lyme disease.”
“Ticks are everywhere, so’s poison ivy. If people let possible dangers stop them then no one would ever go anywhere.”
“Grandpa will be mad, you’ll get in trouble.”
“Grandpa isn’t here. As long as you don’t tell, nobody will know.”
Kendra frowned, “Grandpa has been really nice. He didn’t want to have us here, but he opened his home to us. We should follow his rules, he only gave us like three of them.”
Seth rolled his eyes, “There’s no adventure in the garden.”
“Have you explored the whole yard yet?”
“How about this. If I don’t find anything interesting or weird or anything like that in the woods today, I’ll spend the next week only in the yard.”
Kendra considered, that sounded fair. What were the chances the forest had much in it?
“Grandpa’s livestock or whatever he has here doesn’t count.”
“Sure, but if I find a satyr or evil witch in the woods-“
“If you find an evil witch in the woods I’m not letting you back in the woods or you’ll get cursed.”
“But then how is Kendra the fairy princess gonna save me?” He asked, batting his eyelashes.
“Fight me.”
He laughed, “It’ll be fine, are you coming?”
Kendra hesitated, it did sound interesting but…
“No, not this time.”
“Will you tell on me?”
“If they ask I won’t lie.”
“I won’t be long,” Seth promised, hurrying out of the room.
Kendra sighed and stared around the room for a moment, what was there to do?
Oh yeah, she’d almost forgotten.
Kendra hurried to the nightstand, the mirror was resting on it. Beside the mirror was the key ring Grandpa had given her.
She’d already figured out what the biggest key opened, a jewelry box on the dresser that was full of costume jewelry, and a few pieces that looked real.
There were some fake necklaces and earrings and pendants and rings and bracelets, but also some that looked real. She was pretty sure the hair clip was real silver, and the bracelet looked like real rubies. She’d put them all back in the jewelry box, not sure if they were allowed to use it despite what Grandpa had said.
Did he mean for her to keep them in giving her the keys? Or was there a different purpose?
She wasn’t sure.
There had also been gold wrapped chocolates, only three of them, she’d had one and it was undoubtably the best chocolate she’d ever had.
She decided to check out the rest of the room for more key holes. She had two more keys, both smaller than the first. The smallest was no longer than a thumbtack. Where would she find such tiny keyholes?
The night before she’d tried all the drawers and toy chest, but none were small enough, and most unlocked anyways.
Her eyes scanned the room, trying to figure out what might have a small enough keyhole. They landed on the Victorian dollhouse.
Of course, if anything would have tiny keyholes, it would be a tiny house.
She unlatched the clasps of the house and opened it, revealing three stories and many rooms full of miniature furniture. Five doll people lived in the house—a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, and a baby.
The detail was incredible, the dolls had individual hairs on their heads and the clothing had patterns. The rooms themselves had just as much detail, with the beds having quilts, blankets, sheets, and pillows, and the couches having removable cushions. The bathtub even had movable knobs and the sinks had tiny cosmetic supplies on them.
The dollhouse’s master bedroom had an intricate armoire, with a large keyhole in the center, or well, large for the size of it.
Kendra inserted the tiniest key and turned it, smiling when the doors sprung open.
Inside were more of the gold wrapped chocolates, along with a small golden key. It was larger than the one that opened the armoire, but smaller than the one that opened the jewelry box.
Kendra carefully tucked the two wrapped chocolates away, they were two good to eat all at once.
She checked the rest of the tiny house, under every couch, bed, and carpet, behind every painting and dresser, in every closet and cabinet, but there were no more keyholes.
She closed up the dollhouse once more, determined to play with it later, this really was the dream dollhouse, she wished she’d had one at home.
Looking around the room, Kendra debated what to check next. There was one key left of the originals, plus the new one… was there a key in the jewelry box too?
She went back over to it, shifting through the real and fake jewelry to see. On a charm bracelet she found another little golden key, about the size of the one she’d found in the armoire. She took it off the bracelet and slipped it onto the keyring.
So that’s two new keys, and one of the originals.
She looked around again. Kendra had already checked all the dressers and toy chests and wardrobes (they were filled with fascinating stuff, the wardrobes had some of the softest fur coats and scarves and gloves she was jealous) but she could always double check. It was possible a key hole could be behind something, or under something, but she didn’t think it would be that crazy, the first two weren’t.
She decided to check the telescope, it seemed reasonable enough with all the knobs and different sections.
A thorough check later led her to be sure that there were no key holes.
Maybe she could see Seth through it though.
She opened the window, noticing Dale walking along the lawn at the outskirts of the woods. Kendra thought that he was out doing chores, why was he at the yard?
He stooped, putting something that he’d been carrying behind a low hedge, making her unable to see it. He set off at a brisk pace, glancing around as if worried someone would see.
Kendra considered for a moment, that seemed strange, but not bad. Her curiosity got the best of her though and she headed down the stairs.
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Reaching outside, Dale was nowhere in sight. She headed over to the low hedge beneath the attic window, weaving through the beautiful gardens and past a few lovely fountains.
The hedge was about six feet before the edge of the forest and laying on the ground just behind it was a large pie tin full of milk.
Kendra crouched down, staring in fascination at the assorted animals hovering around it and drinking the milk.
An iridescent hummingbird hung suspended over the pie tin, along with several butterflies. One swooped down and splashed in the milk, before fluttering back up.
The hummingbird flew away after a moment and a dragonfly approached.
All the animals were very pretty. The butterflies wings the brightest colors and the dragonflies large and almost sparkling in the light.
“You’re all so pretty,” she murmured to the winged animals. “But why are you all drinking the milk?”
She gasped as a butterfly landed on her hand, wings fluttering delicately.
“Hello,” she whispered, staying still so as not to scare it away.
It’s wings fluttered, and after a moment it drifted back into the air.
She glanced back at the pie tin, surprised by how much the milk level had fallen.
Who knew that butterflies, dragonflies, hummingbirds, and bees liked milk?
She carefully straightened, grinning at the winged animals that drifted around her.
“I’ve got to go, enjoy your milk.”
She walked back towards the house, then paused partway. She studied the attic window for a moment. The house was pretty big, but the attic was fairly long.
Studying the window, she visualized the room. It only took up half the space that should be there.
She walked around to the opposite side of the house, distracted slightly by the many beautiful flowers, and the assorted fruit trees that dotted the lawn.
Arriving on the far side, she studied the top of the house. There were another set of attic windows, window that the room Seth and she were staying in couldn’t see. So, there was another side to the attic.
Maybe there was a secret passage to it in the playroom! Maybe that’s what the keys were for.
She was just about to head back to the attic to check when she noticed Dale coming from the barn with another pie tin.
She could always check the attic later.
She hurried over to Dale, frowning when he suddenly looked uncomfortable.
He pasted a smile on his face as she reached him, “Hey Kendra.”
“Hi, what are you doing?”
“Just taking some milk to the house,” he said, changing direction to head towards the house. He had been heading towards the woods.
“Why’s it in a pie tin? And why’d you leave the other tin behind the hedge?”
“Hedge?” he said innocently, looking incredibly guilty.
“There were a lot of butterflies there, drinking it.”
Dale stopped, studying Kendra intently. “Can you keep a secret?”
“Of course.”
He glanced around as if there were spies nearby. “We have a few milking cows, and they make a lot of milk. We sell some of it, and use some, but there’s a bit excess. I put it out for the insects, seems to make them happy.”
“Why’s it a secret?” Kendra asked.
“Well, I never really asked if it was alright. Your grandfather might not be happy about me doing it when I could be trying to sell it.”
“It seems nice,” Kendra offered. “The animals seemed to like it.”
He nodded, “Yeah, they seem happy with it.”
“So you weren’t taking that tin to the house.”
He coughed, “No, no. This milk hasn’t been pasteurized. It’s full of bacteria, you could catch all sorts of diseases. People should not drink it, but the insects seem to like it best like this. You’ll keep my secret?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks,” he winked at her.
“Where are you putting that one?”
“Over there,” he jerked his chin towards the woods. “I set a few on the border of the yard every day.”
“Does it go bad? Or attract anything dangerous?”
“I don’t leave it out long. And some days they’re empty when I collect the pans, haha, they’re thirsty little critters.”
Kendra nodded, “Cool.”
“I’d best get back to work, I’ll see you around Kendra.”
“Yeah, see you later.”
She turned to head back inside.
“Oh yeah, you seen your brother around?” Dale asked.
“I think he’s in the house,” Kendra said. “He wanted some water last I checked.”
“Kay, just checking.”
Kendra waved, heading back in the house.
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