"KIMAA!!!" Kimberly called, she had no idea where she was or where her other half disappeared too. She did exactly as Alyson explained and yet she found herself lost yet again, "Why does this keep happening to me?" She muttered under her breath as she scanned her surroundings. She stood in the middle of a long narrow muddy path surrounded by many trees. At first she thought she was back in the Western woods when she noticed that the trees did not react in the same way as those of the woods, these trees were normal bark and leaf and showed no signs of movement other then the occasional passing breeze. A wind that carried a scent of spring upon its wings, a mix of wet leaves and damp earth filled Kim's lungs and she let out a shiver. The mere smell made her feel wet then she noticed that her dress was indeed damp with moisture as if she had been standing in the rain for hours, yet at that moment the sun cased a warming light from overhead that cut through the chill that threatened to overtake Kim's bones. Kimberly's eyes drifted down the path to see an odd looking building in the distance. Discovering nothing in the opposite direction she decided that any house was more welcoming than standing in the middle of an empty trail. She took in a deep breath and let out her worries with an exhale, and then began her trek towards the house. Mud squeezed between her toes as she tread along and they started to ache with the cold that seeped through the chilly puddles, yet the closer Kim go to the building, the warmer and safer it felt to her. It almost emitted warmth from its walls that called out to Kim and she suddenly broke into a jog trying to get a closer look. As she approached the building the trees parted and gave view to a grand house sitting upon a large lot. A small granite wall about waist high surrounded the entire plot, constructed of many stones of varying shapes and sizes. Atop the wall was a tall black iron fence that hauled Kim's approach. Its iron bars stretched off high overhead with bright green vines covering it making Kim feel more like she was the prisoner looking upon such a wonderful land. Kim peeked through the vines to get a better look inside however found to her disappointment several bushes obstructed her view. She walked along side of the wall, trying hard to get a glimpse of the house beyond those bars, when she came across a break in the stones. Cut into the wall was a set of small steps with an iron gate at the top. She climbed each stair not even noticing that she became younger with each step until she was no more then ten years of age. She was too excited to notice the change in her height for from here she could now see beyond the massive yard within. There were many beautiful flowers all about the yard and several trees covered in the tangles of vines that also covered a portion of the house. The house itself seemed rather old and has a worn look to it's exterior, yet despite its age it seemed welcoming. The building was a large two-floor structure made of red bricks with a large wooden front patio surrounded by a hand carved wooden railing. Kim could see a swinging wood bench attached to the overhanging roof by long bits of chain that squeaked in protest. Two small girls in yellow summer dresses sat upon the bench and giggled as a third, taller, girl lightly pushed the swing with her foot as she sat upon the railing reading a book. The girl on the railing suddenly looked up over her book to see Kimberly watching them. She gave Kim a warm smile that only made Kim want even more to pass beyond the gate before her. "Hey!!" The girl waved to Kimberly and jumped from her spot on the railing to rush down the steps to a small path that lead to the gates, "Come on in!" She flipped a small latch and opened the gate and offered Kim her hand, "Come join us." The two girls on the bench stopped swinging to see who had caught their friend's eye, they to waved at Kim to join them. Happy to be invited in on the fun Kimberly reached out to take the girl's hand and allowed herself to be drawn towards the patio, a smile upon her face. ***** To be Continued . . .
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