Story B:

"Grassy Fields"

Caraline was a surfer girl. No she wasn't from California, no she wasn't blond, and no she didn't have blue eyes. That's what you want to hear isn't it. Caraline was allergic to sunlight. She was from New Jersey, she had long black hair, and she had amber eyes. This is her story of survival...

A light poured in on the bed and a shadowy figure entered the room. Caraline opened her eyes and screamed. The light disappeared and there was the feeling of cold flesh on her cheek. A softer light came on and a woman sat down on the bed beside Caraline.

"How are you feeling today Cara?" "Better." Came the reply.

The woman got up and walked over to the dusty bookshelf. Caraline's amber eyes followed her every move. She took out a book and turned back to the girl. She opened it and began to read aloud.

"Today I watched a scary movie with my daddy. I like scary movies; they remind me of what I'm missing from the outside world. They tell of the horrible things that go on in the light. Don't tell anyone this, but I HATE the darkness. Mommy says it's for my own good, but I often wonder what it's like on the grassy plains under the sunshine. How wonderful it must be to damage one's eyes from staring into the sunlight. That would be the first thing I'd do if I could go out into the sun... that'll be the best day of my life. Regretfully, Cara."

The woman looked at Caraline sharply so Cara had to say something to make everything better.

"That was from a long time ago. I like the darkness now."

Cara's eyes were wide with fear as the woman came to her. She slapped her hard with her cold hand then walked up the wooden staircase back into the light. Cara didn't cry anymore, she had been hurt far too much to care any longer. She simply lay back down on her pillow and closed her eyes all the while thinking
maybe, just maybe if I pretend hard enough this day will go away...

That never worked for poor Caraline. She had been through so much since she had been born to Lilium and Gregg. Once they had found out that their poor daughter had a most frightful disease, her mommy wanted to get rid of Caraline. But her daddy loved his daughter far too much to let his wife dispose of the pretty thing. He promised his girl that nothing bad would ever happen to her while he was here. She would have the best care and the best place to live. That never came true for dear Caraline for her daddy concocted a dreadful disease and died just after Caraline's seventh birthday. Since that terrible day Cara's mommy put her in the basement of her home with little indoor lighting and dark drapes over the windows so that the girl would not be harmed. At least that's what her mommy said, but everybody knows that this mother hated her child. Alas for her mommy she could do not a thing for in the will of her daddy it clearly states that his daughter should be given all of his assets. Meaning that Cara's mommy had to care of her. Not necessarily properly we can only presume...

Caraline woke in surprise. She had dreamed of her papa once again. He was pushing her on a swing set, but then a dark shape came, took her daddy away and covered her in shadowy darkness. Unfortunately Cara awoke to the more darkness of her shelter. She got up and went to the bookshelf. She pulled out the very book that her mother had been reading aloud before. She sat back down on her bed with a pen and wrote.

Dearest Journal,
 Today is rather already a frightful day. As usual I have no idea what time or date this is as I write... how could I? I had another dream of daddy last night. At least I think it was night when I dreamed it. Anyway, I'm growing quite tired of seeing these dreams that I know will never come true. It saddens me deeply that I will never again see my daddy's face. It is already happening that I'm beginning to not recognize him. Even in this dream his face was a blur as if I knew that wasn't him. I'm scared that I'll forget him. Forever Caraline.

The door opened and the shadowy figure of her mother entered the room behind the amazing light of day. Caraline closed her eyes from the blur and could feel her skin crawling.

"Please mommy close the door!" Cara screamed.

There was no reply.

"Mommy please close the door... my skin is swelling!"

Again there was no answer. Caraline couldn't breathe anymore. Only whispers came from her limp body now curled on the basement floor.

"...mommy...why...?"

The shadow of her mother grew faint as it consumed her. Cara felt her spirit leave her and she could see only darkness.

Suddenly she was on a grassy field. She felt the blades beneath her bare feet. She was wearing a pair of raggedy jeans and blue t-shirt. She looked up at the fluffy clouds and there was the sun. She stared into it until her eyes hurt her and little red splotches appeared when she closed her eyes. She opened them to see a familiar face. The face she had pictured in her dreams. It was her daddy. He took her a place he made just for her. A place where she could enjoy the sunlight without being hurt. They played together and watched movies on a huge couch. They laughed and they laughed.

In her heart Caraline knew that she would have to wake from this wonderful dream... but you know what? She never did.