"Daddy I want to help you! Please let me go in daddy. Then you can know what it looks like there and I can over see the program."
"Belle, I'm not going to put you in there. I wouldn't know how to get you out and I don't even think I can get you in. Why don't you go and watch your sister?"
"All right daddy, I'll watch Lita," I reply walking to the elevator.
"That's my good girl Belle. And I'll keep your offer in mind, don't forget to do your homework," daddy calls to me before the doors close. Listening to the elevator rise up to the main floor I can't help but feel like something is familiar. The massive doors open wide onto the huge, open, empty space of the factory floor and I walk out into it, climb up the ladder, and walk out onto the bridge. As I cross the bridge I look down into the water flowing beneath it.
Staring into the water I think about my little sister and the fact of my father sitting in the factory at that computer every day and me taking on the role of a mother to my little sister. Ever since she was taken I've been her mother. Taking care of her, helping her with her homework, and even teaching her things that's not even my job. I walk home and pass the school that my father teaches at. My hair whips past me catching the sunlight turning it from the flat dark brown to a dark brown with coppery red and golden blonde highlights. My turquoise skirt flaps at my knees as the wind whirls around me. I walk home and reach the gate with a name plate for our home. The plate reads, "Hermitage". I open the gate, walk through, close it behind me, and see my little sister running towards me.
"Rosie, Rosie I need your help!" she yells, running across the lawn from the open front door.
"What is wrong Aelita? What happened? What did you do?" I ask her.
"Mister Puck is missing! I can't find him!" She explains to me, tears streaming down her face.
"Awe Aelita, we'll find him. I promise we will. Now where did you last have him?"
"I was playing with him outside, but I remember bringing him inside with me when I needed to come in. But he's not in the house," she tells me through her sobs.
"Aelita, first let's get you cleaned up and changed. You went digging in the dirt after Mister Puck? Oh Aelita what am I going to do with you," I say giggling.
"It's not funny Rose," Aelita says pouting.
"Aelita, you're ten years old and you're out digging in the dirt for Mister Puck when you wouldn't have put him in the ground. You would have remembered that. You haven't dug holes in the yard for a while now. Come on, let's get you inside and once you're clean and have calmed down we can go find Mister Puck. Is that all right with you?" I ask her, grabbing her shoulders and wiping her eyes.
"Ok, Rosie. Can you make me a sandwich?" she asks me quietly.
"Of course I can Lita. Let's go inside and get you your sandwich." I hug the little girl tightly and make my way into the kitchen of our quaint cottage. Aelita sits on a chair and waits patiently as I pull out the bread and other things for her sandwich. She smiles at me as I hum a song as I work and she says, "Sing it Rosie. I like to hear you sing!"
"Beneath the white fire of the moon, love's wings are broken all too soon. We never learn, hurt together hurt alone. Don't you sometimes wish your heart was a heart of stone? We turn the wheel and break the chain…" I sing the song by Cher that had become popular and Aelita started singing with me and we laughed and sang in the kitchen. I handed her the sandwich and she ate it as I sang to her. She smiled and when I finished the song she clapped joyously. "You're gonna be famous one day Rosie. And I want to be just like you," She said as she picked up her sandwich.
I laugh and say, "Lita, you're going to do things no one else ever will. You don't want to be like me. You want to be your own person, but you can come with me when I'm famous."
"Have you seen any scouts for your gymnastics or dancing yet? You're the greatest dancer I've ever seen. Can you teach me? I wanna learn dancing and singing and gymnastics from you," she says raising her sandwich over her head. I giggle and say, "Aelita, you're ten years old and you're acting like you're six. Come on dear, let's be reasonable."
"Sorry Rosie," she says quietly. She eats her sandwich and I pour her a glass of milk to wash down her sandwich. She takes it and takes a big sip. She sets the glass down and I smile seeing her milk mustache. I take a napkin and wipe her mouth to take the white liquid off her lip. I wasn't trying to replace mom in any way but I felt like I had to at some times due to the fact that Aelita needed one.
"I'll teach you some dance but you should learn piano from dad. I learned it and it helps with my dance because I can hear the music in my head and just dance to it like I would if I was dancing with you," I say sweetly looking into her beautiful green eyes. My sapphire blue ones contrast hers greatly and show that we were two different people no matter if she wanted to be like me or not. The home phone rings and I answer it saying, "Hello?"
"Rosabelle, I want you to come to the factory when you get a chance. I need your help," daddy says quickly.
"Yes daddy. I need to help Aelita but I'll be there as soon as I can," I explain swiftly.
"Good. I'll see you when you get here," he says and hangs up the phone. I hang up the phone and see Aelita finishing her milk.
"Are we going to find Mister Puck now?" she asks quickly.
"Yes Aelita we are. Now you had him outside last?"
"Yes I did," she replies sadly.
"Well, let's see if you put him away before you went out to play," I say smiling.
"But I saw him outside!" Aelita insists.
"Just humor me Lita," I reply, walking towards her room. I walk to the mantle and look in the box that she would put him in. He wasn't there. So I look out the window and see the bucket Aelita had been playing with. And in the bucket is Mr. Puck. "Aelita, go and check your bucket," I say happily.
"Ok," She runs out the door and to the bucket. She squeals in delight and jumps up and down holding her doll. I laugh as I watch the pink-haired little girl plays with the doll. I walk outside; she runs to me, hugs me and says, "Thank you Rosie! Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome Lita. Well I have to go see dad ok? If anything happens call dad," I say happily. She releases me and I walk towards the old abandoned factory. I reach the room with dad's supercomputer. "You wanted to see me?"
"Rose, I want you to go in and see how everything is in Lyoko," He says, not even looking at me.
"All right daddy," I say sweetly and I hop back into the elevator and head down to the tall cylindrical objects that dad had called scanners when he showed them to me. I step into one and the doors shut. Suddenly, something starts to happen and the next thing I know, I'm in a new world unlike anything I had seen before.