Chapter 1

Alice turned on her side, hearing the clock chime once. She just couldn't sleep. The ten-year-old sat up in her bed and surveyed her room. Everything was clean and perfect, even in the dark. What to do? Maybe just get some fresh air and think. I'll head back within an hour. She swung her legs around and got off the bed, deciding that she wasn't tired after all. Alice walked lightly out of her room and down the stairs, avoiding the places which creaked. She glanced at the grandfather clock. It was half past two in the morning. How late it was, but how awake her mind was. The girl proceeded to the back porch and eased into a rocking chair which was her great grandmother's.

She knows her great grandmother is still alive, but the poor woman was put into the mental institution. Why, at her age they should understand that she's lost a bit of reason. She was always secluded, away from her cat named Tinsel. Tinsel was put in the care of Alice's mother, Pearl. Pearl Sharlson. She was a gorgeous lady in her mid-thirties and loved animals. Her husband, Frederick, wasn't too bothered by Tinsel's company. As long as it guarded the house from rodents, the feline was more than welcome.

Alice sighed, remembering the visits to her great-grandmother. How she would sit in this same rocking chair, mumbling about the neighbors being lunatics and stealing her mail, or snooping around her house. She has called the police so many times they didn't even bother to come unless she was in immediate danger. The old bat has even attempted to seduce the police, no matter of physique or personality. She was so lonely after losing her husband fifteen years ago. Tinsel just wasn't enough of a matchup for company sometimes.

Alice opened her eyes, trying to rid of the memories with her great-grandmother. The aged woman wasn't mean, but awkward to be with. It was very hard to have a normal conversation with someone who's over a hundred years old. It was much easier to talk to an infant than to her great-grandmother, Alice finally concluded.

It was quite a warm night. There was a breeze once in awhile and it was refreshing. It seemed all too perfect. Alice began to drift her mind elsewhere again, now trying to think of whatever was keeping her from sleep. She did well in her studies, so that wasn't it. She was just an all-around good person who worked hard. She had no idea what she was working hard for though. Maybe I'll become an artist. My father always said how he was always impressed with whatever I created…

Distracted, Alice's eyes darted toward a lilac bush. What was that? She focused her eyes, seeing two black figures jump out of the bush. One bucked, while one trotted towards her. Fear pierced her heart and froze the girl. It was probably just some animal. What if it was a type of beast that could hurt her?

The moonlight fell upon the figure finally, revealing…a ram? It finally stopped about three feet in front of Alice and turned around. He looked behind him, seeming to asking her to follow. The girl got up and followed the ram with a little bit of hesitation. She had no reason to though, as this was ludicrous.

Alice shook her head to make the thought vanish. Maybe this was a dream. How odd would it be if someone were to see me in my nightgown, walking through my backyard at night! I'd be sent to a hospital within a second.

No matter how bizarre this seemed, she still found herself walking behind the rams. They lead her in the back of her yard, where a row of hedges were neatly lined. The leader walked through them, his friend following. Alice tilted her head to the side. You can't just walk through hedges! Still, she mimicked the animals and found out that she actually could. How strange…

The hedges were an entrance to somewhere that Alice could not believe. The girl's eyes widened, her senses trying to take it all in. It was such a beautiful place, and yet it seemed impossible that she had never known about this. All of this was just beyond her back yard?