Over Seven Hills
The Story of the Seven Dwarfs
Chapter One
A girl sat on her porch. The sun was rising. The girl was ten years old, but she was small for her age, the size of a five-year-old. She had stopped growing when she was five and was the same height as all her sisters.
Her name was Sarge. Her father named her that because she was the oldest, and his older sister reminded him of a drill sergeant. Sarge had never met her aunt. Her father had died just over six years ago.
A dog barked in the distance. Sarge shivered. She had been afraid of dogs ever since one chased her when she was a toddler.
Something growled. It was right behind her! Sarge jumped off the step and spun around to face it-
There was no dog. Just a giggling, black-haired girl.
Sarge put on a mock-stern face.
"It's not nice to frighten people like that, Slowpoke." She scolded.
"There ain't a law against it." Slowpoke replied triumphantly.
Sarge sat back down. Slowpoke rested her head on her shoulder.
Slowpoke was Sarge's six-year-old sister. She moved slowly, but that didn't curb her bright attitude.
The sun was almost over the horizon now. Birds and insects began to crawl out of their nests, making cheerful noises. Slowpoke smiled.
"It's so peaceful-"
"RAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!"
Sarge and Slowpoke both leapt out of their seats.
"A monster!" Slowpoke wailed, diving behind her sister for protection.
A giggle came from behind the bushes. The girls relaxed. They knew that giggle anywhere.
Sarge tip-toed behind the bush and grabbed the culprit. A girl with reddish-brown hair came into view, giggling madly the whole time.
"I should've known it was you, Ticklish," Sarge said, smiling. "Where are the other two?"
Two more heads came from behind the bushes. It was Gabby and Gloomy Gus, Ticklish's triplet sisters. They were nine years old.
"I had nothing to do with it." Gloomy Gus said. "I was just watching."
"Right," Sarge said. "And you never get tired of watching every morning?"
Gus smirked. "You always fall for it."
"You never expected it, we had to be very quiet so you wouldn't hear us, and I thinkthatthiswasthebest"roar"weevermade….." words spilled out of Gabby's mouth a million miles an hour. She kept talking quietly after Slowpoke covered her mouth with her hand.
"Where's everyone else?" Sarge asked.
"Mom and Spritely are getting dressed, and Snore's still asleep." Ticklish giggled. "I'll wake her up!"
Then all the dwarfs went inside to wait for breakfast.