Chapter 2 Wither do I Wander

I'd think that I was going crazy except that I have proof of a sort. I still don't think that I can

tell anyone though. Who wants to be different? It's safer this way. I need time to figure

this out. I also want to see if I can go back. The garden is lovely and my curiosity is

killing me. Where is this place..........

From the Journal of Annalise Trelain

Every time Anna went through the kitchen the rose on the table reminded her of her dream, if she could call it that. Finally towards evening, when she knew she wouldn't be having any visitors. Anna went to her living room to the chair by the fireplace. She needed to explore this thing.

For the first time she called up the sight of the energy. She could easily see the airs movement. Like a curtain in a open window. From time to time pale shimmers of color, threaded through the whole thing. She knew now that she could influence it, but still she hesitated.

Finally she reached out her hand and felt the texture of it. As she stroked it she began to see through the veil as she had before. This time she didn't see the garden. A rock wall like the ones she had seen surrounding the garden stood before her only about 2 inches away.

Obeying an impulse, Anna willed the scene to turn. Soon she saw the garden again, this time at a different angle.

She wanted to be able to return and didn't trust that the way back would remain open. After all, the garden wasn't the only place she had dreamed of after the accident. Thinking about the problem Anna studied the structure of the curtain before her.

Looking closely she thought she saw a solution. If she wove the energies just so, she could make a permanent opening between the two places. Putting thought to action took very little time. Soon she could see the garden clearly. Anna pulled herself up using her cane and walked through the opening.

It wasn't until she had walked through the opening that she realized that instead of the darkness of late evening it was full daytime here. She turned looking back the way she had come and could clearly see her living room. She needed to do something about that.

She didn't want some innocent to stumble across the doorway and end up in her living room. Looking at the energies again she saw that with a few tugs she could make the opening as small as she liked. An inch should do Anna thought to herself.

Anna had thought carefully before she had started this expedition. She had noted the clothing the girls had been wearing. It wouldn't do to stand out like a sore thumb. She had gone through her wardrobe and put together an outfit that she hoped would blend in.

A couple of years ago she had gone to a Halloween party with her friends. The princess dress she had worn, minus the hat should work. The green was much more subdued than the bright colors the others had been wearing, but the style wasn't too far off. Besides she liked the look of it with her dark red hair and eyes a shade lighter than the dress.

She laughed at herself for thinking of fashion when she should be keeping her eyes open and her mind on what she was doing.

Walking the paths she looked around her. Many of the plants were unfamiliar to her and she wondered where they could be from. Soon she came to an open area beyond the stone walls of what appeared to be a large building several stories high. A fence enclosed a large grassy area and what appeared to be a loose herd of white horses wandered at will within the area.

In the distance she could see walls of the same stone as the building. Anna frowned trying to think where in the world she could be.

Keeping the building to her side so that she could find her way back to the doorway to her living room she continued on.

A couple of horses ambled over to the fence near her and looked in her direction. Wistfully she remembered riding before her accident and knew it would be some time before she would be able to again.

However she could still give these horses a treat. She had a couple of maple sugar candies in her pocket and she didn't think it would do them any harm.

Reaching the fence she pulled a candy out of her pocket and put out her hand. She propped her cane on the fence and leaned against it.

The horse nodded and whickered softly as it stepped daintily forward. It's lips felt soft as it took the candy gently from her palm. Anna smiled and looked at the other as she came forward as well. She pulled the other candy from her pocket and held it out for her.

A mans voice from behind startled her and she almost dropped it. The other took her candy and Anna turned to look at the man behind her.

His dark hair was shoulder length and tied back with a cord. Blue eyes that looked kind watched her as she turned. He wore a white uniform of some kind. He said something else and she shrugged. "I'm sorry I don't speak your language" she said softly.

He looked surprised at her words and she hoped that there wasn't only one language here. She didn't want to appear suspicious to anyone in authority. And she thought he must be in authority if he was wearing a uniform.