The Dream Begins

Christine descended the steps of the bus slowly, much to the annoyance of those behind her. But her attention was focused on something much more important than the state of her peers. The Château de Hac held Christine in a state of awe. She stopped when she reached the ground and hardly noticed when Meg jostled her out of the way.

The château was straight out of a fairy tale. Six turrets rose spectacularly into the air. The light stone with which the turrets were constructed was juxtaposed by the terracotta slate used as roofing tiles. The contrast made the turrets seem even taller than they were. They looked magical, almost as if they were a figment of a young girl's over-active imagination. She imagined the story that could be written about this castle. A hostage princess, trapped in one of the tallest towers, lonely and afraid, would look out of her one window each night, hoping to catch sight of her rescuer-her one true love. Just one glimpse of him would console her and give her enough hope to spend another day in the tower. Another day in the tower, another day alone.

"Ahhh!" shrieked Meg, violently waking Christine from her reverie. "It's beautiful! Oh Christine, this is so amazing! I can't believe…"

Meg rattled on about her amazement as they continued down the walk to the grand front doors. Rose bushes lined the path, lending splashes of red and a light scent that was carried on an even lighter breeze. Even the gravel beneath their feet seemed spectral, making a perfect crunching sound as they walked.

The group passed through the ornately carved doors and into the castle's foyer. Despite the computerized front desk and electric lights, the inside of the castle looked realistically antique. The floors were white marble with swirls and whorls of black and gray. The walls were the same color stone as the outside, but warmly decorated with red and gold tapestries.

Moving her eyes up the wall, Christine then settled her view to the high, vaulted ceiling. A wrought iron chandelier hung down. Now, it was illuminated by electric lights. But Christine could easily imagine candles lending their soft glow to light up the foyer. Facial features would have been less severe, shadows would have been more pronounced. All together, the atmosphere would have been one of subtle romance, sweet dreams, and hidden desires.

'This place is one of dreams," Christine said. "It's beautiful."

"Girls, come here please!" yelled Christine's French teacher, trip chaperone, and Meg's mother, Mme. Giry. She told the girls to pair up, then proceeded to give each pair a heavy iron room key.

"Well, it'll be near impossible to lose this thing," said Meg, turning over the key in her hands.

"With you," said Christine, "I wouldn't be surprised."

Meg stuck out her tongue at a smiling Christine, and both started to mount the stairs to their shared room.

XOX

To Christine and Meg's delight, their room was located in one of the towers. The 72 steep steps up to the tower were slightly difficult to maneuver; both girls were lugging 50-pound suitcases behind them.

"That was annoying," grumbled Meg as they at last entered their room.

Rushing over to the window and flinging it open, Christine stuck out her head and took a deep breath in.

"Oh, the climb was worth the view! Look, Meg!"

Meg groaned as she pushed herself up off the couch and made her way to the window. She gasped at what she saw. The two girls were gaping at the expanses of well-manicured lawn. A modern swimming pool had been installed, but the bright blue of the chlorinated water did little to mar the natural beauty of the grounds. A greenhouse was spotted a distance away from the pool. A short walk beyond that were the stables where Christine could see a few of the horses and the paddocks in which they were located. She could pick out the individual trails leading from the stables into the woods, no doubt twisting and winding in such a way that only a well-versed guide would be able to successfully navigate them.

Christine tore herself away from the window and took in the details of her room.

"The decorator certainly had a theme…"

"You think?"

Christine brushed off Meg's sarcastic reply and went back to her observations. Yes indeed, the room had a theme. And that theme was green. The sitting room the door led into was furnished with an inviting and plush dark green couch with brown accented pillows and throw blankets. The rug on the floor was patterned, involving green, brown, tan, crimson, gold, and cream, which softened the look of the cherry wood floor. The cream colored walls also lightened up the room considerably, for which Christine was grateful. If it had been a darker color, the room would have been intolerable.

Making her way into the bedroom, Christine found that the color scheme had not been abandoned. The walls and floor were the same color, but the four poster canopy bed was mint green instead of the forest green of the couch.

Wanting nothing more than to lie on the bed and vegetate, Christine reluctantly pulled herself away. That is when she saw the fireplace.

It had to be the biggest one she had ever seen. 'A full-grown man could fit into there without much of a problem,' she thought. Not only was it big, but it was gorgeous. The rough stones made Christine think of an old country cottage. Yet the perception vanished immediately as Christine saw the ornately carved designs etched into the wood. Taking a step closer, she ran her fingers over the finely carved vines and flowers. They twisted and writhed almost as if they grew into the wood and petrified hundreds of years ago.

"Damn!" said Meg.

"I know. Isn't it amazing?"

"No, not that! We're late for the tour. Crap, that docent did not look too friendly. She's going to kill us!"

Christine scrambled for the key as Meg rushed to the door. Together, they flew down the stairs, not looking forward to the lecture they were sure they were to receive, but unwilling to try the guide's patience any longer.