I lay in my chair dozing slightly. I had a warm cup of cocoa on my lap the steam slowly rising above my head then disappearing into oblivion. I gazed into the fire, my mind adrift as the flames flickered in and out of my thoughts. As I watched the flames my eyes grew weary, I saw things but they were distant and I couldn’t make them out. I lay there, thinking and I slowly went into a trance.
I was walking in a forest, it was about midday, judging by the height of the sun whose rays shone through the many leaves. I looked around, when suddenly something caught my eye and then it was gone. I whirled around and saw it again, it was then I realised that it wasn’t a thing but it was in fact a small girl around 8 years old.
I walked towards her, leaves crunching under my feet and asked “Who are you?” My voice echoed around me but the girl didn’t answer. She giggled and ran off. “Wait!” I said, my voice was hoarse and my throat dry. I ran after her.
She was soon in my line of vision again and I saw her run off into a small cottage. Wary and vigilant I went in after her. I saw her standing in a small kitchen with lime green walls and mahogany counters. “Who are you?” I asked again. “My name is Isabel but the question you should be asking is who are you?” “Who am I? Well that’s easy I’m Samantha Rain and I’m a student at Warwick University.” “I wouldn’t be so sure” said Isabel in that sickly sweet girly tone of hers. “Wha-what do you mean?” I asked, I was really beginning to get annoyed of this girl instead of answering my questions she made me question what I already knew. Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted as she said “wakey wakey”
I woke up in my chair, it was morning, my cocoa had spilled all over my dressing gown. I cleaned myself up pondering about the dream, if it really was a dream, I had just had. I was brought back to reality by the door-bell ringing, I wasn’t expecting visitors today. Cautiously I walked to the door. I opened it. My heart caught in my chest. There on my doorstep wearing a sickly sweet smile on her smug little face was Isabel…
©Hayley Simon 2005
