• Alice climbed up the stone steps, huffing and growing tired as the humid air caused Alice’s hands to grow slippery as she held her purse in her hand. Halfway up this long stairway, the girl sat down on a step and panted slightly while wiping her slightly moist forehead with a handkerchief. With a small sigh, Alice got up and began her ordeal up the long steps.
    It was more then an hour before Alice finally made her way up these steps. She turned around to see the steps but the sight puzzled her. When she was at the bottom step, the warm blue sky seemed bright but up here, it was cloudy. The sky was white and yet bright, Alice looked down the stairs and yet could not see the bottom, instead all she saw were clouds or perhaps a thick fog. The air up here was cool and not humid as it was before. Alice turned around to see a large black set of gates the gateway was open however. She pushed the heavy gate closed and made her way to the strange house.
    The front garden was beautiful to Alice’s eyes. There were flowers everywhere, bushes, and small statues. Alice stopped to look at a moss-covered cherub that had white roses growing around it. There was a slight sound going through the garden, wind chimes slowly tinkling in the breeze. Alice felt a peaceful presence in the front garden. Alice walked along the cobblestone path until she saw a beautiful fountain. It was rather large and had two fish spouting out crystal water into the pool. Alice saw the water lilies, reeds and golden fish swimming in the blue and gold tiled fountain. Alice put her fingers into the cold water and trailed her fingers back and forth, watching the little ripples and scattering the fish. She wiped her hands on her skirt and then began her journey towards her now home.
    It seemed to be a while before Alice saw the mansion. Its opulence and grandeur caused the girl’s breath to be caught in her throat. She had been raised in a rather beautiful home and was quite well to do, but this mansion was something else. This was a castle, a grand home in the middle of nowhere. Alice home was very large and the stone designs around the place were intricate. There were large bronze urns that held ferns. It was a Gothic styled house but it seemed so out of place surrounded by the lush and alive garden in front. Alice slowly went up the steps to the large, ornate door. She clasped her hand around the heavy doorknocker. The sound was loud and deafening to her ears but no one came to the door. Instead, the door opened up slowly without a creak.
    She steps into the large hallway and heard her echoing steps on the marble floor. She looked up to see the large window in front of her that held intricate designs. A heavy wood stairway seemed to lead to two side of the mansion. There were family shields along the walls and a painting of forests and people in period clothing. Alice looked up to the ceiling and saw a fresco painted of a Louisiana bayou, which was odd to the girl because she had never seen something like that. One the left side there was a large doorway that led to a large overly furnished parlor. The opposite side of the hallway led to a large dining room with a large table and blue velvet chairs. What made Alice give a small whisper of disbelief was that at the end of the stairway was a large cathedral window with a design of a lily of the valley design in the colored glass.
    “Hello” cried out Alice “Hello! I am here! I am Alice Garnet, I am here!” suddenly the loud chime of a grandfather clock made the slight girl jump. Was it possible that no one was here to greet her? Alice made her way up the east wing, opening every door of the rooms that only showed large rooms furnished with furniture. A big room contained a library. She gave a small squeal of delight as she saw the large bookshelves lined the walls, there was even a small staircase that led to the top shelves and had gangway that led to the other side of the room from up high. There was a marble fireplace that held a fire already lit. The windows overlooked a forest that Alice had never noticed before. She stared at a shelf of curious and maps of places she had never seen or heard of. She saw foreign coins, telescopes and dried flowers in bugs in these glass shelves. Alice sat on a leather chair and suddenly jumped up yelling out for someone to notice her. Suddenly a rather mature voice came from behind her. Alice turned around and saw a rather handsome young man around her age dressed in simple yet elegant clothes. His slightly curly hair was dark brown and some wisps were in front of his amber eyes. He was slightly tanned and tall and there was a mischievous smile on his classically handsome face. “Who are you? Are you Mr. Roff?” asked Alice incrediously.
    “Are you out of your mind? No, my name is Gilbert Emery, if you are Alice Garnet for sure, then you are in big trouble.”
    “Why is that?”
    “ Well, because you are now living in this place and believe me you have a lot more to see if you think this place is so great.”
    “What do you mean by that?”