Chapter Two

Abigail raises her hands up to block the bright white light and drops Bella. When the light fades she lowers her hands to find she is standing in the entrance way of the dollhouse. To her left is the dinning room with a wooden table set for eight with blue and white plaid napkins and shiny silverware. There is a white candle in the center of the table and a china cabinet in the corner of the room filled with trinkets.

On the right side of the entrance way is the living room. In there is a flora pattern couch, with cute throw pillows on each end, a Victorian chair that is a perfect match to the couch, a coffee table that has nothing on it, and their is a fireplace with a fire going. Pictures on the wall catch Abigail's eyes and she moves into the room. On the wall around the fireplace are pictures of her family. On one side is her mom, her grandmother, and some other similar looking people that she doesn't know. And on the other side are pictures of Grandpa, her daddy, Great Aunt Lilly, and a few others she just saw downstairs at the funeral. But what she really notices is that her picture is on both sides of the wall.

Thud. Something hits the window. Abigail turns around and cannot believe her eyes. She walks up to the window. There before her eyes is a whole new world. Flowers are as big as trees. There are creatures she has never seen before strolling about. Bright beautiful colors all around. She walks back toward the entrance way and the door. She stops to the sound of someone walking up the steps. It sounds like it coming from the dining room. She walks in there and pauses then turns around back to the entrance way and looks at the stairs. She walks up them. Beautiful pictures hang along the stairs. Some are pictures of the things she just saw out the window with bright and vibrant colors. Others are pictures of the attic and grandpa's house. When she reaches the second floor landing she stops to listen. The sound is coming from the room on the left. She walk toward it and opens the door. It is a quaint bedroom, with a four post bed, and a lovely quilt. There is also a night stand with a beautiful Tiffany lamp. She still hears the foot steps and goes to the window. Out the window is the attic and all the toys. And Bella. Bella is on the floor all alone. The foot steps get louder. A bright flash of white light.

Chapter One

Abigail Howers is six-years-old, and sits dressed in a black dress, on an antique chair, in the corner of the room. Her Grandpa, Robert Howers, picked it up at Walmart since she didn't own anything black. She is holding a rag doll, Bella, with a pink dress. The room is filled with people dressed all in black, Abigail's family members and friends of her parents. She can hear them all whispering about the car accident, how her Mommy, Beth, died, and how lucky it is that she is still with them. Her Grandpa kneels down next to Abigail, he is wearing a black suit, its a bit tight on him and its smells of moth balls.

"Hey kiddo, do you want a drink or anything?" Grandpa asks. His breath smells of pink mints that are hidden in his pocket.


"No Grandpa." She hides her face in her Bella.

Great Aunt Lilly is standing with Sue Blithe who is wearing a black dress with pink lace. Sue was Beth's best friend. Great Aunt Lilly is wearing a black veil on with a black dress that looks like the flower ones she normally wears.

"Where is Abigail going to live now?" Sue asks glancing in Abigail's direction.

"With Robert for now, they are trying to get a hold of her father, he is stationed in the Middle East somewhere."

Abigail's father is in the military and has been gone for about six months now. Abigail would get letters every month from her father, but she didn't get one yet this month. She thinks back the night before the accident her Mommy cried all night. A tear starts growing in her eye. Grandpa looks at Abigail and sees that she is listening to all the adult conversations and takes her hand.

"Come on kido, let me show you something." He takes Abigail through the crowd and up the two sets of winding stairs to the attic. He unlocks the attic door and a toy room full of antique toys is revealed. In the center is a grand doll house. It is a Victorian style house, complete with round towers on all four corners of the house. And as any little girl would love it was pink with green shutters and a green roof. Abigail smiles but quickly stops.

"It is okay to smile. These were Grandma's, Abigail. And now they are yours." He hands Abigail the key to the attic. "You go ahead and play up here. I'll go take care of all those people downstairs. Your Mommy always wanted to see you happy. She still would and so would your Daddy and I." He smiles at Abigail. She gives him a big hug.

"Thank you Grandpa." Abigail is in the room by herself she walks over to the doll house, looks into one of the windows. There is a big flash of bright white light.