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Ashley was a girl who grew up in a small isolated town with her two parents. Her mum, Catherine, worked on a farm and her dad, who was known as ‘Grooving’ Mr Graham was a teacher at the school across the street. (He taught Hip-Hop dance classes after school on Fridays.)
Her parents were always short of money. They worked all day every day just to get dinner on the table. Because they were always working, they never had time for their daughter. Ashley herself was 10 years old. She had hair the colour of freshly fallen autumn leaves and ocean blue eyes. Of her few clothes, her favourites were brown overalls which she paired with a short-sleeved thin red shirt.
“I’m going to school now”, Ashley droned as she opened the creaking door.
“OK” her mum replied distractedly. “I love you.”
“Whatever”, Ashley said under her breath as she rolled her eyes.
School only had one class for everyone. Ashley didn’t listen to a word her dad spoke.
Instead, she put her feet up on the chair in front of her, sat back and relaxed.
“Get your feet off my chair”, Lilian whispered in irritation.
“Make me”, she replied with a smirk.
“What’s your problem?” Lilian asked, annoyed.
“Why do you care, huh?” came the response.
With a sigh, Lilian just turned around and ignored her.
On her way back from school she saw 5 men riding horses to the old stable. One of the horses caught her attention, shimmering in the warm afternoon sunlight. It was golden coloured with stunning brown eyes. Its hooves made a lovely tapping sound as it trotted down the cobblestone road. Ashley started to follow it. “No one would notice if I was half an hour late, right? Right.” She shrugged and quickened her pace. Eventually the sun started to set and a beautiful orange glaze coated the clouds.
As they arrived at the stable the men got off their horses, tied them near the trough and headed to the pub close-by. This was her chance to go to the most beautiful horse she had ever seen! Just as she was about to touch it, the horse startled, jumping in the air and neighing loudly. Everyone emerged from the pub to see what was happening. “If they find me”, Ashley thought, “then I’ll be in big trouble!” She decided to make a run for it but they had already seen her! She bolted into the woods, continuing until she thought they wouldn’t find her.
After slowing down to a walk, she followed an old trail for a while. It led her deep into the cold and dark forest. Shivering and tired, she could barely see. “Ouch!” Ashley bumped her head on something wooden. She opened her eyes as wide as possible and saw an old unstable looking wooden door. It was covered with leafy vines. Confusingly, the door didn’t seem to lead anywhere. She walked in circles around it. It was just standing in the middle of the path for no reason. Ashley ran her hand up the rough timber. It gave her a nasty splinter she grasped the bleeding finger. The smell of dust filled her nose and made her sneeze.
Just then she spotted a pair of bright eyes watching her! Ashley’s heart was pounding!
“G-Go away”, a small voice trembled. A little boy stepped out of the shadows. He looked at least 6.
“Who are you?” Ashley replied.
“I am Chris.” He looked scared
“Well what are you doing here?” Ashley asked in a careless voice.
“I live here.” His voice sounded a bit less scared.
“What do you mean?”
“That door leads to my home.”Ashley was very confused.
“How?” she asked.
“Do you promise not to tell anyone?” Chris pleaded.
“Yeah whatever, just tell me!” she replied dismissively.
“OK, the door leads to another realm. A place where anything you want comes true, but at a cost.
For each thing you create there, something else in the real world disappears; and everything you make come true in there causes something else to become a lie over here.” Chris looked up right into Ashley’s eyes. “That’s why you can’t tell anyone.” He turned around and sat down under a tree, his gaze fixed firmly on the door.
Her parents were always short of money. They worked all day every day just to get dinner on the table. Because they were always working, they never had time for their daughter. Ashley herself was 10 years old. She had hair the colour of freshly fallen autumn leaves and ocean blue eyes. Of her few clothes, her favourites were brown overalls which she paired with a short-sleeved thin red shirt.
“I’m going to school now”, Ashley droned as she opened the creaking door.
“OK” her mum replied distractedly. “I love you.”
“Whatever”, Ashley said under her breath as she rolled her eyes.
School only had one class for everyone. Ashley didn’t listen to a word her dad spoke.
Instead, she put her feet up on the chair in front of her, sat back and relaxed.
“Get your feet off my chair”, Lilian whispered in irritation.
“Make me”, she replied with a smirk.
“What’s your problem?” Lilian asked, annoyed.
“Why do you care, huh?” came the response.
With a sigh, Lilian just turned around and ignored her.
On her way back from school she saw 5 men riding horses to the old stable. One of the horses caught her attention, shimmering in the warm afternoon sunlight. It was golden coloured with stunning brown eyes. Its hooves made a lovely tapping sound as it trotted down the cobblestone road. Ashley started to follow it. “No one would notice if I was half an hour late, right? Right.” She shrugged and quickened her pace. Eventually the sun started to set and a beautiful orange glaze coated the clouds.
As they arrived at the stable the men got off their horses, tied them near the trough and headed to the pub close-by. This was her chance to go to the most beautiful horse she had ever seen! Just as she was about to touch it, the horse startled, jumping in the air and neighing loudly. Everyone emerged from the pub to see what was happening. “If they find me”, Ashley thought, “then I’ll be in big trouble!” She decided to make a run for it but they had already seen her! She bolted into the woods, continuing until she thought they wouldn’t find her.
After slowing down to a walk, she followed an old trail for a while. It led her deep into the cold and dark forest. Shivering and tired, she could barely see. “Ouch!” Ashley bumped her head on something wooden. She opened her eyes as wide as possible and saw an old unstable looking wooden door. It was covered with leafy vines. Confusingly, the door didn’t seem to lead anywhere. She walked in circles around it. It was just standing in the middle of the path for no reason. Ashley ran her hand up the rough timber. It gave her a nasty splinter she grasped the bleeding finger. The smell of dust filled her nose and made her sneeze.
Just then she spotted a pair of bright eyes watching her! Ashley’s heart was pounding!
“G-Go away”, a small voice trembled. A little boy stepped out of the shadows. He looked at least 6.
“Who are you?” Ashley replied.
“I am Chris.” He looked scared
“Well what are you doing here?” Ashley asked in a careless voice.
“I live here.” His voice sounded a bit less scared.
“What do you mean?”
“That door leads to my home.”Ashley was very confused.
“How?” she asked.
“Do you promise not to tell anyone?” Chris pleaded.
“Yeah whatever, just tell me!” she replied dismissively.
“OK, the door leads to another realm. A place where anything you want comes true, but at a cost.
For each thing you create there, something else in the real world disappears; and everything you make come true in there causes something else to become a lie over here.” Chris looked up right into Ashley’s eyes. “That’s why you can’t tell anyone.” He turned around and sat down under a tree, his gaze fixed firmly on the door.