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“Have you finished packing, Marie?” my Mama called. “Almost.” I replied. I was going to stay at my Grandma’s house for the weekend while my Papa and two brothers went on a guys-only camping trip. I hated camping. I threw my books into my backpack. Why, why was my school assignment due on Monday? I really wanted to see my Grandma but I would probably spend a lot of time studying. “Okay, I’m ready!” I shouted, walking out of my room and into the front garden. “Goodbye, sweetheart,” my Mama whispered, embracing me firmly. “Bye, Mama!” I smiled.
“Bonjour, ma Cherie!” smiled my Grandma as I entered the living room. "Bonjour, Grandma!” I replied. “I’ve got a pot of onion soup on the stove,” she said. The tantalising smell wafted into my nostrils. “Yum! Merci, Grandma!” I grinned. Grandma smiled and sat down on an old, comfy sofa. “How is school?” she asked politely. I sat down next to her on the sofa as I thought back through the week. This one kid had bullied me, I had to do a tiring history project, and there was a lot of annoying gossip going around. At the same time, I was having fun writing poetry with my friends in English class. “It’s okay,” I shrugged. “I have to make a presentation on Versailles.” I watched my Grandma’s face light up. “Oh, how nice! I visited Versailles when I was your age,” she told me happily. “What was it like?” I asked. “It was simply wonderful, Marie. Intricate decorations, polished floors, and lots of long hallways. You would love it.” I beamed. That did sound nice. “If I’m not mistaken, the soup is ready now,” Grandma announced. She walked into the kitchen and served the soup into two pretty porcelain bowls. After laying them gently on the table, she pulled out some homemade bread for us to dip in it. I sat down at the old wooden table. “Bon appetite!” Grandma grinned.
I slipped on the nightgown that Grandma had made me. It was made of airy white muslin, and had lots of frills and flounces. A bit embarrassing, maybe, but it was sweet that she had thought of me. I ran a brush through my strawberry-blonde curls and got into bed. As much as I would have liked to burrow under the sheets and drift off into the land of dreams, I had studying to do. I opened up one of the books I’d gotten out of the library about the palace of Versailles. I yawned as I read about the grand Hall of Mirrors, the king’s bedchambers, and the palace gardens. There were a few pictures of the gardens that showed the ornate fountains and neatly trimmed hedges. My brothers would love running up and down the rows of trees and getting muddy. I yawned again, and felt my eyes get heavy. I still had Saturday and Sunday to read up on this. I let my eyes close and before I knew it I was fast asleep.
I opened my left eye tiredly. I could just make out…a tree? Both of my eyes shot open. I did not appear to be in bed anymore. “I’m in a garden,” I said in a voice that was barely a whisper. All around me were rows and rows of trees. This was not Grandma’s garden; hers had beds of roses and daises and violets and only one tree. And it wasn’t my garden at home either. This wasn’t any garden that I’d ever seen before. Where was I? I wondered around, still in my nightgown. Were there any other people here that could help me? I kept walking, the gravel scraping my bare feet. Eventually I came to a stone fountain, in front of a ginormous building, where there were people. Lots of people. They were all wearing weird, old-fashioned looking clothes and milling around gossiping. This was unlike any place I’d ever known. It smelled horrendous too. A woman in a green cotton dress strolled over to me, and said something in French. “Excusez-moi?” I asked. I was lucky that I’d learnt French from Grandma, or else I’d be lost. “Are you here to see Marie?” she repeated. How did she know my name? What was she even on about? “T-to see Marie? I am Marie.” I stammered. “Oh,” she gasped. “I’m terribly sorry, Madame. Tell me, where is your carriage?” Carriage? What carriage? “It…left?” I mumbled. “Come right this way. You can’t be seen in such clothes,” she said, tugging on my nightgown. I tried to remember what I had been doing before I came to this odd garden. Hmm…I had fallen asleep. So this had to be…a dream! Yes, of course, a dream. All I had to do now was follow Green Dress Lady and wait to wake up. At least, that’s what I told myself. I was led into the ginormous building. There were more weirdly dressed people inside, all whispering and pointing. I gazed around. This had to be the fanciest place I’d ever been, with its intricate decorations, polished floors, and long hallway- wait. There was something familiar about this. My eyes widened as I realised where I was: Versailles.
“Bonjour, ma Cherie!” smiled my Grandma as I entered the living room. "Bonjour, Grandma!” I replied. “I’ve got a pot of onion soup on the stove,” she said. The tantalising smell wafted into my nostrils. “Yum! Merci, Grandma!” I grinned. Grandma smiled and sat down on an old, comfy sofa. “How is school?” she asked politely. I sat down next to her on the sofa as I thought back through the week. This one kid had bullied me, I had to do a tiring history project, and there was a lot of annoying gossip going around. At the same time, I was having fun writing poetry with my friends in English class. “It’s okay,” I shrugged. “I have to make a presentation on Versailles.” I watched my Grandma’s face light up. “Oh, how nice! I visited Versailles when I was your age,” she told me happily. “What was it like?” I asked. “It was simply wonderful, Marie. Intricate decorations, polished floors, and lots of long hallways. You would love it.” I beamed. That did sound nice. “If I’m not mistaken, the soup is ready now,” Grandma announced. She walked into the kitchen and served the soup into two pretty porcelain bowls. After laying them gently on the table, she pulled out some homemade bread for us to dip in it. I sat down at the old wooden table. “Bon appetite!” Grandma grinned.
I slipped on the nightgown that Grandma had made me. It was made of airy white muslin, and had lots of frills and flounces. A bit embarrassing, maybe, but it was sweet that she had thought of me. I ran a brush through my strawberry-blonde curls and got into bed. As much as I would have liked to burrow under the sheets and drift off into the land of dreams, I had studying to do. I opened up one of the books I’d gotten out of the library about the palace of Versailles. I yawned as I read about the grand Hall of Mirrors, the king’s bedchambers, and the palace gardens. There were a few pictures of the gardens that showed the ornate fountains and neatly trimmed hedges. My brothers would love running up and down the rows of trees and getting muddy. I yawned again, and felt my eyes get heavy. I still had Saturday and Sunday to read up on this. I let my eyes close and before I knew it I was fast asleep.
I opened my left eye tiredly. I could just make out…a tree? Both of my eyes shot open. I did not appear to be in bed anymore. “I’m in a garden,” I said in a voice that was barely a whisper. All around me were rows and rows of trees. This was not Grandma’s garden; hers had beds of roses and daises and violets and only one tree. And it wasn’t my garden at home either. This wasn’t any garden that I’d ever seen before. Where was I? I wondered around, still in my nightgown. Were there any other people here that could help me? I kept walking, the gravel scraping my bare feet. Eventually I came to a stone fountain, in front of a ginormous building, where there were people. Lots of people. They were all wearing weird, old-fashioned looking clothes and milling around gossiping. This was unlike any place I’d ever known. It smelled horrendous too. A woman in a green cotton dress strolled over to me, and said something in French. “Excusez-moi?” I asked. I was lucky that I’d learnt French from Grandma, or else I’d be lost. “Are you here to see Marie?” she repeated. How did she know my name? What was she even on about? “T-to see Marie? I am Marie.” I stammered. “Oh,” she gasped. “I’m terribly sorry, Madame. Tell me, where is your carriage?” Carriage? What carriage? “It…left?” I mumbled. “Come right this way. You can’t be seen in such clothes,” she said, tugging on my nightgown. I tried to remember what I had been doing before I came to this odd garden. Hmm…I had fallen asleep. So this had to be…a dream! Yes, of course, a dream. All I had to do now was follow Green Dress Lady and wait to wake up. At least, that’s what I told myself. I was led into the ginormous building. There were more weirdly dressed people inside, all whispering and pointing. I gazed around. This had to be the fanciest place I’d ever been, with its intricate decorations, polished floors, and long hallway- wait. There was something familiar about this. My eyes widened as I realised where I was: Versailles.