• PROLOGUE

    Tall, gnarly trees hung with a strange assortment of miscellaneous items; golden bells, long red ribbons, shining white globes. An eerie, heavy gloom. Every so often, I swear I hear familiar sounds; somewhat like a conversation in English but completely different. As I venture deeper and deeper into this bizarre forest, a dull yellow glow stretches towards me
    (Am I me? I'm not really sure) from between the branches. It beckons me forward and I follow it blindly through the thorny vines that scatter across the forest floor. They snake around my ankles before I keep walking and shake them off.

    Soon, I come to a halt. The trees have stopped rather abruptly and I found myself (if I am myself. Though, if I was someone else, I would still say myself, for I am that person) standing in front of what appears to be an enormous palace. White marble pillars, decorated with twisting red ribbons and topped with large red hearts, frame the entrance. The turrets, windows, and practically every other part of the castle, are adorned with ribbons and hearts. In the centre of the palace roof stands a colossal red heart frame draped with ribbons and spiked sticks supporting round lumpy something’s that I can't quite see.
    As I gaze upon this magnificent, yet somewhat chilling, monument, I wonder: What is this place?
    A dream? Or so I thought.

    Dad talks to me from inside the fridge, his newfound place of happiness.
    "Hey, Alyssa, there's a new fairground set up down the road, near the school. Grand opening was just last week, brand new!
    Ah, we're out of milk. I'll just pop down to the store and grab some and then how about you get Isla and Edie and we'll see if they want to come down to this new place with us? I'll be right back."

    He didn't come back.