Everything Isn't so Wonderful, Alice

Chapter I: Part I - II - Try not to scream out

Chapter I: Part I

Try not to scream out

 

The scent of chocolate-chip cookies, brought Alison come patting - bare foot - into the kitchen, bare foot and with her kitten Lilian at her heels. Alison was a young girl of five years old, no older. She and her parents - along with her annoying nine-year-old brother - were visiting the grandparents(from Alison's mothers side) cabin located in the middle of the autumn woods.

"Are they ready Grandma?" Asked an anxious Alison, running up to her grandmothers side, with aqua blue eyes that glistened and a grin plastered on her young face that spread from ear-to-ear.

"Yes Alice, they are ready," laughed Grandma Lucy as she set the tray of cookies on the oven top to cool off. Alice was Alison's nickname which she requested to be called since it was a "rather cute" name to be called. "The cookies need time to cool off, though, so, do you need my help with your tea party?" Grandma Lucy asked, kneeling down to her granddaughters height. Grandma Lucy had vibrant red hair and bright blue eyes and a sweet soul that matched her exterior.

Alison shook her blond hair hastily, "Oh no, Grandma. This is an exclusive tea party that no one is allowed to see!"

Grandma Lucy laughed an airy laugh as she smoothed a hand over the tresses of curls in her granddaughters golden hair and fluffed out her pink and white, ruffled floral dress. "Well now, there seems to be something missing from this pretty picture," she said, lightly tickling underneath Alison's chin, causing her to giggle and rosy cheeks flaunt her dimples.

"What is missing Grandma?" Alison asked, watching Grandma Lucy straighten and reached for an object that Alison hadn't seen.

Grandma Lucy held a crown of intertwined white and pink daisies in her fingers and showed it off to her granddaughter who gasped in awe. The flowers had come from Grandma Lucy's garden that she cared for and loved. She placed the flowered crown gingerly upon the young girls head. "There!" she exclaimed, "Now this picture is beautiful than ever!"

Alison grinned, feeling for the crown on her head and hugged her grandmother as tightly as she could. "Oh thank you Grandma!"

"You're welcome sweetheart," Grandma Lucy replied, patting Alison on the back and straightened her back to examine the cookies. "How about you go and set up your set, eh?"

Alison nodded and ran through the sliding glass door that connected to the kitchen and the backyard. Outside, Alison had her white table and two white matching chairs set outside and she carried the white table out into the woods where her designated spot was. She set the table accurately below the small crystal chandelier that was hung on a string and tied to a tree branch above. She ran back for her chairs and perched them on opposite sides of the table and ran back inside the cabin to collect her white tea party dishes into her skirt and carried them back out to set up her table.

When Alison came back inside, Grandma was setting the last cookie on the white plate that Alison requested that she use and handed the plate to her granddaughter and watched as she ran back out to set the cookies on the table.

"Is the lemonade ready Grandma?" Alison asked when she came back inside, out of breath and her eyes of full concern and worry.

Grandma Lucy nodded and brought the glass jar out of the refrigerator that contained the home-made lemonade. "Here you go," Grandma Lucy handed the small jar to the young girl and cautioned her to be careful and not spill any on her pretty dress.

 

Alison stood back and inspected her table to make sure that everything was precisely in place: The small sugar cube holder was set up next to the lemonade jar and the cups were centered on the small circular cup plates and the small spoons were in place. The one thing that was missing was her guest. Alison hurried back to the cabin and Grandma Lucy was waiting for her granddaughter at the sliding glass door, holding out Alison's favorite brown bunny.