Beyond the Gate
Ride With Me
Sunlight filtered through the window, small dust particles dancing in the light. The pink walls had many shelves of toys and books placed along it, and the bed’s pink and purple quilt was disheveled and was nearly thrown off the bed. Laughter could be heard from a small bathroom, even though the door was shut tightly. A beautiful fairy-doll lay on the stairs, her head pointing down and her feet at the top of the staircase. Suddenly, the bathroom door burst open and a small girl of about 7 ran down the stairs, picking the doll up as she went.
“Oh Flo,” the girl cried, hugging the large doll to her chest, “We’re gonna have so much fun today, me and you!”
The girl pulled on a pink and white dress and brushed her silvery-blonde hair, singing happily to herself. A moment later, there was a knock on her door.
“Yes?” she asked, as the door creaked open to reveal a sad-looking old man.
“Miss, your carriage is here. Are you nearly ready?”
“Oh yes, thank-you, John. I’ll be down in two minutes.” John nodded, surveyed the girl with his droopy, grey eyes once more, and shut the door with a click.
The girl quickly turned back to her dressing table. She examined herself in the mirror and plucked a small container of light-pink lipstick from its place. She applied it evenly, with as much expertise as an older woman. When finally the girl was pleased with her appearance, she hurried downstairs into the carriage that was awaiting her. What she didn’t realise was, that she had forgotten Flo upstairs.
“Oh, Veronica, my dear, you look beautiful!” exclaimed the woman Veronica was sitting next to, her earrings swinging vigorously.
Veronica beamed, “Thank-you, Mother.” She replied, swaying as the carriage jolted into motion.
It was at that moment, that Veronica noticed a man she had never seen before, sitting across from her and her mother. He had pale, white skin, with red rings around his eyes, and he also had slick, black hair. Veronica couldn’t help noticing, that two of his teeth were protruding from his clamped mouth. In his white, bony hands, he held a black and red umbrella, which was slightly torn, and a small leather pouch.
Before Veronica could inquire, the man dropped the small, leather pouch. Various unusual coins spilled out over the carriage floor, and the man swore angrily to himself. Before the man could do so much as to bend down, Veronica had already hopped off her seat to pick the coins up. The man’s eyes widened with fear as Veronica reached out and grasped the closest coin.
“NO!” he snarled, leaning forward and grabbing her wrist violently. But it was too late. Veronica’s head began to spin; she felt dizzy and she felt like she was growing rapidly. Years flashed before her eyes, never-ending, it kept going, until suddenly everything stopped. Slowly, her eyes refocused, and once again, the pale man was staring into her face, looking terrified. Quickly, he snatched back his hand from Veronica’s wrist, as if it were burning hot, and sat back in his seat, his lips trembling.
“Are, are you – hello?” he finally asked in a heavy accent, as Veronica stood up and swayed.
“I’m… OK.” She squeaked, turning to look at her mother. Veronica’s mother looked quizzically at the man and opened her mouth to speak, but before any sound came out of her mouth, the carriage jolted again and Veronica fell into her lap.
“Sorry!” Veronica exclaimed, moving to the vacant place next to her. “I’m so sorry,” Veronica’s mother smiled at her knowingly.
“It’s alright, my dear.”
The carriage suddenly jerked to a stop. Veronica’s mother parted the curtains on the carriage windows and peeked out.
“We’re not there yet…” she uttered, shifting in her seat. Veronica peered out of her own window on the other side of the carriage and gasped.
“Oh Flo,” the girl cried, hugging the large doll to her chest, “We’re gonna have so much fun today, me and you!”
The girl pulled on a pink and white dress and brushed her silvery-blonde hair, singing happily to herself. A moment later, there was a knock on her door.
“Yes?” she asked, as the door creaked open to reveal a sad-looking old man.
“Miss, your carriage is here. Are you nearly ready?”
“Oh yes, thank-you, John. I’ll be down in two minutes.” John nodded, surveyed the girl with his droopy, grey eyes once more, and shut the door with a click.
The girl quickly turned back to her dressing table. She examined herself in the mirror and plucked a small container of light-pink lipstick from its place. She applied it evenly, with as much expertise as an older woman. When finally the girl was pleased with her appearance, she hurried downstairs into the carriage that was awaiting her. What she didn’t realise was, that she had forgotten Flo upstairs.
“Oh, Veronica, my dear, you look beautiful!” exclaimed the woman Veronica was sitting next to, her earrings swinging vigorously.
Veronica beamed, “Thank-you, Mother.” She replied, swaying as the carriage jolted into motion.
It was at that moment, that Veronica noticed a man she had never seen before, sitting across from her and her mother. He had pale, white skin, with red rings around his eyes, and he also had slick, black hair. Veronica couldn’t help noticing, that two of his teeth were protruding from his clamped mouth. In his white, bony hands, he held a black and red umbrella, which was slightly torn, and a small leather pouch.
Before Veronica could inquire, the man dropped the small, leather pouch. Various unusual coins spilled out over the carriage floor, and the man swore angrily to himself. Before the man could do so much as to bend down, Veronica had already hopped off her seat to pick the coins up. The man’s eyes widened with fear as Veronica reached out and grasped the closest coin.
“NO!” he snarled, leaning forward and grabbing her wrist violently. But it was too late. Veronica’s head began to spin; she felt dizzy and she felt like she was growing rapidly. Years flashed before her eyes, never-ending, it kept going, until suddenly everything stopped. Slowly, her eyes refocused, and once again, the pale man was staring into her face, looking terrified. Quickly, he snatched back his hand from Veronica’s wrist, as if it were burning hot, and sat back in his seat, his lips trembling.
“Are, are you – hello?” he finally asked in a heavy accent, as Veronica stood up and swayed.
“I’m… OK.” She squeaked, turning to look at her mother. Veronica’s mother looked quizzically at the man and opened her mouth to speak, but before any sound came out of her mouth, the carriage jolted again and Veronica fell into her lap.
“Sorry!” Veronica exclaimed, moving to the vacant place next to her. “I’m so sorry,” Veronica’s mother smiled at her knowingly.
“It’s alright, my dear.”
The carriage suddenly jerked to a stop. Veronica’s mother parted the curtains on the carriage windows and peeked out.
“We’re not there yet…” she uttered, shifting in her seat. Veronica peered out of her own window on the other side of the carriage and gasped.