Edward's Sanctuary

"Give me my ball back!" little Alice screamed at Grace, her cousin who was being a brat.

"I told you not to hit me with it." Grace glared at Alice, holding the ball in the air where Alice couldn't snatch it away. Grace was 12 years old, 3 years older than Alice.

"It was an accident that time! Please, Gracie." begged Alice, doing the puppy dog pout.

Grace sighed and gave Alice a little smirk. Grace lowered the ball and kicked it high in the air.

Alice lived in the cul-de-sac of Suburbia. Living next to the creepy old castle on the hilltop which is haunted. She is used to it being up there, never having a reason or a purpose to poke around... until now.

Her bouncy ball went high up in the air, over the gate near the old castle. It continued to bounce nearer and closer to the haunted house. Alice gulped.

"Now go get your stupid ball," Grace turned around and walked into Alice's home.

Alice's hands were at her side, clutching her white dress. She wanted to follow Grace back inside but she knew she should get her favorite red ball back. She put on a brave face and ran up the hill. She slowed down, taking in the beautiful scenery. It was a garden that lay hidden beyond the ugly old gate and trees.

Her bright red ball was nowhere in sight.

There was a fountain near pink flowers and surrounding the area were topiaries. Alice knew she could come back another day to examine more carefully of the beautiful garden, but right now she had family waiting back home, preparing to eat a great Thanksgiving feast. She still had to find her ball though.

Alice thought she heard the slightest sound of the ball bouncing inside the house. It was a faint echo and she quickly walked over to the front door.

'The house isn't haunted. Someone obviously had something to do with this garden' Alice thought. She took a deep breath and opened the door. She walked inside, wishing it looked as it did outside. Everything was dark and dusty. As if nothing had been touched in decades.

Alice saw her ball. It was near the long staircase. She grabbed it and was about to run out when she heard movement upstairs. Alice turned around and broke out into apology mode. "Excuse me s-s-sir or ma'm. I didn't mean to barge in I was j-just looking for my ball." She had nervous giggles as she felt her feet walking up the stairs.

She couldn't stop herself from contuning to move up the stairs. Holding her ball close to her chest with both hands. She reached the end of the stairs, feeling a bit out of breath. There was nothing but more stairs and she continued walking up.

"Why are you alone on Thanksgiving? Shouldn't you be with your family?" Alice gave out another nervous laugh. Having no idea why she kept walking around a stranger's home. Maybe it wasn't someone, it was a ghost! The house is haunted! Before Alice could make her decision to sprint out of there, she came around a large room with two large holes in the ceiling, looking out into the sky.

She made her way over to the one on her right and stared out. She could see her house and she could also see it was getting dark. Alice heard more movements behind her. When she turned around she saw a large square hole in the wall. As if it was a fireplace. She walked over to it very slowly.

Alice gasped and dropped her ball and it bounced, bounced, and bounced down the long flight of stairs. There was a man sitting there, looking almost as scared as Alice. His black hair was covering a part of his face, Alice could make out a few scars. He was wearing all black in leather like clothing. He stood up; Alice backed away as he walked a little closer. But that was not what frightened her, him coming all close and all, it was what he was holding. Blades.

Alice was near the larger hole, as he continued walking closer she now could see why she wasn't feeling so scared anymore. They weren't blades, they were scissors. The scissors were his hands.

"I'm sorry." was the only thing the man said.

Alice blinked and tucked a strand of her long dark hair behind her ear. Her light blue eyes were wide. They were starting to hurt but she couldn't look away. She had a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach but she wasn't scared. The man's voice sounded so scared, so sincere.

Alice lowered her hand, which was frozen in midair near her ear, and smiled.

"Hi, I'm Alice."

The man's lip twitched and he backed away. Alice was now the one walking closer.

"I'm Edward." the man named Edward quietly said.

"Nice to meet you, Edward." she curtsied. She continued to step closer to the man with scissors as hands. He no longer walked backwards but his scissors were twitching nervously.

Alice put out her right hand, reaching for his face. Wanting to touch something so unlike she has never seen before. Something so unique and different.

"I'm not finished." Edward whispered. It has been so long for Edward to have spoken to a person, but he will never forget those memories. The good ones. The bad ones.

Alice put her hand on his cheek, feeling the scars under her palm. "That's okay." she smiled.

"Your hand, it's very warm." Edward's black eyes were looking at it, they were almost crossed eyed. But they were indeed sad.

"Your face, it's very warm, too." Alice smiled again.

Edward's lips formed a genuine smiled and he said, "Thank you."