Continuation of It’s Coming.

Chapter 2: The Tea

Lying next to my horse, Beast, I awoke from a peaceful dream. I was still shaken by the thought of the creature in the house, last night. I feared that it might still be chasing me. The soft mud was the best place to sleep I could find along the deserted road. My body ached as I sat up, only to have the blazing sun shine into my eyes. I squinted, looking beyond the small, enclosed spot I had chosen for Beast and I. All I saw was dirt, mud, and more dirt. As I stood up, Beast followed. She could sense that I was anxious. All of a sudden I heard faint cheers and laughter, coming from the opposite direction of the house. Beast and I walked towards the noise. It was still bitterly cold outside, but I huddled next to Beast. I started to hear whispers and foot steps, as if someone was following me. But every time I would look, their would be nobody there.

As we walked farther, the cheers got louder.  After about twenty minutes I saw smoke. I ran to see what it was, chimneys. Little cottages lined up one by one, creating a circle. The sign read Welcome To Burnsville! I hopped on Beast and galloped to the village. I was greeted by a small child.

“Hello! I’m Ricky.” The little boy said, in an Irish accent. His mother came to greet me also. She was only about four feet tall.

“Hello! Welcome to Burnsville! Come with me!” she said, guiding Beast farther into the village. “Quick! Everyone!” she said, with the same Irish accent as her son, “Look who is here!”

I looked down to see one hundred cute little faces starring up at me. I was suddenly confused. There was no person that was over 4 feet tall. I hopped off Beast when an old man came up to me.

“Welcome! I am Mayor Bills. And you are?” Mayor Bills questioned.

“Alice.” I said.

“What brings you to Burnsville, Alice?” Mayor Bills asked.

“Well, I was just traveling and happened to come upon your village.” I replied.

“Would you like to stay for lunch?” he asked.

“It’s lunch time already? I must have slept for a while. I would love to stay.”

“Well come on then. To the campfire.” He said as I looked at Beast, “She can come to.” He replied, winking. Beast and I followed the villagers to the campfire. We sat around the fire, eating delicious hot dogs. I lestened while they told me about their life at Burnsville. They explained how Burnsville was created and about the war they fought a hundred years ago.

“I was in that war!” a man shouted.

“Me too!” another said.

“Me three!” a women exclaimed.

“Wait, I thought you said that this was a hundred years ago?” I asked.

“Well, it was! Everyone here at Burnsville is at least two hundred years old.” The lady explained.

“That’s impossible.” I replied.

“Why? How old are you, Alice?” she asked me.

“I am 17.”

“17?” the entire crowd exclaims.

“Yes.”

“My! Well enough talk, let’s find you a place to stay.” She said, “Anyone care to take Alice in?”

“We will!” about 50 people said.

“How about Mrs. Dukerin?” she said.

“I would be honored.” Mrs. Dukerin said.

“Ok.” I said. When lunch was over I went over to Mrs. Dukerin’s cottage.

“You can call me Mary, sweety.” Mary Dukerin said. We drank tea and talk by the fire until the dinner bell rang.

“So, Alice, tell us about your journey to Burnsville.” The Mayor said.

“Well, I was on this road with Beast when we came upon an abandoned house. We had been traveling for hours, and I went inside. But when I did there was eyes in the windowsill of one of the bedrooms. A shadowy figure came out and grabbed me. I clawed until it let go. I almost didn’t get away! I found us a place to sleep and then found you guys.” I said. Gasps erupted in the crowd.

“You mean you had am encounter with The Eyes?” the Mayor asked.

“Yes! It was so scary.”

“Oh no.” he said.

“WHY DID YOU COME?” a man yelled.

“YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO COME HERE!” another shouted.

“WHY BRING SUCH A BURRDON ON US AND OUR CHILDREN?” a women screamed.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“You see, Alice, once The Eyes go after you once, it doesn’t stop until it finds you. It will never stop hunting. It will never give up until it finds you, Alice.” Mayor Bills said in a terrified voice.

“LEAVE!” people shouted.

“No. We mustn’t kick her out. We must help her. For if we do not, she will die.” Mary said to the crowd. I wanted to scream. To run away from all this madness, but something kept me in my seat.

“She is right. For it might be watching her as we speak. As your Mayor I demand we all help her.” Mayor Bills said.

“I will make The Tea and Amulet.” Mary said.

“Alice, when your drink the tea and wear the necklace, it cannot touch you. It will not be able to come within ten feet of you.” Mayor Bills said.

“What about everyone else?” I asked.

“We will put powder around our cottages so that it cannot choose one of us as its prey.”

“Okay.” I said, trying not to cry. Mary led me back to her cottage. We sprinkled dust around her house. She gave me the amulet and made me drank some awful tea. I lay in bed, starring at the sealing, praying nothing would happen. Then I heard it. The creature was just outside me door, moaning that it couldn’t come in. I heard whispers.

“Alice.” It said, “Come out, come out, so we may play. Come out, come out, or I will stay. And harm the people of Burnsville. You don’t want that, do you?”

“Get away from me.” I whispered.

“Oh Alice, Alice, Alice. I don’t think I can do that.” It said. Its scary voice gave me shivers.

“Yes you can. GET AWAY!” I said.

“Alice! Are you okay?” Mary asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Alice. You are lucky I didn’t get you the first time. But trust me, I will get you.” It whispered. I lay in bed, breathing hard. I couldn’t go to sleep for about another hour. I wake up to the smell of pancakes. Mary was boiling water for some more tea for me. I remembered that I needed to get home. I was visiting my Aunt in Wisconsin and got lost on the way home. My mother was probably worried sick.

“Good morning, my darling. Would you like some more tea?” Mary asked.

“Sure.” I said, “Mary, I think I need to be heading home today.”

“Home? Darling where do you come from?”

“Well I was visiting my Aunt in Wisconsin, but need to get back to Chicago.” I told her.

“I’m afraid, Alice, you’ve been going the wrong way. Illinois is down South, but you have been going west. You are in the middle of Iowa. I’ll talk to the Mayor about giving you a carriage for your ride home.” Mary said delightfully. She talked to the Mayor and he agreed that I should have another horse and carriage for my journey home.

“But I don’t have anything to give you in return.” I said.

“Then promise us something, Alice.” He said.

“Anything.”

“Promise that you will come back to visit us. Bring some chocolate! We love chocolate and can’t get any of it unless somebody brings it.” Mayor Billings said, winking.
“I promise! Will the creature follow me home?”
“No. It can’t leave Iowa.”
“Thank you!” I said. The Mayor gave me another horse, Violet, and a black carriage. Mary made me tea, the children made necklaces to defy The Eye, for my horses, and a mother gave me a knitted blanket so I wouldn’t be cold. I gathered my things and got in the carriage.

“Are you sure you can’t stay, Alice?” a little boy asked.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could. But I will come visit!” I said, “Goodbye, everyone!”
“Goodbye, Alice!” they all shouted.

After a many more days, I reached home.

“Alice?” my mother called.

“Yes, mom! I’m home!” I cried, “You will not believe what happened….”