Susan in Wonderland

Chapter 1

It was a hot, groggy morning in Atlanta. The lush, green trees hovered over the houses of the neighborhood. Heat pounded of the nearby sidewalk like dancing ballerinas preparing vigorous routines for their upcoming recital.

Susan was ten years old. She woke up that morning, pausing to look in the mirror. She felt compelled to write. She wanted to capture the rich world around her, the stuff that was only talked about in books. Now, she wanted to try it for the very first time.

She crept out of the castle, walking slow enough to make sure the old wood wouldn't creak and reveal her actions. Hopefully, John wouldn't wake up. She had heard him go to sleep an hour ago. Susan figured that he was probably out by now.

Susan's purse was strapped across her chest. Inside lay an empty notebook titled "Diary."

She walked to the tree house that was built when John and Nick were little, before Susan and her sister was born. With her eyesight, it was a tower far away from everyone else. She knew though that this would not be the case. Her sister would find her.

She climbed up and entered. Dead bugs littered the ground, but she sat in the clearest space. She waited for the neighborhood to wake up.

The first family to appear were Henry's family, the Panera Family. They scurried out of the wood that surrounded their castle.

"Taylor? Hurry up" implores their mother.

Taylor appeared carrying her bag. She got in the car without a word.

"Nicole!?? I've been putting up with your absent-mindedness every morning. Are you ready?"

"Yes..." sighed Nicole.

"Did you back sass me, young lady?"

"No..."

"No?"

"No, ma'am."

Mrs. Panera smirked. She hoped their arguments would be short today.

Susan shook her head. So much stress.

Henry appeared. He was the most beautiful guy Susan had ever seen.

Susan grabbed her binoculars to get a closer look at him.

She did not notice a certain girl staring at her from below the tree house: her sister Anna.

Susan gasped at recognizing the shape of her sister.

Anna wore a black tank top, black skinny jeans and had dyed hair. Younger than Susan, Anna had already crossed the threshold into the teenage years.

Susan could never understand why Anna was rebelling. She would joke about it with her friends, but it would mostly cause her frustration in her alone time.

"What do you want?" asked Susan.

"I'm bored. Let me up!" ordered Anna.

"Okay, you can come up" sighed Susan.

Susan was just about to hide her diary in her purse, but Anna arrived too quickly.

"What is that?" asked Anna.

Susan paused and said... "An observation book."

"A diary huh? I've always wanted to try one. Let's get to know each other better, we are sisters after all." she said again, blowing her bangs out of her face with her breath.

Anna snatched the notebook out of Susan's hands as Susan watched, with a mix of shame and anger at Anna's knowledge of her supposed private space.

It irritates her to no end that Anna continually would do this, but Anna had a way of charming her sister. One time, she stole Nicole and Taylor's Halloween candy and did not tell Susan until afterwards just so Susan could enjoy the Hershey's she did not get while she was at the doctor. Susan did feel terrible, but at least her sister was nice.

"We should write a journal together, you know? We have thoughts. I'm sure that someday, one of us is going to be a famous writer," said Anna.

"I suppose we could try" mumbled Susan. "I don't really care to be famous though."

Anna rolled her eyes.

"Not even to be a Kardashian?"

"Anna! You're not supposed to be watching that, you're too little!"

Anna sighed and read Susan's poem.

"'A brown eyed girl sits watching.

Her hands sent away scribbling.

Always waiting to see something.

Down below stands one listening.'

What are you even talking about? Nobody is listening to you Susan.'"

"That's it," said Susan, pulling at her sister's hair.

"Let me go!"

"Not until you apologize!"

"Mommy!!!" yelled Anna.

"I'm gonna chop your body up and feed it to the squirrels" spoke Susan menacingly.

Anna shrieked.

"Girls! Why are you up so early? Susan, stop pulling your sister's hair!"

This notebook wasn't picked up for many years.