Chapter Five: First Walk to School:

Shortly after I got out of the hospital, I began my first year of school. The bus didn’t come out to where I lived because the manor was all the way near the swamp. So, I had to walk out the swamp, down the hall, and out to the highway for the bus stop. I didn’t mind it. One of the maids always accompanied me. She helped me get dressed this morning.

“You look so pretty,” Doris said.

“Thank you,” I said. Miranda stood in the doorway, watching us. She too looked ready to go to school. I smiled and waved at her.

“Who are you waving at?” Doris asked.

“My friend,” I said. She turned to the doorway. Miranda smiled as the maid turned back to me looking like I was playing a prank on her.

“There is nobody there,” she said.

“Sure there is,” I said. “She’s right there.” I pointed at the doorway. Doris laughed off it as she straightened my skirt.

“Okay,” she said. “Sure she is.”

“She is!” I said.

“I believe you,” Doris said. She stood up and towered over me. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes,” I said. She took me by the hand and led me out of my room. Miranda was already waiting for us in the hall.

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The woods near the swamp felt like home even back then. I loved seeing the moss and black trees around us as we walked to the road. I felt along the moss along a tree trunk. The sensation was enough to make me smile.

“Kinsey, we have to go,” Doris said. “You can play in the woods when you get home.”

“Yes!” I said. “Come on, Miranda!” We ran back to our maid standing on the trail. She had her hands on her hips with a confused look on her face.

“Who are you talking to, Kinsey?” she asked.

“My friend,” I said. I stood in front of her, smiling.

“Your friend, huh?” Doris asked.

“Yes,” I said. “She’s next to me right now.” I reached out and touched Miranda on her right shoulder. I could see her smiling at me. The maid didn’t know whether to laugh or scold me.

“What is their name?” she asked.

“Miranda!” I said. “She’s very pretty. She’s got short red hair and she’s wearing a pretty plaid dress.”

“I see.”

“She’s going to school with me.”

“Is that right?”

I started to frown. “Is that bad? Is she allowed to come to school with me?”

Doris smiled and patted me on the head. “Sure. Your friend can come to school with you.”

“Yay!” I said. I jumped forward and hugged her legs. She ran her thin fingers through my hair. I think she went along with it at the time to appease me and just thought Miranda was an imaginary friend at the time. I didn’t care. I was just happy that someone else accept my new friend.

I spent the rest of the walk talking to Miranda. I told her everything about my home and my family. She told me about how she never had a friend until she met me. I held out my hand for her to hold it. I smiled as she grabbed on. Doris just walked behind us quietly. I didn’t notice that she was trying to figure out what she thought of Miranda. Instead, she smiled and acted like she usually did.

We made it to the road at the bus station. Doris smoothed down my pigtails.

“You both have a good day at school,” she said. “I will come to pick you up after school. Make more friends and behave yourself.”

“Okay,” I said. We stood on the side of the road and waited for that bright yellow bus. A few minutes later, I looked and saw the bus pulled up along the empty highway.

“It’s here,” I said. Doris put my backpack on as the bus pulled up to me.

“Have a good day!” she shouted when I got on.

“Okay, bye-bye!” I said at the window. Miranda and I waved as the bus pulled away. I sat back into place as I smiled to myself. Welcome to the brave new world, younger me.