Through the Mirror and Into Snow

Through the Mirror and Into Snow

Before Happily Ever After Book One

...

Ann T. Bugg

...

Pau Hana Books

Through the Mirror and Into Snow, Copyright © 2011 by Ann T. Bugg

All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976,

no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted

in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system,

without prior written permission of the publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. While references may be made to actual places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are from the author’s imagination and are not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental.

...

First published by Writers AMuse Me, 2011
Published by Pau Hana Books, March 2013

...

This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. No part of this book can be reproduced or sold by any person or business without the express permission of the publisher.

Published in the United States of America

Cover Art and Illustrations: Valerie Kramin

Book Design: Coreen Montagna

For Larrie & Sam. Without you, the gray hair & wrinkles would be no fun at all!!

P
RINCESS
V
ALERIE
W
AS
T
EN
Y
EARS
O
LD
. Okay. She wasn’t a real princess. Her parents weren’t actually a king and queen, although they liked to think they were. Dad’s home was his castle and he certainly treated Mom like a queen. That’s close enough for the purposes of our story.

Valerie was indeed their little princess and was spoiled as much as most ten-year-old children ever were. She was not an only child, but her brother Darrell was thirteen years older and lived several hours away on his own. He, although quite handsome, was not often referred to as a ‘Prince.’ He was still trying to find his calling or ‘what he wanted to be when he grew up.’ Instead of saving for a house, he was busy buying the latest Xbox games and other ‘man toys’ such as an expensive German car, his beloved BMW, much to his parents’ dismay.

Valerie missed him dearly. She treasured each of their visits whether it was at their farm or two hours away at his apartment in the big city of Minneapolis. The destination never mattered, only the time spent together. Going to the rides at Valley Fair or the Nickelodeon Theme Park at the Mall of America were a special bonus, but she’d take a quiet day of video or board games at home, too. Each visit began with a special handshake prior to the ‘I’ve-missed-you’ hug. Of course they kept their share of secrets from Mom and Dad like all siblings do and enjoyed the occasional ‘milk-out-of-the-nose’ laughter those secrets brought. They shared the same gorgeous shade of deep blue eyes and blond hair, and were dusted with just a few freckles across their cheeks and noses.

Valerie’s first love was family, but pets took a close second. Their large house provided room to fulfill almost all of her desires. Her mother, however, drew the line at Valerie’s love for reptiles. More than once Valerie came running to the house with a snake in hand.

“Put that thing down, Valerie Danielle!”

She didn’t let the middle name usage deter her persistence. “But it’s cool, Mom. Look at its stripes. Can I keep it?”

“You let that snake go now, young lady, preferably deep into the woods.”

“You’re no fun.”

“I’m plenty of fun. Joke time? Which king felt only a fraction of himself?”

“Henry the Eighth. You told me that one.”

“Why is Cinderella no good at soccer?”

“’Cause she always runs away from the ball. How about I go put the snake down in the forest?”

“Good idea.” As Valerie walked away, her mother winked at one of their dogs, who also seemed happy that the intruder was leaving the house. “Worked like a charm.”

Sometimes she had good jokes and they laughed together. Sometimes the jokes were not good at all and it would get her daughter back on the task at hand, trying to escape the torture. I think she does it on purpose. If you ask me, I think it’s quite ingenious.

Valerie’s first pet was Gracie, a cream and gray-colored kitten. A neighbor’s friend needed to find it a home. After a brief conversation, Valerie’s mother said they would be that home. In no time at all, Gracie claimed a spot by Valerie’s pillow as her own.

The next arrival to the family was George. Valerie’s mother had been firm when talking to the same neighbor on the phone a few short months later. “I can try to help you find it a home, but just don’t bring it to me.” One look at the calico kitten though, and she was hooked. She made the addition to the household, much to the protest of Valerie’s dad.

Don’t let the name fool you. George is a girl. Valerie’s mother had always been odd that way when it came to naming her pets. She once had a female cat named Jeffrey, a Dalmatian named Stripe, and my personal favorite, a turtle named Fluffy. George did have black markings on her face that looked like a mustache and goatee style beard so the name was quite fitting.

It is a well-known fact to cat enthusiasts that almost all calicos are female. Valerie’s mom liked to share little tidbits like this and odd facts or information she picked up along the way. It didn’t stop with animals either. She knew the words to almost every song ever written and was impossible to beat at what she called ‘useless trivia.’ We’re not talking about real history or anything important; just things like who said what quote from movies and questions like ‘what is Donald Duck’s middle name?’

The household list of pets goes on. There are two parakeets that a friend of theirs gave them when she discovered she had an allergy to feathers. That added to the two birds they already had. A small gray bunny and a chinchilla were Val’s birthday gifts when she turned six. They went to the pet shop for a bunny but having it in the cage alone simply wouldn’t do. Valerie’s mother was a firm believer on pets in pairs for company. Speedy and Hoppy became roommates in a large condo of adjoining cages, ramps, and shelves.

I neglected to mention Princess Valerie’s castle was an old farmhouse in Minnesota. Bordering one side of the property was what Valerie liked to call their enchanted forest. Her mom wasn’t much the wandering type, but Valerie and her dad were often roaming through the trees, over the creek, and down the gulch.

Their farm was completely fenced in for the list of critters that is not yet complete. A black Quarter Horse named Charlie, a Paint horse named Ringo, and her ‘Noble Steed,’ a very small but proud black Shetland pony named Leroy were also members of the family. There was an old barn that was home to many barn cats, but everyone’s favorite was a large brown tabby named Sir Lexington. The newest addition was a small gray kitten that found his way to their barn. He was promptly named Gandalf the Gray by Valerie.

Valerie’s mom loved to watch fantasy movies and read fairy tales with her little princess. The two of them shared a special bond over everything magical. She wanted to be sure life was not to be taken too seriously by Valerie, especially at the age of ten. Reality eventually caught up, bills had to be paid, and fun time was replaced with more and more work time. Now was the time for play and wonderful stories of faraway lands and loves that happened ‘Once Upon A Time.’ Valerie was always there with a watchful eye and listening ear. Her mom made stories fun. With her conviction, there was never a doubt that they truly happened. Handsome princes regularly rescued princesses and somewhere far away, deep in caves in the mountains, there were dragons hiding from dragon slayers.

At a very young age, Valerie started to pick up on things like recognizing actors’ voices from cartoons or animated movies like her mother did. Her mom joked with her, “Oh, I’m so proud! Your powers are moving to the next level!” She wasn’t trying to create a ‘mini-me’ as she sometimes called her princess, but they did share a lot of the same loves. Math, science projects, and shows where things blew up were on Valerie’s list of favorite things as well—that was when Daddy stepped in. They often shared pillow fights and wrestling matches during the commercials of a few of the television shows they indulged in such as
Mythbusters
and
Dirty Jobs
.

Valerie often said, “I always feel like something special is going to happen to me.” That made her mom very happy.

“Of course something will because you are very special,” was her reply, although that usually didn’t satisfy Valerie. She had vivid dreams of magnificent stories and loved to share them in great detail.

Valerie had many good friends. Her best friend though, was Samantha. While Valerie’s complexion was fair and her hair blonde, Samantha had dark brown hair and always looked tan, even in the winter. Her deep brown eyes sparkled with kindness and friendship.

Although angels to their parents separately, the two always managed to be ‘double-trouble’ when they were together. For the girls, that was never often enough. They lived a few hours apart from each other, but their families traveled to each other’s homes as often as they could.

They had been friends while still in diapers. Samantha had just turned one and Valerie was about to turn two. Their birthdays were almost exactly a year apart; a year and ten days to be more specific.

The differences in their ages never mattered. Their likes and dislikes were almost completely opposite, but that never slowed down the friendship. Valerie was more of a country girl and didn’t have much time to worry about fashion. Samantha, on the other hand, had quite the wardrobe and makeup collection. They had gotten their ears pierced together at a young age but Valerie’s closed over long ago. Samantha still changed earrings daily.

Val’s mom always teased Samantha’s parents when they visited their not-so-modest country home in Wisconsin, complete with a huge Victorian playhouse fit for their own princess. “We haven’t even been here ten minutes and your daughter has turned mine into a girl!” Valerie’s mom would laugh as the two friends came down the stairs in dresses and makeup.

Every summer for the last four years, Samantha stayed for a week at Valerie’s house. This adventure, as it would happen, fell on a week such as that.

Most adventures begin in the strangest of ways. Believe it or not, this journey begins with a fat pony.

In case you didn’t realize this small farm fact, ponies love to eat. Leroy was certainly no exception. He was almost as wide as he was tall. If you didn’t take him away from grazing, he never stopped eating. In attempts to help him lose weight, he was penned up for part of the day in a separate smaller area to give his belly a rest. His pen had a small grassy area and shelter from the barn through a smaller side door. He, of course, had the grass nibbled down to nothing, but at least he had something to do while he was in there.

It was time to let Leroy back out with the others when tiny drops of rain started to fall.

“Hello, little man,” Val’s mom called out to him from the house. “I’ll be there in a jiffy. Just let me grab my raincoat.”

Leroy talked back to her. Well, he didn’t say ‘hurry up, lady, I’m starving over here.’ He simply whinnied, impatiently.

She came out the side door and hollered to him as she made her way over. “I was going to say hold your horses but they are at the side pasture.” She laughed. “I crack myself up.”

He whinnied again.

“Do you have laryngitis or are you just a little horse?” Unfortunately for Leroy, that joke never got old.

He whinnied yet again.

“All right, I’ll quit it with that one. You’d be wise to mind your temper or I’ll see if that new twenty-four hour gym accepts ponies.”

As she walked in the barn, he ran to greet her at his little gate. She gave him a quick pat on the nose. “I have to feed the kitties first, then I’ll let you go, buddy.” Her other hand held a plastic container of cat food. Giving it a little rattle, she proved she wasn’t lying.

She turned around wanting to head to the countertop, but had to wait. It was like maneuvering a small obstacle course to get to the far wall to feed the cats. The cats took their turns rubbing against her and weaving themselves between her legs in anticipation of their meal. When she took a few steps closer and looked up to the few that were already waiting by the bowls, she again had to stop. Something didn’t look right at all. A few cats at her feet jumped up and blocked the view of what she thought she saw. After taking a step to the left, she could see it once again. It didn’t seem to know or care that she was there. The cats ignored the intruder and simply paced around it. Fear finally won over curiosity. She could no longer force herself to move any closer, no matter how intrigued she was. Then it scurried forward a few inches. She stifled a scream.

Now that I have you waiting in suspense, I think this is a fine time to introduce myself. Take a look over at the stairs leading to the front door. I’m the handsome one on the right. I’m Marcus, a garden gnome. Ignore the guy on the left. That’s my brother Michael. He’s just trouble.

Let’s say we’re not your run of the mill garden gnomes. We’re here because Odette gave us a job to do and it’s one we love. Who’s Odette? You’ll find that out later.

We haven’t introduced ourselves to the girls yet, although I sense that time will be soon. In the meantime, we wait patiently and keep a close eye out on them. Man…I thought we were a handful for our mother.