Chapter One

          It was a nice day. Too nice to be called a summer's evening. Humidity hung in the air like a desperate soul, fighting to regain consciousness. The clouds hung low. They were dark and ominous with a dark blue tint. Guinivere knew it was going to rain, but she didn't care. She continued to stroll and hum, carefully writing in her leatherbound diary. A golden lock loosely hung to the side of it. The sun's rays would catch a glint every once in a while. The papers of the diary were old and crinkled, like parchment. Gwen loved the texture against her fingers. It felt rough and sturdy. She flipped a page and clicked her pen, thoughtfully chewing on her lower lip. Sighing, she placed the pen in the page as a page-marker and clasped it shut. The instant Gwen closed it, a fat raindrop splat onto the leather. Guinivere let out a breath dramatically. This diary was the most important thing she could ever own. Her grandmother had given it to her, and losing it was not an option.

Clearing her head, Gwen continued to mosy along, burying herself deeper into the misty forest. Moss covered the barks of the trees, making them look more ancient. Locusts buzzed in the distance. They knew rain was speedily advancing on them. Gwen stopped. She looked up for just a second, and a couple of raindrops fell onto her face. She brushed them off and wiped the water on her white dress. She hadn't brought any shoes, and knew she'd soon regret it. The moment the thought came into her head, it was as though that was rain's queue. Raindrops started falling faster and heavier, piercing Gwen's skin. She ducked her head reflexively. Without thinking, Guinivere began to run as fast as she could, her feet sloshing in the now muddy dirt. She clutched her diary to her heart and awkwardly looked up ahead. Rain blurred her vision. She blinked to clear her eyes, but that only made it worse. Trees whipped by her and wind rushed at her face. Gwen actually enjoyed the sensation. She breathed in deeply and felt her legs slow to a small walk. The rain smelled fresh and clean. She smiled and glanced down. Everything rushed by quicker now. The leading events happened so fast, Gwen didn't even know what happened until she felt herself falling. She thought she heard someone scream, then frightengingly realized it was her. She had stopped just in time before sliding into a rabbit hole. As clumsy as Guinivere is, she couldn't stop skidding into the hole. She was englufed in darkness around her; plunged into nothingness. It was oddly strange, because rabbit holes were not meant to be so vast. And she was effortlessly falling. How could that be? Before Guinivere could think any of any further explanation, she smacked into something and saw stars before they sparked out.

          Guinivere looked around her. She was in a circle of clocks, and she happened to be standing alone in the center. The spotlight. These clocks weren't any meesly time-tellers. They were large, menacing grandfather clocks. The floor was slanted. It was a black-and-white checkerboard and it gleamed somehow. Gwen spun around, terrified. She did not know where she was, or what was going on. Everything else was pitch black. The darkness seemed endless. Suddenly, all of the clocks began to chime midnight. The rings echoed through her ears, and she instantly slammed her hands to her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped this would all be over. The chimes were so loud, Guinivere felt as though her brain would explode. As if anything could get any worse, her screams bounced off the walls, making her face turn red. She beared for the worse, when suddenly...

Guinivere's eyes fluttered open. She was covered in a cold, clammy sweat. She felt something cold against her cheek. It was the marble floor. She hauled herself up and the world slanted with her. Rubbing her eyes, Gwen had the chance to take in her surroundings. With wide eyes, she realized the floor was a black-and-white checkerboard. She held her breath and scanned the room. Thankfully, there were no clocks. Strangely enough, there was nothing at all! The only two items in the room were two mirrors. They were massive intricately-designed floor-length mirrors. A lion was perched at the top of them, dully gleaming in their former glory. Rust rimmed the once gold trim that ran around the mirrors. Guinivere got into a standing position and tilted. She felt awful. Her head throbbed, and she rubbed it. She knew she had hit something solid. With curiousity itching at her fingertips, Gwen slowly tiptoed over to one of the mirrors. She looked around. There was no one else here. Releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding, she reached an elongated finger out to touch the mirror. Her finger was an inch away from the glass. It hummed with energy. Gwen furrowed her eyebrows. She touched the mirror gently, and her hand went through. Gwen gasped and leaped back. Her heart pounded in her chest. Had her hand actually gone through a mirror? That was impossible!

Shaking her head nervously, she strode over to the mirror confidently. This time, she poked her head through. On the other side was what looked like Paris. The Eiffel Tower dazzled in the distance. The sky was starry and the moon illuminated the rooftops. Gwen wanted to step through, but she remembered the other mirror. Reluctantly, Gwen forced herself back into the circular room. She padded over to the other mirror and queerly looked past. A strong smell wafted towards her. It was bread freshly out of the oven. The wind carried it away. Marble structures surrounded her. Tall pillars and beautifully carved fountains. It appeared to be ancient Greece. Gwen sighed sadly and considered her choices. She had always wanted to visit Paris, but ancient Greece was a far better option. Not many people got such a wonderful decision to make. She was going to visit ancient Greece.

Gwen puffed out her chest and, with one last glance behind her, was absorbed into the mirror.