Chapter 2 - part ii

In dream...

She felt like a little girl again, for a moment. She ran through a bright, sunny summer day in the forest. Her white dress clung loosely to her lithe frame and her hair blew prettily in the wind. The moment of childish giddy passed and a feeling of defiance washed over her. She wasn't going back. Neither her overbearing mother, father, or obnoxious brothers would ever see her again. She would find her own way through the woods to a town, a city, anywhere else... which was good since her way home was long since lost.

She wandered from path to path and trail to trail, till the way forward was the only way and the way back was more foreboding than any other. A pain settled in the pit of her tummy shortly before the smell of confections and sugar filled her petite nose. With a sudden upsurge of energy she scrambled over brush and ran into a clearing where a house made entirely of gingerbread, frosting, and assorted sweets stood before her. Lost in the moment, filled with cravings from her sweet-tooth, her mind was filled with one thought alone: 'Gretel, you have hit the jack-pot!'

...

Upon waking...

The break of day brought boring, introductory sessions of boring, introductory classes. It was noon before a famished Sarah found her way to the dining center and, happily, found that they served breakfast all day. She chided herself yet again for indulging, remembering that skipping breakfast and having a heavy brunch would make her put on weight, or so she'd heard. But Belgian-waffles with whipped cream and syrup quieted her misgivings for a time. Afternoon classes kept her too busy to contemplate her eating habits until dinnertime, by then she was enjoying yet another big meal.

Sarah took a small bag of gumdrops back to her dorm afterwards, and some cookies, and some extra sweet tea. She wouldn't finish all of that, that evening, but it wouldn't take her too long.

Every night, a little light came from the little porcelain gingerbread house, from the window, for just a moment.