Kass’ heavily lashed blue eyes fluttered open as a groan escaped her lips. The sun seemed to be pouring through the blinds bleeding on her face so that she couldn’t sleep. "I so hate this place," Kass muttered kicking off her blankets and sliding out of the bed. She stretched her legs and wiggled her bright orange painted toes. 10:23 glowed in red outline from her clock. She didn’t remember when she had gotten up this early.

She opened her mouth and let out a yawn. She stood and headed to her closet. Most of her clothes were still in the boxes, but her favorite T-shirts and jeans were stacked up in the pile on the floor. She bent over and chose a pair of faded blue jeans and a royal purple T-shirt that she had gotten from the beach. It was horribly ugly with big-mouthed fish that was aqua and light green, but it would have to do.

She tugged on the clothes and then pranced around in front of the mirror. It had been late when they had come in, but today she could go around town and meet some of the rest of the kooky townsfolk. Note to self, she thought, stay far away from Marjorie AKA the old coot that runs the grocery store.

"Kass? Kass are you up?" She heard her mother’s voice sound at the stairs. She had sucked in air to yell back, but she heard accompanying voices.

"Which room did Kass get?" That was Kori’s voice.

"The biggest probably. She always gets the best," Keri’s dry and raspy voice added. Kass sighed. She really didn’t want to talk to her sister’s today. Especially jealous, bratty ones like the one’s she had. She didn’t understand her sister’s jealousy. At least they had a chance to know their father’s, and they weren’t stuck with their hair-brain mother and ogre boyfriend. They had a choice, but of course, where did they choose?

"Yeah I’m up mom," She responded walking out into the hallway where she almost ran into Keri.

"God, watch where you’re going," Keri hissed. Kass looked to her older sister who had mousy brown hair to her chin and the lightest blue eyes she had ever seen.

Kass didn’t feel like arguing with Keri. She uttered, "whatever" and walked on. She knew that Keri would poke around in her room and probably complain that she had received the best room, but Kass really didn’t care. She was just itching to get out of the house and maybe cause some mischief.

"What are you going to do today Kass?" Roger questioned, his eyes resting on Kass for only a second, but for that second, Kass thought that he knew what she was up to.

‘Get ahold of yourself,’ she told herself and looked at Roger. "I’m probably going to go around town," Kass thought fast. What could she say that Roger would dodge around? "Maybe check out the guys," She grinned.

Roger nodded without further argument. Bingo. "Have fun," He muttered cutting up what looked like garlic.

"I will," Kass replied walking out the door. With her luck she was sure that Keri or Kori would catch her and try and tag along. Her sisters and her hadn’t been together the whole year, and she wasn’t about to be with them now. "This princess doesn’t share her prince," She stated her voice laced with sass as she pranced towards the back.

She started to walk towards the neighbors. There were lots of woods over there and she would be hidden from prying eyes that wanted to see what she was up to. She dodged in the thick, lush greenness of the woods and walked towards the lake. The old lady at the grocery store was right, the mist was like wet sand. It made her head feel heavy and smothering.

The music seemed to tither in the air again. The notes were dancing around her in the heavy mist, enclosing her into a dreamlike state. Kass at first, thought she was dreaming. Everything seemed to be perfectly timed. Almost like some dreamy movie. Kass heard some soft bass notes, but she suddenly realized that it was the water that was making noise.

The bow of a small boat was brought into view, slicing through the mist like a curtain. The curve of the front was carved in the shape of a woman’s upper torso, including her face. Her eyes were bejeweled with emerald facets and her lips were blushed with a coppery metal.

The beginning of the boat stopped and Kass looked at it more closely. There wasn’t anyone in it, but it seemed to move with vitality, which only drew her more to it. She petted the boat and her fingers and determined that the ship was neither wood nor metal, but something in-between.

Kass stood on her tippy toes trying to see through the lake trying to see where the ornately carved transportation had come from. "I guess the only way to find out is to get in," She stated throwing over her leg.

"And what are you doing?" A voice stated making Kass jump and almost falling into the water. Kass spun around and saw that it was her older sister, Keri, accompanied by Kori.

"How did you find me?" Kass questioned her blue eyes looking at her sister’s inquisitively. "You followed me didn’t you? You little snake. Go back home!" She urged putting the rest of her body in the boat.

"No way!" Kori sounded putting her hands on her tiny hips and throwing her blonde hair.

"Where did that come from Kass?" Keri asked nodding towards the boat.

"Go away!" Kass stated taking the ore and trying to push off, but Keri was quick and caught the front of the ship with her small hands.

"Oh no you don’t!" Keri announced. "You either let us on the boat Kass or I’m going to tell mom that you stole it."

"She wouldn’t believe you," Kass reciprocated, holding her head high in defiant ready to whack Keri with the ore.

"She may not, but Roger would make her believe," Keri smiled raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

"You wouldn’t dare!" Kass gasped tightening her grip on the ore. It would be an easy shot. The paddled end would smack up against the brown haired girl’s head and she would fall giving Kass enough leeway to run, but the only problem was Keri’s mouth. There was no way in the world that she would keep her mouth shut about the boat nor her being hit, so either way Kass lost.

"I would and will. You just try me," Keri answered.

Kass was about to move to let the other sister’s in the boat when they heard the crunch of a twig. All three girls snapped their heads up. "What was that?" Kori asked focusing her eyes into the distance.

"Move this boat out of the way," Kass ordered hopping out of the boat and walking in front of Kori and Keri. "I’ll entertain whoever is out here," Kass added walking towards the beginning of the woods.