Open A Shiny New Day

[Isabelle Vigeante]

A Shiny New Day Spring 1st, 513 AV Isabelle woke up, as always, before the sun did. She hopped out of bed, skipped to the window and flung the shutters open, sticking her head out and breathing in the fresh morning air. "It's Spring today!" she declared, beaming, to no one in particular. She rushed back into her small cottage, rummaged through her scattered things and pulled out her favorite dress, the black one with the red ruffles. In one swift movement she threw it on, grabbed her bag and bounded out the door. She stopped a moment outside her doorstep, looking around to see where the streets of Alvadas led this morning. To her right, she could see the Gaping Maw and the Sanity Center, the left looked as if it might lead to the Bizzare, but it was dark and hard to tell for sure. Well, it seems like I'm already in a high-traffic area, maybe I should wait here and see what adventures come to me! She grinned gleefully, whistling a song to herself as she climbed up onto the window ledge and pulled herself up onto the roof of her cottage. She sat cross-legged, eyes searching the rooftops of the city for anything shiny that might have been deposited there overnight. As the sun came up over the horizon, she watched her neighbors begin waking up and going about their business, smiling and waving at anyone who noticed her. Suddenly, the sun caught something shiny a few rooftops over from where Isabelle sat. Here eyes widened and she tried to see what it was, but all she could make out was a faint, shimmery gleam. Unable to contain her excitement, she looked around to see if anyone was watching. Then she stealthily slipped behind her chimney, and what came out the other side was a shiny black crow. Isabelle the crow flew over to the rooftop where the shiny was still gleaming enticingly in the sunlight. Landing a few feet away, she cocked her head and looked quizzically at her new treasure before hopping closer. It was always best to know exactly what it is you're picking up before you simply grab it, particularly in a city like Alvadas. On closer inspection, the mystery object revealed itself to be a tiny, silver key. Well this certainly may come in handy! Isabelle thought to herself. She cawed happily, picked up her new treasure, and flew back to her rooftop, swooping behind the chimney and coming out the other side a young girl, one arm in her dress and one out. "One of these days I'll get this right" she muttered to herself, fixing her sleeves and spitting her shiny new key out into her hands. She turned it back and forth in her fingers, watching it glimmer in the sunlight. "I wonder what it goes to?" She said absently to herself. Isabelle shrugged, tossed it up and down in her hand and then tucked it safely away in the pocket of her dress. Then resumed watching as people walked by on the streets, smiling and waving at whoever would look. Today, she decided, was going to be a good day.