Cliffside

     It was half passed midnight and the moon hung low over the cobblestone streets, shadows of buildings cast darkness where the moonlight couldn't reach. Each house nestled in a patch of green trailing off towards the Cliffside where only one lone building resided, not nearly as modern as the others it stands out against the stark background, a void of darkness where the sea meets the earth. 

     The village smelled of salt and during the day was bustling with life, all manners of people crowded the streets to sell their goods, the mist from crashing waves soaking into their every pore. But in the darkness of night a calmness overtook them and as the moon rose high again the streets were left alone and empty. Except for one evening. 

     The moon was full creating an eery glow upon the facets of the houses, a young girl peeked through the window of her room, creating a new shadow she was mesmerized and began to climb out of the house to explore further. She found herself wandering along the stretch of houses past the courtyard where the market was held, passed the neatly placed homes with lush gardens until she found herself in front of the very last home perched on a nest of dried grass, practically tipping into the ocean with a sway from the wind and though no one spoke of it she knew she wasn't to enter this place. But curiosity pulled her further and she placed her hand on the brass knob of the door giving an experimental turn. When she found it was open she hardly hesitated and swung open the door only to find emptiness. 

     Though there was no one and nothing of interest to be seen something called her further in and she took a tentative step inside. Yet the ground was not solid, more like hay placed over a hole like the one to trap animals she thought, but before she could think any further she fell straight through the floor.

It seemed as if she were in a basement of sorts only instead of dark and dingy like the old house had seemed she was now in the midst of the most beautiful home she had ever seen. Gold and emerald trimmed all the wooden furniture while the books in the bookshelf seemed to glow from the moonlight coming in the now broken floor. Art clung to the walls almost in a haphazard fashion but she concluded they just didn't have enough room for every beautiful masterpiece so they were shoved in whatever little wall space was left.

     It was only then she thought that someone might actually live here and fear of punishment either by her parents or whomevers home this was caused her to claw her way out of the hole and run as fast as her legs would allow her, lungs burning she threw herself into her window determined she would go back when the sun was out.

     The next morning once the sun was high in the blue expanse of sky the little girl made her way back to the old house on the edge of the Cliffside it still seemed delicate and wary of visitors but this time she approached with confidence and knocked. When no one answered her third knock she decided to enter again, but this time the handle wouldn't budge, she went around back where the door was ajar and almost hung off the cliff above the ocean pounding into sharp rocks below, she could feel the mist more than ever. She braced herself on the door jam and flung herself inside hoping she wouldn't break too much when she fell through the floor but when she landed she hit only solid ground. She flailed around on hands and knees trying to find the opening she had made last night, but to no avail, she was so confused she had just been here, seen treasures she'd never dreamed of, discovered something no one else has saw and now it was gone? With one last burst of hope she jumped up and down on the floor hoping it would break through. But still nothing.

    Just as she had given up and was going to leave out the back door a whisper seemed to meet her ear it was soft and hidden by the strong gusts of wind but she thought she heard it say "leave" just as the entire house toppled over the side of the cliff and crashed into the rocks with the little girl inside.

      Hours later as the sun started to paint the sky orange and red and purple her parents went looking for her,it wasn't like her to miss lunch and dinner. Knowing her curious nature they searched for her in the forest among the trees she liked to climb, by the beach where she picked seashells, but found no traces of her. They called for her all along the cliffside eventually reaching the old lone house with its dead grass and seemingly frail walls, her mother even gave the brass knob a jiggle.