Read Through the Mirror and Into Snow for Free Online Page A

Larrie.”
    “Larrie? That’s funny.”
    “I know,” replied Valerie. “I told you my mom was goofy. You know Val-Larrie. It got shortened to Larrie, sometimes she just says Lar.”
    They laughed then continued on through the forest. Otter happily trotted beside them. She never missed an opportunity to slip her head under a free hand to get attention wherever she could. Their eyes had adjusted to the dark and they maneuvered their way through the forest without any problems. The girls didn’t want to use the flashlights since Snow was sure to have no clue what they were, if she was who they thought she was. Of course the thought of it was silly, but it was in the back of their minds just the same.
    After walking across a small meadow, they stopped briefly to watch a couple of deer grazing nearby. Samantha was about to ask Snolindria how she came to be out in the woods alone when she noticed a small cottage.
    “Hey look! A cottage! Maybe someone is home and can help us.”
    “I don’t know. I don’t see any lights…” Val quickly recovered. “I mean light from candles or anything.”
    “But it’s late. Let’s stay together and try to be quiet. We don’t want to scare anyone and have them come out with a shotgun…uh, weapon or anything,” Sam said.
    Val nudged Sam. “Drama Queen.”
    Together they walked closer to the cottage. “This place is small. Look how low the roof is. You think it’s a playhouse?” Sam asked.
    “I don’t know,” answered Valerie. “It would be a little big for a playhouse, even by your grandpa’s standards.” Samantha’s grandfather had built her a huge playhouse when she was three years old. It was a Victorian style and had two stories. There were no gnomes out front, but it was still an okay playhouse otherwise. “It doesn’t look like anyone is home…if anyone lives here at all.”
    Val walked to the house alone. She stepped up to the door, placing her ear to it. When she didn’t hear any sounds, she went in. She couldn’t find a light switch so she moved her flashlight beam across the house looking for signs of someone living there. The light revealed quite a mess.
    Certain they were alone, she shouted to Sam and Snow. “Either someone left in a hurry or they are very messy. This place is a disaster. You guys can come on inside. I don’t think anyone is home.”
    Lightning cracked as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Sam and Snow hurried toward the cottage. It started to pour almost the second they walked in.
    “Whew. We got in just in time,” Samantha said as she closed the door behind them. “Isn’t this strange? A cottage way out here in the middle of nowhere? Lucky for us though.” She turned to Snolindria. “You’re awfully quiet. Are you okay?”
    “I’m okay, just very, very tired. Let’s look around for some beds.”
    “I’m tired too.” Valerie walked past the kitchen area, through a doorway and stopped dead in her tracks. “Um, Samantha, you want to come here for a second?”
    Samantha went running over and gasped. “You have got to be kidding me!”
    There they stood, looking into a bedroom with seven small beds. Snow came over and joined them.
    “That’s odd. This is the only room. You think children live here on their own?”
    “I don’t know.” Valerie glanced over to Samantha. Again her eyes were wide and filled with wonder.
    “It’s awfully late for them to not be home if they do still live here,” Snow said with a yawn. “I’m so tired, I’m going to fall over. Let’s crawl into bed and worry about what to do tomorrow. At least it’s a nice dry place to sleep for tonight.” She walked to one of the beds, shook out the top blanket and crawled in.
    Val whispered to Samantha, “Still think we are in the forest by my house?”
    “I stopped believing that a while ago, Val. I don’t know how she could be who we think she is, but this is getting stranger by the second. It’s late. We can get her story in the