She thought of knocking softly on the door before remembering that the house is gingerbread; it may crumble. She looked down at her jumper dress and smoothed it for the thousandth time. 'It will be alright,' she thought. 'You'll meet some new friends. This isn't hard.' Though her brain commanded her feet to move, she stood still. Nervousness. Anxiety. Enough!<br/><br/>She opened the door and stepped quietly into the gingery darkness, her nostrils flaring. She let her eyes adjust to the change in light as she looked around. Cozy. She spied a chair near the fireplace that looked inviting to her tired back. As she started over, hoping not to be noticed, she heard a voice. She froze.