... then the floor gave way ...

This week's prompt is brought to you by the random wanderings of my mind.  I can't really say where it came from, or where I will take it from here, but here it is:

Prompt: ... then the floor gave way beneath her ...

Enjoy!

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My response:

(I'm getting a kind of Alice through the looking glass vibe from this ... we'll see where it goes.)

Kelly knew she should go back downstairs as soon a she saw the gaps in the roof.  There were a few houses like this.  Eighteen years of rain and mold made them death traps.  Rule number one: never put yourself in danger. 

Kelly couldn't help herself.  She'd seen the old house peeking out through the trees when she'd crested the hill.  It was an old Victorian with rounded turrets at both front corners, and it looked just like the doll house she'd had until she was ten and Steven threw it out the window because she'd eaten the last piece of zucchini bread before he could get to it.

The insides had been devastated, but here and there Kelly caught clues of how it looked in its glory days.  There were areas of deep burgundy paint on the wall of the dining room and rosewood furniture, even a crystal vase, complete with dried flowers.  Kelly knew she shouldn't, but each room called to her, and she worked her way slowly through the house.  The curving stairway to the second story was still intact, but the hallway down the second level looked sketchy.  Looking at the rotted floorboards, Kelly almost turned back.  Then she spotted something in the murky mirror that hung crooked on a door.  A porcelain doll. 

Kelly sucked in a breath and eased into the hallway, taking care to step as near the wall as she could.  That trick got her as far as the doorway, where she could peer into the room.  Against the far wall, another wood and glass case sat undisturbed.  There wasn't just one doll, there were dozens.  Large dolls, tiny ones, babies, women, girls, each one with a beautiful dress, shining glass eyes, and ringlet hair.  Kelly couldn't help herself.  According to the rules, anything you scavenged belonged to you.  She'd never wanted anything like she wanted one of those dolls.

Between the doorway and the window case stood a large, four poster bed.  Annie eased forward on her toes.  Surely if the floor still held the massive bed, it would support her own added weight.  She wasn't quite fourteen, and she knew she was small for her age.  Kelly eased forward.  One foot, then the next.  She scanned the case as she moved, wanting to end up on the right side for opening it.  A small, metal bracket gave away the opening, and Kelly's hand reached out towards it.  Five steps.  Six.  Seven.  Kelly's fingers brushed the bracket ... and then the floor gave way beneath her.

(Okay, well never mind about the looking glass thing.  Apparently I'm so caught up in the post-apocalyptic world right now that I can't seem to pull myself out of it.  But, I'm almost done with my first draft of my latest work in progress ... in fact I'll go put the last chapter on it right now.  :-)