Wonder.

Alice stared in wonder at the gates.
"Someone very special must live here," she thought.
The house was out of sight but the muffled sound of many chattering voices punctuated occasionally with a high pitched burst of laughter intrigued the young girl. Dismounting from her bike she walked closer to try and catch a glimpse of the party and as she did so a blast of ice seemed to freeze her bones. Startled, she turned to see a figure running away from her as if he or she had barged right through her without noticing. When the person entered the grounds they appeared to dissolve into the night.

Frightened yet unable to help herself, Alice dropped her bike and dashed up to the looming iron gates. The sound of merriment stopped as she touched the cold metal and peered between the bars into the dense pitch of the garden. Suddenly without warning a face appeared inches from hers, wide wild eyes held her in their gaze while the thin mouth stretched into a hideous grin and whispered, "Welcome Alice we've been expecting you."