Chapter 1
6 months before the change.
It was a cold, windy autumn day, I was walking in the forest, as I had done nearly every day of my life since I was 12. I can’t help but feel drawn to the forest, the birds sing to me and the trees wrap their comforting branches around me and give me the safety I need to be free from the dreaded world known as school. I had been being bullied since primary school, just because I was different, I didn’t want to socialise with other I would rather sit by a tree with my note pad or book. Is it so bad being different from everyone else?
I sat at the same tree every day, I always came with my note pad, I wrote down or doodled whatever came to my mind, it was the only way I could deal with the events of the day. People tormented me for not wanting be look the way they did, girls in the bathroom toilets tried to persuade me to put make up on that I would look “prettier with it on” when I refused they would get defensive and take my bag from me, search through it and find my note pad, they would read some of its contents. Realising that what was in there they wouldn’t understand they would throw it around, I would cling to a book in my arms hoping it would keep me safe from everyone around me that the comforting words of the characters would provide the safety I needed not to lash out.
That wasn’t always the case, some days I would end up digging my fingers into my flesh as a coping mechanism, which just showed them how vulnerable I was, which most of the time resulted in them stealing my book which I clung to the pages. I couldn’t hold it in anymore and I would open my fists and scream... Without a touch they were knocked to the ground, this made no sense, how could I have done that? I grabbed my belongings and rand for it, I ran to the forest where I could hurt no one.
People wondered why I was considered weird and how I didn’t make friends for a reason. I was scared of hurting them. This thing, I had locked in my hands, the thing I couldn’t control no matter how I hard I tried, I just couldn’t. This had been going on for years.
My parents were so concerned for me that they sent me to a councillor to see if there was anything they could do. No. I would sit in the meeting s and refuse to talk, they couldn’t make me say anything because they couldn’t help me, and no one could. Only a miracle desperate enough to save my life would save me from the horrors I face.
Looking at my watch I noticed it was time for school, I got my messenger bag off the floor, tucking away my note pad in it amongst all the school work and reading books. Slinging it on my shoulder, I no longer noticed how heavy my bag was as I had done those years ago. I hated going to school, just the thought made me feel sick, I would try and blag my way out of it each day but it just wasn’t possible, my mum knew me too well by now.
As I reached the school gates the deputy head teacher greeted me as always “5 minutes late again Miss Moon, how many times do we have to go through this routine young lady” she looked at me with eyes of a poisonous glare and crossed her arms in disgust.
“Morning to you too Mrs Lawson, I am afraid I cannot justify that answer with a good enough reason” and with that I had the regular detention where I sat up the corner up on the room writing lines again.
When I entered the form room, as late as I possibly could, I slid into my chair by the classroom door, there was no point putting me further in because I wasn’t in there long enough to make a difference.
PING!
“Time for your lesson guys, have a good day. Oh Clarissa nice to see you appear this morning.”
I nodded in response and walked out of the room. First lesson: History. Great, time to be indulged by war, politics and money. I sat by the window in history so I could look out watching the birds fly around the field into the forest, I get good grades because I study hard at home because I have nothing more to do not because I am intelligent or I pay attention in lessons.
This was just a usual day where everyone was gossiping about what had happened in the recent episode of Pretty Little Liars, me I sat in the back.
“Ok class it’s time to watch a documentary on World War 1, your exam is a number of weeks away and you must know what you are doing” Blahh Blahh Blahh, on and on Mr Amber goes, he never shuts up, we all knew about our exams, whether we chose to do anything about them was another matter. “Now you must pay attention, this tells you everything you need to know for your exam, GIRLS WILL YOU STOP TALKING, NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE SEASON FINALE OF PRETTY LITTLE LIARS AND IT IS NOT GOING TO COME UP IN YOUR EXAM. So I would appreciate it if you would both just BE QUIET” With that the girls were rendered silent. “Thank you now time for the DVD”
With that he started the DVD, I had had a late night the previous evening, too busy reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, I had to finish it even if my life depended on it. As the documentary started I could feel my eyes start to feel heavy with sleepiness, folding my arms I lay my head on top of them and shut my eyes.
As I raced through the trees, it followed me, the smell of death hunted me like an animal chasing its prey. “Clarissa, you cannot run away from fate, it only catches you in its grip harder than originally planned”
“NO I CAN’T DIE, NOT YET” I screamed. Soon there would be nowhere to run, then what would I do.
“Clarissa, take my hand, you will be safe with me” It was Uncle Edward, I wanted to reach out to him but then he stood in a strip of daylight, he sparkled.
“What?! No you can’t be one of them, how could you?” I couldn’t run away from it. I was going to be one of them, I didn’t have a choice, I had to accept it. With everything I had in me, I screamed the most painful scream that was to ever leave my mouth. Using my hands as a barrier I covered my whole face, wrapping my head and face from them as they began to crowd me. What did I do to deserve this.
BANG!
“What?” I shouted as I woke with a jump.
“Miss Moon, please don’t sleep in my lesson again” Spoke Mr Amber as he made his way to the door, there was someone there, I couldn’t quite make out who but their presence sent a shiver up my spine and a tingle in my stomach. “Oh nice to see that the new student has finally arrived, everyone this is Corey Ragon, he is new here, treat him well”
There he stood, Corey was a tall, and had to be around 5” 12 whereas I was only 5” 5, his shaggy hair sweeped to frame his chizzled features, he was perfect. “Mr Ragon please take a seat next to Miss Moon, at the back there, the one who doesn’t find learning valuable enough to stay awake during my lessons”.
WHY WAS HE SENDING HIM HERE? WHAT? NO, THIS COULD NOT BE HAPPENING! Yet it was.
