The Tale of Winters Hollow

Chapter Two: First Days

Screaming. Why was it always screaming.

Luce thought as she sat up in bed. It was the same way she woke up every morning. When she slept the barriers she kept up against the spirits came down, all she could hear was the restless spirits screaming and wailing about their sins. It drove Luce crazy, she could not remember the last time she had slept uninterrupted. Dragging her self out of bed, Luce opened the curtains. The sun was just rising in a glowing orange haze across the horizon, its gentle tendrils of lights sweeping through the streets of the town. The birds began to chirp and fly around in the sky, cars began leaving their driveways as people commuted to work. But most people would not be awake for at least two hours as they savoured their last few days in bed before school started. Luce loved this time of day, everything was so quiet and undisturbed, but it also left the remnants of the nights mischievous antics. The drunkards staggering home, the secret lovers and one night stands slipping out before they're caught, the nights crimes are discovered. Therefore Luce slipped on her leggings, t-shirt, trainers and pulled her thick mane of hair into a pony tail, Luce loved to run first thing in the morning, it got her ready for the day ahead and helped bring her barriers back up quicker. 

The house was silent as she slipped into the light of the morning sun. She began in a steady jog to warm herself up as she headed towards the high street. It was slightly busier here as the locals opened up their stores and received deliveries. Aware that everyone in the town knew everyone and there would be someone that would eventually recognize her, she kept her head down, picking up the pace as her feet rhythmically hit the uneven ground beneath her feet. Feeling the weight lifting off her shoulders Luce sighed as some of the background chatter that was always in her head died away.  Realizing she had now completed a circuit Luce ran back up the drive to the house. Luce saw that her Aunt and Uncle's cars where no longer on the drive, so she must be home alone for the day.  It was almost as if Luce was back in England, home alone again.

Merlin was lying across the front door step as Luce walked up to open the door, waiting for her return as he brushed his head against Luce's legs.

"Come on buddy, lets go get some breakfast."

And their it was, the routine, waking up from the screaming, going for a run, breakfast and the constant lonely silence that Luce seemed unable to escape. It had always been there. 

***

Luce wasn't scared of many things, she didn't see the point in wasting her time on such petty things, why would you be afraid of a little spider that is probably more scared of you. Or be afraid of the dark, there's nothing different about the dark than there is in the day, well for ungifted humans anyway. But for some reason Luce was scared of first days. First days terrified her, and she didn't know why, because each one went exactly the same. It was always the same routine in the morning, then turn up at the school, be ridiculed and judged before coming home at the end of the day hating life with a few bruises, only to complete the same cycle the next day. Granted Luce hadn't had a first day for two years now, she still couldn't help but dawn on the fact that everyone at Winters Hollow High was going to hate her. No matter where she went it was always the same comments, the same pushing, shoving, the same isolation. Not only that, but she could no longer avoid everyone that could of possibly known her parents. 

She kept it simple today, wearing her favourite black skinny jeans, her Nirvana top and black hoodie, before lacing up the laces on her combat boots. Turning to look at the clock on the wall, Luce realized that if she didn't hurry up she was going to be late. Rushing to put her make up on, Luce poked herself in the eye with her eye liner.

"Well done Lucinda, how smart of you," She mumbled under her breath, cursing herself for being so clumsy.

Luce heard a chuckle from the door behind her, "Your mum used to do that all the time," Beth smiled.