Work in progress...

Chapter 1: Prologue

A crash came from the corner of the room. Kat froze. The streetlights from outside shed some light in through the window. She was unable to even move her eyes. Fear engulfed her like a mist. Her vision was becoming foggy but she found the courage to search the room; her eyes darting from corner to corner, wall to wall. Fear continued to eat away at her, bit by bit. She slowly sat up and began the process of escape.

Through the slightly open window, she could hear the occasional car go past. The door was within a meter, she could make it in one leap. With her eyes fixed on the door, she managed to get from her bed to the door in an instant.

Her heart was still racing, she dared to look back around the door frame, only to come face to face with a black mask. Two vicious arms reached out and grabbed her by the waist and hauled her onto a sturdy black shoulder. She didn’t have the strength to struggle.

The screech of a window opening. The wave of cool air on her face. She tried to scream but no sound came out…

The figure in black slide down the drain pipe with ease like it wasn’t the first time. All kinds of thoughts were whizzing through Kat’s head, desperate to find answers. The figure was tall and thin yet muscular. She couldn’t make out any facial features, so was unable to identify the gender of her kidnapper. Although, her guess was male, based on the firm grip around her body. A sudden blow to the head was the next and last thing that Kat could remember of that night. 

Chapter one

I yawned. It was the first day back at school, but this wasn’t just any first day of school, this was the first day of secondary school; I wasn’t sure whether I was more nervous than excited. I looked at my clock. It was six `o`clock! No wonder I was tired. I flung my head back onto my pillow. At that moment, mum poked her head around the door.

“Morning sunshine.”

I groaned, “Morning mum.” I rolled over to face the wall while mum sat herself down on the bed.

“You’re up early. Are you excited?”

I sat up, yawned again and looked at mum. She was already dressed and all the lights were on outside. “You’ve been up longer by the looks of things and yes I guess I am sort of excited… and nervous and worried and frightened and really, really tired!”

Mum looked at me with her big soft eyes and smiled. I couldn’t help but smile too. She gave me a hug, kissed my forehead and said, “It’ll be fine, trust me.” And I believed her. She kissed me again and left the room.

Since moving to Bristol everything had changed. Although my old school friends only lived in Bath, it still felt like they might as well be on another island. I still kept in touch with them in the holidays and by phone, but school is different. They’ll make new friends and so will I. We might just end up forgetting each other.

I looked over to the chair in the corner of my room. All my school clothes were laid out neatly; imitating the shape of a body. I pulled back my duvet and wandered over to the chair. I held the white blouse in front of me, checking for creases. There were none, I really had done a good job of ironing it. Slowly, I pulled my pyjamas off and tossed on my new uniform. It had that crisp feeling of new sheets. I tugged  my hair into a neat bun on the top of my head and bounded down the stairs.

I could smell waffles and bacon. Mum had her head in the fridge muttering something about having no maple syrup to herself. “ Hey mum,” I said, sitting down at the table. Mum turned around and looked at me. Then she began to laugh.

“ Sweetie,” she said. “ You’ve got your top on back to front.” I looked down at my top; she was right. I wrenched it off , turned it round and then put it back on. She was still biting back laughter. She handed me a plate containing two waffles and some bacon. Yes, it is slightly odd, but it is my favourite. Mum sat down next to me and smiled at me as I ate. I love her so much. She’s always there for me when I need her, like this summer when I was finding friendships hard. I remember how we had sat for ages and I just cried and cried. Not once was she unsympathetic.

I got up, walked over to the other side of the kitchen and turned on the radio.

I looked out of the window. It was already light and the birds who had been warming up their voices since dawn, were now in full song. I sighed, maybe school wouldn’t be as bad as I had anticipated. I had a good feeling about today. I fell back onto the chair and tipped my head backwards in the direction of Mum. She smiled at me and said, “ You look just like Kat did at your age.

Ever since my sister Kat went missing, we had been moving about the country and not properly settled down in one place for more than six months. It felt good that Mum thought I looked like her. I remembered her as being very pretty. “ You think?” I said hopefully.

“ Yes, I do.” I turned my body around to face her and she gently brushed a stray hair out of my eyes. She had always been so loving to me for these past four years, as if she was expecting to loose me too, which was understandable. Kat had disappeared out of the blue. Everyone loved her and no one had a grudge against anyone else in the family. At least, not one that would cost four years of Kat’s life.

Mum got up and announced that she would be back in a minuet. I sat there, listening to the peaceful silence. I hoped this time we would settle her for good. Maybe this time I would make some friends. I hadn’t really been what you would call popular, in fact, the most friends I have ever had at once is a measly two. Yes you’re right, I am a social disaster. I find it hard to be around lots of people at once. It’s not a phobia, I just prefer being alone-or in the company of no more than three.

Mum came rushing back into the room hugging a leather box to her chest. “ This is for you,” she said.

“ What, the box?” I wasn’t quite sure where this was going.

“ No, not the box,” she opened the delicate lid to reveal a silver locket on a chain, “ It was a good luck present from my mum when I started secondary school.” The locket was a perfect circle and like most lockets, was raise in the centre so you could put something inside. I could tell that it had been polished recently.

“ Thanks,” I said.

“ I too had social phobia when I was your age and it helped me to unlock something new inside of me.” I hated it when she called my preference a phobia, but today was a big day and I promised my self that I would keep emotions under control.

“ Yeah, yeah,” I said, brushing the subject away. In the time it had taken me to get dressed and eat breakfast, it was already seven o’clock. All I had to do now was things like cleaning my teeth and everything. When it was finally eight o’clock, I had successfully managed to pack my bag and make myself a packed lunch. I was out the door by ten past eight. It would only take ten minuets to get there at a fast pace. I squeezed the locket around my neck that Mum had put o me as I left the house. It was cold in my hands and I quickly shoved it back under my shirt. This necklace better have magical powers that made the wearer invisible, because I was counting on it getting me through the day.