***untitled***

~chapter One~

~chapter one~



“Claire…Claire… we’re waiting for you.” They were calling to me again; their voices were faint but alluring, almost like the sound of wind chimes in the breeze.


“Come to us Claire.” They whispered. I was running down a long dark hallway and there
was a door of light at the end. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest as I kept going; I had to reach the light. I was getting closer, closer then I had before and I could now see their hands reaching out to me as if to pull me through. I gasped for breath and started to slow down, panting… I was going to make it. The light was right there, I could almost see them.

“Hurry Claire, hurry.” their voices were getting more urgent. A shiver ran down my spine as a wave of fear washed over me and I was running again; the door of light getting farther and farther away.

“She’s coming…” Their voices echoed against the walls and abruptly all the light was suddenly blocked. I looked up to see a tall figure standing before me, her eyes boring into mine. Her eyes showed no pupils – just a bottomless pool of black – it was as if I were being sucked into them. I was paralyzed; I opened my mouth to scream but no noise would issue, my throat strangled. The thing smiled at me, a creepy smile that unnerved me. I wanted to scream… and I was - in my own head. Then suddenly all went dark.


“Honey? We’re here. Come on Claire, aren’t you excited?” my mother gently woke me. I sat up quickly in the backseat of our car gasping, my mother beside me as my father drove the car into the large parking lot. I leaned my sweaty head against the window and the cool touch of the glass soothed me as did the sound of the rain falling - it was all a dream. For many weeks now, several months even, I’d been having these dreams - these nightmares! Each time I’d get closer to that light, to those voices, but each time that thing… That creature! Would come and block my path. I felt compelled - driven to that door in my dream. Something about it, something I couldn’t let go of. It seemed familiar and I had to reach it and find out.


The car came to a slow stop in the parking lot and I stepped out while tilting my head back towards the gloomy skies, letting the rain drip down on me. I liked the rain, it was refreshing – soothing.


“Claire, are you feeling well?” my mother asked in a concerned tone.

“Yah mom, just tired,” I shrugged with my eyes still closed, I guess I looked a little pale. I was… anxious about coming here. I opened my eyes and looked across the parking lot and for the first time got a good look of my new ‘home’. Ashwood Burmington Boarding School. Though for short, also A B B S (and I pronounced this literally, abbs, just like the muscle abs, and not pronounced by reading each letter separately).

ABBS - my new school, my new home, my chance at a new start… or maybe just torture.


The place was huge; it looked just like a castle that had popped right out a story book, spiraling towers and all. As my dad got my stuff out of the trunk I started walking across the parking lot toward the school entrance, which in my opinion was much too extravagant for a dumb little school. There were two huge double-doors, which I could see had been renovated to a more modern style compared to the rest of the school - from what I could see - they weren’t wood, but made of glass.

“Hey Claire! Do you mind giving me a hand here?” my dad called. I looked back to see him struggling to carry three of my suitcases at once. I hurried over to help him.

“Oh, right. Sorry dad.” I took one of the bags and carried it back over to the front entrance.

“Claire, are you sure about this, I mean are you sure you want to be doing this? Going to a boarding school, because you know it’s not too late. We could always cancel and enroll you to Kipplings.” My dad gave it a final try. It had been my idea to come to a boarding school. Ever since I mentioned getting myself into one, my parents have been... difficult about it. Always nagging at me to just go to Kipplings (my home town’s only high school) just like all the other kids - I sighed.

“Dad, I already told you, I’ve made up my mind.”

“Alright, if you’re sure.” He gave me a skeptical side glance before we all climbed up the stairs to the front entrance in silence. The lobby was big - like everything else - and already packed with students along with their parents; who were seated in large leather sofas placed around the centre of the room. My mom came up beside me and placed her hands on my shoulders in a reassuring gesture, steering me up to the front desk where the many receptionists were busy helping some other newcomers. The place sort of reminded me of the lobby room of a hotel. We were in a high-ceilinged, circular room, with tiled marble floorings and a grand chandelier. There was a big hallway leading to who knew where, straight across from the entrance doors on the other side of the place. There were several other similar hallways leading off from the sides of the room, but these were all smaller and a few doors were scattered around the walls as well. To our right was a large staircase leading up to the level above us, and to our left was the door that led into the office. The office room was opened up in one wall that was facing the grand staircase, which was where the front desk was.


As we approached one of the receptionists looked up from her papers and smiled at us apologetically and told us she’d be with us in a moment before turning back to the other student and his parents. Finally she handed the other kid some papers and they left.

“So what can I do for you? A newbie right - let me guess, you’re going to grade 9.” The receptionist said as she turned towards us. It was statement rather than a question.

“Umm, yes actually,” my mom replied.

“Well welcome to Ashwood Burmington Boarding School kido! You’ll have so much fun here,” she gushed in an overly perky voice. I forced a smile; which don’t think she bought. “Here I’ll just get you set up. Now where did I put those folders?” She mumbled to herself. “Oh here it is! Now what was you name, hun?”

“Oh. Uh, Claire.”

“Yes, and your last name please?”

“Summer.”

“Ahh, here it is,” She handed me a large envelope. “Now this here contains your timetable, a map of the school, a complimentary school pen, a key to your dorm room, your dorm room number and the name of your new room-mate along with some other important information. Oh and I almost forgot here is your new agenda!” She pushed a leather book into my hands. “Now you can proceed into the dining hall which is right down that hallway there.” She pointed to the big one, “you just keep walking until you reach the big double doors which lead into our dining hall. Have good day and thank you for enrolling at Ashwood Burmington.” She said this all very quickly and turned away from us to face the next student waiting in line.

“Next!” I turned away with my mom, but not before my dad asked the receptionist where to put all my luggage.


The dining hall matched the rest of the school, it looked like a giant ball room, except instead of chandeliers; there were regular florescent lights. And instead of there being small, round tables with white table cloths, the room was filled with long wooden tables set up in rows with benches for seats. There were smaller tables on either sides of the room, for the teachers I guessed, and the floor was wooden; a glossy dark mahogany. There several teachers strolling down the aisles with nametags on, introducing themselves to parents and teachers, one teacher with a clipboard in hand came up to us as we stepped into the room.

“Hello, my name is Mr. Janderson, I’m one of the vice principle here at Ashwood Burmington, and I’d like to welcome you to our school!” The man looked to be in his late forties or so, with short graying hair that was thinning near the scalp. He looked friendly enough, but not that welcoming, he was tall and thin and had air of protocol about him. His face weathered and stern, with a bit of stubble where he hadn’t shaved properly.

“Hi, we’re the Summers, my name is Tom and this is my wife Liby and my daughter Claire.” My dad gestured towards us as he spoke our names after they shook hands.

“Hi, how are you,” my mom smiled as she stepped forward and shook his hand. My parents and my new VP made small talk, until finally Mr. Janderson finally took notice of me and gave me a stiff smile.

“Hello Claire.”

“Hello,” I replied quietly.

“I hope I won’t have to be seeing you in my office at all soon, because why… that would mean you’re a trouble maker and we don’t want that do we?” I shook my head and pulled on a smile.

“No sir. Definitely not.” It seemed to fool him.

“That a girl, I wish some of the other students had an attitude like that. Well welcome to Ashwood, I think you’ll rather enjoy your time here with us, because here at Ashwood Burmington we stick together as a family. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m rather busy, all grade nine students and their parents are to be seated at tables A through E. Have a good day and nice meeting you.” And with that he turned and left to help all the other new and confused students already appearing through the double doors.


“Come along Claire, let’s find seats shall we! Isn’t this exciting, your first day at high school, and your vice principle seemed very nice to me. Don’t you think?” My mom chattered as she led me across the room followed by my dad. I nearly snorted, yeah right! More like an old prig who doesn’t know the definition of fun!

“Uh, yah mom he seemed… cool.”


While we waited for the assembly/dinner to start, I watched the room quickly fill with parents and students, and our table which had been half empty just ten minutes ago, was now quite full. My parents chattered with some other anxious parents about the school’s educational system and such, and met a few of the other teachers who were walking around introducing themselves. So far I’ve seen Mrs. Wearly the English teacher, Madame Lerouse the French teacher, Mr. Geraldo the Math teacher, and Mr. Yamaguci the Science teacher. They all seemed pretty nice, although that Rouse lady could probably use a little fun in her life - She seemed to have no emotion at all. Then finally, at last, the assembly began. This all went by slowly, and I didn’t catch most of what happened then because I wasn’t paying attention. Now what I was paying attention to was a trio of kids, sitting off by themselves at the end of one of the tables. There were two boys and one girl. They looked oddly different from everyone else, maybe it was because they were sitting by themselves, or maybe it had something to do with the brilliant hair they all shared. They all had the same hair colour - a brilliant blond –it was so light it almost looked white in the shining light. Their skin was also off, their skin was so pale it looked almost sickly - as if they’d never seen the light of day. I was intrigued. But my staring was cut off when my mom nudged me to point out the end of our principle’s bore of a speech about rules of sustenance and how happy we’d all be in our new ‘home’. That’s when I realized just how hungry I was, time for dinner!




.::twilight*starlight::.