Prologue

I was sick. Laying in bed all day wasn’t my idea of a fun day, but I wasn’t exactly in any state to argue with my superiors. I had been cold since dawn and my face, according to my mother, the Queen, was, “As red as a fire breathing dragon.”

I tried going back to sleep, but the cold made shiver so violently that my teeth rattled. The bursts of cold came and went. One minute I would be as freezing as an ice cube and next my skin would heat up and I would feel as thought my brains were boiling in my hot head.

I clutched onto my lady-in-waiting’s arm as she lay cool, damp rags on my forehead. I could feel the heat die down for a moment before the chills and the pitch black set in.

Chapter One: Feeling the Heat

I rushed down stairs. My long, straight, black hair flew out behind my as I thundered down to the kitchen. I ran in through the kitchen door, my feet skidding on the tiled floor. I slid next to the stove where my mother stood, flipping pankcakes.

“Riva,” she flipped a pancake and glanced sharply at me, “You over slept. Again.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Mum.” I smiled and said, “I also am sorry about breakfast.”

“Why,” she asked, “It’s going to be served in a minute.”

“Exactly. I can’t stay a minute, Gela ia picking me up in a minute or two.” I plastered on my most apologetic smile.

“What in heavens for?” mother cried, agast, “School starts at 8:40 not 7:30.”

“I know, but…um, she’s in a hurry?” I said. It was almost a question.

Mother sighed. She looked at me, then at the pancakes.

“I’ll just feed these to Jason then,” mother said, refering to my older bother. Lucky for him, his high school didn’t start until 9:00.

BEEEEEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEEEEEP!

“Good, Lord,” mother cried above Gela’s ear splitting horn, “You better go before she causes the house to collapse.”

I grinned, gave my mother a quick peck on the cheek, grabbed my backpack from its usual spot on the floor, and ran outside.

The sun was shining. Birds were chirping their birdsong. Or they would be if Gela’s horn hadn’t been trying to make music with them.

The grass was damp under my boots. It had only been a month since the winter snow had melted and the air still had sharp, cold tang that came with the cold season.

I reached Gela’s car door and yanked it open. My best friend, Gela Mason sat in her seat, her hands inches from the horn.

“Don’t!” I cried, “I’m here, now.”

She grinned. Her golden hair was in a ponytail. She looked great as always. She wore skinny jeans and a kashmir dress sweater. A knit hat covered her head and knit boots covered her feet.

“Come on. Hop in,” Gela removed her book bag from the passenger seat and tossed into the back of her Mustang, “You’re going to make us late.”

“I’ll stop making you late once I get my drivers licence,” I promised her, “Until then…pray!”

Gela laughed, “What do you think I do at 5:30 in the morning? While I get ready I talk to God, ‘Oh, please God, let Riva be alive today. Alive and faster than her usual snail pase so we can get to school’.”

I laughed as Gela revved her engine and backed the car out of my driveway.

“Anyway,” I asked as I dropped my backpack at my feet, “What was the hurry today? Why did you call me at 5:30 to get ready?”

“We’re going to Ivy’s Diner.”

“Ivy’s Diner? Why?” I was genuenly shocked. Ivy’s Diner was a hip, expensive, and very IN resteraunt.

“We have to branch out,” Gela explained, “Plus, my…um…my parents have been fighting again.”

“Oh, Gela,” I placed a hand on her shoulder, “Is that why you wanted to leave so early?”

Gela kept her eyes on the road. Her eyes were dry and her hands were clutching the stearing wheel to tightly that her knuckles were white as paper. The car finally drove into Ivy’s Diner’s parking lot. She pulled into an empty space.

Sighing she said, “I had to get out. I couldn’t stand their constant bickering.”

I nodded. Last time I’d been to her house, I couldn’t stay through dinner because her parents were practically strangling each other across the table.

To bring me to Ivy’s Diner, the situation must have been bad. I got out of the car, and when Gela was ready, we walked into Ivy’s.

Inside, the lights were as bright as ever and the checker tiles, checker table cloths and checkered menus made me think: gingantic picnic table.

We made our way to an empty table and sat down. A waiter came to our table, a notpad in his hand.

“Can I take your order?” he asked in a nasaly voice.

“Um…we’ll have your medium sized breakfast. Two please.” I replied. Gela was silent, staring past me. When the waiter had left I waved my hand in her face. She snapped her eyes back to me.

“You know what I heard yesterday?” she asked suddenly excited.

“What?”

“There’s a new family in town. Their name’s Carson.”

“Carson? Where they living now?” I asked. Our town, River Bend, England,  was a small town with a population of about 1000. Everyone practically knew everybody else.

“In the old dump. The Castle Cottage.”

“Really?” Castle Cottage had been abandoned for as long as we all could remember. It had been a place to dare your friends into go into and frightening your children with.

“Want to check it ot after school?” Gela asked, “I know you always loved that house.”

“I do?” I asked inocently. The truth is that ever since I saw Castle Cottage I had dreamed of owning it. It reminded me of Sleeping Beauty’s enchanted castle. It was huge and had rose bushes all over it. A cobblestone path led from front lawns to the large, wooden double doors. Windows were all over the house and it even had a tower.

“All right, I do.” I admitted, “Let’s go. After school.”

What do you guys think? Is this a good story? Comment on it please and tell me if I should continue!