The Knights of Time and the Forgotten Book

Chapter 1: New School, New Life.

“Honey, we arrived.”

I opened my eyes again. I was in a car with my father looking at me and shaking me awake. I had just woken up from the same horrible dream I had every time I closed my eyes.

My memories haunted me.

I rubbed my eyes and looked outside at the trees we surpassed and at the rain hitting the window. The pitter-patter of the rain drops made me want to spend a day inside, watching films and drinking hot chocolate. But I had other plans today.

I had been begging dad to stop moving from city to city for years and it seemed like he finally budged. Today, I was going to a new school. And I wasn’t going to move for a long time. I was tired of always being the new girl. I wanted to be familiar with people and have actual friends, and people whom I’d be able to talk to. Even if, according to my dad, I was ‘untrusting’, ‘paranoid’ and ‘too self-dependant’. 

I had never stayed in one fixed place ever since I was four years old since my dad worked all over the world. The only place I ever called home was our small cottage in Scotland which I haven’t been to in ten years. I was used to constant change by now, but I wanted to have a normal life, to live somewhere permanent and ditch the travelling. Although it had become especially hard to do that because of the nomad life we lead.

I’ve been to a few boarding schools before. I’d always end up staying there for only a few months at most, and my dad always claimed he missed me too much when he’d pull me out. I never blamed him, especially after what happened to mum. I realised he became lonelier and I was the only person he talked to, so I never got mad at him for wanting me by his side even if he knew how much I hated moving.

The dreams I was getting lately hadn't been making my life any easier either.

The car stopped and I pulled myself out. My father followed me outside and smelled the fresh air. It stopped raining and the earth was still wet.

I looked at the school. It was different from the rest I've been to. I was used to living in big cities; with skyscrapers, cars roaming the streets and the fumes of exhaust which always surrounded me. But for once in my life, I wasn’t surrounded with chaos and confusion.

My dad looked at me with those worried, green eyes and I realised he hadn’t been sleeping; his eyes had dark bags under them and were slightly bloodshot, but his salt and pepper hair was still neatly jelled back and he had some stubble. After taking a moment to look at him for the last time, I hugged him violently. He towered over me and I wrapped my arms around him protectively. I could smell the faint aroma of lavender soap which lingered upon his suit. I knew how much I’d miss him.

For the first time ever, he wasn’t going to be there to help me when I needed him. And I wasn’t going to be there for him. The thought scared me a bit, but I needed to start anew.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” he asked me.

“Yeah, dad. I’ll be fine. It’s not like I’m going to get mugged in the middle of a field by sheep,” I replied as a smile crept upon his face. “It’s not like London here, you know.”

“I know... I know. It’s just that I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’ll be fine. I need to go now. They’re probably expecting me,” I said as I turned to look at the school.

“I understand. I’ll miss you, Veronica. And don’t get yourself into trouble.”

I looked back and gave him a smile.

“I know. I’ll miss you too. See you in Christmas,” I said as I turned back and started to walk towards my new home.

“See you,” he murmured and entered the car.