Cassandra's Adventures

Chapter One - Long Day, Long Night

Cassandra had a long Day.

A Really, really, really Long Day.

To say I was shocked to see that my home was broken into would be a lie.

I already had a feeling that the goddess had something left in store for me.

I couldn't bring myself to care about being robbed, the shattered lock on my front door that would need fixing, or even the lingering possibility that the intruder might still be lurking inside. 

My mind was consumed by one thing only: my vintage Chanel suit, utterly drenched from the sudden, torrential rain that had appeared out of nowhere and vanished just as quickly. I was wearing the Spring 1992 Navy Blue and White Tweed Suit - A piece I adored, cherished, and treated as if it were my most precious possession. The thought of its delicate fabric ruined by the storm was unbearable, eclipsing every other concern.

I was seething with anger at the world, my frustration boiling over, but the only thing that truly mattered to me in that moment was whether the intruder had left a mess I'd have to clean up.. At the back of my mind, I knew I wasn't all that worried since all my valuables were already packed and shipped to the Vates Estate, where they were sitting pretty in the Basement. The only valuables that were left were my laptop, Phone and a Couple of Work Files, which obviously, due to aforementioned inkling, I had already taken care of.

Yes, you heard that right. This girl, who is currently going through a horrible ordeal, sometimes has feelings about things that are going to happen before they actually happen. The correct term is Premonition, but I prefer to call them Inklings to avoid sounding like a Scammy Fortune Teller.

Not that this "special gift" came in handy when my precious suit and I were sitting in an outdoor Cafe oblivious of the oncoming storm. A little insight about it would have been nice, as I would've done everything in my power to save my precious.Groaning at the thought of cleaning up, I pushed the front door open. My senses told me it was safe to go in, but I still moved quietly. After all, I've seen enough horror and thriller movies to know better — I wasn't about to be the dumb blonde (even if I'm not blonde) who walks straight into danger. Honestly, after the day I'd had, it was entirely possible my "special powers" were useless.

Cautiously, I flipped on the light and instantly dropped to the floor to avoid a possible attack. Instead, I was greeted by what was obviously supposed to be a "Surprise!" - though it didn't sound like one when eleven people shouted it at different pitches, speeds, and levels of enthusiasm. It honestly sounded like an ambush and scared the crap out of me - not that I'd ever admit that to a living soul.

Looking around my living room, I counted them one by one.

The twins, Indigo and Violet, flanked my sister Christina, who was juggling a tiara, a sash, and a cake.

Chris and Paul stood off to the side with a "Happy Birthday" banner, half-rolled the wrong way, like they had no idea what they were doing.

Artemis and Evie were spreading out mattresses and blankets in front of my already-packed television.

Alexander and Andreas were at the windows, doing God knows what.

And finally, Nicholas was leaning casually against the arch that led into the dining area, like he owned the place.

Frowning from the thought that the count was off, I didn't hear what Nic was telling me

" ... So don't worry about it""Don't worry about WHAT?"

I froze on my knees, panic bubbling up as if this day hadn't already done enough to break me. First the storm, then the scare - what next, the ceiling caving in?