Chapter One The Intruder

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Destiny awoke with a feeling of foreboding, unsure of what had jolted her from her strange, recurring dream. She flicked her desk lamp on, then got out of bed and scanned the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

She sat at her antique writing desk and grabbed her sketchbook and tools from the drawer to her right. Destiny paused, shivering, recalling the terror of claws ripping at her skin moments before she awoke. As her pencil moved across the pages of her sketchbook. A warm bubble of happiness flooded her mind. For as long as she could remember, sketching was the only way to soothe her frazzled nerves. Her stepmother nurtured her talent for sketching. When she first started, she could barely draw anything but stick figures.

It was late, probably midnight. The warm glow from her desk lamp did little to ease the sense of dread still nagging her. That dream again. When would it ever let up? The rain pounded on the shingles of the old Victorian-style house.

Her pencil guided her across the paper, knowing exactly where to go next before she did. It was not long before the familiar face she'd never seen in person, but appeared in her unusual dreams, took shape. An eye patch covered their right eye. They wore an orange shirt and black jeans. A jacket with a school emblem of a phoenix stitched on the left side covered their shoulders.

A flash of lightning startled her, breaking her concentration. She stared out of the window as another bolt lit up the sky, silhouetting a figure as it leaped from a nearby tree.
What on earth? She peered through the darkness, but the figure had vanished into the shadows. Is someone outside in a storm like this? Or am I becoming as paranoid as Dad?

The window burst open from the force of the wind, icy rain battering her face. She awkwardly reached over, fastening the latch before snuggling into the blankets, rubbing her weakened leg to return the blood flow and ease the pins and needles, cursing her condition.

Having cerebral palsy sucked. It was not something the doctors could never cure her of. Destiny could never keep up with her peers without becoming fatigued. She sighed, annoyed by the burning pain from her daily leg stretches. She dropped her sketchbook at the sound of a strange noise coming from downstairs. "It's the tree branches. Nothing to be worried about. Go make a mocha that will help me sleep."

She retrieved her sketchbook and pencils and slipped her dressing gown over her shoulders, placing her phone in her pocket, and headed for the bedroom door. She made it about two steps before tripping over something, sending her crashing to the floor. Cursing under her breath, she picked herself up. Her elbow burned, and a dull ache shot through her knee. She inspected her elbow and sighed at the sight of a nasty carpet burn. Falling on her face was just a part of her life. She was always thankful when it happened at home, instead of in public, where everyone would stare at her.

The brass door handle creaked loudly as she turned it, breaking the silence in the darkened hallway. She was just about to pass the door to her parents' room when she sensed something rush past her. Destiny froze before telling herself her mind was playing tricks; the storm was setting her nerves on edge.


She carried on; Her step mum and dad went out for the evening to celebrate their anniversary. Naturally, they had concerns about leaving Destiny on her own.

"Are you sure you will be alright? On your own?" Her stepmother, Selina, asked. For the eighth time. Her frown caused wrinkles to appear on her forehead.


Destiny sighed. irritated "Always worrying," she muttered. Under her breath. Her lack of faith in Destiny grew more frustrating every time. "Selina, for the last time, I will be fine by myself. I am seventeen and I can handle myself for a few hours. Go out and enjoy yourselves."

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