The Darkest Fate

Chapter Two - Clara

Written by Pctterlock (Grace)

"I got the job." I call flatly into the empty house, sighing as my voice echoes around the bare walls, knowing full well that I'll get no response. It'll be hours before my father is home; he'll be working late and then will no doubt come home either drunk or angry over some argument or other - probably both.

Shutting the door behind me, I pull off my grey woollen shawl - it used to belong to my mother, before she died - and fold it up, placing it on the rickety wooden table which stands in the corner of the room. I then begin to strip off my best clothes which I only wear for things like interviews and work, and replace them with my old, brown dress which is fraying at the seams and covered in holes and dirt. After placing my clothes and boots down on the table next to my shawl, I push the door open and step outside.

The stone steps are cold beneath my bare feet as I make my way up to ground level - we live in the basement of another house, which hasn't been occupied for a while. My father is constantly saying how we should simply move into the rest of the house as it's currently unoccupied, but I'm perfectly happy with our little basement. Besides, the police would surely find us, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to either me or my father, no matter how much I hate him.

"Excuse me, is this house number 54?" I look up to see a girl about my age, maybe a few years older, standing in front of me with a small sack of belongings slung over her shoulder. I can tell immediately from her accent that she's not from around here - it sounds like she's not even from the country, although I wouldn't know as I've never been out of London - but she has an almost perfect pronunciation of English which intrigues me. She has long, silver-white hair which is hidden away in a dark blue-grey hood, and pale white skin to match, but her eyes are what strike me - they're a deep, sapphire blue that I've never really seen anywhere before, let alone in someone's eyes. The difference in height between us is almost comical - I'm definitely short for my age, and she's taller than any woman I've ever seen before, but there's something about her smile that doesn't make me intimidated by her; it's like I'm standing in front of a long lost friend.

"Um, yes; this house here." I say, pointing to the unoccupied house that stands above our basement. "The entrance is around the back."

"Ah, thank you." she says, her accent becoming prominent when she makes the "th" sound, yet again making me wonder where she comes from.

"Would you like me to show you round?" I say as politely as possible, quickly noticing how out of place and confused she seems in this presumably completely new environment to her.

"Oh, that would be wonderful." she says, smiling at me once more. I return the smile, before leading her round to the back of the house and pushing open the back door.

"This is it." I say, holding the door open for her. "Do you need help sorting out your things?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to bother you." she says, looking around her new room. "I'm sure you have places to be."

"No, I actually don't have anything to do today." I say, leaning against the timber frame of the house. "Well, I need to go to the market at some point, but I might as well go later, and show you the way at the same time. And it's not like I have far to go to get home; I live in the basement just below you."

"You are too kind." she says with a little laugh. "But if you are sure..."

"Of course." I say, beaming at her. "My name's Clara, by the way. Clara Kenward."

"And I am Eydis." she says, her own name rolling softly off her tongue. It's an unusual name; certainly one I haven't heard anywhere before, but then again she's not from around here, is she?