Magic Tricks

Chapter 1

Devon.

Not the place she wanted to be at. But she didn't have much of an option.

"Well, this is your room," Ben said, opening the door and showing her in. 

"Thanks," Emma muttered. 

Emma Sallow, seventeen years old, just shifted to her Uncle Ben's place, after the tragic demise of her parents.

A little over a year, a  fire had broken out and their house had fallen to ashes. She was out with her classmates at the time and returned to a smouldering wreck. Nothing had remained. Nothing.

"You'll have to share with Caroline," Ben said. "If that's okay with you,"

"Yeah, it's fine," Emma said. "Thank you for everything, really,"

Ben placed the little trunk he was carrying at the foot of the bed, as Emma studied the room. The walls were covered with a few newspaper cuttings and posters of bands. The little dressing table had a lot of bottles and a diary on it. From the window, she could see distant hills.

"Em," Ben said softly. "Are you okay?"

Emma looked away from the window she was now gazing out of. 

"Yeah," she nodded. 

The soft lines on the older man's face were sunken in with sorrow. After all, he had lost his brother too. 

"...I'll let you settle in. Tell me if you need anything," Ben said and patted her shoulder comfortingly, then he walked out of the room, closing it behind him.

Within a year, Emma had gotten used to the monotonous routine in the little village of Ottery St Catchpole. 

Ben ran the little paper shop in the village, and her cousin, Caroline would take shifts there. Emma had started going to help, and now they were taking turns manning the counter when Ben went to the city for other business.

Ottery St Catchpole was a dreary little village, with nothing much around it. There was very little wind, and the occasional breezes seemed bland. The Otter river was boring. The green stretches of land seemed pale, and the hills looked dull...Or maybe it was just her. 

Emma looked out of the window at the hills in the distance. She was going to be of age now, and she hadn't found anything to do yet. She couldn't keep troubling her uncle and aunt and be a burden for them. She'd have to move out soon. But what would she do?

Dreams. She had those once. Hopes. Yeah, those too. Aspirations. All synonyms for the same thing. 

But now, there was nothing she wanted to do. She had gotten used to the dull tasks of every day, and he routine that she followed so religiously.

Wake up, bath, help with the breakfast, the dishes, water the plants, study, lunch, take her shift at the shop, check the yard, visit the local market, help with the dinner, sleep.
And then it all repeated again.

She vaguely remembered making plans a few years ago. She wanted to travel the world. She wanted to make a name for herself...But now, she'd rather just follow her routine. It kept her thoughts at bay and helped her make it to the next day.

........................................

"There are all sort of tricks, Carol," Emma said with a small smile as her cousin told her excitedly about a trick a boy had shown her the other day.