Realm of Renee

Chapter 1

Three months before.

19th May 2019

RENEE

I never saw it coming.

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon on the nineteenth of May, the gentle breeze tickling my hair and whispering me lullabies. The sun was soft and white upon the sky, watching things almost lazily drift by, a slow, lingering warmth that almost seemed to stretch time. Being a holiday, Clover and I were hanging out on the porch, trying to forget the demented place known as school.

As usual, I was fiddling with my tools, trying to create a mechanical toy for my dog Truffles to play with. I was something of an inventor, always experimenting on wires and stuff, much to my parents' dismay. They didn't exactly disapprove and were more on the anxious side because I did 'dangerous experiments' on myself.

Oh please, my experiments couldn't hurt a fly.

Clover, a self-proclaimed psychic and my best friend, was peering through her new Tarot deck, trying to get used to them. She shuffled the cards calmly and rhythmically, her face scrunched up in concentration. And right now, she was doing a very important reading for me, whatever that meant.

I watched Clover blandly, thinking about what ran in that brain of hers. Clover often told me stories about worlds that didn't exist, Spirits who would talk to her and visions she often got depicting the future.

I mean, none of it made sense to my rational mind. And even if it did, where was the proof?

The front door opened slowly, and my dog Truffles poked her head through the opening, her shaggy ears drooping gently. She was an eight-month-old golden retriever, with the ability to cheer anyone up. She was also extremely smart, going far enough to assist me in my inventions.

"Hey girl," I whispered to Truffles, running my hand through her golden fur. She settled her head upon my lap and closed her eyes, trying to relax amidst Clover's chaotic presence.

"Oh my gosh!" Clover squealed excitedly at the cards on her table. "Finally!"

"What?" I leaned forward, curiosity getting the better of me.

"You're getting a boyfriend Renee! Look here, he's the king of swords!" She showed me the card with the picture of a middle-aged king, and I secretly gag.

Clover made an impatient noise at my expression, "Of course he's not old, the picture is just a representation."

"What is he, then?" I questioned, as I pulled out my screwdriver.

"He's smart and strong and ooohh," Clover sighed dramatically, "He's extremely attractive."

"And he's falling for me?" I raised an eyebrow.

"He definitely is!" She affirmed.

"Are you even reading it correctly?" I asked her in disbelief, and she rolled her eyes at me.

Sighing tiredly, I return to my mechanical toy, trying to attach a tiny motor to it. Truffles knew that the toy was for her, and she tried to be on her best behaviour so that I would construct it faster.

"Yup, the lovers' card confirms it." Clover slammed another card on the table, with a maniacal grin on her face. "You two are really going to be something."

I rolled my eyes at her, "Cloves, I don't even want a boyfriend. It seems like too much work. And I just want to sleep."

Clover continued to shuffle her cards, now picking up another card. Her eyes widened, but she soon began to smile.