Mo Leannan | Jamie Fraser |

1.01 - Craigh Na Dun

Chapter 1

Episode 1

"I want to live a lot of different lives, not just one. I wish I could have lived forever, in every age and every country, seen everything and done everything and felt everything."

― Kathleen Winsor, Star Money

I explode out of my bed, breathing heavily; my door seems to shake under the pressure of my cousin's knocks. Though they are more akin to bangs. I run my hand down my face trying to shake the bloody images of dead men from my mind.

"Get up you lazy bum! We need to leave for Inverness!" Her voice does nothing to soothe the ringing in my ears; I look at my bedside table in search of anything that can help my aching head. I reach for my nearest pill bottle but find it empty causing me to collapse back into my bed.

"Just- just give me a moment Claire -please." The banging stops suddenly once she hears my pathetic tone of voice. At the silence I finally feel myself able to breathe clearly for the first time since my nightmare filled with blood, yelling and gunshots.

I splash my face with water from the tub on my dresser before turning to get dressed, my room looking as though a tornado flew through it. My packing process may not be the tidiest but is effective for me.

Organised chaos surrounds me. I thrive in the meddlesome in-between of panic and joy, simply living off adrenaline and hope.

♥

"Can you guys stop eye fucking please? I don't know why you invited me if you two are just going to be staring into each other's eyes and flirting the whole time." I roll my eyes taking another long drag of my cigarette before exhaling towards the bright blue sky.

"Oh good lord Violette, you know that when I invited you I said this was originally our 'second honeymoon.'"

I gag at the thought of being near the couple for any longer. The car ride was stifling; what with being trapped in the backseat whilst your cousin and her husband gave each other bedroom eyes and grin, my own personal circle of hell.

"You both know I was planning on travelling to Scotland soon, this whole 'second honeymoon' business is simply a ploy."

"Oh really? A ploy? To do what, Violette? Watch you talk to locals and get drunk?" Frank responds dryly, his eyes catching his wives and a smirk appears on his stupid smug face.

"Frank, you truly make everything ten times more insufferable no matter the occasion. Bravo! And for your information I am cutting back on the drinking. I am moving on to more.. Hmmm.. herbal practices. Much more natural."

"Violette! You are going to become a drug-using invalid at this rate!" Claire shouts and turns to look at me disapprovingly.

"Yes Mother." I roll my eyes, feeling more like a petulant teen than I ever did in my actual youth and mutter quietly. I turn the page on my novel and once again I lose myself in Forever Amber, my mind sucked into the late 1600s, travelling through the story's tragic yet romantic plot.

We stop at the ruins of a castle that no doubt used to be an impressive fort. The former residence of glory reduced to crumbles before my eyes.

I walk behind Frank and Claire, staring intently at my surroundings as we do. Soon we come across a door surrounded by vines but the challenge doesn't hinder Frank nor my cousin from forcing the door open. I hold my flashlight up higher to better see the dark room as we entered it. I seem to be the only one that feels cautious but after a brief glance around the surrounding room it washes away.