Remembrance (Kolsten Files #1)

Chapter 1

People screaming

The crackle of fire

Its scalding heat

An old man was in my arms, tears running down his eyes, in his dying breath. He whispered, "Keep the fire burning".

The wailing alarm yanked me off the dream, it is the same dream that I get every night. Waking up, readying myself for school, I walk down the stairs, there was a note on the fridge, "won't be home until late, Dad".

Breakfast consisted of milk and cereal. Eventually, I left for school. The days are always bleak, but today seemed a lot different, like a bad omen. Every day was the same, the teachers, subjects, friends, did not matter, nothing did, losing the only person who cared for me does that. The results for my board exams came, average. The only interesting thing in school is fencing and jujitsu. I have to be strong, to fight, to protect, and not be helpless.

"Hey! Give that back!" Timothy was running around with a notebook, Allen was chasing him, constantly moving his glasses back into place, "oh Allen, what do we have here, a diary? With every boring part of your life written on it". "Timothy please don't, he looked at me pleadingly, "alright alright" I grabbed the diary from Tim and threw it to Allen, who failed to catch it.

These two adopted me when I saved them from James, who likes to earn his pocket money by forcefully burrowing from people who cannot fend for themselves. Pathetic. Here i am stuck with them and their amusements now. Not that I mind.

"Kolsten this isn't my diary" with a grin on my face, I tossed his real diary back to Tim. He opened it eagerly. "What have we here?, woah! Check this out Kolsten. Didn't figure Allen to be the romantic guy, pages and pages of Elena" Elena? , "Yes, the brunette who should actually be blonde, obsessed with comic books, freckle faced, almost killed us all in the chemistry lab" oh, I remember now, we looked at Allen quizzically. "She's beautiful in and out alright" As you say lovebird, but better head back to class, we shouldn't be late again, hustling along we got to Mr Dawsons class, he was waiting for us, "the three of you are late again, this is the millionth time!" Still looking down Tim said, "it's only the sixth sir" his face went to a deeper shade of red, "That's it smart arse! Detention for all three of you!". "Damn that old geezer" , " We wouldn't have been in trouble if you hadn't snagged my diary Tim, quit mumbling" . "No talking in my class, Sit! " Everything went smoothly after that.

Mr Dan and Clive, fencing and jujitsu teachers. See a lot in me, being the best in class. So they have decided to enter me into a specialised martial arts centre, I am positively surprised, that is the most anyone has ever done for me, I gratefully accept it. This is my little world, a routine, a schedule. Nothing out of the norm, wake up, breakfast, school, Allen and Timothy, training then sleep. Could not care less of anything, hardly any ambitions, just existing , going with the flow. Ever since her death.