The Cursed

Chapter 1

Cassie

By the time I was thirteen, my parents had thought I'd gone mad. I found myself trapped between childhood and something darker, something I couldn't comprehend. It started subtly, whispers at the edge of my hearing, and fleeting shadows in the corner of my vision. At first, I thought I had an overactive imagination. But the whispers grew louder, and the ghostly shapes flickered and vanished as soon as I turned my head. My parents would assure me they weren't real, but I couldn't ignore it. The voices spoke of things I couldn't understand. In languages, that made little sense.

My parents had been frantic at first, their worry morphing into something more clinical. Moving from doctor to doctor, they sought a diagnosis to explain the chaos in my head. No specialist could cure me. The treatments varied from medication to therapy, but nothing seemed to work. I became a case study, a collection of symptoms and reactions rather than a person, a child. By the time I turned seventeen, the voices had become a constant presence, an inescapable part of my reality. My parents' concern turned to frustration. They disregarded their daughter, only seeing the disorder.

The car glided down the rain-soaked road, its tires hissing against the wet pavement. Night pressed in around us, dense and unforgiving, broken by the occasional flash of headlights from passing cars. Suffocating silence weighed heavily, making the car feel even more claustrophobic.

I sat in the backseat, my body curled in the corner, knees drawn up to my chest. My gaze stayed fixed on the window, as the outside world blurred in shades of black and gray. The raindrops on the glass caught the oncoming lights, dancing and flickering as they slid down the pane. I followed their path with my fingers, as if trying to break their path under my finger. My parents sat in the front, shadows carved in the dim light of the dashboard. The silence between us was palpable, heavy with the weight of things unsaid. I could feel the unspoken tensing simmering beneath the surface, threatening to boil over any minute. Instead, it hung in the air like a storm cloud, waiting to unleash its fury. I had the desire to scream, to make them understand that this wasn't the solution, that sending me to some remote, exclusive boarding school wouldn't fix me. But it was pointless. They wouldn't listen. They never did.

The rain continued to fall, a steady drumbeat against the roof of the car. I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the sound and the suffocating darkness. But it was no use. It felt like a one-way ticket to oblivion, with no way out.

As the car approached the sprawling estate, my breath caught in my throat. The school loomed ahead, a dark and brooding presence against the night sky. The architecture was a blend of medieval and gothic styles: tall, spiked towards heaven with intricate stonework, and gargoyle-like figures perched at every corner. Rusted, iron-clad gates creaked open, revealing a courtyard illuminated by the dim glow of gas lamps.

The rain drummed steadily on the roof of the car as it rolled to a stop in front of a grand entrance. My parents stepped out, but I remained in the backseat a moment longer, taking in the sight before me. Secrets spilled from every shadow in the ancient, formidable school. Reluctantly, I stepped out of the car, my shoes splashing through puddles on the cobblestone driveway. The air was sharp with the scent of rain, and a chilling breeze tugged at my sweater as I followed my parents to the massive, arched doors of the school. They opened with a groan, revealing a dimly lit hall.

The interior was as chilling as the exterior suggested. High ceilings arched above us, supported by dark wooden beams that stretched into shadow. Ancient relics and books filled the towering bookshelves lining the halls. Amidst the grand interior, a figure emerged from the shadows. She was a striking woman, perhaps in her mid-forties, with an air of quiet elegance. She had pulled back her dark hair in a sophisticated bun, and her dark green eyes emitted a penetrating intensity.

"Welcome, Cassandra," the woman said, her voice smooth and commanding. She extended a manicured hand. "I am headteacher Guinevere. I hope you didn't have too much trouble getting here."

I offered a tentative smile, my nerves jangled by my unfamiliar surroundings.

"No trouble at all. And please, call me Cassie."

As headteacher Guinevere led my parents to a secluded corner of the grand hall, their hushed conversation faded into the ambient sounds of the old building. I stood amongst the towering bookshelves, my fingers tracing over the spines of ancient volumes. Despite my curiosity, the murmur of my parents and the headteacher remained frustratingly out of reach. I could only catch occasional snippets of their conversation. After what felt like an eternity, headteacher Guinevere returned.

"It's late," she said, her voice smooth and authoritative. "It would be best if we got you settled into your dorm. I'll give you a moment to say goodbye."

My heart sank as I turned to my parents, hoping they reconsidered. My mother stepped forward, her eyes moist with unshed tears.

"I know this is hard, Cassie," she said, her voice trembling. This is for the best, you'll see. A new start."

For me or them? I wrapped my arm around her in a brief, awkward hug. The unwanted moment overshadowed the familiarity of her embrace. I hugged my father, who patted my back. Their goodbyes were stilted. My mother bid me a last smile before they turned away, their figures disappearing into the enveloping darkness of the night.

Once they were gone, I felt a hollow emptiness settle in my chest. Only the headteacher and a newly arrived girl remained in the hall with me. She seemed to be around my age. Her brown hair fell in soft, natural waves just past her shoulders, framing her round face and large, expressive eyes that held a mix of youthful curiosity and subtle melancholy. Her pale skin, with a soft, clear complexion that contrasted against her red sweater.

"Cassie," the headteacher said, gesturing toward the girl, "This is Sophie. She will be your roommate and help you get settled in."

She stepped forward, extending a hand with a welcoming gesture.

"Hi, Cassie. It's a bit of a maze around here, but you'll get used to it. Let me help you carry your luggage."

A small smile flickered upon feeling relief from a friendly face.

"Thank you, Sophie."

As we walked together along the dimly lit hallways, I couldn't help but glance over my shoulder at headteacher Guinevere. But she was gone. As we walked further, my old life's weight slipped away, leaving me to face what's next.