Jill Brooks and The Three Runes

The Package

The evening sun cast long shadows across the street as Jill sat at her desk, staring at the brown package Miss Nettleberry had left on her doorstep. Her fingers hovered over the corners of the wrapping, but she couldn't bring herself to tear it open. What if there was something inside—something dangerous, like Maria had said?

Her mind kept wandering back to Mr. Thorne's words: "Some things are not as they appear." What did he know? Why had he singled her out?

A soft knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts. It was her mother, standing in the doorway with a warm smile. "You've been quiet since you got home. Everything okay, sweetie?"

Jill nodded quickly, sliding the package further down her desk to hide it from view. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Her mother gave her a knowing look, clearly unconvinced, but didn't press further. "Alright, well, dinner's ready when you are."

Jill waited until her mom's footsteps faded down the hallway before pulling the package back in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she picked at the twine that held it together and carefully peeled back the brown paper. Inside was a small, leather-bound book. The cover was worn, and its spine cracked, as if it had been handled many times before. No title, no author, just the same spidery handwriting as on the package.

Her name.

Jill Brooks.

She traced the letters with her finger, a shiver running down her spine. Slowly, she opened the book to the first page, which was blank except for a single line written in that same delicate hand:

"For those who seek what is hidden, beware what they find."

Jill's heart skipped a beat. She turned the page, but before she could make sense of the writing inside, a loud crash came from downstairs.

She leapt up, her chair scraping loudly across the floor. Heart pounding, she shoved the book under her pillow and rushed out of her room. When she reached the living room, she saw her mother picking up the pieces of a broken plate.

"Oh, Jill, I'm sorry," her mom said, flustered. "I was trying to carry too much at once."

Jill let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "It's fine, Mom."

But the unease lingered, sticking to her like a second skin. Something felt off, like the whole world had tilted slightly out of balance since Miss Nettleberry's disappearance. And now, with this strange book in her possession, Jill couldn't shake the feeling that she was being pulled into something much bigger than herself.

After dinner, she went back to her room, her thoughts swirling like a storm. She pulled the book out from under her pillow, turning it over in her hands. Every instinct told her to leave it closed, to put it back in the package and forget about it. But there was a pull—something about the book that made it impossible to resist.

She flipped to the second page. The writing was neat but cramped, as though whoever had written it was in a hurry.

"You've been chosen, whether you like it or not. There are forces at work that you cannot yet understand. But you must be careful. There are those who will try to deceive you. Trust no one, and always, always be vigilant."

Jill's pulse quickened as she scanned the words. Chosen? Deception? What was this about? She flipped through more pages, but most of them were filled with strange symbols and cryptic notes she couldn't make sense of.

Before she could dig deeper, her phone buzzed on the desk. It was a message from Maria:

Maria: Did u open it?

Jill's fingers hesitated over the keyboard. She didn't know how to explain any of it. The substitute teacher who felt like he was hiding something, the strange package from Miss Nettleberry, the warning inside the book—it all seemed too bizarre to put into words.

Jill: Yeah. It's... weird.

Maria: What's in it?

Jill: Some old book. With my name in it.

A few seconds later, Maria's response popped up:

Maria: Creepy.

Jill: Yeah.

Jill stared at the book again, feeling its weight in her hands. Something told her this was only the beginning.

The next day, the tension in the air was thick as Jill walked into class. Mr. Thorne stood at the front of the room, just as he had the day before, his coat draped over his shoulders like a shadow. He greeted the students with that same unsettling smile as they took their seats. Jill couldn't help but notice how his eyes lingered on her again, just a fraction of a second too long.

As the lesson started, Jill struggled to focus. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the book. Why had Miss Nettleberry sent it to her? What did it mean?

Suddenly, Mr. Thorne's voice cut through her thoughts. "Jill Brooks."

Her head snapped up. "Y-Yes?"

He smiled, but there was something cold in his eyes. "Do you have something you'd like to share with the class?"

Heat rushed to her face as she shook her head. "No. Sorry."

He stared at her for a moment longer than necessary before turning back to the board, his chalk scribbling strange equations that made little sense to anyone.

The rest of the lesson passed in a blur. Jill felt like she was being watched, and every time she glanced up, she swore she saw Mr. Thorne looking in her direction, though he always looked away before she could catch him outright.

By lunchtime, Jill was relieved to escape the classroom. She sat with Maria at their usual spot, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Maria said, biting into her sandwich.

Jill shrugged, keeping her voice low. "I just... Mr. Thorne is really weird, don't you think?"

Maria nodded. "Weird doesn't even begin to describe it. He keeps saying all this stuff about 'what's hidden in plain sight' and 'ancient knowledge.' I mean, who talks like that to a bunch of kids?"

Jill swallowed hard. She hadn't told Maria about the book yet. It felt like something too important—too dangerous—to casually mention.

Just then, Maria's eyes widened. "Oh no, he's coming."

Jill turned to see Mr. Thorne striding toward them, his coat billowing behind him in a way that made him look almost... otherworldly. He stopped in front of their table, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Jill," he said, his voice silky smooth. "I need to speak with you after lunch."

Her heart dropped into her stomach. "Why?"

His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Just a small matter we need to discuss. Nothing to worry about."

But Jill was worried. Very worried. She had a feeling that whatever Mr. Thorne wanted to discuss, it wasn't going to be "nothing." It was going to be something big—something that had to do with Miss Nettleberry's disappearance, the strange book, and the unsettling feeling that everything was spiraling out of control.