Shadow's Game

Chapter one

I was running fast down the halls of this huge mansion. The walls were made of stone, and were painted a pale yellow that screamed eighteen hundreds. Like the walls, the floors were also made of cold, unforgiving stone. The sound of my sneakers against the ground sang through the halls. I knew someone was chasing me, and his or her smell lingered in the air. My whole body was terrified, but my lips seemed to remain sealed tight.

I made it to the wooden cellar steps that emptied into the garage. Realizing I had nowhere else to go, I started down the stairs. Eerie moans of what sounded like the deceased leaked out as my feet applied pressure to the wooden structure. Everything else was so nice and expensive and the people couldn't afford new cellar stairs? I wish they would've fixed these stairs. When I let my mind wander, I slowed down, and that's when the person caught up to me. I felt a hand push me forward with a great force.

Screaming, I fell into the darkness. My body felt like it broke as I tumbled down into a heap. Tears clouded my vision, and small whimpers escaped out of my mouth. A dark shadow leaned over me.

"Please..." I begged through to tears, and I knew I wouldn't have a savior this time. Something silver and sharp glistened in the small light provided by a small light bulb hanging in the corner of the garage.

"You leave her alone, Gillingwater." A voice growled out of the darkness.

Maia?" my mom said, startling me out of my dream, and my blankets decided to throw me off my bed. My head smacked hard against the carpeted floor, and a sea of blankets covered my body, chaining me to the ground. As I struggled to be released, my mom banged on my door again.

"Maia Faustine De Rege! Are you up yet?" she yelled through the only thing that gives me privacy and, more importantly, sanity, my door. Before she could try to get in or yell again, I replied.

"Yes, I'm awake." I said in an annoyed voice because my morning wasn't off to a great start.

Finally, I broke free of the blanket's grasp. "Aha!" I shouted at the blanket, as I threw it on my bed. Walking over to my bathroom, I started to brush my hair. My hair was wavy, and it fell a few inches below my shoulders. It was a medium brown, and side bangs covered some of my sun kissed skin, and my hazel eyes, well depending on the day. That's when I saw my blanket in the mirror, and I laughed.

"You were an awesome opponent my friend. Maybe tomorrow you could take it a little easier." I said and when the blanket didn't answer I continued, "Well then I will just kick your butt again tomorrow, until next time my friend slash enemy."

I walked over to my dresser and grabbed a pair of dark skinny jeans. Then I walked over to my closet and pulled out my red tank to and green over jacket, which had been a gift from my grandma in Paris last Christmas. When I was finally all dressed, I put on some sneakers, and I pulled my hair into a side braid, leaving my side bangs down.

The sweet aroma of coffee filled my nose. That's exactly what I need to turn my day around. I almost ran out of my room, but like I said, I almost did. My hair was bobbing against my shoulder as I gracefully walk down the stairs. Entering our small country style kitchen, I saw my mom over by the coffee pot brewing her famous secret recipe for coffee.

She was still in her pink fluffy robe and slippers. I noticed how tired she looked, and I realized it was probably from all the late shifts she had been taking. My dad had left us when I was a little girl, well at least that's what I tell people. Actually, he was in the army, and he was on his way home from war. I was only four at the time, and I was so excited to see him. However, their plane was shot down before they even left the country. I don't like to tell people about it because I get despondent.