Shroud [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

“Jonah!”

“What?!”

“Answer the door!”

“I’m upstairs!”

“Well, who’s fault is it that we’re staying at your Aunt’s since someone burnt the house down and put us in ruins! Go answer the door!”

“MUM! THE POLICE SAID THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE!”

“WHICH WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU WERE HOME INSTEAD OF GOING ON AN UNAUTHORISED ROAD TRIP WITH SOME GIRLS FROM THE CATHOLIC ALL GIRLS BOARDING SCHOOL, OR WHATEVER EXCUSE YOU CONCOCTED!

“HEY! DON’T BLAME ME BECAUSE YOU DECIDED THAT IT WAS ‘FOR THE BEST’ TO NOT CALL OVER THE ELECTRICIAN!”

“OH FOR FUCK’S SAKE JONAH! ANSWER THE DOOR!”

“OH GOOD! NOW YOU BROUGHT DAD INTO THIS!”

“JONAH, LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER.”

“THAT’S RIGHT JONAH, YOU GET OFF YOUR LAZY, LESBIAN ASS AND ANSWER THAT GODDAMN DOOR OR ELSE-“

“OR ELSE WHAT MUM? YOU’RE GONNA SICK GRAN ON ME?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake Gina, it’s not worth fighting about it.”

“Ian!”

“Gina, calm down.”

“Fine. Fine. I’ll get the door. BUT YOU’RE STILL GROUNDED JONAH!”

“THANKS FOR INFORMING ME! FOR A MOMENT THERE I’D ALMOST FORGOTTEN THAT FACT!”

Jonah sighed irritably as she flipped onto her stomach. The blow up mattress was uncomfortable, and she suspected it had a hole in it. It had been a month since she managed to catch two trains and three buses back to Dorrovan from Wales, where she took a taxi back to the remains of what was her house, only to discover her shocked and furious mother and father awaiting her arrival who stood before the ashes.

After a storm of scolding, crying and blaming, the three of them had managed to settle in with her aunt Samantha and her four children who lived at the edge of Dorrovan. Luckily, since the disaster of the intentional arson that an evil Nekromant bestowed upon to her, she was now grounded for life.

Jonah rolled onto her back. The house was fairly chaotic. Her cousins were at elementary school, and her aunt worked as assistant manager in a small flower shop. Jonah would be at school, but the apparent distrust her mother presented had forced her to remain under house arrest. Her father was downstairs with her uncle, sorted out what their next move would be to getting back on their feet.

Her mum had announced a few days before that it was looking more like they would go live with her grandma on a permanent basis. Her grandmother lived in Essex, and her mother even suggested Jonah would change schools. 

And this sparked a rebellion inside of her. 

There was too much here in this small little town. Of course there was Levi, her best friend. Katie, who was playing hard to get, but the epic battle finale was slowly arriving. She wasn’t completely sure when and how she knew there would be a finale, but there was definitely the feeling of one approaching.

“Jonah! There’s someone at the door for you!” 

Jonah lifted her head towards the door. She frowned. She wasn’t expecting any company.