Prologue & Chapter 1

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by Ellymia37
by Ellymia37
                                    
                                                          
                          Prologue
                          She was a masterpiece. She was art personified. Her face was a canvas of even and unhurried brushstrokes. The fear though twisted her features into a blur of skin and hair. She was ugly now. She took gulps of frantic breaths as she ran towards the exit.  Her mouth tasted of vomit. Clammy sweat spread over her body. She knew that death was inevitable. 
                          Chapter 1-Dylan
                                      
                          The walk home from school was dreadful. Even though it was the same 2 kilometres, today it seemed like a marathon. I felt as if the birds were mocking me. Their constant hysterical chirping was driving me crazy. It was like they were laughing at me, rustling their feathers in jest.
                          "Taking your time there Dylan!" I imagined them saying in squeaky voices that would most definitely do my head in. 
                          The bag was becoming heavier with each agonizing step. The smell of my sweat had now become impossible to ignore as it wafted out of every pore, stinging my eyes. My acne itched and I cursed my adolescent body and its limitations. If only Lucas was walking home with me today. He had the talent to make 2 kilometres of blaring sun seem like a gentle stroll in an autumn breeze.
                          Something always seemed to happen to Lucas and every day after school he would tell me all about it.  Yesterday he had retold the story of how in Year 3 he was dared to ask the newest teacher out on a date. Knowing how bad Lucas' pick up lines are I have always felt sorry for that young woman. The dare resulted in internal suspension for two days. Lucas had to spend time sitting outside the principal's office while the rest of us went to the zoo and studied his favourite animal, the goat. He is still upset that he did not see the goat who was named Peter pee on Sarah Portland, his nemesis. In Year 2 Sarah had beaten him in a 50m run with her leg in plaster and the whole class had nearly wet themselves with laughter watching Lucas take an extra 15 seconds to reach the finishing line. Lucas had been waiting for the moment for someone to take his spot as the class weirdo and the zoo cleared his name. 
                          The house was finally in view. I quickened my pace and was relieved to be walking up the stone pathway leading to the front door. I heaved my backpack off my shoulders and fished my key out of my pocket. I leaned forward to open the door. As it swung open I cried out in joy as the cool air swept over me.
                          "Dylan is that you?"
                          I turned my head to the right. My father stood leaning against the still unpainted wall dressed in his paramedic uniform. I like my dad a lot. We spent time together binge watching Game of Thrones on his days off. He worked long hours and was what people describe as an absent dad but to me he was always present in my life. 
                          "How was school?" he asked lifting the coffee mug to his lips.  I hated answering this question as the response he wanted to hear was "Fantastic" and the answer I gave each day was "OK" which led to the next question "Why?" 
                          I did not know how to tell him that at school I was an ordinary kid while at home my father thought I was extraordinary. Most times I hated school. I was known as the kid who had no mum. Obviously I must have had a mum but at age 10 she left us. I have always tried to move on from this. But for some reason some of the students in my class will never let me forget it. Jerks!
                          Having answered the Why question I headed upstairs, opened my bedroom door and flopped onto my queen size bed narrowly missing my dog Louie. "Sorry Louie" I said for the second day this week. I kicked off my smelly sneakers and unloaded my school bag. I groaned at the Maths text book with a misnomer "Maths Made Easy". I had a test later this week which was a do or die test as I needed to bump up my grade. I was in the top Maths class and everyone seemed gifted except me. I still used a calculator to check the basics. They used a calculator to check cosine! 
                          My ringtone took my attention from Maths. I grabbed my iphone and saw a message from Lucas. This definitely was an unusual text to receive on a Tuesday afternoon.