My Haunted Heart

Chapter One

The misty air settled on my window, and I watched drearily as it formed droplets of water and trickled down lazily. The sun was nowhere to be seen, even though the clock ticking tirelessly on my wall read 6:30. To me, it seemed as though every day was cloudy and overcast since my mother passed away several years ago.

My record player played Claire De Lune sleepily from across the room on my dresser; I loved the combination of crackling vinyl and dreamy classical music. This song was definitely one of my favourites.

The feeling of being awake while the rest of the world still sleeps, with a little background music and a comfortable bed to rest in; this was always pure ecstasy to me.

I knew that in only half an hour I would have to force myself out of bed. Today will be my first day at Hillsborough High School, and I am not thrilled.

School always came easy to me, and achieving an honour roll didn't take much effort. The class I excelled at especially is music. I'd been taking extra courses on musical history at my old school, and I took piano lessons ever since I can remember.

No, school itself is not the problem. It's the people. My dad Mickey switched me to Hillsborough High because I was a social outcast at my old school after my mother died. My father was worried about me, so he decided to switch me to this one.

It began raining hard. I threw the blankets off my bed dramatically and stretched my arms and legs out as far as they could go. My mind drifted back to the school, and I squeezed my eyes shut until they hurt, as if that would make my reoccurring thoughts disappear.

Footsteps padded up the stairs, and immediately I scrambled out of bed. I was already anticipating the knock on my bedroom door. "I'm up Dad," I called, slipping on some grey sweats and tying my untameable brown hair into a ponytail. I took a swift glance in the mirror on my dresser before heading down the stairs for breakfast. Mickey had already eaten, and a bowl of cereal and a carton of milk were waiting for me on the table. I finished off two bowls, and then washed and dried my dishes before heading back up the stairs to get ready.

My hands shook as I squeezed some toothpaste onto my toothbrush and rinsed with cold water. I glanced up into the mirror, and gasped a little at how tired my eyes looked. The stress must be getting to me, I thought to myself.

I let the hot water of the shower loosen my tense muscles, which helped with my anxiety a little bit. I let the water run until it was cold; I knew Mickey was already out of the house and on his way to work, so I didn't have to worry about being reprimanded for using up all of the hot water.

After throwing on a blue hoodie and some jeans, I combed through my unruly, long hair and decided to leave it down today. I slipped on my converse sneakers and grabbed my coat before heading downstairs and locking the door behind me.

The air smelled like fresh dew and pine needles, and this is how the air was always fragranced in Hillsborough. Every road you drive down is lined with ferns, pines, and beautiful cedars. Hillsborough is a small town of around six thousand, surrounded by vast, ancient forests. It really is the most beautiful place to live, and I'm happy that my father and mother had chosen to settle down here shortly after getting married.

As I walked down my porch onto the disheveled dirt driveway, it suddenly occurred to me that I didn't have a ride to school. A sudden jolt of panic swept through me, causing my body to shiver. But then I remembered Mickey saying something about the school being east of the house a few days earlier, and judging by the size of this town, I reckoned the school couldn't be very far.

My hands gripped the shoulder straps of my bag tightly in subtle anxiety; I stumbled down the driveway and onto the shoulder of the road. The air was chilly, but still warm enough that my blue hoodie was enough to keep me warm.