Seekers of Fire

Chapter 1 - Crimson High

Amelia was up before dawn. She had trouble sleeping for the past few nights, and she did not want to go back to bed in case her nightmares returned. That was when she realised it was Monday. Groaning, she rubbed her eyes and forced her legs to take her to the bathroom.

She sighed when she caught her reflection in the mirror. You're a mess, Amelia. Her red hair was all over the place and under her amber eyes were dark circles. At least no zits showed up today. She pulled out her makeup, comb and toothbrush and got to work. There were still hours to kill before school even started.

Amelia and her father lived in Crimson, a fairly new suburb with modern buildings and infrastructure. It was located north of Melbourne city but touched the border between urban and rural areas. In other words, it was a popular place for both city folk and farmers, especially since it had one of the biggest shopping centres in the state.

After getting ready, she tiptoed to the kitchen and pulled out a box of cornflakes and a bottle of milk. Although still dimly lit, there was enough light seeping through the kitchen windows for her to see what she was doing without the help of a light bulb. Amelia slowly ate her cereal in silence and tried to keep her eyes open. I seriously need to improve my sleep.

Someone walked into the kitchen and turned on the light switch. "You're up early."

"Morning Dad, I couldn't sleep. Did I wake you up?" Amelia asked sheepishly.

"It's not your fault, I'm a light sleeper."

She shrugged and proceeded to eat her cornflakes. She glanced at the clock that stood in the corner of the kitchen bench. 7:56am... guess I'll go to school early today. Amelia quickly gulped down the remains of her breakfast and searched for her school bag in her messy room.

"Dad, I'm going to school now!" she called out.

A shuffling of steps, and then her father appeared from his bedroom. He was a ginger but his amber eyes were less intense than hers. He had a beard and worked part-time as a construction worker, but to Amelia, he was simply her baseball-loving father.

He reached out and gave her a hug. "Okay sweetheart. Have a good day at school, and don't get into any trouble if you can help it," he said with a wink.

She laughed and hugged him back. She always felt safe and secure in his big, loving arms. "Thanks, Dad. Take care of yourself too."

Amelia reached for the doorknob and began walking towards school, which only took her about ten minutes of walking. Soon, rows of large, modern buildings surrounded by tall, black fences came into view. The polished sign that stood at the entrance told her 'Crimson High'. More like Hell High. She sighed and entered the school gates cautiously, hoping that none of her teachers was around to engage her in conversation as her punishment for coming so early.

I wonder if Drake is here yet. She walked past the large double-storey junior building and towards the large patch of artificial grass just outside the canteen area. Her dad had once told her that only the rich schools could afford real grass, but she was not sure whether that was true. Either way, it was a well maintained and popular spot for social butterflies to meet and chat during recess and lunchtimes.

No one was around apart from a lone boy that sat in the middle of the artificial grass. He was furiously typing away on his laptop. Suddenly conscious of what she looked like, Amelia quickly straightened her school dress and blazer and hoped her makeup hid her dark circles well. She approached him with an eyebrow raised and a smile spreading across her face.

"You're here early," she said.

The boy stopped typing and looked up. "Amy? What are you doing here? It's barely even half past eight."