Sam and the Spies

Chapter 1

The sun's steady light faded away as strong gusts of wind blew inky clouds to cover the already darkening sky. Streaks of crimson-orange and twilight purple powdered the horizon as I was left on the swing in the night. 

The breeze shook the large hovering tree's and caused the rusty, old swing set to creak creepily, like in the movies. A distant call of my name rang in my head and I swiveled around to see if I wasn't imaging it. 

A dark figure moved in the distance and a gasp got caught in my throat. 

"Who are you?" I croaked.

I made out broad shoulders and wispy curls, cut just above the ears. Beefy arms and long strides, I figured that it was either a teenage boy or a young man. The eerie silence in between us gave me the chills and goosebumps prickled my arms and legs. 

I blinked. The figure was closing in and he didn't move as though he wanted to befriend me. His posture was straight and something shiny glinted in his left hand. He broke into a run but no matter how close he got, I couldn't make out his face.

I didn't move a muscle. The man was breathing down on my head and my brown fringe brushed my eyebrows. 

"Don't move."

I laughed. It wasn't the light-hearted laugh when you attempt to be polite when one of your friends tell you a cheesy joke or the kind of sarcastic laugh that all the mean people in the movies use. It was the scared kind-of laugh. The kind of laugh where you find nothing funny but you figure it's better to see the rainbow of the rain. 

I was scared and I slumped forward as the cold blade touched my neck. 

***

Saturday, August 24th 7:42 am

I wake up with a line of cold sweat dribbling down my forehead. Strands of my fringe are plastered to my forehead and my blanket lies in a twisted heap at the base of my bed. I inhale the fresh smell of lavender that floats from the candle sitting on my chest of drawers. 

My feet land with a muffled thump on the carpeted floors and my feet makes patter noises as I tiptoe over to the candle and watch as the flame disappears and curly wisps of smoke rise into the air. I trod barefoot in my penguin pajamas to the bathroom at the end of the upstairs hallway and pull out my toothbrush and toothpaste.

I rush back to my room and drag out one of my favourite tops and a pair of worn jeans, then take a long, hot shower, before getting dressed and heading downstairs for breakfast. 

The smell of fresh pancakes overpowers the different scented candles in every room and I lick my lips as I take a seat at the table.

Jade, my five-year-old sister, comes skipping down the stairs and stumbles slightly over one of Oreo's toys. Speaking of the devil, Oreo, our one-year-old beagle, trots onto the wood laminate floors in our kitchen. 

Jade pulls up a seat next to me and grins with her full baby-tooth smile. 

"What would you kids like for breakfast?" asks Dad. "Pancakes...or pancakes?"  

We smile at his cheesy joke and watch as the mouth-watering food pile up on our plates. I scrabble for the maple syrup on the table and glaze my stack of pancakes with a heavy coat of syrup. Dad puts a little bit of butter in the very center of my top pancake and he does the same to Jade after she glazes her pancakes. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I see our timetable written in Dad's handwriting, on the fridge. Under 'Saturday' it says 'Jade's Ballet - 8:45am' and 'Surprise - 7:25pm'. Next to the timetable is a picture of Mum with her bright smile and wavy, ear-length hair.

Mum leaves every morning at 7:30, even on Saturday, to go to a yoga club she runs down by a row of shops on Easton Street. She's very into yoga and aura and all that stuff, and that's why when Jade was two, she opened up 'Yoga For You' so she could start earning money. At first, there were no customers but after Dad had a Christmas Party at his work, he had spread the words to all the ladies and now there's always a long line to get into Mum's studio.

"Hey Dad, what's the surprise on the timetable?" I ask absent-mindedly as I devour my pancakes.

"Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" he said. Although his playful voice was trying to tease me, I saw a glimpse of emotion behind his eyes...hatred? 

"Are we getting presents Daddy?" Jade crooned, opening her eyes wide and letting the maple syrup drip down her chin. 

"No you silly monster," he cried, reaching over to wipe Jade's chin.

"Is someone coming?" I asked, looking right into his eyes. His pupils glanced sideways at something on the wall but it was so quick that I couldn't even tell what it was that he had glanced at.

***

Saturday, August 24th 10:09 am  

Jade finished her ballet class at 9:00 and then we headed to the park where Jade sat on the swing's and made friends with a boy named Finn. I stayed as far away from the swing set as possible because it was way too similar to the one that was in my dream.

I freaked out when I say a large bulky man in the distance and begged Dad to take us home. So after Jade had finished asking for 'five more minutes', 10 more times, we went home. 

I had some homework to finish so I pulled out my laptop from my bag and flicked onto my e-mail. We were supposed to research a topic of our choice and I chose Australia. I found heaps of cool stuff and put them into an amazing slideshow, I really hope I get a good grade for this. 

I felt something vibrate against my leg and yanked out my phone. I push my finger to the warm screen and I hear Jayden's voice. 

"Hey there Sam."

"I'm busy Jay, what do you want?" I growl into the phone.

"Just wanted to say hi," he said, way too carelessly for my liking.

"Okay, hi, now bye."

"WAIT!" he yelled. I think my ear drum just broke. "I need your help."

"What is it?" I sighed impatiently.

"Do you remember what Lana suggested on the last day of term?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes."

"Well...that."

"You didn't," I gasped, shutting my laptop and running to the front door. "Jayden, you are in SO much trouble."