When The Clock Struck Midnight

Chapter 1

I open the oven door only to get hit by a sweet smell. I briskly grab the brownies from the oven and set them on top to let them cool. While I was admiring my handy work I hear the familiar tinkle of the small bakery's bell. Putting the tea towel on the counter I walk to the register and I'm greeted by a familiar face. "Addy!" My younger sister, Charlie, squeaks out my nickname. She quickly runs under the gate and jumps onto me for a hug.

"Hey Charles, how was school?" I ask her. I hold her hands as she proceeds to stand on my feet while I try to turn around to get back into the kitchen. I find a couple in the corner drinking coffee gushing about how we are such cute siblings. As I enter the kitchen Charlie jumps off my feet and puts her school bag in a corner and then stands on a stool to grab a bowl.

She replies to me, "It was fun, today Luca gave me a drawing he did in art class-" Grabbing some eggs I crack them into a seperate bowl from Charlie's. While she poured in some flour in her own, distracting her for a moment, "Then we played tiggy and I kept becoming 'it'-" She added in the rest of the dry ingredients, "And I fell over and he gave me a piggyback ride to the sick bay," She poured in the eggs and milk and I started mixing it while she finished explaining, "Then we had to go back to our own classes and then school finished and now I'm here!" She turned to me and gave a big toothy grin. I smiled at her and poured the batter in the cake tin, then putting it in the oven.

"You know Charlie, I think Luca likes you a bit much don't you think?" I said teasingly. She gaped at me with her mouth open and punched my arm. "No way! And don't call him by his nickname, Adam," She replied mockingly. I chuckled at her oblivion and heard the bell ring again and quickly moved towards the register. As I got to the register, for the second time in a row, I saw a familiar face. My close friend, Willow, and she was crying again.

"Go to the kitchen I'll be with you in a sec," I said with a concerned look. She nodded, lifting the gate slowly as her sobs shook her body. Quickly making a coffee for her I move back to the kitchen to see Charlie hugging Willow. I set the coffee down at the bench and sit down. She looks at me with her tear stained face.

She opened her mouth but she started crying again, I hugged her while rubbing her back trying to calm her down. Her sobs died down and I looked her giving her a supporting nod. She took a deep breath and started to explain why she was crying, "I lost my job," I looked at her shocked and waited for her to continue, "They said they found someone better and younger then me and that they had to let me go but I don't understand! Everything was going fine! They were praising my work and then suddenly they had to 'let me go'?!"

I shook my head and replied to her, "Listen Willow you know you can work here until you find another job, besides I found a pamphlet asking for a professional photographer. Good thing I kept it huh?" She smiled me a wiped away her tears. Hugging me goodbye she said thank you and said she was going to go home and she'll be at the bakery tomorrow.

"Hey Addy, want to see the drawing Luca drew for me?"Charlie asked happily. I turned the sign closed on the door and started packing up the goods. I looked at her and put down the last spoon I was drying. I looked behind her and saw a well drawn picture of Charlie patting a black and grey wolf. Impressed I whistled and Charlie giggled, "I told you he was a good drawer!" She then quickly hid her drawing in her bag and headed out of the kitchen, getting ready to go home.

*****

As we arrived at the small house I unlocked the door and allowed Charlie to go in first. "Change out of your uniform first Charles!" I yelled as she skipped to her room. She turned around and nodded at me before closing the door. I shake my head at her with a smile on my face and begin to cook dinner.

While cooking a thought crossed my mind - Why is she patting a wolf? Most people would simply draw a dog... I start thinking off reasons why when another thought invades my head, Lucas draws her quite a few pictures and they always involve her and a wolf. I had only met him a few times but they were as close as two peas in a pod. I suppose it's a given as Charlie told me he doesn't like her talking to anyone else but him. Especially the boys. He had given a kid a black eye for holding her hand in class as they were partners. The teacher didn't make the same mistake twice.

I was concerned for her. I knew Lucas was a good kid and would never dare to hurt Charlie. I just hope she finds other friends as well and expands her bubble to not only him.

My thinking is cut short when I see Charlie in her pyjamas sitting at the small table doing her homework. She was always such a good kid, she was kind to everyone she met even if she was shy, however with a cost -  she always had her heart on her sleeve.

As I finished making dinner I took the plate of food to Charlie who had just finished her homework. With a mouthful of food she muttered, "Tanksh Addy," I laughed at her eagerness to eat. Eating my own food I look at her and wonder what she'll be like in the future. "Addy I finished! I'm going to go back to my room now," Charlie said quickly, excusing her self from the table. She put her bowl on the sink and then scurried to her room shutting the door quickly. I sighed and washed the dishes.

I sat down on the couch and looked out the window. The moonlight streamed through the window giving everything a blue tint. It was nearly a full moon. I heard a howl in the distance and rolled my eyes. They were so noisy! We were semi surrounded by a forest and hearing wolves wasn't anything uncommon. They are very social or so Willow tells me. She knows a whole heap about them.

I sigh and look around and see the moonlight hitting one of the picture frames. I walk over to it and pick it up. Mum and Dad. They passed when Charlie was just 6 years old in a car crash. As I was 20 I was old enough to look after her so I scraped the money I had and a bit of money they saved for us and sold the old house and bought a new smaller one. I gently placed the frame back on the mantelpiece.

Heading to my own room, I opened up Charlies door to see her scrambling into bed. I look at her amused and she gave me a sheepish grin. "Goodnight, Charles" I said. she mumbled a goodnight and I kissed her forehead and turned her light switch off.

As I entered my room, I flopped onto my bed and turned to the side and realised how empty the bed was. So I laid on my back and thought about the future. Would I find someone I love? Would we get married? Will I have kids? I soon fell asleep with these thoughts that filled my head.

*****

As I hear the tinkle of the shops bell I soon see Willow walking in the kitchen. She had her hair in a bun and walked up to me. "Hey Adam," She chirped. I looked up and saw her happily getting ingredients and utensils to start baking something.

"So... There's this formal party going on tonight and I was wondering if you would like to come along as my plus one?" Willow asked casually. I turned towards her confused.

"Why are you inviting me? Especially if it's one of your formal parties." I asked. She nodded at my question and while mixing her batter explained to me why.

"Well after you said I could work here until I get back on my feet I thought I would ask you as a.. Thank you," She replied earnestly. Willow had stopped stirring her mixture and looked down a bit but started mixing again soon after.

"How far away is it and when does it start?" I questioned.

"Tomorrow, I'll pick you up at around 9:30pm, the party starts at 12 but I have things to discuss with you before we go." She stated. I hummed at her reply and kept baking. "It's in this old castle, it would take you an hour to get there but I know a short cut so it should only take around half an hour."

I thought about it for a while before I said, "Okay, I'll go with you." Willow squealed in reply and hugged me before she started gushing about other things. All I could think of was how this party would go.

*****

Hello there, just a quick thank you for reading my book and that I really appreciate it.

Feel free to comment how you feel/ want. If I have a spelling mistake if you could please kindly point it out, that would be greatly appreciated!

Please do not use any of this content elsewhere, unless you have spoken to me prior.

Any events that happen that seem similar to other real life incidents are purely coincidental. The same applies to characters - if they seem similar or same to real life people (dead or alive) it is purely coincidental and I do not mean to offend anyone.

Word count of this chapter: 1726.