Veronica Topple and the Machine of Deluded Dreams

Chapter 1 - Genesis

When I look back, I wonder where my adventures started, was it the moment I came out to my mother, or was it years later on that fateful day I met my father in the park. I could never say for sure, but if you were to ask me my story, I would probably begin from when dad sent me a text message and agreed to meet with him. Who knew where that decision would lead. I often wondered if he had any clue as to what he was about to set in motion.

***

If you could fly like a crow heading south and east from Melbourne you would soon come to a small town along the coast called Mornington. A sleepy little country town far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. There, hidden away in the quiet suburban streets is Charles Court. You might drive past, thinking there was nothing to hide in that tiny corner of the world, but if you stopped to look, you might find an extraordinary child. One with a power that is quite peculiar. Although, it was not always the case. Veronica was destined to remain ordinary for the rest of her life until something terrible, yet fantastic, happened to her, and after that, she was never ordinary again.

A short hop down the drive of number two and over the hedge and in through the window, Veronica's bedroom was quiet, all except for the slight sound of her breathing and the purr of the cat curled up at the foot of her bed. Elsewhere, there was the soft tick of a clock and the rustle of a curtain where the wind blew in through a window. Veronica lay curled up under her doona, lost in the dreams of sleep, unaware that her life was about to change forever. A sharp hissing sound could be heard from the hallway, an indicator that the aerosol scented spray had triggered and the smell of scented roses wafted through the hall and into Veronica's bedroom. Then the alarm when off with a loud beeping sound.

The cat lifted its head briefly to glare at the clock. A hand stabbed out from under the doona, slender and delicate, it reached for the alarm clock and bashed at the buttons until the clock went silent. The cat watched a moment longer, then dropped its head back down to sleep. Silence returned to the Topple household once more. Minutes ticked by and the rising sun began to cast its light over the house. Elsewhere, another alarm went off and someone stumbled out of bed. Soon the sound of a person having a shower could just be heard from the bathroom. Veronica slept on, perhaps enjoying her dream.

The sun rose higher and the darkness of Veronica's bedroom faded away, revealing a girl's bedroom adorned with stuffed animals, a pink chest of draws and pictures of her favourite bands stuck to the walls. A pair of hover skates lay dumped at the foot of the bed along with discarded clothes, a school bag, a pair of friction gloves, a pile of forgotten books and a bike helmet slung over one of the bed ends.

The sound of running water stopped and the house once again returned to near silence. Then the bathroom door opened and Veronica's mother stomped down the hallway to the kitchen. Dressed only in a bathrobe, Tracy Topple was in her mid-thirties, an attractive woman with blond hair and hazel blue eyes. Her boss called her eye candy for the unwary man, a trait that came in handy for a solicitor. Tracy rummaged around in the kitchen banging plates and rattling cutlery and soon the smell of burning toast filled the house. Tracy was a terrible cook, renowned for her ability to burn just about anything, even water.

With breakfast now a burnt disaster, Tracy raced back down the hallway and stopped to bang on Veronica's door, something she would do again five minutes later. Veronica loved to sleep in. With the clock ticking, Tracy quickly dressed, a freshly ironed shirt and knee length skirt with sheer stockings and black flats. Carrying her bag and jacket, she raced back down the hall to the kitchen. Then, realising that Veronica still wasn't up, she raced back to her daughter's room and pulled hard on the doona. The cat quickly scurried away as the doona went flying.