The Secret Circle

Prologue

The music from the speakers of my car is blaring as I speed down an empty dark road. My fingers tap against the steering wheel to the beat of the pop song playing on the radio. It's pitch black outside apart from the street lamps that cascade light onto the road. I don't particularly like driving at night, but I'll be home soon. I'm on my way back from an end-of-school party at some popular girl's house. I left early because I wanted to have dinner with my mom like usual. Part of me felt like I should have stayed and tried to make friends so that I wouldn't go into Junior year completely alone. I've never been much of a social butterfly, but I definitely don't consider myself a loner. I'm pretty friendly with everyone at my school, I just like to keep to myself for the most part.

I'm about to cross a small bridge when, suddenly, a silver car appears behind me in my mirrors. I can tell they're speeding because they're nearly on my bumper. Without an hesitation, the driver swerves around me, going even faster than before. I honk my horn and flip them off, though I know they can't see me.

Out of nowhere, there is a loud bang and my car starts spinning around the road. I slam on my breaks and come to a screeching halt on the side of the dark street. I'm gripping the steering wheel so tight that my hands are white. My heart is racing as I just sit there, unable to move. I finally get my bearings and look out the front windshield to see the silver car just parked in the middle of the road. I unbuckle my seat belt and slide out of the car to give the driver a piece of my mind, but they drive away before I can even get close.

I decide to inspect my car to see what the damages are and if I can fix them myself. I circle around the back of the car to see my passenger side rear tire has been blown to smithereens. "You've gotta be kidding me." I mumble. I know I have a spare tire in the back, but I've never changed a tire before. I stomp to the back of my car to unhook the tire and roll it to the blown one. I grab the tools from my back seat that my mom put under the seat "just in case".

After a good 10 minutes of trying to remove the old tire, I get angry. "Shit!" I kick the rear tire of my car and slump to the pavement. I instantly regret that and shrink down to the ground in pain. I'm probably a 30 minute walk from my house, but it's dark out and I don't want to walk alone. I'm also wearing healed boots and now my foot hurts from kicking the tire. I should call my mom and let her know what happened so she doesn't worry if I'm late.

I take out my phone and hit speed dial to call her. She's one of my few contacts in my phone and the only one I actually call or text. The phone only rings once before she answers.

"Hey!" She answers in her normal cheery voice. "You almost home?"

"Well, I blew a tire." I say dejectedly.

"Oh my God, Cassie! Where are you? I'll come get you."

"It's okay. I can figure it out, I just wanted to tell you I'll be late and not to worry." I assure her. "Plus, I have the car so how could you get here anyway?" I laugh.

"Alright, sweetie, just let me know when you're back on the road, okay?"

"Okay. Love you."

There's no response as the phone cuts out abruptly and turns into static.

"Mom?" No answer. "Huh. I must have lost my signal."

I get up off the ground and try to remove the tire again and, this time, it pops right off. I figure out how to put the new one on pretty quickly and within 20 minutes, I'm back on the road. I'm still shaken up, but I know I'll be home soon to relax with my mom. This summer, we're planning a trip to her home town, Chance Harbor, to visit my grandmother. She always plans to take me down there, but we never end up going for some reason. Hopefully, this summer we can actually do it.

I'm about two minutes from my house when I see smoke and a bright orange glow in the distance. "Somebody must be having an end-of-school bonfire or something." I think aloud to myself. I continue down the street slowly so I can see which house is throwing the bonfire, but what I see is not what I expected.

As I get closer to the orange glow, I realize that it's my house--my house is up in flames. I wave of panic rushes over me as i jump out of my car. I frantically scan the area for my mom in hopes that she would be outside calling the police. I don't see her. I fumble for my phone and speed dial her cellphone. No answer. The worst case scenario flashes into my brain and I feel sick. I dial 911 as fast as I can.

"911, what's your emergency?" I hear the operator on the line, but I can't speak. "Hello?" the operator asks concerned. I can't break my gaze from the flames eating away at my home. My mind is racing over possible places my mom could be that weren't in that house.

I shake myself to regain focus on the operator. "Hello!" I'm crying now. "Please come to 13 Oak Street! There's a fire."