Daughter Of Magic

Chapter 1

"Bye, Dad!" I called, heading down the worn, mossy steps down through the basement to the street outside.

As I reached the second-to-last step, as small black shape scuttled in front of my feet.

I stopped, my heart thumping. My breath quickened, and my fingers started to get warm.
Stop, stop, stop!

The thing stopped, turned its head, regarded me with glowing purple eyes, and then scuttled off again.

My fingers returned to normal temperature.
It was just a rat I told myself. Why do you keep doing this? Soon, someone at school will pick on you like usual, and you'll do the thing again, and-

I shook my head. No. I wasn't thinking about that again.

I pushed open the silver stainless steel door, and smiled.

I loved sunlight, and the sun, and grass, and summer, and heat...

I laughed out loud and spun around, mg bag swinging.

"And.... Werdio." A boy whispered as he walked past.

I dug my fingernails into my palms and closed my eyes, my good mood gone.

I counted to ten, and when I opened my eyes again, the boy had gone.

I peered around the corner, and he was there.

Thank God.

The murder tally hadn't gone up- yet.

******

I sat in Music, crossing and uncrossing my legs.

I glanced at the clock, watching the hands tick around at the pace of a snail.
Hurry up! I urged it.

I tapped my foot on the floor.

"Alexandra!" A voice snapped.

I carried on tapping my foot and stared at the clock.

"Alexandra!"

Tap. Tap.

Tick, tock.

"Alexandra!"

Tap.

"Alex!" Molly, who sat next to me, hissed.

"Teacher!"

I looked up at the teacher. She was a sub, and had wrinkled hands, large yellow teeth and a shock of white, fluffy hair.

The name on the board read:
The teacher for today is Miss Stevenson.

"Alexandra." She said, patting her hair. "Finally. Away with the faries, were we?"

I adopted my most polite expression as the class snickered.

"It's Alex, miss. Not Alexandra."

"Alex is no name for a young lady, girl! I will call you Alexandra." The teacher snapped.

I slumped in my chair. Young lady? Who did she think she was kidding?

"Young ladies do not slump!" The teacher said, sniffing through her large nostrils. "Sit up. Young ladies do not roll their eyes, either, Alexandra!"

I huffed.

I glanced at my freind, Cally. Surely she would sympathise? This lady was really starting to bug me.

A flash of black shadow caught my eye. A shadow slithered across the floor, towards the new boy, Dale.

As soon as my eyes latched onto it, the thing sped up and reached Dale.