Into The World : The Mystery Of Disappearing Hearts

Chapter 1 : The New Girl In Class

Runavilla, 2018 CE

The sun was shining brightly in the sky. The chirping of the birds lost in the hustle bustle of the city.

It was a pretty normal summer day , well the summer break had just ended and Amanda had just returned from her grandmother’s house in France the previous day.

Amanda’s grandmother was a pretty great lady, who loved drinking hot chocolate while watching football matches on television. Well , she isn’t exactly your usual old lady who wears oversized nighties and round glasses and loves knitting while sitting idle on the oldest yet most comfortable sofa ever. She loved adventures and usually spend her money and time touring the world.

‘Life is too short to spend sitting idly on your old couch.’, She had once told Amanda and she couldn’t help but quite agree to this statement. After all she was the coolest lady she had ever seen, except of course herself.

It wasn’t everyday one’s grandmother takes them to trekking or to watch the Football World cup.

This trip was no less amusing as well. Her grandmother had recently bought a farmhouse in France and she had invited her and her elder sister Camila to visit her there and help with the farm and the farm animals.

Well though her sister wasn’t exactly amused at the idea of working in a farm under the burning sun in mid summer but her parents found his idea quite welcoming cause they had to go to New York for some important business purpose and had to stay there for almost a month and as her mother said ‘There is no way I will let two young girls live on their own for a whole month.’.

And the month that followed was one of the best times of her lifetime. Be it her riding her grandmother’s mare named ‘Winnie’ or her sister getting attacked by the chickens while trying to collect their eggs.

But just like every good things must come to an end so did her time in France. Oh !! How disappointed she had looked when she bid her grandmother farewell till the Christmas break or worst the next summer. This was the only thing she hated about every vacation but she couldn’t help. She had a school to go to and studies to do. How she wished she didn’t have these studies to do and could just ship herself off to some exotic island along with her grandmother but that’s not happening anytime soon.

Once she had reached Runavilla to the east of Maryland, USA and after giving her parents the gifts her grandmother had send for them, she ran up to her room and crashed on her soft and comfortable bed and slept for almost the past 12 hours like a piece of log and had only in time for her school.

It was the first day of her high school and there was no way she was going to miss it especially when she would be meeting him after one long month.

Remus was her best friend since her mid-school, the person who had always been with her since her childhood , who had stood beside her in all difficult and happy times like her own shadow ; like her brother who she had never known.

She looked at the mirror as she finished applying her lip gloss which perfectly suited her pale fair complexion. She looked extremely beautiful ; just like a walking and talking piece of danger in her black crop top and ripped jeans , along with a black leather jacket.

She had to admit as she admired herself , that pixie cut suited her pretty blond hair a lot. Like bread suits butter, Remus would have said.

She pulled out her phone as grey eyes looked through her contacts and she called him.

After a few rings he picked it up.

“Hello, Rem. When are going to pick me up? Am waiting downstairs for you! “

“Sorry Amanda, I can’t. Granny is dragging me over to brunch with Aunt Isabella and her newly adopted kids. I won’t be coming to school today I guess.”, He said as he slugged and sounded more bored than ever.

“Okay Rem, see you at school tomorrow.”, she said signing and Alexander just hummed before cutting the call.

‘ Poor Rem !! He sounded so bored and sad. Hope he makes through the day.’, she though as she picked up her bag and ran downstairs.

She went straight to the kitchen which was filled with the aroma of freshly baked cookies and cupcakes. As soon as she entered kitchen, Amanda’s mom handed her a cup of coffee greeted Amanda along her delicious breakfast.

eat this breakfast fast or you will get late for school.”, Her mom Samantha warned her.

“O-k-a-y-M-o-m !!!”,Amanda sang in a singsong way as she stuffed her face with food, when someone smacked her.

“How about you start behaving like a lady with manners ?”, A voice behind her taunted making her scoff.

“Oh come on Camila, my manners have nothing to do with me being a lady.”, She sassed back at her,” Anyways you have to take me to school along with you.”

“Why what happened to your Remus , huh ? Dumped you already ?”, Camila asked sitting down fro breakfast beside her,” Got some sense at last, did he ?”

“First of all Remus isn’t my boyfriend but my best friend. And he didn’t dump me, he is just busy today so he can’t pick me up.”

“Aww my poor sister !! Your amazing elder sister will take you to school today.”, Camila winked as she promised her as Amanda rolled her eyes at her sister’s drama.

“Girls first complete your breakfast. I have to leave for office as well.”, Samantha repeated while they just nodded their heads understandingly.

“Btw when is miss Katsy joining again, Mom ?”, Camila asked her mother.

“She will be joining us tomorrow morning. It seems like she has had a great summer this year.”, Her mother replied with a smile thinking about Miss Katsy.

Miss Katelynn Katsy was their house-keeper, a very funny lady. She was a middle-aged, petite lady with shoulder length jet black hair with a mediocre height. She had blue round eyes , thin lips and a small nose. She looked really pretty except a weird large black wart under her nose which she used to proudly call her ‘beauty mark’.

Other than her physical appearance she was really amusing lady. Her crooked broken English due to her Irish origin, her funny expressions when Camila used to talk about her boy problem and her motherly (yet hilarious) advices to Amanda about how she should try a bit of other clothes sometimes, instead of her usual jeans and T-shirt which she loved wearing as they were as comfy as a blanket in winter. Oh, how she hates winter and the lazy feeling it brings about.

“You both should probably hurry up. Getting school late on first day of high would be a bad impression for Ama.”, Her mother advised them as Amanda stuffed another cupcake inside her mouth and took a gulp of hot caffeine.

“Eat slowly you little walrus and mamma fear not, I will drive this little walrus and myself to school just in time. After all I have a reputation to keep for a Council Head.”, she said with a smug look while Ama gave her a mocking smile.

Camila had been a part of the school student council since forever and now in her senior year and she wants nothing more than to be the head of the students council so she could be a step ahead which will surely help her get into one of the elite college the following year. Also, the idea of holding a certain power over the people around her amused her.

Mrs. Edison nodded her head, feeling incredulous about how her girls had grown up into pretty little women but it was surely not how she expected them to be.

The poor lady turned on the television to watch some news.

“ANOTHER CORPSE OF A TEEN HAS BEEN FOUND NEAR THE OLD FORT RUINS ON THE LOONEY HILLS. LIKE ALL THE OTHER TIMES THE HEART OF BODY FOUND IS MISSING.

POLICE ARE CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING THESE DEATHS IN THE TOWN OF RUNAVILLA. THE NAME OF THE RECENT VICTIM IS SARAH WINSON. SHE WAS A 16-YEAR-OLD WHO WAS STUDYING AT WIMBERLY HIGH.”, the news reports, Mrs Lawrence read.

“IT IS THE FOURTH CASE IN PAST ONE MONTH. IT IS A REALLY PITY FOR THESE INNOCENT KIDS WHO ARE LOSING THEIR LIVES TO SOME PSYCHOPATH. OUR CONDOLENCES AND SYMPATHY LIES WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS.”

“Did she say Sarah Winson, mamma? Oh dear !! I knew her. I went to summer camp with her a few years ago. She was a nice girl... it’s such a pity !!”, Camila said looking genuinely sad ,”I think I should visit her family today after school.”

Mrs. Edison signed but nodded in agreement while Ama just listen to this exchange absent-mindedly, rather thinking about how good high school was going to be.

“Yes dear you should but we careful and don’t talk to suspicious strangers. Also carry your pepper spray with you and maybe your pocket knife too. And this also goes for you, Ama.”, Mrs. Edison advised, worried about the safety of her girls.

“Also don’t go near the Looney Hill especially the old ruins.”

The girls just nodded as Ama and Camila finished their breakfasts and decided to leave the dirty plates in the washing basin, before they left.

Camila, being a rather amateur driver had recently got her driver’s license on her 16th birthday, owned their father’s old convertible which she drove around with pride. Well it wasn’t exactly very old but still it wasn’t exactly new but it hardly mattered to Camila like it would have done to her other classmates who Ama had classified as ‘ bratty, self-centred and rich ‘ who were rather plastic and intolerable people. No wonder Camila had barely any friends in school, real ones to be specific.

As Camila drove through the semi busy roads of Runavilla, Ama sat beside her looking out of the window at the surrounding houses, some of them belonging to her own friends or classmates while the rest of the occupants were stranger to her till date, even after living in this town since the past 4 years.

“Ama”, Camila said as Ama just ‘hmned’ in response.

“Why do you think someone is killing teens in our town ? Like what motive must be his or her’s motive behind this ? “, Camila wondered aloud in front of her sister.

“Oh come on, it’s just some psychopath killer secreting his or her evil visinity on our town.”, Amanda stated with her dramatically horrified expressions.

“Uhh it’s anything but some random killing of some psychopath. There is much more to than..like really why will a psychopath target a particular group of people and kill them in the same particular manner ?”, Amanda clarified as she turned towards her sister to gasp her reaction, while trying to focus on the road before her too.

“What are you ?Nancy Drew or what ? Forming conspiracy theories and joining dots ? See these things are for the Sheriff and the policemen to find and not us, so no need to go all detective.”, She said sarcastically, or if said truthfully rather rudely, mocking the idea of any possibilities of anything big or dangerous happening in a small and very little known town of theirs. Runavilla was not much of a significant town in a country like the United States of America.

“Oh come on !! It’s nothing at all, it’s just a random though...ughhhhhhhhhhh !! Do one thing, just forget that we even had this conversation.”, Camila said a bit disappointed about her sister’s disinterest (or out straight ignorance if we put it in the right way).

Soon they reached Runavilla Highschool, Camila parked her convertible on the best spot available while Amanda jumped out of the car.

She started walking towards the school building, soon disappearing into the crowd of students, as Camila watched her, disappointed how her sister didn’t even care to look back at her, let alone wave back at her.

It’s been the same since she turned 10 and they shifted to Runavilla, Amanda had been distant towards Camila. The reason behind this indifferent behaviour towards her by her own sister has always been a mystery to her, though she behaves normally in front of their family. Camila missed the time they spend together- laughing, playing , chatting and what not.

Camila signed as she headed to get her own schedule and then maybe hangout with her friends, the few she had.

As soon as Amanda got her schedule, she headed to her first class which was Chemistry.

Chemistry was her least favourite part of science but now she has to attend the class for next 50 minutes. Not only did she hate the subject but also the lady who taught it, Ms. Lopez. Amanda had doubts whether she would even survive the class without Remus.

Ms. Lopez was skinny, tall , rather unfriendly woman with black hollow eyes and a small nose who had taken an unusual dislike towards her and Remus.

“Maybe it was because of her low grades in Chemistry or the frog she had let inside the drawer of her table back in her office. She may have had guessed who had done it but couldn’t blame her due to lack of evidence.”, She thought as she reminisced her first prank on teachers.

“Hey Ama !! How wonderful to see you !! How was your summer this time ? I spent mine in a summer camp learning pottery and art.”, asked a raven haired boy who she came across in the school corridor.

“Am good, Ryan. And yes, I went to grandmother’s new farm house in France with Camila.”, She said boredly, glancing around at the students passing by.

“Well that’s nice. What about Alex ? Where is he ??”,he asked her smiling.

Before she could say anything, Zeo Zaffre, another friend of theirs interrupted their conversation.

“Guys !!!! Go and see the strange new girl in Chemistry class. She is so cool, she is reading everyone’s palms and telling their future. She told me I will become a rapper in next 5 years.”, He was jumping in excitement.

Amanda and Ryan looked at each other. Everyone in the school knew Zeo Zaffre’s love for singing and how horribly he wanted to become a singer in Hollywood. But to be true, his vocals were exactly not the best.

“Really !! That’s really wonderful. Let’s go and see who this new girl is !!”, Amanda suggested as Ryan nodded, agreeing with her.

Both of them ran to their Chemistry class as Zeo followed behind on his toes, stilled jumping from one toe to another, happy as ever.

As soon as they reached the class, they saw a small crowd gathered at the door of the classroom and a larger one gathered around the second desk of the second row.

In centre of the crowd, a girl sat with an open scrape book on her desk, and her two hands occupied as she held and examined the palms of Phoebe as her actively attentive eyes observed all of her palms carefully.

“You will become a very successful but it will come at a cost. Also you will have two children by the time you turn 35.”, the girl declared as few of the students let out a dramatic gasp, while Phoebe looked rather pleased at the prediction and thanked the girl repeatedly.

“Interesting !”, Amanda stated with a mischievous smile on her face, as she shoved through the crowd and sat infront of the new girl, keeping her hand into the hands of the new girl, “Two children did you say ? How about you predict my future...Miss..?”

“Tagore...Tara Tagore”, the girl mumbled as Amanda felt her smile a bit under her breath.