ONE:THE BEGINNING
1220 Words
The sound of my name crashed through my dreams, sharp and jarring. “Jordan! Jordan!” My mom’s voice broke through my slumber like a jackhammer, relentless and unforgiving. I groggily blinked up at her, barely able to process what was happening. Her face was too close, too intense. Her eyes, wide and frenzied, were a stark contrast to the calm of the morning.
The sunlight streamed through the window, cutting across her face and highlighting the deep lines that had settled there over the years. The weight of stress hung in the air like smoke, an unspoken tension that wrapped itself around us every day. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep, but the lingering feeling of unease wouldn't leave.
“Mom, what is it?” I muttered, my voice thick with irritation.
“You’re going to be late for school,” she snapped, her tone a mix of worry and frustration. Her words were sharp, but her eyes were distant, caught in some place where I couldn’t follow. Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and left, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I sighed deeply, feeling the weight of the day already pressing down on me.
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I rushed through my morning routine, moving quickly to avoid any more emotional landmines. The shower was cold, but it didn’t matter. The heat of the water didn’t melt away the tension in my chest. Mom’s moods were unpredictable — a storm waiting to hit. One moment, she was fine, the next, she’d spiral into a dark place that I couldn’t help her out of. The thought of it gnawed at me, even as I tried to wash the sleep from my bones.
I dressed quickly and fled the house, stepping out into the cold morning air. It bit at my skin, but it was a welcome distraction. The crunch of gravel beneath my feet was the only sound as I made my way toward Ravenswood High. The streets were eerily quiet, almost like the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
I spotted Heather standing by her locker, her face buried in a pile of books. I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face.
“Good morning!” I whispered too loudly, just to see her jump in fear.
“You’re going to get me killed,” she muttered under her breath, giving me a playful smack on the head.
I laughed, pushing through the crowd to join her. We walked together to history class, the weight of the day settling in. History was one of my least favorite subjects, and today wasn’t going to be any better. The teacher handed out the project assignments — a history of Ravenswood and its founders. I groaned inwardly. Another pointless task. But the assignment was unavoidable, and it was going to be my responsibility to finish it.
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Lunchtime came and went in a blur. The cafeteria was loud, buzzing with energy as students scrambled to find seats. I didn’t eat breakfast, so I was more than ready to devour whatever food I could get my hands on. But just as Heather and I were about to sit down, I saw him. Liam.
Liam Chen, my older brother. A senior with a chip on his shoulder and a reputation for trouble. He’d been bullying me for years — ever since I could remember. It wasn’t until last summer that things seemed to calm down. I couldn’t explain why. Maybe it was because he’d finally grown tired of it, or maybe he had his own reasons. Either way, it was a relief.
But seeing him walk into the cafeteria, surrounded by his usual group of cronies, I couldn’t help but feel the old tension rise in my chest. Liam was the son of one of the school board members. His dad owned a big pharmaceutical company, and with money and power came arrogance. Liam didn’t care about his grades or his future. He only cared about getting away with whatever he wanted.
I wasn’t about to stick around and find out who would be the target of his latest antics. So Heather and I made a quick exit, deciding to skip lunch and find something else to do.
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I needed to get started on the project. It was the only way I could avoid being stuck with a week of detention. I told Heather I’d be back soon and headed straight to the library.
The school library was one of the few things I actually liked about Ravenswood High. The walls were lined with books, a testament to the long history of the place. It was quiet here, a place where I could focus. I made my way to the history section, pulling down dusty yearbooks and old volumes that looked as though they hadn’t been touched in years. I didn’t expect to find anything useful, but I wasn’t about to give up without trying.
After a few minutes of scanning the shelves, I found something that might help: a heavy leather-bound book with the word “Ravenswood” emblazoned across the cover. It looked like it had been sitting in the same spot for decades, covered in dust and cobwebs. I opened it carefully, and as I flipped through the pages, I found what I was looking for — a history of the school, its founding, and the names of the people who had helped build it.
But then, tucked between the pages, something caught my eye. It wasn’t part of the book, but rather a folded piece of paper, yellowed with age. I pulled it out carefully and unfolded it. As I spread it out in front of me, I realized what it was: a blueprint of the school.
I scanned the intricate lines, noting the layout of the buildings and rooms. But something was off. A wing was marked “Rook 315,” a section that didn’t exist in the current map of the school. Curiosity gnawed at me, and I shoved the blueprint into my bag without thinking twice. I needed to look into this. It felt important, like a piece of the puzzle I didn’t fully understand yet.
As I turned to leave the archive, something cold crawled up my spine. I froze. Someone was watching me.
I spun around, heart pounding in my chest. But the room was empty.
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That night, as I walked home, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. The wind howled through the trees, and the leaves rattled in a strange, almost unnatural rhythm. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
I looked around, my eyes scanning the shadows, but I saw nothing. Still, I couldn’t shake the sense that I was being watched.
That night, as the moon rose high in the sky, I lay awake in my bed, thinking about the blueprint. About the strange symbol I had found in the library. What did it mean? Why had it been hidden in that old book? And most importantly, who had left it there?
I didn’t have the answers yet, but I knew one thing for sure: I was about to uncover something far bigger than I could have ever imagined.
- Writer
