Free as the wind

Chapter 1 - The House

A red coach came driving down the deserted drive, bringing up the dust that had settled on the road, it pulled up at the front of a modern glass fronted house which looked completely out of place surrounded by the green fields and dirt lanes. As soon as the doors opened a girl hoped out with a look of awe across her tanned face.

"Dad, got the key's?" she asked, her eyes never leaving the house, the salt and peppered hair man - who had just stepped out behind her - pass them over and started to get the bags out of the luggage holder. She made her way over to the house while the rest of the coach started to flood out collecting around her dad; he was about to start giving one of his talks, versions of which she'd hear hundreds of times so felt no need to stay.

The door smoothly opened as she press the handle down, the smell of freshly dried paint still hanging in the air. She walked into the large entry hall letting the door swing shut behind her, missing her father's call for her to come and get her case. The midday light was flooding into the big white room and reflecting off the glass spiral stair case. She glanced into the ground floor rooms as she passed their entry arches - none of them had doors - taking in the modern training rooms, sitting rooms, kitchen and dining room (big enough to fit around 30 people down the long table). Knowing that all the bedrooms were on the upper floors she slowly made her way up the stairs, walking past room after room she finally got to the back of the first floor. She spotted the room she knew from the plans to be hers, while taking a deep breath and hoping that it wasn't plainly decorated like the others she swung the door open.

The cream room had a big bay window at the back with a desk in front of it, the perfect study area, not that she did much of that. A big double bed, covered with simple bedding, lay with the head board against the wall. Walking into the room she slipped her backpack off her shoulders and placed at the foot of the low bed. A mischievous smile appeared on her face as she walked away from her bed, as soon as she reached the wall opposite she ran towards her new bed and flung herself down on it, her honey hair flying around her. The new puffy cover letting her sink into it, as a cry of laughter erupted from her mouth.

She had been determined to hate this place that had ripped her away from her few friends but now she understood why her Father had brought them here. The training rooms she had walked past were bigger, newer and better than the ones in London, if the team was going to keep at the top they needed to be here. And after all if her room is anything to go by she was going to like it here.

"Katie!" her dad yelled "Come down and get your bags!" She got up and walked to the door, taking another glance around the room a smile spread across her face as she took her new room in, then as quick as a flash she was running down the long corridor.