Escaping the Enchantment

Chapter Three

7:09pm
Amesville
McGregor's House

My first day of school was't exactly uneventful, but it wasn't something I'd be eager to tell my old friends. Not that I could even if I wanted do since I couldn't even go on the internet with such poor network. My day was just normal, well, as normal as this place could get at least. After the incident with those inhumanly beautiful people, everything moved on smoothly. I talked to a few people but Regina stuck with me the whole day, which I didn't mind. She was like my old friends, just chattier and she gossiped more than they did.

When we'd finished school at three o'clock, I decided to go to the music room which had a lovely grand piano that I decided to test out since my piano skills had been getting rusty lately thanks to mum who sold dad's piano. However, the security guard, about half an hour later, harshly told me to head home. He said something about how young girls like me had to be indoors before dark. The comment sounded so sexist at first and I was about to tell him off saying that I could take care of myself, but the genuine worry in his eyes told me that his words held a warning of something dire that I didn't want to know of. However, that was the thing, I was intrigued and now I needed know what was up.

After grabbing my bag, I decided that my next destination would be the town library. There, I was sure I would find at least one book with the history of this place. However, my efforts were in vain. All that I could get about this place was the book of previous mayors and a map of the place which I photocopied and nothing else. Every other book was either for referential purposes or it was a fiction novel.

By the time I was out of there, it was nearly dark out. The stars were already twinkling in the sky and the sun was nearly gone. Alarmed, I checked the time to realise it was only five thirty. That's how I learnt that it got dark really quickly around here and the guard's warning made a bit more sense. He didn't want me to be out alone when it got dark. However, what was hiding in the dark that he felt the need to send me home?

Finally, I made my way to McGregor's house, which I guess is now my house too, and I arrived there with dinner already cooking on the stove. As usual, McGregor greeted me with one of his creepy smiles saying that food would be ready in half an hour. As much as I wanted to refuse, I knew that he would give a whole lecture on how dinner was a very important meal and he would tell me that I was still growing. Not only that, but mum would get to know about this issue once and she'd side with him. So, to avoid all of that, I just smiled and nodded then ran up to my room.

Now here I was in my room, lying down on my bed, still dressed in my uniform, which is another thing I hate about this place by the way, just wondering what my life could've been like. If I was still back home and things were normal, I'd still be out with my friends right now, either studying or just hanging out. Then at around eight thirty, I'd drive home and be welcomed by the loving smell of home. By then, mum and dad would've finished having dinner and would be cuddling on the couch watching their favourite 80s sitcom. Then, I'd jump in between them and catch up with them for half an hour or so before one or both of them decided to go to sleep.

It's funny how life can just change like that. One moment, everything's great and the next, you're burying your father and getting a creepy new stepfather only two months later, then uprooting your whole life and moving to a foreign place you've never heard of. Truly funny indeed. I bet if my life was a novel, it'd be a best seller. The main character, me, goes through a terrible tragedy. Her mother, to heal her broken heart, finds some random guy, McGregor and marries him. Then she's dragged to some random town filled with creepy people that are always smiling and they live happily ever after.