SHATTERING LIFE | Anthony Lockwood | Lockwood and Co

PROLOGUE | In the Middle of Nowhere

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I was chasing a ghost.

The crunching sound of leaves under my feet felt like a series of gunshots in the quiet night as I carried on walking towards an abandoned house in front of me. The house where the ghost disappeared just a moment ago. My bet was that it could be a Spectre – but I wouldn't bet my life on it at all. Considering my luck, it could have just as easily been a Wraith. If that was true, I'd surely be in big trouble.

Suddenly, another wave of strong wind whipped my face and brought my blonde locks of hair to my face, blocking my sight in the process. This was exactly why I preferred it perfectly tied in a braid or put in a ponytail. How could it leave my mind this time? Strange.

The moon and stars in the sky were granting me at least a little bit of light in this dark hour. When I looked around myself I could see only that one house. Nothing else. No stables, no creeks or lakes, no animals. This place had been left behind years ago and I doubted anyone had set a foot on the land ever since. Right now, the only inhabitant of the building was the ghost and it was my job to get rid of it.

Quickly, I pulled out my torchlight that was in my backpack filled with everything an agent may need during their job – salt bombs, lavender, iron fillings, silver seals, chains and at last one rapier was hanging from my belt. This time, I was fully ready to enter the lion's den.

Right when I opened the door I was welcomed by its creaking sound that only proved how old it really was. I was extra careful with my steps. Meanwhile, I also turned on my torchlight. At times like this I preferred my lit candle but that I had sadly forgotten at home – as far as I could remember. My eyes kept roaming around the room in search of the ghost. So far, it seemed like I hadn't had luck on my side. It appeared like I happened to be in a living room. A dusty, old couch was in the middle of it with a coffee table that seemed like it was about to fall apart any minute now. On the walls there were a couple of rusty paintings of nature scenery. The sunny weather with colourful flowers gave off completely different vibes than what was waiting behind the door at the moment.

I was startled by an unexpected sound from one of the cupboards but as soon as I focused my light on it I caught a glimpse of a rat running away. I breathed out in relief. I could relax. It was just a harmless rat. It was nothing to fear – unlike the ghost whose presence I could still sense in my bones. It was the type of cold that you couldn't cover from with a thick warm blanket. The type that craved itself into your body and left a mark in it. When starting this job, it takes weeks, if not months, to get used to it and keep yourself from shivering. And you could get rid of it only by hunting the ghost down, sealing its source and then you would finally find the long awaited warmth mixed with relief. And that was exactly my job. I had to do it.

When I wanted to turn away from the wooden cupboard, a picture frame caught my attention and I couldn't help but walk closer to it. Slowly, I picked it up and took a look at it. There were two people in the picture. A woman and a man who was holding her by her waist. Both their outfits suggested that the picture could have been taken at a wedding. The woman's blonde hair was beautifully braided and her dress was snow-white. She almost looked like a princess with the silver tiara on the top of her head. The man beside her didn't lack elegance either. He was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers with a dark blazer hanging from his finger. But when I went to look at his face, I came to a quick stop. I looked more closely at the picture and realised that the man's whole face was blurred, making it impossible for me to recognise him. I must have spent at least a minute staring at the stranger. Who was it? Why was his face unrecognisable?

Then my gaze returned to the woman and I realised that I knew her. And she wasn't a random person. The blonde wavy hair, hazel eyes, bright skin.

It was me. I was in the picture. At first, I couldn't tell it because she was clearly an older version of me – maybe ten to fifteen years older than me. But that wasn't possible, right? How could it be? There had to be an explanation.

I didn't have much time to think about it because right then the silent moment was interrupted by another sound. And somehow I immediately knew that this one was not made by a rat or another kind of animal. The picture frame fell out of my hands and the glass shattered on the ground from the impact. I made myself turn around and instantly faced the nearing ghost. Previously, I didn't really have the chance to observe it but this time I could very clearly see it. It was a man. And his face was familiar.

It was my father and he was holding out both his arms, attempting to touch me.

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Hello! Officially welcome to Shattering Life <3

Did you like the prologue? At first, I wasn't even planning on writing one but last night I had this idea and I couldn't get it out of my head so here we are!

Chapters will be coming soon...