The Necromancer Trilogy: Prophecy

Chapter One - Face At The Window

Sophie Merith yawned as she pushed open the front door, rubbing her eyes. School took up far more energy than it should.

“Hey,” she said, to an empty house. “I’m home.”

Sebastian, her fat, black cat, came and rubbed against her legs, in the vague hope of food.

“No,” Sophie said, severely. “I’m not feeding you.”

He gave her a disdainful glance and padded away down the hall.

“Joy and wonder,” Sophie sighed. “Now I get to do maths homework.”

     The page of equations swirled in front of her eyes, twirling off the paper and performing a delicate but extremely unhelpful ballet. It was so unfair. Maths made so much sense until Miss Bliss started trying to explain it. It was fine. It was clear and obvious. Then she started speaking and suddenly it all got muddled.

 “Sophie!”

“I’m up here!” Sophie called back. “Doing homework!”

Her bedroom door opened and her mother peeped in.

“Hello, honey,” she smiled.

“Hey,” Sophie smiled back. “How was your day?”

Her mother grinned. “I’ve got a surprise for you!”

Sophie was startled. “Really? What is it?”

“Wait till your idiot father gets home,” her mother said, affectionately. “Anyway, how was your day?”

Sophie pulled a face. “Long.”

“As always. I’ll leave you to do your homework.”

“No!” Sophie begged. “Don’t do that!”

Her mother laughed and pulled the door closed behind her. Sophie closed and banged her forehead against the desk.

“I hate school,” she mumbled.

An hour later, the page of questions had been painstakingly completed and Sophie heard the door open.

“Dad!” she cried. “You’re home early!”

“Am I?” he asked, innocently. “Well, fancy that!”

Sophie hugged him. “Yes, you are,” she said. “What’s happened?”

“Well,” her father sighed. “It’s complicated. And I don’t know how to explain it to a child like you.”