JINX in JEOPARDY [fred w.]

0.00 prologue

PROLOGUE !

. . .

Half hidden in the shadows cast by flaming torches, the frail girl tiptoed into the dimly lit corridor. The door fell into its lock louder than she intended, a grimace appearing on her dainty face as a result. A chill resonated off the stone walls, a phenomenon that she'd gotten far too familiar with. The symptoms stuck to the Thornton's residence like a second skin, barely standing out to her anymore. Avery shivered slightly, thanking the heavens soon she would no longer call this house her home.

Whilst adjusting the straps of the backpack on her shoulder, she warily stepped through the hallway. Her ears were strained for out of the ordinary sounds. The family owl hooted behind one of the countless doors she passed, the noise ringing eerily through the cloudless night, echoing against the stone and sending shivers down her spine. The girl pushed her sleeves down to her wrists unconsciously, an attempt to cover up the rising goosebumps on her forearms.

She'd made the effort to try and tie her messy hair up into a top-knot, but stubborn strands had immediately escaped their mould and fallen in front of her face. All there was left for her to do was accept her fate and continuously tuck them behind her ears instead. The tiles adorning the floor seemed to hold the merciless cold in an iron grip and it bit at her toes with every step she took.

As soon as she'd reached the foyer, a sigh escaped her lips upon discerning her trusty old lace-up boots in their customary spot next to the sofa. She'd never quite grasped the thought process behind placing a sofa in the corridor. Surely no one would willingly take a seat in the drafty hallway, that's an action that best remains limited to pets. And besides their owl, which was purchased to serve a purpose, the Thornton family wasn't one to keep any pets.

Once Avery had stuck her feet in her black lace-ups she cautiously placed a hand on the shiny doorknob, being especially careful not to leave smudges on the neatly polished silver. She was thankful for the thick carpet on the floor now that it muffled her footsteps, although she'd never been a fan of it before. Contrarily to what one might expect, it had never added any warmth to the room.

She shoved her full weight against the door to get it to swing open, crooked as it was from old age, much like the rest of the house. The creaking thundered through the hall, causing the girl to squeeze her eyes shut. She was quick to find her way outside, straight into the embracing arms of the night's sky.

Her eyes clung to the stars above her, finding comfort in their luminance, and for the first time in very, very long, she smiled.

A genuine smile that hadn't been forced on her by anyone other than herself.

It was with that beaming smile plastered on her face that she found the strength to stride forward, away from the roof that she had lived under unhappily for so many years.

A goodbye glance was left to be desired.

. . .