Chapter 1
Ella’s POV
“Somebody make it stop already,” I say as I wake up to the sound of that dreadful alarm. Wait an alarm. How is that possible, I thought I was on my way to our new home. I quickly opened my eyes and almost immediately shut them due to the blinding effect of the sunlight. “I knew it was only an alarm that could wake you,” my sister mused from the back. God, I wish I could just grab that her perfectly packed hair and push it in her face.
“You realise that you have just woken me up,” I murmured.
“You think I didn’t try,” she huffed, “Besides, I did not want to risk getting a slap on my pretty face this morning.”
I did not have time for her drama this morning so I just closed my eyes and settled deep down in the car. I mean she is the elder one but I am more or else the elder one actually. She is so stressful even my little brother does not give me that much stress.
“Are you awake Ellie! We are almost there,” my dad called. From the backseat of the car, I watched the unfamiliar scenery unfolding around me, with my heart racing, as it feels a mix of excitement and nervousness. I can’t believe that I’ve finally moved to this part of the country. My mind drifts back to the moment that led to my being here.
Three Months Ago
“Oh my gosh!Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh,” my mom screams while dramatically running down the stairs.
My mom had never been the one to be dramatic. She was always about been straightforward and to the point. So, I was shocked at the drama. She stepped right into the middle of the living room, her breathing unbalanced. I knew right there, at that moment that I was in for the news of a lifetime.
“Guess what,” she said, smiling so happily to my dad. My dad gave her this ‘what’s up with you’ look.
“You got an email,” my mom said completely dropping whatever high feeling anyone had at that moment. Seriously, an email made her run down the stairs. Just an email. My dad gave her a quizzical look and took his phone from her while peering at her curiously. I watched as my dad’s expression changed to one just as dramatic as the one my mom had. What exactly did they see in that phone that was causing them to have such an extreme reaction? I wanted to know.
“Well, kids, looks like I’ve got a new job now” my dad said to me and my brother with a beaming smile.
I come from a family of six: my dad, my mom, my elder brother Damian, my elder sister Camilla and my younger brother Mateo. By descent, we are Italians, however we live in Florida. Damian went to college last year. I have been feeling a little lonely. Camilla is in her senior year, and I am starting high school next session while Mateo is just in sixth grade.
“It looks like we will have to move”, my mom exclaimed. “I cannot wait to see Netherlands”,she continued with a smile. “This has always been Damian’s dream”.
I responded with my mouth dropped wide open. Hello, Damian is in college and so would not be here to enjoy whatever the hell he wanted to enjoy in Netherlands. Besides not everyone likes the idea of moving to a place miles away from where they have stayed their whole lives. My everything is here and they are planning on moving to somewhere miles away. Of course, I said all this in my head. Once my parents makes up their mind ― it’s final.
“We are here”, my dad sang bringing me right back into reality.
We came down from the car and right behind us were the moving guys. They carried our stuff in a huge blue moving van and they were also dressed up in blue coveralls as well. I took a step back to take in the view of our house and wow. It was amazing. Generally, it looked much better than our house back in Florida and so far, Amsterdam seems great. Although, I have learnt never to judge a book by its cover. I stepped into the house and I was blown away. When I first heard that I was moving to Netherlands and I was on an emotional low. Yes, I know that Netherlands is a nice place and all.
The sweet smelling fragrance of lavender The house was a creamy colour and looked so dreamy. I stepped into the living room and there was a glowing chandelier right in the middle. At a corner, I saw the stairs moved up in a wounded up, moving in a spiral manner. They had black railings and just staring at the stairs the I felt dizzy. Those decoration guys really knew their stuff cause the internal decor of the house was right on point
I looked back outside to admire the beautiful sunset. The sky has turned a grayish colour and the moon just stood up in there glowing. It was beautiful. However, I suddenly felt a pair of eyes staring intensely at me. I turned to see a shadow. I followed the shadow upward, only to discover a familiar figure. Right now, Amsterdam does not feel so great. “It cannot be,” I said. “What cannot be,“my mom question from behind me. I jolted back from shock. I looked again but the figure was not there anymore. Maybe I just imagined it. I went up the stairs and into my room. The windows looked up straight to a house just behind our home. It was old and crooked and gave off really dark vibes. Whatever was inside there, I did not want to find out. I made a mental note to stay clearly out of the way of that house. I climbed on the bed and looked out of the window. I saw it again; the creepy figure. I quickly closed the windows and curtains. Something or someone was definitely watching me.
