Chapter 1
Althea
The clouds were already hovering above the city as usual. I sighed as I stared at the sky for a while, how could I draw any nature if all I saw around me was grey and gloomy dark green. Guess I’d have to wait for a sunny day.
“So we just need to find your old portfolios?” Clarisse asked from the passenger seat.
She came with me to help find my old art at my dad’s house.
“Yes.”
We headed towards the entrance and as I expected the door was unlocked. I clicked the lock open and we headed inside. The stench of alcohol, and damp clothes clogged our noses which was really uncomfortable. But what else could I expect from an alcoholic father.
I breathed out a sigh and shook my head to let go of the anger I suddenly felt. We walked straight to the other end of the hallway, not bothering to check the living room beside us or any rooms. He was probably out drinking again, so I didn’t have to worry about greeting him.
We took the stairs to go up and reached the end of the house where there was a handle attached to a big trap door that led upstairs into the attic.
I pulled and it creaked but the stairs came out easily enough. Clarisse went inside first putting her red hair in a bun. She could do everything with such grace it often made me jealous.
I climbed into the attic and instantly sneezed because of all the dust. Clarisse giggled at my reaction but I just shrugged and started looking around. I wanted out of here as quickly as possible.
There was a mite infestation almost on all the leftover furniture and cabinets. I found a corner that kept my mom’s old belongings.
Her old bags paints and canvases. Paintings and brushes stacked in a corner.
I stood there for a moment staring at the dust covered canvases.
“I wanna take those too.” I told clarisse pointing at my mom’s paint supplies.
She came to me and looked at me to see whether I was upset. My mother was a sensitive topic for me. But I felt fine at the moment.
“Ok I’ll take them downstairs you find the portfolios.” She suggested. I nodded and started looking around. They were just black files with sketches inside so I had to look through the racks on the other side of the littered room.
I stumbled on stuff lying around but reached the shelf on the opposite end of the room and started looking.
Clarisse went downstairs carrying as much supplies as she could. I tossed all the old material aside and soon found what I was looking for. They were on the top corner of the shelf. I pulled them out, dusted and sneezed a few times but separated them. I was about to go back downstairs to Clarisse when something really sparkly caught my attention.
Like any curious, stupid girl I bent down to see what it was. On the bottom shelf was a box with a weird carving on it. The carving was definitely glowing. Like light was emitting from inside the carving. It looked like some sort of rune of an ancient language. I couldn’t stare at it since it was blindingly bright but I still reached out for it with a firm hand. One thing good about me, I wasn’t a scaredy cat.
I picked up the box and as soon as I did, the glow faded.
I stared in awe at this beautiful piece of art in my hands. It was a wooden box, with definitely no lock but also no visible opening. It had tiny rune carvings all over it but the center was a huge one, something similar to what we call a goddess rune in ancient language. I’d seen something similar in history books. I couldn’t read it though.
“Thea you coming?” My thoughts were broken as Clarisse called from downstairs. I took a deep breath and carried the box with the portfolio and went downstairs.
“Yeh, I got distracted because of a box I found. Let’s go.” I said.
She was all sweaty already, she nodded and took the keys. We closed all the doors, put our things in the boot of the car and drove back to our flat.
We lived together and studied in the same highschool. I needed a scholarship to get into my favourite college, Rutger’s.
My mom had left behind enough fortune for me to last if I used it properly but I didn’t buy a place. I just lived with my friend Clarisse who was happy to have me in. I did all my stuff myself and took care of my living expenses and clothing. I had learned to be an adult before I even became one.
That’s how conditions change you.
When my mother died, I was left alone, since all my dad could ever do was mourn over her grave and drink till he would fight some other lowly man and end up getting robbed or get in other situations like that. So I moved out. Because I couldn’t take it anymore.
I had decided to make a new portfolio of sketches to submit for my scholarship application so I started working as soon as I got home.
Our place was average, two rooms, a kitchen and a living room. Clarisse was most probably out there doing her workout in the living room with music in her ears so I just went and got my paper and charcoal.
My room was always neat with cream walls on which I had put my own decorations. My favourite were the multicoloured fairy lights that I draped all over the room.
The night was already setting in and it was chilly outside so I shut the windows tight and sat on my bed to draw but as soon as I picked up the pencil ,I remembered the box I had found earlier. I looked around my room and noticed it sitting in the corner on the side table. So I just went to pick it up but as soon as my hand got in contact with it, it glowed! It glowed again, brighter than before and not just that, it felt like the glow was burning me. My right inner wrist felt like it was burning!
“Clary!!!” I yelled for my friend in pain. My hand clenched my wrist as I dropped the box and it stopped glowing.
The door flew open as she ran inside asking me what’s wrong. I just shook my head and showed her my wrist.
She removed my hand’s grip and we both gasped at the markings left behind. The same goddess rune was drawn like a tattoo on my skin. My heart was beating in my ears.
“What….? How did you get this?” She asked in utter confusion.
I just stared at her and pointed at the box on the floor with panting breaths.
She went and carefully picked it up. The wood seemed brighter in contrast to her complexion. “What’s this?” She asked.
“I don’t know, I found it in the attic today.” I replied, still feeling the sting of the unknown mark.
“Can you open it? She handed it to me.
I took it with hesitation but this time it didn't glow, blood was gushing loudly through my veins but I somehow knew what to do.
It felt like the box wanted me. As if it was connected to me.
At that moment I felt my heart and the engraving on the wood started to make sense. Some sense that I couldn't explain or decipher in words, but it told me what to do.
I put my right hand flat on the box, keeping a tiny space between the wood and my skin so that it felt the heat of my skin. Clarisse just watched bewildered as I felt my new tattoo burn again heard the click on the wood as it unlocked.
Just as I thought, it wanted me.
Inside was a book bound in leather. The leather was weird though.
“It’s glittery.” Clary commented beside me.
And she was right, the leather was black but it seemed like glitter was infused in it.
Something felt wrong here…
This was dangerous for some reason. I knew that if I opened this book something would go wrong.
“Come on see it already, what are you waiting for?” My friend was impatient but I felt awfully scared.
My arm was burning again but I tried ignoring it. My focus was on this leather book. I finally reached inside the box and took the book out.
Thump,thump,thump.
My heart was beating loudly as my nerves grew. I flipped open the cover…. And it dawned on me.
I shouldn’t have done that!
“Thea!” I looked up to see Clarisse scream my name as she clenched her wrist in pain.
The book in my hand heated up and my wrist burned! The book fell from my hands and something exploded in the air.
Something that held tremendous power!
The windows flew open and wind ruffled inside, the pages flipped as the book dropped on the floor. I couldn’t understand what was happening.
Clary was on the floor crying in pain.
“Clary, what’s wrong…” I sobbed as I couldn’t watch.
The lights flickered, wind gushed, and I could hear voices…..
Girls and boys screaming in pain, I ran outside my room, out the door and downstairs the building. Everywhere, my ears were filled with screams. Everyone, men, women, children....
“What’s happening!!!”
“My wrist!”
“Mom, help me! It burns!”
“Babe what’s going on?”
I heard cries and I realised with tears in my eyes that I had done something terribly wrong.
