Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Moving to Mirfield

Ivy.

The cold breeze blew on my face as I walked towards the front door of my aunt's well-built house. Rumors about this town being cursed kept crossing my mind. Back home, mom and dad used to tell me that they once lived here. They couldn't get over how spine-chilling it was for them to live in such a creepy town.

"Let me help you with your things," aunt Rosie said as she offered me a hand for my luggage. After her, I walked and observed inside the house. The aquarium with a dead fish caught my eye and if it wasn't for my curiosity, I wouldn't have gone to it.

"Is that fish dead, auntie?" I softly asked while looking at the greenish aquarium in front of me.

"It's just a toy, Ivy," she told me as she walked upstairs with my bag in her hands.

I followed her and as I took the stairs, my hand was sliding through the wood railing of it. The door on the terrace was open, causing the cold air to enter which made me cross my arms to prevent shivering. The quietness deafened my ear. I haven't even heard a single bird chirp from the window.

"This is your room. Apologies if I didn't have time to decorate it. I was planning on leaving that to you," she softly said as she dragged my luggage inside.

I looked at every single thing and it was all made of wood, making this room look old-fashioned. I don't mind staying, as long as I have music and books.

"I kind of love it, auntie." I smiled before sitting on the bed, admiring things around this room.

"That's great. I'll be heading for work now. There's food in the fridge if you're hungry," she informed me and I instantly nodded.

I heard her car leave, and so I was left alone in this house. When I felt that I was already warm enough, I opened the window on the left side of the room and removed my jacket before going downstairs. The sound of boredom inside this house kills me so I decided to go out for a jog.

I spent thirty minutes on the street, jogging and boosting my stamina. For a few seconds, the wind got aggressive and it took my towel. I ran to where it landed and got myself into a place where a terrible smell was all over the place. When I got my towel, I immediately covered my nose because I couldn't handle the stink. I looked for a piece of evidence and my heart skipped a beat at what I saw.

It was a dead bunny and its blood was scattered on the grass.

I gasped before running away and when I reached the house, I immediately went to the sink, throwing everything from my stomach up. I was panting as I wiped my mouth with the water that was running from the faucet. I couldn't breathe as if the scent of the dead bunny followed me back in here.

I sat down at the breakfast table, pulling myself together while I heavily panted. What did I just see? Why do I keep seeing dead things? Was that bunny a toy too like the dead fish I saw in the aquarium?

I shook my head in disbelief. I forced myself to come back to reality after what I saw. I took a hot shower and dressed before going on my first day of school at Mirfield College.

After a fast ten-minute walk on the streets, I arrived at the school. While I was walking in the hallway, I saw someone from the crowd, staring at me intensely. I didn't bother to stop and ask her why but oh—who am I kidding?

Everyone's staring at me.

I didn't want to waste my time giving them attention. It was all good to me until someone pulled my headset off of my neck. I immediately stopped walking, not causing the wire to cut off because it was still connected to my phone which I was holding at the moment.

"Nice music taste," he said, smirking at me while my headset is still in his hand, full of dirty tattoos.

"Thanks," I said with the straightest face I can show. I attempted to get it from him but he immediately pulled it away, forcing my phone to fall out of my hands. I got frustrated, thinking that it must have been broken already. But still, I maintained a straight face. "Look, I don't know why you people are staring at me like you're all wondering how I existed. But all I want is to get my headset back and mind my own business," I said in my most gentle voice, trying to convince him to give it to me.

"What are going to do if I wanted to keep it?" he said, challenging me.

"Give it back to the girl, Landon," one of the students from the hallway said to him.

The man holding my headset looked so annoyed. "And who are you to tell me what to do? Just because you're the mayor's brother, Zion, doesn't mean you can control what I do."

"Oh. Yes, I can," the man named Zion answered with an unbothered look before walking towards us with his hands in his pockets. "If you don't want things to get worse, give it back," he added, threatening this Landon.

It was given back to me after they deadly stared at each other’s eyes. I got my phone from the floor. Good thing, I have fast reflexes to stop my feet from walking immediately. I haven't noticed that Zion was still standing almost an inch away from me.

"Hi." I almost whispered, not being able to meet his eyes. I was stuck there, waiting for him to get out of my way so I could proceed to the room I was assigned.

"You seem nervous. I could hear your heartbeat," he said to me in a cold voice. I decided to give him an expression, a smile, perhaps. Like, who would hear someone's heartbeat without using a stethoscope? Or does he have powers?

"Typical, when moving to a new school," I answered before my eyes automatically stared at his perfectly-shaped jawline. To be honest, he looks fine. Good height, hair brushed up while some of it is hanging on his forehead, deep blue eyes, perfectly-shaped nose and lips, and fair skin. And his scent, it was very… manly and addictive.

A word didn't come out of his mouth. He had just walked away when he heard the bell ring. When I got into my assigned room, I figured we were in the same class. I caught him staring at me the whole time like he didn't like my presence.

I was walking towards the library when I heard a distorted voice of a girl like she needed help. I walked slowly and peeked at where the sound was coming from. I saw a man kissing the girl's neck and I was about to help her when someone grabbed my waist from the back and pulled me forcefully with a hand on my mouth, preventing me to shout. I tried to get away from him but he was a lot stronger than me.

"Keep it down if you don't want him to hear you," he told me.