chapter 1 -new at the village
As I woke up it took me a moment to grasp my surroundings. Where was I? I was certainly not in our house in London but it didn’t seem like I was at one of our castles in France either. Then, my gaze fell upon the moving boxes, and the realization dawned on me - we had just moved from London to this tiny town in the middle of nowhere. The reason? My brother's beloved uncle Alphard had fallen terribly ill, and Sirius insisted that we had to look after him. Why my parents would approve of this, you ask? Well, Alphard happens to be obscenely wealthy, and my parents are downright covetous of that wealth. So, here we are, in a mansion Alphard had generously provided in exchange for our assistance.
After preparing myself, I packed a bag, ready to explore the new area. Descending the stairs, I stumbled upon my family in the midst of a heated argument about Sirius' insistence on wearing a crop top. It was hardly a family, not even according to my parents, who referred to it as the "most ancient and noble house of black." Walburga, my mother, delivered an extra forceful hit to Sirius, prompting me to swiftly exit through the front door, with my brother behind me. Concerned, I asked him about his well-being. He nonchalantly replied, "Don't worry, Lucida, she has done worse." But I saw the pain in his eyes. Since he wanted to visit Alphard and I intended to explore the woods, we decided to part ways. Consulting the map I had acquired the day before, I searched for the ideal spots in town for stargazing. Unfortunately, my search yielded nothing, and I only first noticed a group of boys only a couple years older than me drinking beer, when I was already on the bridge where they stood. I really didn´t want to interact with them but turning around would make me seem like a coward, So I leaned against the railing, lighting up a cigarette which I had stolen from siris the previous day. Their stares intensified, uncommon for me who most people didn’t dare to look at. Dressed in black velvet with pale skin, I found solace in my unique attire, deterring most from approaching. The boys continued their unrelenting gaze, and though a part of me yearned to push them off the bridge, I refrained and attempted to ignore their scrutiny.
As the sun bathed the river in its glow, offering a breathtaking sight, one of the boys remarked, "Aren't you a bit young to smoke?" Sure, thirteen might be a little bit too early for stuff like that, but my brother was fourteen and doesn´t only smokes cigarettes, but weed too. So, who cared? “So what? you’re drinking beer and don’t seem to be much older than me” His laughter ensued, and as I contemplated leaving, he revealed, "I think we're neighbours. I saw you move in yesterday. I'm James, by the way, and that's my friend Peter." He pointed to a boy with short dirty blond hair and a strong jawline.
“And what’s your name?” The boy with the dark curls asked me. He definitely had way too much confidence.
I blew the cigarette smoke in his face but even this act didn´t seem to scare him away.
Then, a warm smile graced his face, revealing charming dimples on his cheeks—those kind that make you instinctively want to trace them with your pinkie finger. It's almost a universal truth that every girl finds those dimples utterly adorable, and I'm willing to bet he's well aware of that fact. Admittedly, he does have a captivating appearance. With his tousled dark curls, a complexion that blends seamlessly into a mid-dark hue, and a pair of glasses that surprisingly complement his overall look, he manages to turn heads effortlessly. (NOT MINE THOUGH)
It's no secret that practically every girl in this village harbours a tiny crush on him. However, I can confidently say that I'm an exception to that rule. “Is that a map in your hand? I could show you around sometime. Since I’m your neighbour You already know where I live. We could explore together and have an adventure” I rolled my eyes at this. Gross, please tell me that this wasn’t a terrible pick up line or him being way to friendly and oblivious. Either way, Sirius and I agreed to meet up in front of the village church at 3 o'clock, just 20 minutes away. I realized I needed to hurry.
As I walked away, James, the boy with the captivating smile, asked for my name again. “Lucida,” I replied, “you can call me Lucida.”
Reaching the church, Sirius eagerly greeted me with a hug. I hate hugs. I push him away. “I NEED your help, baby sister, what do you know about “hamlet” from Shakespeare??” oh god… From his tone, his question and the redness in his face judging he has met someone, but he´s my brother so I provided him with any necessary information about it. He squeezed happily and ran away. I saw that he entered the record shop but decided not to follow him. He should make his own decisions and fail on his own. No need for me to help him. Especially because I had seen his flirting skills before. He doesn´t have any. Just a week ago he told a person with a buzzcut that their hair is very long and beautiful.
Feeling a bit restless, I decided to explore the village further. Consulting my map, I made my way to the lake, appreciating the beauty of the forested path despite its length. Pausing at a bench, I encountered a crying blonde girl around the age of 16. At first I was wondering why she was crying but a quick look on her hands told me that she was shedding tears over a dead rainworm. Help. What do you do when someone is crying? Unsure how to console her, I tried it with a hug, which surprisingly seemed to bring comfort to her. After an awkward but soothing moment, she gestured toward the rainworm. Then the mysterious girl started digging a small hole with her hands. I instantly realised what she was doing. The girl wanted to make a mini grave for the rainworm. I think that´s cute. I decided to help her. Quickly we finished to dig the hole for the grave. Then we laid the rainworm into it, gave earth on top of it and finished with placing a small flower on top of it.
I asked her if she wanted to follow me to the lake. She nodded and we made our way to the lake. I asked her questions and she replied with either her hands or by shaking or nodding her head. After a while she suddenly said: My name is pandora. I found myself rather surprised by this since I thought that she couldn´t talk. As we continued our way to the lake, we realised that we were quite similar. And most important, she doesn´t like spoons either. The only thing that they´re good for is eating water (I promise it´s not as weird as it sounds). We also talked about astronomy, a topic that I´m quite interested in. After around 30 minutes of walking we finally arrived at the lake and spent the rest of the day there.