The Curse of a Gift
Chapter One: Birthmark
In the dark, cold depths of the night, a silhouette could be seen slowly hobbling in and out of the shadows towards the Thaumaturge Orphanage. It paused at the door then disappeared into the dark, murky hallway inside.
“Old mother Pathmay, how nice of you to come at such a late hour.”
A forty-year-old man made his way down the spiral staircase opposite the front door to greet the old woman.
“My dear John,” she said in a week voice kissing him on the cheek. “Is the girl upstairs?”
“Yes, right now she is in her bed sleeping. We should wait until early morning before waking her.”
“Of corse, and, ah, how much longer until…it happens?”
“Exactly four hours from the stroke of midnight.”
“Can we trust that she will cooperate when the Portalmen come to take her?”
“Portalmen are strange, scary beings and she won’t come willingly if we tell her the truth striate away.”
“But she has to know sooner or later…”
“Just before the time comes when she has to step through the portal, then we will tell her.”
**********************************************************
Throughout the darkness in the girls’ dormitory, there was one fain glimmer of light coming from one girl’s bed. Serenity Vye, a long, dark brown haired girl with piercing brown eyes, was the only one who could not sleep. The village clock tower began to chime. Midnight! Today was her birthday and in exactly four hours she would turn fourteen!
Serenity’s bed was closest to the door, which led onto the upstairs landing, and so she clearly heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. She quickly shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep. The door creaked open and two figures stepped inside.
“Is that her?” whispered an elderly woman’s voice.
“Yes, and as you can see, she’s got the mark! It shines weekly now but by four it will shine more brightly then ever,” said a man’s voice that Serenity knew only too well as Mr Fletcher, the head of the orphanage.
“The legendary arrow-star. In all my long years I have never seen anyone with such a mark. The question that bugs me though is why her? Why does such a sweet girl have the mark?”
“Well,” Mr Fletcher replied, “I believe it’s due to her father.”
“Of corse, I should have known.”
“Well mother Pathmay, I think we should go back downstairs now…”
“Please, John, call me Bertha, it is my name after all.”
“Alright, Bertha. Would you like to accompany me downstairs for a cup of tea? I don’t make the best in the world but it does cure the thirst.”
“I would be delighted, anything to wither away the time until the Portalmen come to take Serenity.”
They walked out quietly and closed the door behind them. Serenity pulled her right arm from under the sheets. Sure enough on the underside of her forearm was a mark, her birthmark, growing steadily brighter by the moment. The arrow-star the woman had called it, Serenity had heard of it but couldn’t remember anything about it.
She grew a little frightened. The old woman had also said something about some Portalmen coming to take her away! Away where, and why? She waited until she was sure that the two adults had gone downstairs then crept out of bed.
“Serenity? What are you doing?” said a girl’s muffled voice. Obviously Serenity had not been as quiet as she had hoped.
“Go back to sleep Vanessa, it’ll be morning soon.”
“But you’re not aloud out of bed at night, that’s one of Mr Fletcher’s strictest rules, he made that clear last night!”
Serenity was forced to get back into bed. Vanessa, being a strong-minded twelve year old would never let anyone break the rules if she could help it. Serenity didn’t think she could ever get to sleep now with so many questions swirling around in her head, but she soon tired herself out and let reality slip from her as she spun into a familiar dreamland.
“Old mother Pathmay, how nice of you to come at such a late hour.”
A forty-year-old man made his way down the spiral staircase opposite the front door to greet the old woman.
“My dear John,” she said in a week voice kissing him on the cheek. “Is the girl upstairs?”
“Yes, right now she is in her bed sleeping. We should wait until early morning before waking her.”
“Of corse, and, ah, how much longer until…it happens?”
“Exactly four hours from the stroke of midnight.”
“Can we trust that she will cooperate when the Portalmen come to take her?”
“Portalmen are strange, scary beings and she won’t come willingly if we tell her the truth striate away.”
“But she has to know sooner or later…”
“Just before the time comes when she has to step through the portal, then we will tell her.”
**********************************************************
Throughout the darkness in the girls’ dormitory, there was one fain glimmer of light coming from one girl’s bed. Serenity Vye, a long, dark brown haired girl with piercing brown eyes, was the only one who could not sleep. The village clock tower began to chime. Midnight! Today was her birthday and in exactly four hours she would turn fourteen!
Serenity’s bed was closest to the door, which led onto the upstairs landing, and so she clearly heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. She quickly shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep. The door creaked open and two figures stepped inside.
“Is that her?” whispered an elderly woman’s voice.
“Yes, and as you can see, she’s got the mark! It shines weekly now but by four it will shine more brightly then ever,” said a man’s voice that Serenity knew only too well as Mr Fletcher, the head of the orphanage.
“The legendary arrow-star. In all my long years I have never seen anyone with such a mark. The question that bugs me though is why her? Why does such a sweet girl have the mark?”
“Well,” Mr Fletcher replied, “I believe it’s due to her father.”
“Of corse, I should have known.”
“Well mother Pathmay, I think we should go back downstairs now…”
“Please, John, call me Bertha, it is my name after all.”
“Alright, Bertha. Would you like to accompany me downstairs for a cup of tea? I don’t make the best in the world but it does cure the thirst.”
“I would be delighted, anything to wither away the time until the Portalmen come to take Serenity.”
They walked out quietly and closed the door behind them. Serenity pulled her right arm from under the sheets. Sure enough on the underside of her forearm was a mark, her birthmark, growing steadily brighter by the moment. The arrow-star the woman had called it, Serenity had heard of it but couldn’t remember anything about it.
She grew a little frightened. The old woman had also said something about some Portalmen coming to take her away! Away where, and why? She waited until she was sure that the two adults had gone downstairs then crept out of bed.
“Serenity? What are you doing?” said a girl’s muffled voice. Obviously Serenity had not been as quiet as she had hoped.
“Go back to sleep Vanessa, it’ll be morning soon.”
“But you’re not aloud out of bed at night, that’s one of Mr Fletcher’s strictest rules, he made that clear last night!”
Serenity was forced to get back into bed. Vanessa, being a strong-minded twelve year old would never let anyone break the rules if she could help it. Serenity didn’t think she could ever get to sleep now with so many questions swirling around in her head, but she soon tired herself out and let reality slip from her as she spun into a familiar dreamland.