PROLOGUE

Many stories start in amazing vistas, or arid badlands, or floating over the ocean. Mine just starts after a hard day at school, with a concert afterwards.

"Kirk!" Uggggh, my dad's shouting at me to get to bed…

"I'm going already!" I yell back at him. I climb into bed, grab my book, and prepare to read myself to sleep.

"Kirk, you've been up almost all night already, lights out!" my dad calls from the hallway.

"Fine, dad!" I yell back. My dad's actually a good sort, he's just tired too. Normally he lets me stay up for hours and hours unlike my mum. I'm probably closer to him rather than my mum, seeing as me and my dad have the same name. Laurel's my mum. I also have two sisters and a brother. Rene and John can be annoying, but Marie is just adorable.

I slam my book on my bedside table, flick my light switch and plunge the room into near-total darkness. The only lights are my alarm clock on my bedside table, and the crack of light under my door from the hallway.

I settle into a comfortable position and try to get to sleep. My head soon floats into a pleasant haze where I am a knight, fighting against horrific monsters, defeating them, rescuing my stunningly gorgeous female companion, and defeating the main bad guy, the going home for my well-deserved rest. Then I realize my bed is tipping. I'm falling, falling, falling into a whirlpool of darkness.