Hey, before we start, this chapter is more of an introduction to the characters than a story. More stuff will happen next chapter.
Chapter 1.
Today was the last normal half day of my life, and the normal part stopped when I finished the mile race for sports day.
So, let me tell you how my day started.
It's sports day today, and whereas most people get to wear non uniform as long as one article of clothing is the colour of their house block, I change into the white polo short and red shorts with my favourite pair of trainers when I wake up this morning. This sports kit is awful, mainly because I prefer tight fitted so that the fabric doesn't hold onto so much sweat. Seriously? Cotton is the worst material for working out in. Also because it's ugly. I'm not ugly, don't think that. This kit is.
I spray my hair with cherry scented dry shampoo and brush it into my hair so that it doesn't look like a snowstorm against my ash brown hair.
I got my hair cut short three years ago, and now after growing it out for the past year and a half, it has reached my shoulders. I put the top half of my hair up and straighten the bottom later after spraying heat protector. I pull my hair away from my neck to prevent burns.
Ten minutes later, and my hair is perfectly straight and frizz free. I now put it up into a high pony tail. My hair is naturally thick and wavy and by straightening it, my hair is thinner and longer as well as straighter so it stays in a bobble for longer and I don't have to scrape my scalp to get all the hair. My hair isn't crazy thick. In fact, you wouldn't even think it was thick until you try to brush it and oops, there goes the plastic hair brush head.
According to the weather forecast, it's meant to be cloudy so I don't apply suncream but I pack it, just incase.
"Katy, are you ready?" My dad calls from the bottom of the stairs. I make a mental checklist; lunch: the fridge. Dressed? Duh. Teeth. First thing. Deodorant? In bag.
"Coming!" I call.
I see my older brother, Liam at the door. He's wearing navy jeans with a black hoodie. His dark brown hair is messy and his black Nike backpack is hung on one shoulder. He flashes me a grin. "I don't know why you even chose to do this, you have to wear that awful thing." I don't argue. I never wear white, if I can help it. My skin is already pale and white doesn't do me any favours. Especially my legs. I wear leggings as trousers, ok? I only wear shorts when it's too hot and skirts aren't my thing. Liam and I were born in New York but we moved to England when I was two. After Liam's twelfth birthday, four years ago, we moved back. For this summer camp dad wants him to go to. Liam doesn't complain but is rather stay in the city than go to some camp, at least we don't see him for the summer.
Anyways, back to my freakishly pale legs. "Well, I wanted to show off my now rock hard thighs since I started running five days ago." Yeah, I've been training for this for five days, four twenty minute runs and I didn't go last night.
"You're mad, you." Grace grumbles as she comes down the stairs. I was born in early September and she was born in mid August next month We're in the same year at school.
Grace is wearing a navy polo with black skinny jeans. Her straight brown hair is messy, and she still has mascara on from last night. Someone overslept.
My youngest brother, Andrew, was dropped off at school earlier by Samantha, mine and Liam's step mother. Like mine, Liam's mother disappeared after he was born. Dad met Samantha when I was still a baby and she soon fell pregnant. They got married six months after Grace was born. Personally, I don't think it's very wise to marry someone so soon. But for a man who had lost two mothers of his children, I don't blame him for not wanting Samantha to get away like the others, and they have stayed together every since. She's a good mother, and even asked Liam and I to call her mum. I do, but it feels weird every time I do.
"Right then, let's get going" dad smiles.
Before the race starts, I do a lot of daydreaming. This year, we're at our local sports centre and sitting in rows of seats, overlooking the track. We have to sit in our forms where I don't like anyone including Grace and they hate me. Apparently I'm a nerd and a know it all. My friends are in a different class.
When the mile race is called out, I jog down the steps with my water bottle in my hand. We can't take water into the track for some stupid reason but I take it down for afterwards. The race starts a quarter of the way up the he track. This is my fourth time I've done tis race and I came last last year. I came second three years ago and third two years ago. I don't get worse, I know that because my time is the same. Everyone else gets better and I have never improved.
The horn goes. The race needs a boy and a girl from each of the three house blocks. I'm on the blue team so I wear a blue vest over my white polo. I make sure not to sprint to begin with. This was last years mistake. I save the sprinting for the end.
I'm third to last when we complete the three quarter lap. I'm not winded and I can continue so that's good. I focus on my breathing.
two laps in and I'm third. I'm winded now but I can continue.
I complete my third lap but the person behind me is close. When I reach the last bend, I start to sprint. I feel like it isn't real, I can only barely feel my feet hit the floor. I have to blink to make sure I can see straight and I can't think because I'm so intent on completing this race. The second placer finishes and I have a hundred metres to go. I swear I must be hallucinating because I start to see spiders crawls out of the ground. Thousands scuttle towards me. I hate spiders. I used to have nightmares that they'd crawl out of the walls and I'd wake up crying and I would be red from scratching myself.
I just need a drink of water, so I push even harder.
My legs begin to shake as soon as I stop and I need to sit down to get a drink, but spiders cover every chair. I gulp down my water. There are so many spiders and they've encircled me. The faces on the other races tell me that this isn't just me.
Hiding under my sheets.
Pinpricks all over.
Sleeping in a bed of nails.
The crying. The screaming. Samantha telling me it was just a nightmare.
I start gasping, and I jump back. My breathing becomes fast and shallow. "Katy. Katy!" Liam yells, running towards the track.
The spiders have wrapped themselves around my calves and i try to kick them off, scrape them off but nothing's working. They stick to me, become a part of me. I hit them but they climb onto my hands and I scream. Short bursts of screams. I choke on the sobs that woke me up at night.
I collapse to my knees and see one of the PE teachers begin to step on them. I feel them on my spine, weaving their strands across my skin. I used to wake up with the stuff sticking my eyeballs tight. Dad was against it at first, said if was inhumane, but he got bug spray that would kill if an insect were to breathe it in. I had used it until Liam started going to camp. Then a once nightly battle became a children's nightmare. I was one out of a billion people afraid of spiders.
I didn't think that they would have been crushed to death by a tap dancing goat.