The Spectre
Prologue: The Moment You've Waited For
Two months before The Awakening
"Glennis! It's starting!"
Carla sat on the floor, knees pulled up to her chest and eyes fixed on the television screen in front of her. She'd been waiting all week for this, and she didn't want to miss a single second.
Two minutes later, her sister came running down the stairs and into the sitting-room, her long brown hair bouncing below her shoulders. "Have I missed anything?"
"Nope," Carla replied.
Glennis flopped onto the sofa and folded her arms. "Where's Nadine?"
"She's out with Mum. They'll be back soon."
As if on cue, the front door opened and Bethany Saverre walked into the house. "Girls, we're back!"
"Hi, Mum!" Glennis called. Carla didn't reply. She was watching the screen intently. A single spotlight had fallen into the stage, illuminating a single figure in a long black coat. The rest of the stage was in complete darkness.
"Oh, has it started?" Beth sat next to her older daughter, putting an arm around her shoulders. Glennis was only thirteen - three years older than Carla - but already it was obvious which of their parents she took after. The only thing she and Beth didn't have in common was their eyes: Glennis had her father's dark brown, whereas Carla had inherited Beth's stormy grey.
The dark figure pulled a pokéball out of his coat pocket. Light exploded out of the capsule and took the shape of a white fox with nine long, sweeping tails. She stood poised on the stage in front of her trainer, eyes on the cameras filming her. She was beautiful and she knew it.
"Don't sit down there, Carla!" Beth patted the space on the sofa next to her and held out her arm. "Come sit with us."
Grinning, Carla got up and shuffled along until she was snuggled into her mother's side. A lean dark shape padded into the room and lay down in front of the sofa. Carla reached down and petted Nadine's head.
The coordinator gave a silent command, and a stream of fire left the Ninetales' jaws, forming a long ribbon across the stage floor. Before long, the trainer and his pokémon were in the centre of a glowing spiral.
"Is that Flamethrower or Fire Spin?" asked Beth.
"Don't know," Glennis shrugged. "I think it's both."
Carla wasn't listening. She was watching the dark figure, captivated by the way he held the spectators' attention, the way he commanded the entire arena. Light from the fire lit up his face. He knew the power he wielded.
One day, Carla vowed, I'll be on that stage. And when that happens, you'll be the one watching me.
Author's Note: This is a rewrite of my story 'Dreams of Fire'. Some things will be the same, others...won't be.
Three things were a major inspiration. The first was 'How To Be A Hero Like A Villain', by Alydia Rackham. She's got works published here and on Amazon; I can't recommend her seriously enough.
The second is the realisation that I've never created a Slytherin protagonist.
The third thing was my soft spot for female characters, protagonists and antagonists alike, who are flawed, ambitious, selfish and ruthless, yet are capable of love, compassion and change. This is my tribute to them.
Hope you enjoy the story!
EDIT: After a thoughtful review left by a reader, I've decided to make some changes to the story. Chapters 1, 2 and 3 are being rewritten/edited and will be up soon.
The prologue's title comes from 'The Greatest Show' from The Greatest Showman soundtrack.