Chapter 3
Spring Brook High School.
Everywhere, teenagers were walking and talking, towards home as the day was pulling to a close. Near the rear of the crowd, a small group of boys were laughing as they came to the gate. In the middle, Alex Rider stood, smiling and laughing with his friends around him. He was different. He was no longer the lone, athletic boy who had severe cases of the flu. He was happy. His blonde hair had grown back, no longer short. His eyes, they had changed too. They were no longer dead and guarded looking, just the innocence of a 15 year old buy.
As the boys made their way off the property, they parted. Waving goodbye to each other, they went their separate ways. Something didn't seem right.
Alex Rider, with friends? Happy? Then the setting changed. Alex was fighting demons beyond his strength. Flashes of his parents and uncle swarmed his head, followed by Mrs Jones and Yassen Gregorvitch.
Moving forward, Alex stood into a deep, black puddle.
Alex Rider sat up in bed, sweat drenching his shirt. He untangled his sheets, and leant out his window, like so many times before. Taking a few deep breathes; Alex leant against the window sill as the sun began to rise. For some reason, he knew today was going to be a long day.