So, hey guys! I'm back. But not for long lol cuz school's starting. Anyway I updated all the chapters, added some new ones. A lot of stuff has changed so you may want to start at chapter 1. This time, i have a more concrete plot and a bit more planning. I also fixed all grammar errors, i think. ANyway, thanks for being patient and enjoy! PS. Im probs not going to write for another half year or year, depends on my mood. :\\\\\\\
Chapter 1:
Branches snapped under her feet and twigs scratched her limbs. Her breath came out in frantic puffs and her heart thundered in her ears. She could feel them getting closer. Her feet grew heavy. Something was slowing her down. Like running on sand. Her pursuer was getting closer, his fingers brushed her hair. Her head swirled to see them. And then she was falling.
Clary woke up with a start. Her breath came out in shallow puffs and sweat soaked her clothes. The library slowly came to a focus. She sat up and looked out of the nearby window. The full moon was still shining in the night sky. She looked around. Shelves of books stood motionless in the dark. Clary tried to remember the dream. The feeling of running away was still in her body. She tried to recall what the person running after her looked like. But nothing came to her mind.
The silent library felt unnatural at 4 am in the morning. Books shelved away neatly, not a single one on the tables. Rows and rows of black screens sat across still swivel chairs. The usual laughter of the kids dashing through the maze of books was not there. The rapid typing of high schoolers finishing their essays and the piles of empty coffee cups was not there. The silence seemed bigger and louder without the din of shushes and small talk leaving Clary uncomfortable.
A beam of light broke through the dark and Clary's pondering. She scrambled behind into a corner between two bookshelves, a common place for the children who played hide and seek to hide in. Clary had observed very carefully the schedule of the night guard but would mess up and oversleep on rare days. When she could hear the heavy boots of the man fade away, she strained against the heavy wood and slipped through the crack.
Clary expertly walked through hallways and doors with 3 years of experience. The winding corridors brought her to a back door which she picked with the skills she acquired after reading a book about magic tricks. Clary hastily jiggled the doorknob again and found it stuck. Taking the bobby pin out, Clary stuck it back in and bent it left and right. She tried again and the door swung out quietly on well oiled hinges. The guard's footsteps neared and Clary darted out closing the door silently behind her.
Coarse fur touched her ankles. Clary looked down. A cat, dark as midnight was rubbing her leg and purring with pleasure. Clary bent down and tried to pet him but the little rascal ran away. The redhead peered into the darkness but couldn't see the cat anymore. A pair of yellow eyes stared back.
It was a sunny morning, a rare omen for Brooklyn. A fifteen year old girl stood anxiously behind an iron gate, a million thoughts racing through her head. Am I in the right place? Did I get the address wrong? What if the girl doesn't like me? Will I have to give up my only chance at a job?
The buzzer crackled to life. The speaker in a disembodied voice asked, "Hello? This is the Lightwood apartment. Please state who you are."
"Clary, uh Clary Morgenstern. The new tutor?" Clary's voice stuttered and cracked , coloring up.
The voice paused before speaking again.
"Ah, Mrs. Morgenstern. We have been expecting you. Please come in." The gate unlocked with a click. Clary locked her bike against the gate and pushed the gate door aside nervously. A man in formal wear opened the front door and let Clary in.
"Are you…" Clary mumbled the rest when she realized she forgot the name of the family.
"No, I am not Mr. Lightwood. I am the butler, Hodge," the gray-haired man replied, subtly supplying Clary with the name.
Clary nodded in embarrassment. As the butler led her through the house, Clary took the chance to observe her surroundings. It was evident this family was rich, besides having a butler. Luxurious white walls, marble floors and a high ceiling showed class and wealth. Modern decor like black and white or abstract paintings decorated the walls. A great marble staircase in the middle led to the second floor with black iron railing. Antique sconces added a classic touch to the theme. Clary was too busy admiring the grandeur of the house to see the woman coming down the stairs.
A quiet but firm cough halted Clary's contemplation of the home. Clary's head swiveled to see a tall, imposing woman dressed for business. She was beautiful in an elegant way with exotic olive skin surrounded by silky, jet black hair. She looked no older than thirty but the wrinkles Clary's perceptive eyes found said otherwise.
"Hello, I am Maryse Lightwood. Welcome to the "Institute", as we call it," Maryse said with an inward smile as if it was a secret joke. "You must be the new tutor, Mrs. Morgenstern."
"Oh, you can just call me Clary. This is um, a very nice house you got, Mrs. Lightwood," Clary blushed at the simplicity of her words which could never describe the beauty of the house and its occupants.
Maryse just smiled and turned around. Hodge motioned for Clary to follow her. Clary felt like a maid following the graceful lady up the staircase. Maryse's fashionable suit made Clary more aware of her own appearance. Her graphic shirt and her plaid jacket combined with jeans that had more holes than intended from being washed too many times and black converse dyed gray with dust made Clary look homely and completely mismatched with the well-dressed mistress and her house. The teen felt like a homeless person in a first class place.
Clary ran-walked to follow Maryse's steps. Even for a woman in heels climbing stairs, she was quick. Maryse rounded around a corner and stopped at a spacious— Clary did not know what to call it. 2 walls were replaced with glass that opened to a giant veranda. Natural light streamed in from the ceiling windows. The room was sparsely decorated with a potted pant and sprawling white couches. The TV was on and playing a popular drama show. On one of the huge couches was a girl.
"Clary, this is Isabelle. Izzy, this is Clary, your new tutor."
The girl did not turn around.
Maryse apologized, "I'm terribly sorry for my daughter's rudeness. She's just shy. She'll warm up to you as time goes by."
"Hey."
Maryse turned to the Isabel.
"Don't you dare speak for me. I can do that myself," Isabel continued, her brown eyes ablazed, the only aspect that set her apart from her mother.
"You will not speak like that in front of a guest!" snapped Maryse.
Clary stood by uncomfortably. Seeing the tension between mother and daughter, Clary wanted to leave. If every day was going to be like this, working as a waitress at Taki's would be so much better. Clary slowly backed out of the room to give the pair privacy when she bumped into something.
Looking behind her, Clary saw it was a boy. With golden eyes.
Clary snapped out of the flashback. She had vowed long ago to forget the past. No way was she going back now.
Clary walked down the sidewalk aimlessly. It was far too early and the sun was still sleeping. Looking at her from afar, one might think she was a naturally skinny girl. Yet, on a closer look, one would see that her ribs were showing and her limbs were just bones, like the kids in Africa.
Clary would sometimes miss her old life. At least she was well-fed and lived in a somewhat stable home. Here, she lived on ramen and hid inside a public library. Clary's appearance also changed for the worse. Her long red hair had been hacked off at her chin. Her skin was dry and burned from California's 24/7 sunlight. It had been days since her last shower. Clary's clothes weren't an improvement either. She had a sweatshirt three times too big and jeans that belonged to a 12 year old. Her shoes were worn out and in tatters. The library lost and found wasn't that big on clothes.