‘Cara,’ her father said, leaning over the back of her chair and planting a kiss on his wife’s cheek.
‘Good day at work?’ She asked, not looking up from the paper.
He straightened up and loosened his tie, then pulled his jacket from his shoulders. ‘Bill made a big sale today. His first one since joining the firm,’ he said proudly.
Bill was an ex-farm hand worker, but when they had run low on money and couldn’t afford to keep him on, Laura’s father had recommended him to his boss and his boss had given Bill a chance at the shop.
Her father was a part-time car salesmen for a small workshop near the outskirts of the city. Though they lived on a 400 acre beef farm, which required a large amount of work to maintain, they still had little luck in bringing in the money needed to get by. The days he was home, labouring on the farm, Laura’s mother would be in the city working as a receptionist at the Shrine Hotel.
‘That’s excellent, Oliver!’ Cara, exclaimed, finally putting down the paper and looking up at her husband.
He grinned widely down at her, his sandy hair falling into his eyes, ‘he was very pleased.’
‘I’m so happy for him. Tell him congratulations from me when you see him next!’ Cara said reaching up and brushing the hair from his face affectionately. Oliver placed his hand over hers as she rested it against his cheek, and something seemed to pass between them.
Oliver let go, and Cara’s hand dropped away, ‘I’m going to wash up for dinner.’
Laura’s father left the room and she settled down into the couch, reading once again.
‘And how was your day, sweetie?’ Her mother asked, reassuming her own reading.
Laura shrugged, ‘same as always.’
Laura broke off a piece of bread from the roll in front of her and dunked it into the bowl of tomato soup.
‘How was the farm today?’ Oliver asked, taking his place at the head of the table.
The table was big enough for six, but Laura was an only child. Deep down, she thought her parents had wanted more children. Maybe a son. But it had never happened.
‘Good. The cattle were fed this morning and I fixed that fence down near the edge of Wimerack. I finished off this month’s paperwork too,’ Cara replied lifting a spoonful of soup to her mouth.
Laura’s father nodded, ‘good to hear. Can’t have the paper work falling behind.’
Oliver lifted his glass to his lips and sent a wink Laura’s way.
Her eyes gleamed, ‘yes we most certainly can’t have that. Otherwise it’ll be bed with no food or water.’
‘And then we would have to listen to your complaints all night,’ Oliver continued.
‘And that’ll be disturbing our much needed beauty sleep.’
Oliver turned, flashing his teeth at her. ‘What are you saying? That I’m not beautiful?’
The corners of Cara’s eyes crinkled as she suppressed a laugh, ‘oh really you two you are as bad as each other.’
Laura’s eyes flickered to her father’s face and the two grinned at one another.
‘Card’s after dinner?’ he asked Laura.
‘You’re on.’
‘You do not have twenty-one! That is twenty!’ accused Laura.
Cara watched her husband and Laura from her place on the couch, in the middle of their very important Friday night game of cards. Tonight, it was thirty-one. They sat opposite one another, cards flat on the table, and staring each other down. She was laughing uncontrollably, because as usual, Oliver was cheating.
Oliver’s hand flew to his chest, ‘I am offended that you would doubt my mathematical skills.’
‘Three tens are thirty.’
‘No, a Jack it is actually eleven, not ten,’ her father insisted.
‘You liar! I have the rule book right here.’ Laura cried, snatching up the book from the table. She flipped it open and found the page she needed, ‘see! A jack is ten.’
He picked up a pen, reached out, and changed the ‘0’ to a ‘1’ yelping, ‘I win!’ as he did so.
Laura’s mouth fell open and she lunged for the closest cushion she could find. Grasping one tightly, she swung it at her dad, showering cards down over them. Oliver grabbed for the pillow under Cara’s head. Cara sat up, retreating quickly from the lounge room while the two battled it out.
‘Make sure you put that room back to the way it was!’ Cara called out from her and Oliver’s bedroom.
The two stopped, locking eyes, and a grin broke out on their faces. Oliver put a finger to his lips, and Laura repressed a giggle as they crept down the hall. In one swift movement, Oliver swung the door open and they barged in, hurdling onto the bed and attacking Cara with cushions. She shrieked and snatched up her own pillow, fighting back and laughing.
‘You two will be the end of me!’ She mumbled as they flopped down onto the bed.
‘Okay, come on Kiddo, better go clean up the lounge and head to bed.’
Saturday morning was a hot, bright one. For winter, anyway. Laura settled herself down on the couch, pretending to read. Really, she was tuning in on her parents conversation. She had noticed them acting strange lately. Only little things such as their knowing looks and secretive conversations. She listened to them talk and laugh with one another while her mother prepared to leave for work. Nothing out of the ordinary there.
‘I’ll see you this afternoon Laura,’ Cara said as she planted a kiss on Laura’s head before heading for the door.
‘I’m going up the mountain this afternoon. So I’ll see you when I get back,’ she replied.
Just as she was about to turn back to her book, something seemed to flash across her mother’s face, and she paused, returning her gaze to her mother. Was it a look of hope? Or of opportunity? Laura couldn’t be sure.
It disappeared as quickly as it had arrived and once again her mother was smiling at her. ‘All right sweetie,’ she had reached the door, and Laura caught the look that she seemed to send Oliver before she turned back to her daughter, ‘be careful.’
Laura listened as the two passed through the door, mumbling to one another. She strained her neck, trying to catch their words.
‘Oliver, this afternoon is our only chance,’ her mother said. It sounded like she was pleading with him.
‘I can’t allow it Cara, not this. It’s too much. I love Laura, but we are her best shot. Who knows if they will even keep their word?’
‘They will. They would be banished to hell if they didn’t.’
Laura heard her father let out a deep sigh, ‘I just- I can’t-‘ his voice cracked and Laura’s heart began to race. Hell? What were they talking about? Who were they?
‘Hey, hey, all right, not this afternoon.’ Cara’s voice was soft, soothing.
‘Thankyou.’
Sweat break out on Laura’s neck and nerves flit through her stomach. She settled back down into the couch, pretending to read again as she listened to the car start.
Her father returned, briefly translating to her that he’d be out fencing most of the morning and left before Laura could ask a single question.
The blazing sun had begun to set and a cool evening breeze was sweeping through the trees by the time Laura had reached the top of Wimerack Mountain on Saturday evening. The view was magnificent from the peak.
Laura stood tall, taking in the fresh air, reenergizing herself for the hike back down later. She welcomed the cool air against her sweaty, hot skin. It felt nice, refreshing. She loved her home. The unbelievable sight that stood before her made the sore legs and aching muscles from the climb worth it. She loved sitting upon the mountain, watching the sun set, allowing her mind to wander. It was peaceful. She had so much freedom.
Laura looked down at her own farm house nestled among the trees. As she watched on, she could see her father out on the tractor feeding the cattle hay. Her mother was probably inside making up a delicious dinner for that night.
As her eyes swept over the land, she noticed a sudden flash of light - th
e sun reflecting off something.
It was a small silver car crawling down the driveway. Laura smiled as her Dad stopped his feeding and went to greet the passengers despite running out of light to complete his duties.
She turned away, staring out across the other side of the mountain. There was an enormous drop on this side. It led down into a rocky, bushy basin of mess. There was only one way down and if she wanted to take it, it was necessary to know how to rock climb.
She hadn’t gone down there yet but she planned to, one day. Her father had taught her how to rock climb at the big studios in Corin but she had never actually taken on a real life structure. He had promised her that one day, they would go together.
She stretched out her sore limbs and yawned lazily. The sun felt nice as the last rays of heat from it shone down on her back. She continued to stare downward into the rocky abyss below, searching for the best route she and her father could take.
As she was doing that, she heard the definite sound of a gunshot ring out across the land. At first she thought that it was someone out hunting. But that was when she heard it. The scream. The unmistakeable high-pitched cry that belonged to her mother.
Chapter Two
Forced Into Change
A jolt of electricity shot through Laura’s body as the scream tore through the air, startling her and sending her sprawling towards the edge of the cliff. She threw herself to the left, gripping onto a jagged piece of rock and holding on with all her might as her legs swung down over the side.
She was breathing heavily as she watched the rocks and dust she had stirred up plummet towards dark depths below.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she swung her leg up, hoisting herself back over the side of the cliff and dragging her body a safe distance from the edge.
Stumbling to her feet, she sucked in a heavy but shaky breath, then tore through the shrubbery towards the opposite side of the mountain. When she reached the beginning of the overgrown track, she saw a sight that would stay with her forever.
Her mother’s cries were almost audible from the top of Wimerack, and Laura watched helplessly as she was dragged roughly through the dirt by her feet and away from Oliver’s limp body.
Cara scrabbled at the dirt, searching for anything that she could use as a weapon. She was putting up an incredible fight, but she was not strong enough. Not for the three people dragging her.
Fear speared through Laura and her feet seemed to act on their own accord as she started sprinting down the track.
A scream tore from her throat, ‘MUM!’
She was down the first quarter of the trail in record time, dodging branches and soaring over rocks the whole way. She had never run so fast in her life. She almost couldn’t feel the burning in her lungs or the aching of her legs as she pushed herself to go faster. Her mind was a blur of silent screams and unanswerable questions.
For only a moment she allowed herself the luxury of removing her gaze from the track to the scene that was unfolding before her. She could only see a swirl of dust where the car had been.
‘NO!’ she yelped as she leapt over a fallen log.
Her shoelace had unknowingly come undone somewhere along the descent, catching in a piece of the hard bark. Her body was whipped around and she kicked out at the log. She hurdled through the air, her left shoulder slamming into the ground with a chilling crack.
She cried out in pain, but that wasn’t the end of it. Suddenly, like a car that had sped around a corner too fast and lost control, she began to roll head first down the mountain. She didn’t realise then but she had been screaming the entire time.
The world spun around her as she tumbled through the dirt at an alarming speed. Then, the world stopped altogether. She had struck a rock with an excruciating thud. Her throat was raspy and dry and her screams came to a halt as the wind was knocked right out of her. She lay there, stunned.
Groaning with pain, she realised that her mother would be long gone by now. Her stomach was in an anxious knot, and she felt sick to the bone. The terror was slowly consuming her as she began to comprehend what had just happened.
Her thoughts were invaded by the realisation that her mother had been abducted and she couldn’t form any realistic reason in her mind as to why those people had taken her.
On top of that she had absolutely no idea what she was meant to do. All that innocence she had, all that freedom, had so rapidly been taken from her. Now she felt trapped; trapped in a world of confusion and lost until she found her mother.
Who had taken her, and why? That was what she wanted to know.
She attempted to lift herself up on her elbows but winced in pain. They were scraped raw and so were her knees. As she managed to prop herself up against the rock, she began inspecting her wounds. When she saw her left arm she cried out, and suddenly the throbbing from the deep gash engulfed her. She looked away quickly, not wanting to see the shredded flesh around the cut.
She could feel something warm dribbling down her temple, and a metallic taste filled her mouth.
Blinking hard, she forced back the tears. She wouldn’t cry. There was no point. No one would hear her.
Except…
The scene from the top of the mountain flashed through her mind, and realisation dawned on her. She was up and running in an instant. Everything disappeared. The pain, the worry, the world around her. The adrenaline was once again kicking in.
She was slow and clumsy as she climbed through the fence of the first paddock, dragged herself under the next one, and sprinted through the trees, willing herself to move faster and faster. And then, she was only meters from the house, the body of her father in sight.
Without caution, she vaulted over the low fence of her house yard and dashed across the driveway.
She dropped to the ground, sliding through the gravel on her knees and skidding to a stop beside him.
‘Dad!’ She gasped, ‘Dad, wake up! Dad!’
That was when she noticed the thick, sticky, crimson red substance flowing from a wound in his stomach. Blood. She knew from the first look that he had lost a lot of it. She also knew that it was a bullet that had taken him down. She had seen bullet wounds in animals before, but never anything quite like this. The tears were streaming down her face before she even realised that she was crying.
‘Dad,’ she whispered as she took his hand and sobbed.
She couldn’t believe she was seeing him like this. His usually bright, happy face was now pale, with dark shadows around his eyes. Almost unrecognizable. His breath was shallow. He stirred lightly, trying to roll onto his back.
She gasped, ‘Dad?’
She helped him to roll over and moved closer to him, brushing the hair from his eyes.
‘Kiddo, are you okay?’ he asked, his voice shaky, barely above a whisper.
‘I’m fine Dad but you? What do I do?’ Laura hadn’t done first aid but she knew that she needed to stop the bleeding. She went to take off her jacket but he stopped her.
‘Darling, there is nothing you can do,’ he whispered.
She shook her head, her eyes glassy, ‘no,’ she murmured, ‘no I can get help.’
He took her hand, ‘Laura, I love you.’
‘No. No don’t say goodbye. I can get help! I can get the ambulance! You can’t leave me!’ Her voice cracked as she shouted the words, reaching for her mobile in her back pocket.
It was smashed beyond use. She threw it away angrily and shifted onto her feet, preparing to get up, but her father pulled her back down.
‘Stay with me,’ he begged.
‘I will get the phone, I’ll call for help.’
She had managed to half stand up now and at the same time tried to pry her arm free from her father’s grip, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not when he was begging her like this.
‘Laura, listen to me. They won’t get here in time,’ he paused, coughing painfully.
‘Dad!’ Laura sobbed kneeling down again. It hit her at that moment that he
was right. They wouldn’t make it out there quick enough.
Oliver managed to draw in an agonizing breath, ‘you don’t have much time. They will be back for you soon.’
‘Who will? The people who took Mum?’
He nodded once because that was all he could manage.
‘There is a group in Corin,’ he coughed again, ‘they live at a place called the Grand Manor. They will keep you safe. They will help you find your mother.’
‘Why did those people take her? Why are they coming for me?’ She whispered, holding his hands tightly.
‘You are powerful, Laura. You are strong.’ He murmured.
‘I still don’t understand,’ her voice squeaked as she tried to remain calm for her father’s sake.
‘When you get to the Grand Manor, ask for Estella and Leo. They will tell you everything.’
She nodded, biting her trembling lip, ‘how do I get there?’
‘The address is in the office under the bottom draw. Everything you will need for now is in there,’ he managed to say, ‘I want you to promise me something Laura.’
‘Anything.’
‘I want you to get to safety,’ he hesitated, reaching up and wiping a tear from Laura’s chin. ‘Promise me you will get to safety,’ he looked at his daughter and smiled, ‘and promise me you will find your mother.’
‘Yes I promise Dad, I promise,’ she choked on the last word, knowing what was coming but hoping with all she had that it wouldn’t.
He took hold of both of his daughter’s hands, ‘Laura, I love you okay? Never ever forget that,’ he squeezed her hand, ‘stay strong, Laura. For me.’
‘I love you too Dad,’ she said softly. A silent promise.
He smiled, and then, without warning, his hands fell away, and he took his last breath.
‘No, Dad, NO!’ She wailed, hugging him tightly, ‘DAD!’
She sat there hugging him to her chest, howling, praying that he would wake up.
He didn’t.
She stayed like that for what felt like hours, although it couldn’t have been more than half of one. She was unable to do anything else. As her cries turned into silent sobs, her ears picked up the sound of a machine. And it was coming closer.
The Enchantress (Wicked Book 1) Page 2