Chapter 1 Strange Occurrences

• The sound of metal clattering to the ground startled Ava Thorne awake. She shot up in bed, her heart pounding, eyes wide as they darted around her room. The moonlight streamed in through the thin curtains, casting long, eerie shadows on the walls. It was just past midnight, and her bedroom was as silent as it had been when she’d fallen asleep. Nothing seemed out of place—except for the small metal jewelry box that had fallen from her desk.
• Rubbing her eyes, Ava swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded barefoot across the hardwood floor. She crouched down, picking up the box with a puzzled frown. She hadn’t touched it in days. How had it fallen?
• As she set it back on the desk, a gust of wind rattled her bedroom window, though she knew it was tightly shut. Ava hesitated, peering at the glass, but saw nothing unusual. Just her reflection—her messy auburn hair, her slightly too-large gray sweater, and a face that looked as tired as she felt.
• “Get a grip, Ava,” she muttered to herself, brushing it off as just a weird coincidence.
• But deep down, she knew this wasn’t the first time something strange had happened recently. Over the past few weeks, there had been other odd incidents. A glass of water tipping over on its own. Books sliding off shelves without explanation. A sudden, cold breeze sweeping through her room even when the windows were firmly shut.
• "You're just stressed," she kept telling herself. "It's all in your head." And for a while, that excuse worked.
• Ava’s life had never been exciting—just a regular teenager stuck in a small town with the same old routine: school, work at the local diner, and hanging out with her best friend, Emma. Nothing magical. Nothing out of the ordinary. But lately, there was this growing feeling in the pit of her stomach, a sense that something bigger was happening around her. Something she couldn’t explain.
• Pushing the thoughts aside, she climbed back into bed and closed her eyes, trying to forget the unsettling feeling creeping into her mind. But sleep wouldn’t come.
• ***
• The next morning dawned overcast and dreary, with the sky a heavy blanket of gray. Ava walked the familiar path to school, the crisp autumn air biting at her cheeks. Her backpack weighed heavily on her shoulders, but it wasn’t the textbooks making it feel heavy—it was the lingering sense of unease.
• She tried to focus on mundane things as she walked: the crunch of leaves beneath her boots, the distant sound of cars driving by, the smell of damp earth. It was the same every day. So why did it suddenly feel so different?
• At school, things were as normal as ever—until lunch. Ava sat with Emma in the cafeteria, picking at her food while Emma rambled on about some drama with her math teacher. Ava half-listened, her mind drifting back to the strange occurrences in her room.
• “Ava? Hello, Earth to Ava!” Emma waved a hand in front of her face.
• Ava blinked, startled. “Sorry, what?”
• Emma rolled her eyes. “I was saying that Mr. Carlton is giving us a pop quiz tomorrow on functions. But clearly, you’ve got your head somewhere else. What's going on with you?”
• Ava hesitated. She didn’t want to sound paranoid, but Emma was her best friend, and if anyone would understand, it was her. “Have you ever felt like… things were happening that you couldn’t explain?”
• Emma raised an eyebrow. “Like what? Ghosts? Spooky noises in the night?” she teased.
• Ava sighed. “No, not ghosts. I mean… like things moving on their own. Weird stuff happening for no reason.”
• Emma’s expression softened, a mix of concern and amusement. “Ava, you’ve probably just been working too hard. With school and your job, it makes sense you’re a little on edge. You’re imagining things. I mean, how would a book move on its own?”
• Ava’s mouth opened to argue, but before she could respond, something happened. Across the cafeteria, a stack of trays—metal trays stacked haphazardly on the counter—suddenly clattered to the floor, making everyone jump.
• Everyone but Ava.
• Her heart stopped. She hadn't even been looking at the trays, but a familiar chill ran down her spine. The trays fell exactly like her jewelry box had last night. She stared, wide-eyed, as the noise drew the attention of students and staff alike. Emma, completely unaware of Ava’s internal panic, laughed.
• “Wow, I guess the cafeteria’s haunted now,” Emma joked, turning back to her sandwich.
• But Ava couldn’t laugh. Her hands trembled as she reached for her water bottle, and just as she touched it, the bottle tipped over on its own. Water spilled across the table, splashing over her books and Emma’s lunch tray.
• Emma shrieked, pulling her sandwich away. “Ava! Watch it!”
• “I-I didn’t touch it,” Ava stammered, staring at the bottle in horror.
• “Sure you didn’t.” Emma handed her a napkin. “You really need to get some sleep, girl. You’re all over the place today.”
• Ava muttered an apology, but her mind was racing. This wasn’t in her head. Something was happening to her, something she couldn’t explain or control.
• ***
• The rest of the day passed in a blur. Ava couldn’t focus in any of her classes, and by the time the final bell rang, she felt like she was suffocating. The air around her felt too thick, too heavy. She needed to get out of there.
• She walked home in a daze, her thoughts swirling as she tried to make sense of everything. Could stress really explain all of this? Or was there something else at play?
• When she finally got home, she tossed her backpack onto her bed and collapsed into her desk chair, rubbing her temples.
• “What is wrong with me?” she whispered aloud.
• And as if in response to her words, the wind picked up again—this time inside her room. The curtains fluttered wildly, and the lights flickered overhead. Ava froze, her eyes wide with disbelief as the wind swirled around her.
• “No, no, no!” she muttered, backing away. “This can’t be real—”
• But it was real. The gusts of wind were swirling faster now, and papers flew off her desk, spiraling through the air. Panic surged through her chest, and without thinking, she held out her hand, as if to stop the chaos.
• To her shock, the wind immediately stopped.
• The papers fluttered to the ground. The lights stopped flickering. The room fell eerily silent, as if nothing had happened.
• Ava stared at her outstretched hand, her heart racing. Her breathing was ragged, and the realization hit her like a tidal wave.
• Something was happening to her. Something beyond the ordinary, beyond anything she could explain.
• And whatever it was… it was only just beginning.