Ashley and the Book of Darkness: part one - ebook

Prologue

An average girl, extraordinary adventure, you can say. And the whole story started over a few years ago. Who is Ashley Bloomer? Her mother was an extremely beautiful woman and object of desire for many men. Soon the woman was associated with an archaeologist and botanist of British descent. Shortly after, the newly-married couple settled in a small town in South America and their daughter was born. Shortly after this incident, the man’s fiance died. From then on, the girl brought up her father, up to that one unfortunate day.

The evening was approaching and it was dark. Ashley then sat on the floor, buried in her thoughts, drawing some awkward paths on a piece of paper.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. The disoriented girl raised her head and looked around.

„No, that could not be dad” — she thought. — „If it were to open the door itself, it would have keys.”

Then the door opened wide, and at the entrance stood a welded policeman. The four year old Ashley was frightened and stood up at this point, ready to run.

— Wait — stranger man spoke.

— What am I supposed to wait for? — The soft voice, the thin voice answered.

„I have something important to tell you” — he began. — It’s about your father …

„Dad!” — The child looked at the officer with a terrified look. — What about him?

— That’s why I’m here. Your father died on the last mission.

The little girl could not make a word out of herself. The man expected some violent reaction — he was crying. But she took a deep breath, spread her arms wide and said only:

— I can not decide for this.

The man remained amazed for a moment.

— So you know what that means, do not you? You will be transferred under the care of a woman from…

And he did not have time to finish talking, because the child, using the situation, slipped out the door.

— Hey! Come back! -The officer screamed as he followed the footsteps of the small stalls.

„Now I have a chance,” thought Ashley, hiding under the crippled tree.

She knew she had only one chance. She could not waste it. She ran down the path along one of the passersby.

— Carefully! — The stranger cried.

„Of course.” — Ashley said with a wry smile.

Her little heart went up to her larynx. As for her age she was extremely mature, which at times might seem very bizarre. She did not want to hit the orphanage, no…

Since then, she has been running away, she has grown up to a strong and independent girl. Confident and distrustful, she dressed up in the old fashioned outfit of an archaeologist she stole during one of the walks in one of the city’s bazaars. She had a machete and a dagger on her neck. Her long, silky, coal-colored hair hung to her waist, and her head was decorated with a peaked hat. However, in order to survive, she had to go to terrible acts — she robbed and even attacked one seller. The police were still looking for her, but to no avail. She was on the list of wanted and became the youngest criminal in the country’s history since she was only 10 years old.

On that day, she marched on sandy ground bravely with pain and soreness. Suddenly she felt the smell of smoke and burning. She has yet to see that this is the beginning of an adventure that will change her life.

Darmowy fragment