Elena -My book!

Hi everybody! So this is the first chapter from my book that I've been working on. Let me know if you like it!

Chapter one

The unexpected visitor

Elizabeth Half leaned against the glass door. Rain pounded down in relentless torrents, lightning crackled in the sky, splintering across the dark clouds. The old man behind her shuffled around, getting tea ready. His old wrinkled hands dropped the tea leaves into a strainer.

     “How long are you intending to stay this time?” he inquired as he poured boiling water over the tealeaves. Elizabeth bit her bottom lip. She hated to go and leave this kindly man, the man who had raised her, but yet again… if she stayed…

     “You know I can’t stay longer than a week grandpapa.” The man wasn’t her grandfather. He was more of a mentor. But Elizabeth loved him like he was her father. The old man got two cups out of the cupboard.

      “I know why you leave.” He chuckled. “You sneak out for adventure, leaving me out, of course, and you steal stuff, and act very much like a hooligan.” He laughed, loud and clear. His laugh always was deep, a sort of comforting sound. It reminded Elizabeth of when Big Ben would chime. The bell, ringing loud and deep. Big Ben was gone now. The year was 2064 in England. Big Ben had fallen down, during a bombing.

      “I don’t act like a hooligan!” spluttered Elizabeth. “They just think I do.” She crossed her arms, pretending to be offended, and turned away from the door. He was standing there, pretending to look stern as well.

      “Are you telling me that the girl that I raised, my little girl, is giving me such a distasteful attitude?  All these years, and my little darling, who may be a fugitive, is telling me what she thinks! In a country like this? With a government like ours? Free thought is not a good idea! Even for a Half.” He waved his finger at her, as if she was some naughty little girl who had gotten a time out. Elizabeth and the old man burst out laughing. Tears rolled down the wrinkled cheek of the elderly man, and his electric blue eyes sparkled. Suddenly a hard rap sounded on the front door. Elizabeth shrank back into the shadows, her face illuminated briefly by a stroke of lighting. The old man walked to the door, his gait was now stiffer, as if he was afraid. His hand passed momentarily over his pocket. The light from the lightning made the scars and wrinkles on his face stand out, in a ghostly type of way. Elizabeth’s green eyes were wide in fear. Please, please no. she silently begged. The old man opened the door. There was a boy standing there with a box in his hands. He wore a dark blue rain coat and had an American accent

     “Hello sir.” He said as the door opened. “I was sent to deliver this box to half of the people.”  Elizabeth knew what that meant. That meant her. The old man opened the door wider.

     “Come in lad, it must be freezing. We just made some tea, come in.”  The boy stepped inside and the old man closed it behind him. As soon as the door was closed Elizabeth’s grandfather turned around and glared at the boy. “Why did you come here?!” he almost shouted, “It’s too dangerous! You could get us all killed!” Elizabeth climbed out of her hiding spot and stood beside the old man.

     “Grandpapa,” she said cautiously, “I think we should look at the box first then you can yell at him later.” Another crack of thunder followed her statement. The old man glared at her for a moment then made his decision.

     “Fine, but be quick about it. They already suspect things. Cornelius!” the boy’s head jerked up. “Show her the box.” The boy obeyed, taking a pocketknife from the inside of his rain coat and slicing the cardboard box open.

     “This,” Cornelius said as he took a small, hand-held, slingshot out of the box, “is for defending yourself. Your mother had it.” Elizabeth took it. Her red-brown braid swung as she sat down next to the box, her face was unreadable. Then Cornelius pulled a small nail file from the box. He handed it to her gingerly, as if it was a bomb. “That is a multi-weapon. One side of the file produces spikes, the other side can blow up when voice activated, one end can shoot acid, and the other end can shoot a poison tipped dart that has… deadly accuracy.” Elizabeth took it carefully and laid it as far away from her as she could. Next, the boy pulled out a map. It was old and yellowed. Lettering on the bottom told Elizabeth that it had been made in 2017. “The map is a map of the General’s palace, or, the plans to make it anyhow. It still shows the secret passage ways, the hidden stairs, and the maze.”  Elizabeth frowned.

     “They had plans for this in 2017?” she said stiffly, “That’s impossible. If the date on this is correct, then they had plans for this building forty-seven years ago. The palace was built in 2054.”

The old man suddenly spoke, his voice no longer angry. It was urgent, “Cornelius, we’re being watched. It’s time for you to go.” As Elizabeth turned towards the glass door, she thought that she saw a shadowy figure slip away from the glass.

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