"Ben, are you even listening?"

I was drawn back into reality by the voice of Mia Bates, head secretary of the council office. She was hunched over her computer with an impatient look on her face. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Are you deaf or something?"

"Oh, uh, sorry, what were you talking about?"

She scowled while still staring at the screen. "For God's sake, I'll say it again: your dad needs to pay rent by the end of this month!"

I paused, and told the lie I had been telling for years. "He's really busy with work- can't you give us two months?"

She shook her head. "No. Now scram before I call him."

"Fine." I said, and picked my bag up from the chair next to me, being as slow as possible just to wind her up. 

"And hurry up while you're at it." she snapped. It worked.

As I stood up and headed for the door, I saw a flicker of movement in the corner of my eye. Silently, I looked out the window and saw a girl of around my age running quickly down the street, as if her life depended on it. She looked like she was running from someone. But who though?

Oh well.

Her problem.

Not mine.

Sorry, I guess I owe you some sort of introduction. My name is Ben Kane, I am twelve year old, et cetera, et cetera. I guess the only thing you really need to know is that in the next few days, my life is going to get wierd. Not that it already was not in the first place, though. You will (hopefully) understand in a bit.

I shrugged at walked out the door, making sure not to step on a pile of mud and leaves left kindly by a certain person who, as you will see shortly, needs no introduction whatsoever. Boredly, I shoved my hands into my pockets and began the usual walk home: the one through the path in behind the park that no one apart from me knew about. It was the only place I could finally relax, and it was fun just having a secret place to mess about.

But before that, there was something I needed to do- and you must not tell a single soul about it. Absolutely no one. Understand? Good.

After making sure nobody was looking at me, I walked swiftly over to the path that led to an abandoned warehouse and slipped through through the bushes that hid it from view. Anyone who looked at it normally would just assume it was your average falling-apart warehouse, but it was way more than that. You just had to look in the right way.

Quietly, I walked along the path, and when I got to the warehpuse, I was met woth the usual sight of branches scattered everywhere, and at least fifty insects and animals. I stepped around a stray spider and opened the door, breathing in the over-powering smell of paint and burnt wood.

The reason I had to come here was because I had to make a deal with someone who had effectively ruined my life over the past two years. Her name was Arabella Lancaster (also known as Ms Lancaster), and she was both the school art teacher and the World's Most Annoying Person. You might think I am exaggerating, but honestly, I am not. There is no other way to say it.

She was meant to be here in two minutes, so we can talk about the deal we made two years ago this day. I might explain the deal to you as we go along, but for now, it is completely irrelevant and quite frankly, none of your business. I checked my watch; when waiting for something (or someone), two minutes can feel like two days. Long ones at that.

After what felt like an age, she arrived, wearing a navy blazer over a skirt, as if she were going to some fancy meeting. It looked odd, unless you call talking in a falling-apart warehouse a meeting. She looked at me with what could only be called a look of disgust.

"I am surprised you are not late."

"Can't say the same for you." I replied casually.

She pursed her lips at me and brought out a sheet of paper on a clipboard. " Do you r3member the deal?"

I scoffed. "Of course I did. But did you?"

Ms Lancaster gave me a look. "Don't get smart with me, young man. Or you know what will happen."

I stopped. Oh no. "Sorry. Where were you?"

She smirked in triumph. "I am glad we got that sorted, dear. Now, sign this contract."

She handed it to me, and I rested it on my knee before reading it carefully, in case there were any dodgy bits. It only said things about keeling it confidential, paying her every month (it is a long story) and other financial things that you probably do not need to hear about. She gave me a pen and I wrote my name on a dotted line in the corner.

I handed the pen and contract back to her. "Done. Happy?"

She smiled evilly. "Yes, dear, but did you read the back?"

I looked at her in confusion. The back...? Wordlessly, she showed me the other side of the paper and I cursed inwardly. Knowing my luck, it would probably have something really bad on it, something that would stop me from signing it normally. I scanned it quickly, and frowned. So now I had to try and find a way to pay her every week, instead of every month. I could barely earn enough money to keep us in a house, and now this?

This is exactly why I hate Mrs Lancaster.

She gave me her sickeningly sweet smile. "Well, I am sure I will be seeing you around, Ben. Bye!" And with that, she turned on her heel and strode out of the warehouse, leaving me alone to ponder the future, if I had one.

I sat down on a stool and fingered the scar on my right arm, something I usually did when I was thinking. It was a habit I had had ever since I got it, so for a long time. I already helped out at the library, so maybe at school? No, that would not work- it was the summer holidays. I stood up; maybe I could think of something on the way home.

☆☆☆

I walked slowly onto the street and onto the path that led to home. But when I got there, I was met with something weird: the girl I had seen running earlier was walking in front of me. I frowned. Just when I thought I was the only one who knew this route, she had to come and spoil it. I decided it was best to walk silenty behind her, maybe find out what she was doing here. It did not seem like a hard task- I had spent my entire life hiding in the shadows.

She walked as if she had been on this route many times before, but that made no sense- until now, I had never seen her. If she had just come from a different place, how would she know this place? There were people who hsd lived here for their entire lives and even they did not know this route.

Maybe she was just lucky.

Aftera while of painful awkwardness, I coughed in a vain attempt to get her attention. Almost immediately, she stopped in her tracks.

"Hello? Anyone there?" she said hesitantly.

A wave of hesitation came over me. She probably thought I was some kind of creepy stalker who had been following her. Naturally, I did the one thing I usually did to avoid people- I ran. Before she turned around, I darted into the trees. Looking back on it, I might have looked even more like a stalker, but honestly, I did not care as long as she did not see me.

I ran until I came to a clearing and leant on an oak tree, trying to catch my breath. That was the problem with running- although I might have been good at it, it took a lot out of me. When I regained my breath, I hitched my backpack higher onto my shoulder and looked around. 

A feeling of nostalgia waved over me as I realised that this was the place I used to come to with my dad, back when he was approachable. I used to love climbing trees, and we had a chart of how high I could get, my record being around twenty-five feet. I smiled- I had not done that in ages.

Suddenly, I head a small bang behind me. I spun around in confusion. When my eyes landed on the source of the sound, I stifled a gasp.

A person dressed in a black cloak was drawing towards me. Their cloak rached ot their feet and dragged slightly on the floor, making it all the more creepier. But it was their eyes that really freaked me out. They were blood-red, and although the person's cloak covered their face, their eyes gleamed brightly in the darkness.

"Who are you?" I said in what I hoped was a confient voice.

They stepped towards me and said in a deep, almost inhuman voice, "Do not fear me, young warrior. My name is Lord Moderob."

Lord what? 

"Okay. Why are you here?"

Lord Moderob-or-whatever-his name-was gestured towards a bench with gloved hands. "Come with me, and we shall talk."