Chapter-1

No, I won't tell you about it. It is all too heart breaking! It will make you wanna cry and throw the book at the wall (which won't be good for your laptop thus I strongly recommend against it) and even hug it. Also, I don't wanna go through the excruciating experience again!

Why are you still here? Go away!

Ugh! Ok! fine. I will tell you. But don't blame me for your broken heart after this book!

It all started with a phone call. "Hello." I answered picking up the receiver.

"Good evening Mr. Snowgarden. This is the front desk of the Claendale palace. Sorry, to disturb you so late." Answered an authoritative voice on the other end. I stayed quite.(I never quite understood the meaning of saying sorry on a thing you are going to continue anyway.)

"Mr. snowgarden would you like to accept the post of the official hacker of the Claendale palace?" He asked. I hesitated for a while. That was enough for him to add a small financial detail he was missing on. "We are going to pay you $20,000 per month." The voice on the other side sounded almost desperate. And that tiny detail about my salary was about enough for me to accept the job. "Ok, sure..."

"Great! You may start next Monday if you want?"

"Sure."

"Great! Tomorrow a palace official will come and brief you on your duties. Wish you good night!" He said that a bit too enthusiastically and hung up.

I put down the receiver and sighed. Dear reader, before you start judging me on hesitating and not being enthusiastic about a job offer this big while being unemployed please give me a chance to clarify myself. You see it is mostly because of what happened to the previous hacker. Being the official hacker of the palace was a great honor for any person in the country. But that honor changed to misfortune in the past few weeks. The previous official hacker had disappeared only 2 days in his new job. Nobody knows where he went or what happened to him. Only that he left a note on the wall. Written in his own blood. HELP!

I know all that sounds super scary but I couldn't just resist the salary. Also, if you missed that earlier I think I was unemployed. So, not much choice. Don't start judging me dear reader. I cared about my life but there was a risk either way so I took up the job. I stood up from the couch and looked at my ragtag apartment probably for the last time and a wave of nausea and memories rolled over me until I gave in.

*WARNING FLASHBACK AHEAD*

I was back on the streets again running away from my foster home where I was brought up. Running away from my tortured childhood, my hatred, my bullies and my fears. Running away to start a new life in a different city. I felt everything I had felt in those moments again the excitement, the exhilaration, the adrenaline pumping through my veins and also the panic. But I still ran and ran and ran till I reached the railway station. I hurried inside and stood in the line of the ticket counter. The line moved exasperatingly slowly. At last it was my turn. I looked at the counter lady who was slumped over the desk and her pretty blonde curls straying away from her hair do. She asked me in a bored voice which contrasted with my emotions at the moment, "Which train do you wanna board?" "The earliest train to Claendale please." I replied shoving a 20 dollar bill through the money slot. She eyed me carefully for for a while that even if she had kept doing so for a second longer I would have broken down and then told the whole station that I was only fifteen and was running away from my foster home. But she looked down at the computer and typed for a while and then gave me the ticket. Then the scene dissolved into another.

I was entering my apartment for the first time ever. I stepped through the door and viola, the stench of beer, whisky, moldy food and freedom greeted me. I had an apartment, a job, and I was only 15. It felt wonderful! Ok, maybe I lied to get a job... but did it matter?!!

*FLASHBACK ENDED*

But alas, that wonderful sensation was interrupted by a knock on the door. People! Why can't they knock on the right time? Exasperated I opened the door.