Side Story (20)

Cassandra threw a small rock in the still and stagnant water on the pond, trying to make the pebble bounce on the surface. She was sitting in a lotus position on the edge of the wooden boardwalk that encircled the motionless body of water.

The silent water shivered from the object that invaded its territory, creating a ripple that gradually disappeared after only a few seconds. The tranquility of the place calmed Cassandra, and she could not help but remember the small man-made pond in the Germundt mansion.

She glanced around the surroundings, quite elated and feeling lucky to find that place. When at the corner of her eyes she saw movement in the water, she focused her gaze on it again, only to be startled by the unexpected.

The fifteen-year-old girl's eyes shook just like the leaves that were slapped by the wind, as a white-cladded figure appeared behind her; their images were reflected by the clear water.