Chapter 1.3

Morgana unlocked the front door of their flat and punched the code into the security alarm as she pushed the door closed with her foot. She caried her stuff into her room and set them on the bed.

She had bought some cosmetics and summer wear in preparation for the annual beach vacation she and her mother always took.

She suddenly remembered the package, and went find it. It was sitting on the kitchen table with a note from her mother. "Morgana, I'm going to an improtant meeting and I'll be back at 6. Remember to lock up the house."

She put the note down and picked up the box to take it to her room.

It was pretty heavy, and she was even more curious about the contents. After breaking the tape, she pulled out the bubble wrap and looked inside. A gigantic card lay on top of the box's contents. "Congratulations, Graduate!" it read. Morgana picked it up and read the contents.

"Dear Morgana, congratulations on graduating from high school. You are now an adult and I wanted to give you some things you will be able to use when you start college, as well as something personal. I hope you like it."

The message was written in her father's impecable print, and the card was signed by him and his secretary.

Beneath the card was an envelope. Beneath that was a collection of luxury cosmetics and a solid oak box. She opened it, and her breath caught. It was a jewelry set made from some kind of strange rock. It was almost black, with flecks of gold, blue, silver and white that looked like a galaxy. Morgana put the box carefully away before she finished looking through the rest of the items. They were gift cards to various high-end clothing stores and beauty services.

There was no qustion that her father cared about her, but she often found herself wishing that he would spend time with her, rather than sending luxurious gifts. Of course she appreciated them, but she didn't need him to get everything she needed. Morgana wanted her father in her life as more than an endless supplier of cash and gifts.

However, she was a practical person, and practical people with thousands of dollars in gift cards don't mope around for long. She got dressed up, wrote a note on her mom's note, then went out. She called Jayna to come pick her up, and she brought two of their other friends, Gailee and Dania. Morgana treated everyone to manicures, and then they went to Macy's for a bit of shopping.

It was about seven when they dropped her off in the driveway and drove away. She opened the door and called out to her mom as she came in. It seemed a little odd that she didn't answer, but Morgana assumed that she was in the bathroom or something.

She walked into the livingroom and stopped dead, dropping her bags as she suffled back a few steps in shock. There were three men in tactical gear standing behind the couch and one of them was holding a gun to her mother's head.

Tears streamed down Nancy Rordens usually stoic face.

"Run." she mouthed silently, but it was too late. Morgana was already staring down the barrels of two pistols.

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