Chapter 1

Harvey Horton smiled as he reached the last pile of papers on his desk. A career teacher, next term he was going to start a new job as Assistant Headmaster of the Cotham School in Clifton. It was, for him, a good step up, with the only downside being that his son already attended, starting second year next term.

The woodworking classroom smelled of sawdust and machine oil, a scent David had come to appreciate over the semester. Unlike other classes where he felt constantly out of place, here the expectations were clear: design, measure, cut, sand, finish. A project either worked or it didn't. No social navigation required.

Recently I blew the dust from this very early story and was happy to get reacquainted with the Mendoza family. Please note: I do not speak Spanish, but was helped by a friend from Málaga, Spain, who lived for a time in Buenos Aires. Any errors in translation or idioms were probably typos on my part and not necessarily her fault!

Chapter 15: A Game Interrupted

The living room was alive with the sounds of rapid button clicks and the muffled cheers and groans of Yuqi and her friends. They were locked in an intense gaming session, their characters navigating a chaotic level that none of them seemed close to beating.

“Stay behind me!” Ian shouted, frantically dodging an enemy attack.

“I’ve got it covered!” Yuqi replied, her fingers moving quickly over the controller.

Elliot groaned as his character met a sudden, untimely end. “Unbelievable. This game is rigged.”

The room erupted in audible gasps and loud murmurs following my mother's declaration.

I was stunned. How could I not be? My mother had just admitted to witchcraft.

Unlike my brother, I spent all my days with her. I was always with her except those times she left home to help bring babies into this world and care for ailing mothers. I was the one person that knew she wasn't guilty of such a thing.