CHAPTER ONE

Trecco Bay 2019. A small village and beach around the corner from Porthcawl, South Wales. Over the last twenty years young adults have started to flock there to try and get away from their parents, the bright lights of the city and local, miserable towns. Some would say that it's the safest place in the world.

But some would be wrong.

"Since when did you start staring out the window like ya in love with the world?" Cassandra questioned as she strolled into her own bedroom dressed ready for a run. Opposite her, over by the window was one of her best friends, Skye who slipped around on her feet to face Cassandra.

"I like a sunrise now and then. They're better than a sunset. They mark the start of a new day, rather than the end."

"The fun starts towards the end, Skye."

"For you maybe."

"Way too hungover for you to get all deep this morning." Cassandra paused. "Can you remember what happened last night?"

"Let me think." Cassandra watched with a lack of patience in her eye as Skye started to think aloud. "We got drunk here. You had an argument with your sister and then we went out, god knows where but somewhere with a lot of flashing lights." Skye tried to think of the rest but her mind failed her. "Probably just The Vertigo." One of the local clubs.

"What did I argue with Alana about?"

"I'm not too sure, something about her man. You know she can do a whole lot worse than Craig Norton, don't you?"

Cassandra grumbled in disagreement.

"Worse? You've gotta be joking. He sings on the streets and thinks it's a bloody career. Alana's been top of her class since she was three. She can do better."

"If he's making good money off of it then what's the big deal? We're not exactly swamped with good job opportunities around here. It was probably that or running donkey rides along the beach," the younger blonde giggled. She was just twenty-eight, but her intelligence and maturity was still greater than thirty-five year old Cassandra's. That was why they worked well as friends.

"Still not good enough."

"Whatever you say, Cass." Skye rolled her eyes downwards to the third person in the room. "I bet sleeping beauty down there will remember everything when she wakes up from her deep slumber."

"Nothing escapes Niamh, even when she's drunk. It must be an Irish thing." Cassandra chuckled as she followed Skye's gaze onto the brunette. The woman sleeping was petite in size and the same age as Cassandra. It was easy enough for all three to share a double bed.

After a pause, the older blonde averted her eyes back to Skye. "Are you coming?" Usually they would accompany each other on a run in the morning, both sporty in their own ways.

"No I don't think so, I'm going to sit this one out. Sundays are for rest and I have training all day tomorrow." She was a swimmer. Between competing and running swimming lessons for kids she made enough money to keep herself afloat - pun intended. "We'll leave as soon as this one's awake." It was normal for them to hang around even when Cassandra had gone.

"Make sure you get out before the others wake up, you know what they're like."

"We'll try our best."

Despite her age of thirty-five, Cassandra still lived with her family. It was a hectic household but it suited her extroverted and loud personality. There was always somebody around to annoy.

The older blonde spun around on her feet and headed out the bedroom door, leaving her two best friends to wake up properly.

*****

With Niamh's exit from the household just moments ago, Skye was about to leave too when out of the corner of her eye she spotted her own cousin heading out of the kitchen.

"Lalia?"

"Skye."

"What are you doing here?"

"Can't a woman spend the night with her gay best friend without being questioned?" Lalia whispered, sharply.

"Well it is a little unusual but you know I won't judge."

"Don't tell anybody I'm here."

"Sure. Why the big secret?" Skye asked, crossing her arms around her chest. Her eyes fixated on her cousin with a little suspicion at the back of her eyes. 

"Mum and Dad think I'm away competing but I pulled out. It was only a stupid, lame one anyway." Lalia was only a year older than Skye but despite living together, their very different personalities meant they weren't the closest.

"Can you ask your cousin if she's seen Alana," a voice shouted from the kitchen. It was Danny, the second eldest of the adopted Reyes siblings, after Cassandra. He was making breakfast. Pancakes.

"Not since last night, Danny," Skye shouted back, poking her head around the kitchen wall.

"Hmm that's odd. She must be asleep still."

"I'm sure she's fine."

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure she is. It's just, she got a C in her uni assignment which is difficult for her to deal with. Can't relate myself, was used to getting straight D's."

Lalia sighed and replied, "I can understand." She was used to competing as a long distance runner but it wasn't out of her own choice. Her parents had always forced her into it, to follow in their footsteps. Her life revolved around trying to be as perfect as possible and the more she competed, the more she felt like she was losing herself. Danny had saved her. She hadn't ever felt able to open up to anybody before her friendship with him.

"Well give her a hug from me when she wakes up. I'll see you guys later." With quick 'bye's' from the other two, Skye left and Lalia re-positioned herself, sitting down at the kitchen table. Shortly after placing down two plates of pancakes, Danny sat opposite her. He could see the sadness in her eyes. He'd never seen sadder eyes than Lalia's. Her hazel eyes were captivating but the more you swam in them, the more you realised how sad they were.

"I just really wish your folk would give you the freedom to do what you like."

She slowly looked up at Danny and put her hand on the top of his, over the table between them. "I love you and thank you for letting me stay here and for the pancakes but I've told you before, it's more complicated than anybody else could possibly imagine."

"I suppose you're right. Sometimes I feel the very opposite. Invisible in fact."

"I would do anything to be invisible for a day." A smile rose on her lips as she said it. Her parents lived in London, their large house in Trecco had only supposed to have been a holiday home. She'd moved to Wales to live with her younger siblings and cousins but it was only supposed to be temporary. That was what she kept telling her parents anyway.

"You think you would but if it came to it, mmm, I'm not so sure."

"I have all of this...this anger that I let out in all the wrong ways." She stared downwards. "Dan, I did something so silly last night." With sympathy in his eyes Danny rubbed his thumb along her hand.

"What did you do?"

"I...I can't say. I just know I need to find a way to stop my life being so crazy."

"Well you know I'll be here to help, whatever you need."

"I'm glad I have you. Even if sometimes it feels like the rest of the world's against me," the blonde sighed.

****

Wavy brunette hair drifted along the back of a woman's shoulders as the bright summer's sunshine shimmered off of it. The sun hadn't long come up and it didn't look like it would be hanging around for too long either. The small town's holiday makers were still sound asleep, the only people in sight being workers on the beach and the odd man with his dog. Carmen stood there, expensive sandals sinking into the sand. She crossed her arms, waiting at the back of the short queue for the beach café.

Beside Carmen stood a blonde, Marcia Lovelace - the older sister of Skye Lovelace. She stood shorter than Carmen, only coming in at around 5'5 as opposed to the other woman's 5'9. Marcia's posture was less confident too, she was certain she'd rather be in bed than out at this time on a Sunday morning but her best friend was an adventurer, never one to stay still.

"I can't believe you pulled me out of bed this early."

"What have I told you, Marcia? The early bird catches the worm, even on hangover days."

"I don't want any worms," the blonde woman giggled. Her hair was short, just about sliding off of her shoulders. She'd cut a great deal of it off when the summer's heatwave had begun but now it seemed to be getting cooler again. Marcia's accent matched her physical elegance. It was well-spoken, though a little too girly to take seriously. There wasn't a Lovelace woman in sight with a deep voice.

Marcia wasn't convinced that they couldn't be having more fun indoors watching early-morning movies with duvets over them, but she would do anything to keep her best friend happy. Her heart was strong but radiated kindness, it shined a light through everything and everyone and didn't stop doing it until it found some good. Carmen had never been quite so kind. She approached very few people and would instead wait for them to come to her. She oozed confidence but exhibited a certain enigmatic nature that drew others in.

"It's a Sunday, we can hardly just stay indoors. Look, it isn't raining for once." The two women had met many years ago whilst at university in Cardiff and had been joint at the hip ever since.

A nudge from behind caused the women to surrender their previous conversation quicker than either would have liked. A man, no less than thirty-six years of age had knocked both of the girls in turn with his back. By mistake, of course.

"Excuse me," Carmen said with a roar in her tone. She veered around on her feet as she delivered the words, only to see him stood there. She noted how rough he looked, not to her requirements at all. His hair smothered the outlines of his face and it was clear he hadn't shaved in a matter of days. He replied with nothing and instead narrowed his eyes in distaste. Robert Charlton was the man's name. He would venture out in the early morning to avoid people like Carmen.

"Excuse my friend here, she's hungover. Please, go ahead of us as a good-will gesture," Marcia told him. Ignoring the dagger-eyes Carmen sent her in response.

The two women grabbed their coffees eventually and took a seat. It was then that Marcia caught the same man looking at her again. Her eyes hadn't meant to get so stuck on him. When they had accidentally claimed that eye contact it made her shiver a little, there was so much darkness in them that she wanted to understand.

"That man's watching me," she breathed out quietly. He'd been staring long before she'd gazed back. The brooding look on his featured frightened her a little, he seemed so angry. Carmen tucked her light curls behind her ear as she followed Marcia's gaze over to the man.

"He probably just finds you attractive. Embrace it."

"You know he isn't my type."

"He doesn't know that. Give him a wink, maybe he'll buy you a slice of cake."

"You're the worst influence, Carmen. Hold on I'm getting a call," Marcia breathed out, reaching into the pocket of her jeans to get out her phone. "It's work, I have to go in. Can I trust you to behave yourself? Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"I can promise nothing."

*****

The wind had started to pick up. She could hear it beginning to howl even through the music her earphones were putting out. The sun was already fading too as Cassandra's run led her to her favourite secluded beach. Usually the woman wasn't a fan of secluded places but she found it peaceful here; a challenging run to kick her day off. She noticed an eerie midst beginning to flood the distance, nothing like the sparkly sun that had been warming her shoulders just a matter of minutes ago.

The blonde's feet crashed in turn against the sandy footpaths sharply as she started to get tired. They were a little slippery from the previous night's rain causing her to place her foot in the wrong and slip down into the ditch beside a road.

A deep breath later and she'd climbed back onto her feet but her eyes had drifted off about a metre away. The woman's eyes narrowed sharply; head tilting to the side with concern. There was something there, further in the ditch. The more she stared at it, the more it looked like the shape of a person. Cassandra pushed her blonde locks away from her face and hesitantly stepped closer.

Silence filled the area for that moment. Then came the scream. Her scream. Echoing loudly into the emptiness.

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Notes: Please note that this book is a little different to what you might be used to. If you enjoy soap operas then you'll love it because there's going to be so much drama and so many characters who I've developed quite deeply. Because of that though it can get quite confusing so if you forget anything or have any questions I would be happy to answer them!

I have put the cast that I imagine below - but please let your own imaginations decide what they are like to you. This chapter is just to introduce some of the main characters - the story truly begins in chapter 2.

I have also started making a separate book with more information on each character so you can keep up, you'll find it on my profile. Please follow me on INSTAGRAM - toriwriteswattpad.

Cast:

Gemma Atkinson as Cassandra Reyes

Sam Frost as Skye Lovelace

Karen Hassan as Niamh O'Brien

Dianna Agron as Lalia Lovelace

Russell Tovey as Danny Reyes

Emily Berrington as Marcia Lovelace

Erin McNaught as Carmen Hollingsworth

Aidan Turner as Robert Charlton