Write the opening scene of a story that makes us want to read more

Hi I am Alex and I used to be a normal teenager but that all changed on my 14 birthday, I learned that I had a special ability and that I was not normal teenager but I am what is known as a spirit walker. So what is a spirit walker well I found that out the hard way I can close my eyes at any time and enter the spirit realm though in the mortal realm time does not pass which was a little daunting but on my first time in the spirit realm but thankfully I met up with a friendly young fox spirit who's now been my spirit guide her name is Rika and she has become a real friend to me, I dunno what I would have done with out her. Let me tell you though the spirit realm is not all great and that's part of the reason I was chosen to be able to travel to the spirit realm, the spirit realm needs to be kept in a constant balance to prevent it from causing issues in the mortal realm and with spirits that can be corrupted by lingering bad energy that seeps from the mortal realm it's has become my task to quell these lost and corrupt spirits to prevent them from doing damage in both realms along with a select few other spirit warriors and their spirit guides it is our honour as protectors of the realms though no one else in the mortal realm can ever know about it. It has been 3 years since I first spirit walked to the spirit realm and this is the story of my journey to become a spirit warrior with Rika’s aid and learn to use my spirit energy to help save the spirit realm from it's greatest ever threat it has ever seen.

The door swung open, and a woman burst into the room, her drenched coat trailing water as she moved. October’s relentless rain had painted the streets with a melancholic sheen, and it seemed this stranger had been caught in the downpour for hours.

I was seconds away from locking up, not expecting any visitors, especially on a dreary Friday night.

“Are you Detective Janet?” she asked, her voice trembling as if each word struggled to escape her lips.

“Yes, ma’am. How can I help you?” I replied, letting my Southern drawl seep through, a habit I fell into when I wanted to put people at ease. “Please, have a seat.”

She hesitated, scanning the dimly lit office. The chair before her seemed invisible to her panicked eyes. When she finally stepped fully into the light, I took her in more closely. Her coat, not typical for London, appeared tailored and pristine, despite the rain. Beneath it, a cocktail dress hinted she had plans far more glamorous than visiting a detective’s office. Her boots were exquisite, stretching elegantly up her legs, and she clutched a fur-lined purse. My instincts screamed wealth and desperation - a mix that could solve more than just her problems.

She sank into the chair, her eyes flitting around nervously. I could almost hear the clock ticking as she gathered her thoughts. Finally, she leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper.

“The thing is,” she began, her voice barely audible, “I’m not sure I should be here. They’re watching me. They’re everywhere.”

I cast a silence spell on the room, designed specifically for such conversations. The air shimmered briefly, sealing us in a bubble of privacy. “Now you can speak freely here, no one will hear us. So, who’s watching you?”

She looked over her shoulder, as if expecting someone to burst through the door. “I don’t have much time. They took my sister, and now…now they’re after me.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Who took your sister?”

She swallowed hard, her eyes wide with terror. “The ones who never leave a trace. The ones who can make anyone disappear without a whisper. And they’re here, in London.”

My curiosity ignited like a wildfire. I leaned in further, my pulse quickening. “Tell me everything. Start from the beginning.”

She nodded, her voice trembling but determined. “It all started with a letter I wasn’t supposed to read…”

I’ve decided to go with a good old thriller!! Let me know if you’re hooked??

The rain hammers against, a relentless torrent that drowns out the usual city sounds. Under the dim glow of the streetlights, I hurry along the empty footpath, my steps echoing in the emptiness. My coat, already drenched, clings to me as a clutch my umbrella tighter, it’s flimsy protection barely holding against the storm fury.

A glance over my shoulder, the sensation of being watched stronger with each step. The streets, usually bustling even at this late hour, are eerily silent, the usual of life muted by the downpour. My heartbeat, quickens. It’s ridiculous. I told myself to be afraid of the shadows yeah I can’t shake the feeling that something is terribly wrong.

Flickering neon sign and unsettling light over the entrance to a narrow alley. I hesitate. My instinct screaming to avoid the dark. Hidden corners, but the urgency to get home pushes me forward. As I pass the alley, a noise - a soft shuffle, barely audible over the rain - makes me pause. I turn pairing into the darkness. My eyes straining to make out any movement.

“ hello?” I call, my voice wavering. No answer. Just the rain and the distant rumble of Thunder. I shake my head criticising myself for the paranoia and resume my brisk pace.

But the unease carries on. a whole street and road later I’m certain I hear it again - footsteps - matching my pace. I stopped abruptly spinning around but seen nothing. The street is empty a chill runs down my spine. The shadows seem to deep in the darkness becoming almost tangible.

Desperation clause at me as a fumble for my phone. My handshake as I dial, each ring echoing growing dread, finally a voice answers.

“Hello, Sarah.” The Voice is almost familiar but with an edge that sounds a jaw affair through me. I haven’t said a word yet they know my name.

“Who is this?” Demand trying to keep my voice steady.

The line crackles with static, and then the voice whispers “ you should have stayed home tonight.”

My breath catches in my throat, I turn and run. The rain blurring my vision., my heart pounding louder than the storm. The city shadows seem to close in around me, and the feeling of being hunted grow stronger with each step. I don’t know who is there or what they want, but I know one thing for certain - I am not alone.

Well that’s my thriller submission everyone I hope you all like it. I feel like I may have a career pathway in writing books if the whole graphic design thing doesn’t work out for me LOL.

I was out of time.

Retrieving those files took longer than I had hoped for, and soon I was going to pay the price. Three dominant sounds were flooding my mind right now; the alarm, the footsteps of over a dozen guards rushing down the corridors, and the heaviness in my breath.

I couldn’t wait any longer, I slammed my palm against the green exit button and ran out of the room. I memorised every item that I had retrieved from this facility:

• The hard drive.

• The grey notebook.

• A unique-looking handgun, that I “borrowed” from one of the storage rooms.

I was halfway to the exit, I couldn’t see the guards behind me, but I could tell they were getting closer as their voices were getting louder.

“This is Officer Lewis of the Falcon Division, the intruder is making a break for the east exit. Apprehend them immediately!”

The tone in his voice didn’t sound too friendly. It didn’t matter though, as I could see the exit! I was home free-

“OPEN FIRE!!”

I quickly dived behind a corner just before the gunshots hit me. I carefully looked back at the exit. There were three guards decked out in green and black body armor, each one carrying an AK-47. Where the hell did they come from?! They weren’t there before!

“Come out with your hands up, and put down those items”, demanded one of the guards.

I looked down at my handgun, I noticed there was a switch on it saying “TRIPLE”. I pushed the switch and cautiously peeked around my cover. Firing a single bullet towards the guards, but something strange happened. The “bullet” glowed white and appeared to split into 3, each one striking one of the guards.

I wanted to take this all in, but I could hear more guards closing in on my location. I made for the door, and then made for the forest, disappearing into the night.

I thought it was finally over. But it was only the beginning...

Espionage… it wasn’t the life that I chose, but it was the life that chose me. In fact if I was being brutally honest with myself before becoming a spy for the British Secret Service I never saw myself as having ANY future at all.

Laura Cain was the ‘Black Sheep’ of the very wealthy Cain Family, well… we weren’t exactly a family. I’m the eldest of three siblings ‘half siblings technically’ my mother was different from theirs, although since my biological mother died when I was a baby their mother ‘my step-mother’ had always treated me as one of her own.

My father was Richard Cain owner of ‘Cain Enterprises’ hence my families wealth, but we were close, I loved him more than anything, which is why his death had hit me the hardest.

I was only 12 at the time that everyone had told me that he’d killed himself, but I didn’t believe that for a second- it hurt my broken heart to think about it, because despite what everyone else thought, I believe that he was murdered.

After losing my father I dedicated myself into hard work, I had a ‘special gift’ as my father used to call it, a sharp photographic memory.

I could remember everything- my mind was a lot like a camera, I could access each memory, each piece of information whenever I needed it.

My half siblings thought of me as strange, but my uncanny mind did see me into Cambridge University and completing several degrees in a few short years.

I had mastered languages and been offered careers at some of the most globally selective companies, but they didn’t feel quite right.

I couldn’t see myself as a politician, a doctor or a lawyer on top of all the modelling opportunities I had been offered, I saw myself stuck in a moment of time consumed by questions that I could never hope to get answers to- until one dark night that changed my life forever.