I am Lina Greywords. My father says Lina was an important person in his family's history, but he won't say why. All I know is, I'm different. Mom says it's nothing, but looks at my father in disgust, like it's his fault I look like this. Not that I'm ugly or anything. Just... odd. My hair is white, with a strange, almost metallic sheen to it my father says is just the light. And I could swear my skin has a pale blue in it, which my mother dismisses to the fact I had cholic as an infant, giving my father another of her looks. Then there's the birthmarks. Ugly, pale grey splotches almost all over my body. The most prominent being three under my left eye, and a small string around my jaw line. I think I must get these features from my father's side of the family. Basically because my father's skin is darker then mine, yet still has the strange tinge, and also because his ears are a little longer and end in almost a point at the top ((like mine)).
I don't know if it was fate, or my father that day that led me to the attic. The way he left the light on when he was up there before they left for the beach. Or the way he tousled my hair ((even though I was 15)), and pinched the tips of my ears. I mean, he always did that, but today there was something special about the gesture, I don't know what, but it was there.
It was when the car had pulled out of the drive, and turned down the street when I saw the faint blue glow coming from underneath the attic door. I've been up there countless times, getting things for my parents, but today the hairs on my arms tingled, and a shiver an down my spine. As I advanced up the stairs, my anticipation grew more and more impatient. I flung open the door, and just stared. The little poker table was set, and, closed in front of the solitary chair, the thin leather bound book that would turn my life to hell sat looking innocent enough. I picked up the dusty novel, trying to make out the age-old title. It read 'Diary of Zelgadiss Greywords'. In the pale blue light of the streaked attis window, I began to read.