A monstrous shadow stood in the spotlight of a dark stage. Sparks danced around it, twisting and unfolding until it revealed a feminine figure that could allure any male she so desired, from her thin, shapely frame to her wavy raven hair and purple glowing eyes. A smile curved up her lips.

"Welcome one and all to this great hall. We wish you a grand jester of fun, wonder, and fright. We have returned to our old school to see the progress our educators have left behind in these hallowed halls. But I must confess that we are distressed, perplexed, and annoyed.

We feel that the educators here have failed. Your selection of peers is a failure. Those learning here have gone astray. Thus, it must be torn down and built anew. We will now bind the fates of all here by two and one to build, to grow, and have your fun. We shall guide, we shall teach, but our stern hand it will reach. The contract is made, and the work is to be done. This sister completes the spell my voice has spun. Sister take up the task and raise a glass.

For now, our fun has already begun." Said the beauty in the spotlight.

Her audience began to murmur to one another. The lights slowly filled the room. All entrances have been blocked by deformed trees growing from the ground. Other attractive female figures all laughed and chucked from the branches. They chanted and spun rhymes of power rimes the trees. Dark shadows danced from under the trees along with the rhyme rhythm.

The students backed away, causing them to be huddled together as lambs in a pen facing a pack of wolves. Beads of sweat fell along with their hope.

The shadows rose to link, weave, and transform into golden chains, wrapping and piercing the students together in groups of two from soul to soul. The panic blossomed, but the chains restrained them there in place.

The female figure on stage ginned and stood even more straight and tall. Raising her hands, she said, "Dear sisters, we witches few have our work cut out for us, that we do."

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The human mass ebbed and flowed but didn't leave the circle. They raised cries, screams, and shrieks for air but were only heard by fellow students to raise them from off the ground.

The witch on the stage gave a clap, and the lights went out. All went quiet. No cries or sobs could be heard; only an uneasy breath echoed from the walls. The spotlight shows again. The witch was in now in more traditional garb. Her smile was gone and a man is tied up at her feet, struggling like a bag worm.

"Now, students, we have acted in a grand and drastic measure cause the leaders and staff have broken our contract from many years ago and have come to fulfill what was and is now owed. For their deceit, their leader will be stoned, and the teachers put to sleep until we are done here." Said the mysterious witch.

She raised a hand, took a green vial from a pocket, and poured the contents onto the tired man. He wiggled and made muffled screams. His skin reddened until thick white steam covered his body as if he were a hunk of dry ice. When the steam faded all was there was a cold grey statue of the man who was their principal with a face filled with anguish and pain.

In this moment of disbelief and horror, one girl stood out from the crowd and voiced her call. "What do you gain from subjecting us to all of this?"

"A wonderful question and thought, but now is not the time, my sweet. But don't worry too much as we will be explaining everything in our classes tomorrow. Now that about wraps up the opening presentation for the new semester." Said the witch.

With her soft smile spreading, the light around her expanded from her till it reached the walls. Next, the shadows beneath their feet grew and lifted up like a fountain of water, encasing them and pulling them down its dark current.

When the darkness subsided, the students found themselves within a dorm room and the echoes of a witch's last few words between laughter. "Dear students, I once again welcome you to your new semester of the school year. Those of you finding each other in a room are partners for this semester. Man, woman, rock, or dog. Those chained will be partners and will not be separated till the end of this term. Okay. Good luck and good night."

Many of the students screamed at who was in the room with them until a heaviness and drowsiness overcame them, until they were dragged into dreamland. Until morning.