Yes, it was real. The train really did start to fly. It was like a rollercoaster, except for the lack of safety measures and how we were probably about to die.

I wrapped my hands like boa constrictors around the edges of my seat. I looked around frantically to see everyone else doing the same.

Where are seat belts when you actually need them?

We had risen right into the air. The train left the ground with surprising ease, even when it looked like a neglected artifact from the outside.

Trees steadily disappeared from my view, replaced by bulging white clouds. Despite my shaking hands, I pushed myself just a bit higher to get a better view out the window.

Mesmerizing, azure blue flashed past my eyes. The clouds were only splashes of white that sprayed across the seemingly painted sky. The wind tore at my soul, my ponytail fluttered like a golden banner behind my head.

The train flowed left, right, ahead, and even backwards. The other people in the train began to let out shouts of delight, fear, and anticipation.

I was still captivated by the spellbinding sky outside. Although I was soaring through the sky in an ancient artifact of a train, I didn’t feel too afraid. I relaxed and let my soul flow with the clouds.

All of a sudden, the train jerked.

“Umphf.” Amber choked as I slammed into her.

The train jerked again, to the right.

“Sorry!” I exclaimed as I pulled myself off of her. My head wasn’t taking this well. Nausea was creeping into my consciousness, but I kept it in.

“It’s totally fine, this train-” Amber was cut off by an ebullient howl from Max.

“WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!” Then he paused, looking at both me and Amber. “Why aren’t you guys excited about this? It’s not everyday that you get a ride on a flying train! C’mon! Enjoy it a little more!”

His face looked so hopeful that I also gave a small, “yay” that probably wasn’t too convincing. Amber attempted to do the same but the noise disappeared in her throat. We both just sounded frightened to the bone.

Suddenly, the train stopped dead. The roaring wind outside came to an abrupt stop and the squeaking window went silent. Everyone was still. The train was so quiet you could hear a feather fall to the ground.

Max broke the silence that hung over everyone. “You ready guys? Here comes the best part!” He cheered.

The train dropped.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” I screamed as my internal organs fell with the train.

My awareness of time slipped. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as the train plummeted towards the ground. I felt a tangy sense of fear crawl up into my intestines. My stomach turned itself backwards and inside out.

Everyone in the train was shrieking at the top of their lungs. A symphony of terror and panic. It chilled me to the bone. I opened my eyes enough to see the train in full disarray. I crush my eyelids together again, forcing visions of my untimely death out of my mind. I tightened my iron grip on the seat until my knuckles were numb. I pulled my knees up to my chest.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!” Amber’s shriek was a sharper replica of mine.

Max celebrated loudly once again, his hands in the air.

This guy… he’s cheering?

“It’s alright guys!” His voice cracked through my paralyzing fear. “We’re not going to die! This part is scary but it’s safe!”

I clenched my teeth and forced my eyes open. “Is it safe?! If you haven’t realized, we are stuck in a train that is falling through the sky right now!” I screamed at him.

“Mackie! Look out your window!” He yelled back.

Well, looking out the window won’t make a difference if I was destined to die here, but I’ll have one last look at this world.

Trying to move through the fear, I twisted and crawled over to the window so I could catch a glimpse of what was happening outside.

The sky was disappearing. We were falling, and we were falling fast.

I could see the ground coming up fast, threatening to swallow us whole. The green grass and trees blurred with the multi-colored cars and the grey streets. The world was an unfocused, hazy fog. I couldn’t see anything clearly. My ponytail had come loose from all the thrashing and strands of hair framed my face as I glanced outside. I could almost taste the mist and the clouds in my mouth. I wanted to shut my eyes but I couldn’t bring myself to do so.

I jerked my head back from the window. The fear was choking me now. I wanted to stop falling. My breath started to come in short gasps like fragments of glass. I braced myself for the shattering impact, and surrendered myself to the fathomless sky.

I gathered up the courage to look out the window again, and saw…

A lake in the middle of a town - a pond? And we were heading straight for it.

As we shot down into the waters, I caught a glimpse of my knuckles that had turned white from holding the seat in front of me so tightly. We were up so high, the lake/pond might as well have been cement when we made contact.

I shrieked, louder, and shut my eyes again. I waited for the crash, but nothing happened. The train had hurtled like a racehorse towards the pond, but…

Instead of crashing and being crushed like an empty can of soda against the surface, we sank right through the water, like a thousand degree knife through a piece of butter.

The pond was something like a portal. We fell into it, and the world flipped over on its axis. My head spun and my stomach tied into knots.

And suddenly, we were flying again. And the town was gone.

All I saw was a different looking city, the sky above it an impossibly beautiful mix of purple, blue, pink, gold and orange. The sun was saying its goodbyes with a few final streaks of light behind the buildings.

Although I just got “kidnapped and sent to a magic school”, I couldn’t help but gasp in disbelief.

The moon lit the night sky into an ocean of glowing stars. They sparkled little flashes of silver through the barely visible clouds. The buildings on the ground shone brightly, grand and majestic.

And with a loud thump, and a jolt that shook out my soul, The train was on the ground again, and chugged along, until it finally came to a full halt at the entrance of the city.

Wait. This is a school?

“Ladies, welcome to Glowing Dragon Academy.” Max announced to me and Amber. Max didn’t seem that surprised at all. Amber and I were the exact opposite, gaping at the glorious view.

The train doors opened, and Max hopped right out of his seat. Amber and I took a bit longer to tear our gaze from the radiating buildings.

I dragged my suitcase out onto the station, still awestruck.

The station itself was another story. Crystal-like pillars stretched up to a silvery roof. The ground was cement, but unlike the ones that made up the broken streets by Teresa’s house, this cement was glowing.

I stretched myself out, and inhaled the cool night air. I took huge gulps of oxygen to calm myself, feeling the air coursing through my lungs. Falling from the sky was definitely not one of my hobbies.

I raked my eyes through my surroundings, feeling small in this magnificent city.

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Brianna, who I now realize to be the guide that leads the new students to school, herded us in a group to enter the gates.

“Alright people!” my kidnapper with golden eyes announced. “We have arrived at Glowing Dragon Academy. Follow me, don’t stray away from the group. I’m looking at you, Charlie. Now let’s get going!”

A storm of chattering exploded as soon as Brianna started leading us away. Everyone looked like they were about to erupt from anticipation. Even Max seemed more excited than usual, as well as the others who looked as if they already knew about this place.

The gates were a view to savor. It was a golden arc decorated with what looked like shimmering stones. Glowing patterns of silver swirls climbed the sides. It shone at us, welcoming us into the splendor of the city.

They called this majestic, sprawling city a “school.”

I cranked my neck up to see even more of the glittering gate. The lights that flickered from the stones were blinding, but entrancing.

As I passed underneath the gates, I reminisced.

This must be heaven. If only Mom and Dad were here to experience this with me.

We stepped onto an ethereal pathway. It looked like a cobblestone pathway, except every “cobblestone” was a small, round, and almost crystal-like. More of these star-lit paths rolled out like ribbons through the night. They glistened at our feet, and I felt like I was walking on pure light.

The path was lined by flourishing plants. Flowers, bushes, trees, and all sorts of ferns thrived left and right. Each one possessed a unique glow, and small lights drifted through their leaves. Every leaf was veiled with a wreath of white mist. It looked like fairies lived here. Maybe they did. It was the true definition of beautiful.

I couldn’t stop gaping at everything. I struggled to keep up with the group, still unable to rip my gaze from each dazzling monument.

“It’s so bright, it’s like everything’s on fire,” Max muttered. But you could tell that he loved the place as well through the admiring glint in his eyes.

The city’s magnificence could not be described by words. It carried thousands of colors, but without any sign of disorganization. Each red was as vibrant as fire, each yellow like glittering gold. The blue was like the sparkling waters of the ocean, the green was like the emerald-colored leaves that fluttered in the cool spring air.

The city wasn’t exactly covered from top to bottom in precious gems, and most of the materials were humble. It was the pure essence of magic that made every ordinary stone like a piece of a fallen star.

We entered one of the smaller buildings in the city. It was like one of those grand hotel check-in lobbies. Crystalline lights hung from the ceiling and let its shine surged down the banners. Red carpet lined the floor. Marble formed the walls that were also decorated with banners depicting a glowing dragon surrounded by illuminated stars.

Right, Glowing Dragon Academy. The voice in my head says. Mackie, this is a school. Please don’t forget that again.

We were instructed by Brianna to stand in a line to get a dorm number and a roommate.

I’m about to live here?! Holy cow.

I could only imagine how stunning the student dormitories would be, if all that I had seen on my way here was any evidence of it. Then again, practically anything other than sleeping out on the cold streets would be an upgrade from Teresa’s cramped apartment.

I moved my feet, which felt like they were nailed to the ground, and dragged my leather suitcase into the line. Amber followed behind me, and Max went to a different line for boys, leaving us with a little wave.

I stood behind a little girl with short, dirty blonde hair. She turned around and smiled at me. I smiled back awkwardly, then looked above her and ahead of the line.

To my surprise, she spoke. “Hi! My name’s Moxie!” Her brown eyes twinkled at me.

“Oh, uh, hello. Mackie Jade. I’m new here.” I mumbled, still numb.

Duh, obviously, I scolded myself.

“Me too! But my sister has been here for a while-” Moxie was cut off.

“Hey, Mox-ie!” A sweet voice sang. The echoes of her voice resonated throughout the lobby.

I turned to the voice and my jaw dropped.

There was a girl who looked like the older version of Moxie, except with incredible green-blue eyes, (Moxie had brown) and mascara with winged eyeliner. Everything she wore shined- a sea-green top with blue sparkles, jean-shorts with sky blue sequins attached, and aqua colored heels that shone under the light.

Heels. HEELS!

This girl couldn’t be more than thirteen yet she was wearing HIGH HEELS! And not just the tiny heels - her feet were almost perpendicular to the ground. Okay, I’ll admit it, I was impressed.

“I got your room number! You’re sharing a room with me, lucky you!” She said in a feigned excited voice. She didn’t actually seem too excited about it. She patted her sister’s head in a condescending way, but I got the feeling she wanted to clench the top of Moxie’s skull.

Moxie scowled. “Wonderful.” She said tightly.

The platinum blonde whapped the back of her sister’s head forcefully in a “playful” manner.

I narrowed my eyes. I was already a bit protective of the kid.

“Who are you talking to, Moxanne?” The girl said in her honeyed voice. Her smile faded a bit when her stunning blue-green eyes landed on me, an inferior student. I didn’t completely blame her, she and Moxie were both well dressed and clearly had some sort of money, and I had a weird tan and was wearing basketball shorts and a hoodie. I suddenly became a bit conscious of how I looked, taking a hand to smooth down my hair.

“That’s not my name,” Moxie’s own sweet smile had faded and turned into a grimace. “And I’m talking to Mackie Jade, Gwen.”

“Oh?” Gwen said in a bubbly voice, although her expression said oh, look, another peasant.

She looked at me. “Huh.” Her friendly tone was gone for just a second, but it soon came back. “Well, you know what they say, Moxie, don’t talk to strangers.” She took Moxie’s hand and dragged her along.

Moxie’s face reddened. “But Gwen-”

“I don’t want to hear it, you hear me?” Gwen’s phony friendly voice completely faded away, it was replaced by menace. Moxie half-heartedly waved goodbye to me with her free hand, looking as sad as ever.

“Bye, Mackie Jade! I hope we can hang out sometime!” Moxie called to me as she disappeared out the doors.

“Me too!” I yelled back, and she was gone.

----------------------------------------

The waiting line stretched really late into the day, which didn’t really matter as I was busy admiring the crystal-like lights that danced unearthly in the walls.

The lady at the front desk seemed nice enough. She handed me a card and moved on. She met Amber with the same enthusiasm as me. She had the typical hotel receptionist aura about her.

My dorm was in the blue building, on floor 37. Guess who my roommate was? Well, since we could choose, I got Amber. Not that I was complaining, as Amber seemed pretty cool.

Max and some guy with dirty blonde hair who looked like him lived in the building across from us, I could even see their window from my place.

Brianna told us that there would be a welcoming assembly the next day. I actually thought Brianna was pretty chill, besides the fact that she kidnapped me. Then again, it was either this or Parkson, and I’d take this magical academy over anything. I mean, who wouldn’t?

I stood in what seemed like the longest wait in an elevator ever to my so-called dorm.

You could just start calling it a suite. The room was highlighted with a happy and warm orange, which happened to be one of my favorite colors.

We walked into the small living room first, which consisted of a creamy couch and a long, black TV. Linked directly to the living room was the bedroom, which was larger than expected and had two full-sized beds as well as two separate large closets on opposing walls. In the corner of the bedroom was the kitchen, containing a large refrigerator and white stone countertops with stoves. A selection of pans hung above the kitchen, while a bar table with chairs behind it sat next to the sparkling countertops. There was a bathroom to the right of the kitchen, with a large marble bathtub and clear granite tops.

“This place is… amazing!” I gasped. “And surprisingly well funded.”

“I KNOW RIGHT!” Amber squealed, sprinting to the couch. “Am I dreaming?”

We wasted no time: the two of us went wild with the orange-themed room. Amber set out an assortment of little decorations that transformed the dorm into a home. I had nothing to contribute. Ugh, Teresa.

The last traces of light were vanishing over the city outside.

Amber and I changed into pajamas and sat down on the beds, facing each other.

My thoughts overflowed. Is this the real life? Or is this fantasy? I wondered, wiggling my toes in the soft covers.

“Amber…”

She finished laying down her plush green blankets, groaning about how it didn’t match the orange bedding. “Yes, Mackenzie?”

“Mackie’s good.”

“Okay, Mackie. What’s up?”

“Are you as nervous as I am?” I asked, fidgeting with the rims of my (orange) pajamas.

“Well, undoubtedly yes. Half of this ‘dorm’ is definitely ten times worth a person’s life fortune. And the entire academy… jeez...it’s so expensive, I feel like I should be in debt or something.” She drifted off.

“Hah, I know right? And it’s almost unbelievable too, isn’t it? With all this magic stuff.”

Amber hesitated. “Right. My parents never said a word about some random magical academy.”

I sighed, my brain clouding over. “Likewise. We lived in a small apartment in New York... It was tough, struggling all the time to make ends meet. I don’t know how on earth they got me to a school like this. They... passed away in a car accident, two years ago.” My breathing became slower as I dejectedly recalled the past.

Amber’s face softened. “Aw, I’m terribly sorry to hear that. My parents passed away when I was young, too. It was...strange to lose them at such a young age. Basically, I know how it feels, Mackie. Life feels like a mud pool. Everything feels murky and slow, and there’s no one to talk to. You’re very strong for making it so far.”

I laughed softly. A genuine, blissful laugh, despite the melancholy memories. “You’re pretty good with metaphors. Thank you, and you too.”

She nodded with warmth illuminating her face. “Thank you, it means a lot. Oh, uh… we’ve got the assembly tomorrow, and it’s late.” Amber gestured to the clock that displayed a bright 3:32 A.M. “So good night… Mackie Jade.”

“You too, Amber.” I smiled and turned my head to the ceiling.

She reached over and flicked the lights off. “Oh, by the way. I’m sure everything will be fine. Magic and powers? It’ll get sorted out. It’s been one heck of a day. Let’s get some rest and figure everything out tomorrow.”

“We got this.” I spoke quietly. “Goodnight.”