Chapter 2: At the Edge of the Woods

The hall is crammed with people, getting stuffier and stuffier as more bodies surge in. I spot Milly and try to get her attention. By waving my arms like a crazy chicken. I think Mrs. Karly is getting to me...however, all it manages is to earn me some strange looks. I give that up and go with Plan B, barging my way through. I do it as gently as I can, but I may have bruised a few people. Eventually, I get to Milly alive. At once, she starts to ramble about what her classes were like.

“Have you met the principal’s daughter? She’s an absolute snob. In Spell class, she dyed my skin green. Then she claims it was an accident! Dye spells are, like, the simplest of them! Even I can do them. But all my revenge plotting aside, how were your classes?”

“Nothing as interesting as what you went through.”

I tell her about Mrs. Karly and what Evernly had done in H & V.

“I didn’t think she would have it in her. You got to give it to Evernly, that girl has some guts.”

We reach the Dining Hall, which is as magnificent as ever. I grab a peach from the fruit basket along with a carton of strawberry milk. Beside me, Milly takes everything sugary. Her plate is overflowing with treats as we settle down under a magic blossom tree. The velvet red bark is sturdy enough for us to lean on as we eat. Its gorgeous leaves shimmer between blue, green, purple, and red. The floor is blanketed in those leaves, making the ground especially cushy to sit on. I’m about to take a bite of my juicy peach when someone trips and knocks it from my hand. Milly saves my milk and places it next to me, staring at the girl. Her white hair covers her face like a curtain, before she brushes them to the side, revealing eyes like the sky.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to trip on a tree root and send your peach flying!”

I reassure her that it’s no problem. Nevertheless, she races back and fetches another peach, making me realize that my peach is squashed. She hands me over a pristine one, with eccentric orangey-red flecks on it. I thank her and take a bite.

“My name’s Myra by the way. And once again, I’m sorry! It’s just not my day today.”

She waves goodbye and wanders off, but not before I note the glint in her eyes and her small smirk. It stands out against her humble mien. Although, the chance I'm imagining it after such a traumatic event is highly probable. Milly doesn’t seem to notice it and continues to stuff her face with custard blooms and other pastries. We finish up and head over to our next class, ‘Curses and Hexes’. It’s the only period we have together today. The hall looks different this time. It's so...small. The walls are closing in, but Milly is oblivious. I try to warn her, but all that comes out are unintelligible murmurs. She glances at me, a small frown on her face. Milly's mouth moves, yet it's inaudible. I clutch my stomach, dizziness invading my mind. Everything around me blurs together, the world spinning. My lips slip out a groan and Milly says something I can’t hear. I let her drag me to the Health Centre and collapse onto the closest bed.

I’m vaguely aware of the elixirs the nurse is having me drink. She assures Milly I will be good in no time. I don’t know how long I am knocked out. When my head is clear, the nurse -her name tag says Mary- tells me not to worry about classes for the rest of the day. I guzzle down the cup of water on the bedside table and look out the window next to my bed. The Health Centre is right at the edge of the forest, the oak and magic blossoms living in harmony. They're the most common trees in Autumn Town, and drop leaves year-round. A little jingle from the door signifies another patient. Mary sighs and tucks a strand of brown hair behind her ear. She then leaves to attend to the newcomer. To my surprise, it’s the boy with the strawberry blonde hair. He shows no signs of injury which pries a question out of me.

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“How’d you end up here?”

He lets out a small laugh before answering.

“No hi? Or any sort of formal welcome?”

I shrug my shoulders, then wince. My body still aches from being in an awkward position.

"Well, let me start then. I’m Lucus Brone," he does a theatrical bow, "and I’m here because my friend burnt his hands in Potions class.”

He gestures to the boy behind him, who has jet black hair and a lean figure. The boy clears his throat.

“It wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t insisted that the green powder went in before the blue one!” He turns to me, eyes sparkling, “My name’s Siren Glow, and you are?”

“Lucinda Mist.”

He holds out his hand. I reach out to shake it, but then notice how raw it looks.

“Are you sure you want me to touch your hand? It seems like it’s still recovering.”

He blushes.

“Right, forgot about that.”

His arm goes limp to his side before Lucus interrupts.

“So, what are you here for?”

I pretend to think about it. “You know, same old, same old. Just a pinch of food poisoning. I think they used Thymish and glazed my peach with it.”

Myra could have been the one who poisoned me, but she also couldn't have known the peach was dangerous.

It's Lucus' turn to wince. “Sounds painful. Are you staying here for the rest of the day then?”

I nod. The nurse arrives with a platter and hands it to me.

“Here’s your dinner, Lucinda.” Mary turns to Siren, “and you, let's treat you.”

She guides him over to the bed beside me, getting him to sit on it. I watch as I slurp my porridge.

Mary coats Siren’s hand in a salve. She wraps it in bandages and pats his hand lightly when she’s finished.

“Don’t go overworking that hand now. I can’t bear another patient. It’s been busy, on the first day no less.”

She glances over at me. The boys wave goodbye before heading out, Mary leaving with them. She appears a few minutes later, with a whole plate full of amber elixirs. She gives me a few freshly brewed concoctions. As I slowly sip them, Mary tells me some interesting stories about her previous patients. After the fourth one, I doze off.

My eyes flutter open. The moonlight filters through the window, casting an imperceptible glow on my covers. As I get ready to go back to bed, black shadows line around the moon's round face, creeping in. Closer. Closer. Until nothing but darkness lies before me. Red eyes blink into existence, the rest of its body consumed by the darkness. It blazes against the shadows, tips curling into a tiny flame. Staring hungrily through me. As soft human footsteps pound outside the window, it darts away. Shouts racket through the air. I catch glimpses of their conversation, each more intriguing than the last.

"How long has it been on Earth?"

"If it passes the edge of the forest, it'd gain more moon magic!"

"Shadow hound! Somebody get some light!"

"DUCK!"

The final one is accompanied by a bloodcurdling roar.