Vessa kept walking until she could hear screams. A mix of voices belonging to boys and girls, men and women, young and old. She stayed right at the corner before the double doors, even still her heart beat faster. She could feel her breath in her throat, as if in the next moment someone would come along and drag her in, passed the double doors and to her own room.
She had been twelve when she had her first room. Her abilities weren’t shifting over. It was such a weird experience to be tortured when she had compulsively looked for her death in everything and in every moment. To lean into the harder strikes for the possible death. It had been an excruciatingly long stay where her mind had been reformed. At the end, she had been severely homicidal.
Vessa looked down at the folder, her eyes glancing passed it to the worn part of the floor beneath her feet and back up. The double doors were a deep brown with a hint of red, as if blood was seeping through. The grey stone floor had scuff marks in the middle coming from each hall that lead to the Learning Center. The longest was the hall that lead to the students’ dorms, where a countless number of children had been dragged against their will; their legs trailing behind so many times that it left permeant markings.
She had been sixteen when she had her second room. Vessa had stopped killing as her homicidal nature settled. She had regained control and couldn’t just kill. She had been back several times in the next three years. Until they finally shifted over to criminals and Vessa could get a vague sense of their crimes, all of them had been murderers. Jeseme was her first kill. He had raped and killed a ten-year-old girl. That kill had been easy as had the next and next; until Vessa wondered how many people looked at children in that way.
The scuff marks didn’t go away with cleaning and polishing. Vessa had tried every time it was her chore, as if making them disappear would be a victory.
She flinched as the hall went quiet. She remembered when she had thought it was a good thing. Now she waited, filling with dread. Vessa could almost see Gethane leaning against the wall, letting her pant as the silence built until it crept into her skin, goosebumps all over. Until she waited, wondering when she’d start screaming again. It lasted until she considered begging Gethane to start again. Vessa shook her head and touch the rough wall. Reminding herself which side of the doors she was on; shaking her entire body. Looking at the scuff marks, touching her wrists. She was alone on the right side of the doors.
The first voice broke the silence, and Vessa let out a gasp. The first was a man’s voice that filled the hall for two minutes before the second came, a girl’s, then the third another man’s, then the fourth a woman’s. There was a twisted sense of relief one felt when they were finally screaming, for at least the guilt and anticipation were over. Vessa shook again, reminding herself she wasn’t waiting for her turn.
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“I thought I’d find you here.” Vessa jumped and seized hold of the numbers.
Female 357: 96%.
Vessa began to bring the number down before she recognized Maggie’s green eyes.
“Maggie. This was not the smartest place to sneak up on me,” Vessa said as she looked Maggie over. Her iridescent form glimmered with a core of dark shadow. Vessa’s hands would pass right through if she tried to hug Maggie.
“You’re one of the few that can drain me when I’m merely a harmless shadow.” Maggie said with a grin that didn’t reach her eyes. Neither of them looked towards the reason her eyes were haunted, but then again, they didn’t have to. The sounds filled the hall. Sight was not required.
“I don’t think you were ever merely anything, but why are you here?” Vessa asked Maggie, her one other true friend besides Douwell, and Maggie wouldn’t stab Vessa in the back. They met as Maggie was a Caster working for the base. Vessa liked that Maggie wasn’t like most Casters.
“So don’t get mad, but I felt a tinge in your direction and so I peaked.” Maggie said and handed Vessa a scroll.
“It’s a protection scroll against a spell aiming to hurt you rather than kill. Or well actually it’s more broad like if there’s a spell against your best interest it will probably also dissipate it, though I don’t know how affective it will be near the Divide.”
“Maggie, I will be fine. I don’t need this,” Vessa said and tried to hand the scroll back. Maggie held her hands up and refused to take it back. Maggie’s black hair tinged green in her iridescent form fell over her face wherever she actually was.
“You don’t have much experience there, and I won’t be able to reach you.” Maggie said as she pushed her hair out of her face.
“Maggie.” Vessa began but was cut off by an especially loud scream, likely from one of the rooms closest to the door. One of the worst rooms to be in. So close to escaping, yet no chances ever came and some part of yourself always knew you wouldn’t make it far. Sometimes they’d even let someone escape, only to drag them back. Maggie cleared her throat, tears brimming in her eyes.
“Will you use it? Please use it. I am just worried for you.”
“I’m going to be fine,” Vessa said
“Of course you are. Of course you will be, but this won’t be detectable by anyone and why not give yourself extra protection in an unknown area,” Maggie asked and hugged Vessa, and then disappeared. Vessa sighed as she stared at where Maggie had been. She opened the scroll and placed her thumb in the clear spot for it. A prick, and her blood was on the paper and the scroll disappeared. Vessa didn’t feel any different.
She turned to go and saw a thirteen-year-old boy being dragged down the hall towards her. He would be dragged through the doors, and then to a room. Vessa pretended she was in the gardens and walked passed the boy and his two keepers. Pretended not to hear his cries to her. Pretended all the way to her room.