“Stop. Just tell us.” Amry folded her arms.
“This is bogus, quit taking the long way around,” Kyle said firmly.
“Zachary Kowal is my sister's son. I promised her right before she crossed over that I would do everything to save him."
The four gasped. Ophelia locked eyes with Amry as she slid back into her space on the couch, and the room fell silent.
Headmaster Abernathy nodded at Dictator Dick. He turned to an over-sized étagère on the wall behind his chair and opened the perfectly crafted doors to reveal six drawers. Sliding open the first storage box, he pulled out a manila folder and placed it on the desk in front of the teens.
“Open it.” Mr. Abernathy nodded his head.
Amry reached out, and flipped the folder revealing multiple sheets of paper.
“All your questions can be answered in this file. We will give you a few minutes to review it, and then the rest is up to you."
After the four men left the room, the group huddled together reading the contents of the damned boy’s life.
"This guy’s past reads like a gangster rap sheet. Robbery, assault—kidnapping! We're all gonna wind up in The Nowhere because he's gonna put us there," Kyle exclaimed.
“Kyle’s right. We’re screwed.” Bethany slouched down in the seat.
"Zachary Kowal is the son of Marianne Abernathy. Huh…" Ophelia bit her lip.
"What's huh?" Kyle leaned in.
"He died a long time ago; I wonder why Headmaster didn't bring him here sooner?"
"Who cares?" Kyle furrowed his brow.
"It's just weird, that's all." Ophelia kept reading. "Says Zachary was banished to the in-between for over five hundred years. I wonder what that is?" Ophelia's eyes widened.
"Sort of like a doorway. On one side your room, on the other, the dorm hallway. He was standing directly in the doorway." Amry grinned. "There are many in-betweens. It just depends on which one he was sent to. I mean what he saw on either side. Either way it's a cruddy existence. You're basically trapped in a world of nothing."
"How did you know that?" Ophelia asked.
"Right after I got here, I met a student who was rescued from one of the in-between worlds. He accidentally slipped into a portal that had been opened by Headmaster. Don't ask me why he opened it, I don't know,” she paused and after a moment she continued “But he did, and the trail of space looped around this boy’s essence and puff, he was there. It was only a minute or two before Abernathy reeled him back, but it was long enough for him to give a pretty good description. Of which I was forbidden to say anything about by Dictator Dick. So, keep it quiet." Amry placed her pointer finger over her mouth.
"That’s phooey. This Zachary is probably a basket case right now. Top that off with his love for crime and we're better than screwed, we're all next on a long list of victims the Academy will present him," Kyle snapped.
“We don’t have a choice.” Amry read the pages again. "He was abandoned and treated like dirt."
“The Headmaster picked us for a reason. I’m not happy about this either. But if it could save his soul?” Ophelia's voice trailed off.
“He's not a stray puppy dog, Ophelia. He's gonna cause real trouble for all of us." Kyle shoved his chair back. “This is a drag, man.”
Ophelia turned away.
“Stop. All of you. Kyle, shut up. Lia, turn back around and Bethany, well, you're fine. We don’t have a choice. We may not like it, but this is how it is. This guy is going to be here. We do our best to help the Headmaster, end of story. Agreed?” Amry tapped her fingers on the desk. “I said, agreed?”
Kyle and Bethany mumbled a reluctant yes, and Ophelia half smiled.
“Okay then, I’ll go tell them we’re ready for tomorrow.”
Ophelia barely slept. The trepidation of their new job left her with too many questions to count. She held her head, envisioning the havoc Zachary wreaked when he was alive. A shiver ran down her spine. Well, it felt like where her spine would be if she still had one.
A harsh thump on her dorm room window startled Ophelia into the now. Turning toward the window she saw a barrage of small stones hit the glass. Frowning, she quickly walked over to see who the pitcher was—Kyle.
Releasing the latch, she pulled up the window just in time to be a recipient of a second handful of the hard minerals. A larger rock hit her square between the eyes. Wincing, Ophelia cupped the bridge of her nose.
“Ouch! What are you doing, Kyle?” Ophelia tried to rub away the pain.
“Sorry. I guess I should have just come up.”
“Uh, yeah. That would have been less dangerous for me.” Ophelia continued rubbing.
“You okay?” Kyle’s voice tenuous.
“I’m fine. What do you want?”
“We’re all meeting in the library in about thirty minutes. The girls are already there. Amry said she forgot to set the alarm to get you up. She had that early science class.”
“So, are you the errand boy?” Ophelia asked, sarcastically.
“No. Well, kind of. I had to go back to my room for something, and you were on the way. I volunteered.”
“Okay, you’ve done your job. I’ll be there in a few minutes. First, I need to shower and get dressed.” She stuck her tongue out.
“I deserved that. I’ll see you there.” Kyle briskly crossed the lawn.
Ophelia went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. She was the only one of her friends who still maintained the morning ritual. She gazed in the mirror while waiting for the water to steam. Squinting her eyes, she leaned in for a better view. Yup, a knot the size of a nickel angrily sat between her eyes.
Ugh, how do these things keep happening?
A haze of hot mist blurred her reflection, she took the cue and stepped into the box of steam. Standing under the rain of comfort, her body relaxed as she soaked in the peace. She had a feeling this would be the only quiet for a while. Life at the Academy was about to get a whole new meaning.
After a few minutes of bliss, she turned off the water and toweled off. Another aspect of the living she could leave behind, and yet, something kept drawing her in to perform even the most mundane tasks of the life she once knew. When she was ready, she opted for a stroll instead of gliding. It took a few minutes longer, but she enjoyed basking in the sunshine.
Ophelia rounded the corner of the library and slid through the honey oak doors. Her friends were seated at one of the many rectangular tables in the center of the room. Surrounded on all four sides by books dating back to the twelfth century, Ophelia stood for a moment taking in the aroma. It tickled her nostrils and surrounded her mind with exhilaration. She was the sponge to the waterfall of knowledge contained in this room. Its sole purpose to deliver pleasure to her waiting senses.
“Over here. What are you doing?” Amry smiled.
“Just taking it all in.” Ophelia sat down.
“Honestly, you make me laugh. You're here just about every day of the week and it still excites you.”
“Yup. There’s so much to learn. The information is practically endless. Why, don’t you feel like that?”
“Well, sure. I like coming here, but it doesn’t quite affect me the same way. Are you okay today?”
“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?” Ophelia’s eyes widened.
“You weren’t yourself yesterday. I mean you were, but extra stressed. Sort of mousy. I barely heard you utter a word all day. Was it because we were called into the Headmaster's office?”
“No. It wasn’t the highlight of my day. You know I hate dealing with adults, but that wasn’t it.” Ophelia looked away.
“What then?” Amry reached out and patted Ophelia’s hand.
“It was my anniversary.” Ophelia's voice shook.
“Oh. I’m so sorry. I forgot. No wonder you were a bundle of nerves.”
“It’s okay. It’s over, and time to move on.”
“Hey, what happened to your face?’ Amry reached out but Ophelia quickly retracted.
>
“Don’t. The damn thing is throbbing. Kyle thought it would be a good idea to throw rocks at my window.” Ophelia’s eyes narrowed.
“Kyle, you’re an idiot.” Amry glared at him.
“What? It was an accident. I told her I was sorry.”
“He did.” Bethany chimed in.
“Can we get on with this? Zachary gets here in twenty minutes.” Ophelia glanced at the antique clock on the wall. "We don't interact, just observe. If any one of us sees Zachary acting strange or doing something he shouldn't, we report it immediately to the Headmaster, right?"
Ophelia trembled as a cool breeze swept across the base of the neck. She shivered. Whipping her head around, a shadow danced across the glass of the large rectangular window toward the back of the room.
"Did you see that?" Ophelia whispered.
"What?" Amry leaned in.
"That shadow? It was right behind us."
"I didn't see anything, but we better get it together. It's almost time." Amry nervously tapped her foot.
“I think he’s here.” Ophelia pointed at the door.
Everyone in the room stopped what they were reading to look up. The air carried a feeling of discontent that wrapped itself around the room squeezing out every drop of pleasure.
Mr. Coal and Mr. Rain wedged the male teen between them, escorting him to the information desk.
Zachary was tall, towering over the khaki twins. Mr. Rain and Mr. Coal didn't seem to notice. They had a firm grip on each of his arms, establishing who was in charge. His tousled brown hair and grey skin were the frame for his bulging blue eyes.
Ophelia tightened the hold on her stomach, leaning forward just enough to sooth the pain. Her anxiety had gone from ten to a hundred in the past twenty seconds.
Zachary scanned the room and stopped when his gaze met Amry. Not the type of girl to back down, she locked his stare with her own. Neither blinked. A maniacal curl of the lip almost led to words vomiting out of his mouth, but Mr. Rain tugged firmly on his arm, knocking Zachary slightly off balance and breaking his link with Amry.
Ophelia let out a long shaky breath. Remaining in solid form took a good portion of their energy. They had agreed to try and remain as opaque as possible, to appear strong. But it took its toll and Ophelia wavered, her celestial fluttered like ripples in the water.
"It’s quite all right, you're dead. Let it go, my dear," A gruff voice scraped her ears.
Ophelia jumped. I guess Mr. Rain's grip wasn't as tight as he thought.
"Miss. The tiny one. Did you hear me?”
Zachary's words disturbed her. Like a knife, they pierced through her ghostly shell and ripped open the cavity where her heart once was. It had been so long since she had seen her family. Her mother and father must have been inconsolable the day she and Haven started their beginning.
It was spring, her favorite season. The trees were growing fat with new, lush green leaves, and flowers bloomed the most brilliant hues of pink, purple and yellow. The air transitioned from an early chill to a mid- morning warmth that was perfect for tea and toast on the sun-drenched porch. Her mother had asked if she would watch Haven for a few hours while both parents did some shopping in town. The following week, her little sister would turn eight and they wanted to surprise her. They were picking up a brand-new dollhouse that her dad had ordered from England.
Ophelia didn’t mind. She liked spending time with her. As siblings go, they were close. Maybe it was the large span of years between them, Ophelia felt more like an aunt than a big sister. Whatever the reason, it was fine with her.
Their parents had been gone for about an hour, and Haven was playing in the front yard. Ophelia had nestled into a rocker on the porch and was reading one of her favorite books, Molly Make-Believe by Eleanor Hallowell Abbott. Rarely did a motor car come down their street, but they had been instructed by their father to stay away when it did. Ophelia set her book on a side table when she heard the honking of a horn in the distance. Standing to see which direction it was coming from, she noticed Haven running out into the road to retrieve a ball that had gotten away.
Ophelia bolted down the five steps and across the lawn in time to see the car coming from the right, and her sister facing the other way. Without a thought, she ran into the middle of the road and wrapped her arms around Haven, before hearing a dissonant thud. When she woke up, her sister was running toward a man standing at the end of the block. She screamed for her to come back, but it was too late. He and Haven were gone.
Through the years she was able to find out the man was a Soul Gatherer. He takes the newly deceased when their spirits are confused and lures them with hope. He especially likes the innocence of children. No one is sure where he keeps them, but a few have been able to escape. Most of them adults. Once they leave, all their knowledge of his location fades away.
Perhaps he can cast a powerful spell, no one is sure. What they can remember, is unending sadness. Ophelia surmised he must be lost himself. Protectors, like Mr. Coal and Mr. Rain, have tried through the years to find his hidden sanctuary, but each time they get close, he manages to cloak his secret once again. The light had come for her several times over the past one hundred years and it will keep coming, until she finds Haven.
She glared back at Zachary, who was being led out of the library. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. He was going to be trouble.
Alex McKenna caught himself as his chin slid down his left hand. Nodding off in class was beginning to be a habit. The past few weeks after the Geranium murders had been rough on sleep. Playing the vision of losing Tom Kirkpatrick to the dark spirit over and over in his head left little time to relax. It was his self- appointed restitution for his part in Tom's demise. Alex glanced out of one of the large rectangular windows in the classroom. The grey, dingy shadow looming over the parking lot was not the scenic view Alex had expected. But his math class faced east, the stunning asphalt view was its reward. As his glare intensified, the black top of the ground below mesmerized him. Lulling his tired body into a light trance. He hadn't noticed the sudden drop in temperature surrounding him, until a gust of cold air graced the nape of his neck.
Twitching, it sent shivers down his vertebrae. From the corner of his right eye, a shadow danced across the room. Alex whipped his head around; the air was still. Was this his mind screaming desperately for sleep, or was there something here? He inhaled a deep breath through his nose and exhaled through his mouth to calm his senses. Nothing. He just might be going crazy from lack of REM sleep.
Popping a breath freshener in his mouth, he prayed the minty freshness would keep sleep at bay.
2
Ghosts Take A Shower?
Ophelia shot up, tossing her fluffy down comforter aside, it draped to the floor. A ripple of fear stroked her ghostly spine and she shuddered. Padding her feet on the cherry wood floor, the cold cut through them like a knife. What was happening to her? She tried to cast off her latest dream, but she couldn't. Haven was out there somewhere, waiting for her to come. Normally her visions were safe. Haven playing with her toys, Ophelia teaching her how to ride a bike, fun things. But this time it was different. A black haze surrounded the little girl, closing in, it covered her tiny body until there was nothing left.
Days like this were the hardest. The guilt surrounding Haven’s abduction overwhelmed her. She brought her hands to her head and squeezed, the vice grip did little to alleviate the pressure that was building like a geyser in her brain. If she were like everyone else, sleep would alleviate the pain she felt. But she wasn't. It wasn't clear why she still felt the warmth of the sun, or the simple pleasure of a shower each morning. No one else in the Academy still had human ties to life like she did. Her friends tried to understand. Amry, her best friend, did better than most. However, people often fear what they don't understand. That was something her father used to say.
She decided to take a trip to see the resident healer at the Academy. Dominique Dunworthy had started her beginning about
a year ago. Transitioning between the living and the ever after, her soul was sent to the Academy to wait. Being a trained psychiatrist, the council thought it would be wise to use her skills for some of the younger souls that were having difficulty.
Ms. Dunworthy had a small office on the other side of campus behind the library. Normally an appointment was preferred, but Ms. Dunworthy often made an exception for Ophelia. Considering her strange ties with the living world, the doctor was both intrigued and concerned, therefore she gave Ophelia an open-door policy.
Normally she would wait, but this morning her insides were twisted in knots. This dream was too much to handle on her own, she needed help.
Three knocks on the red door gained entrance to the one person equipped to answer Ophelia's questions.
"Good morning Ophelia, come, sit down. You caught me at just the right time. I don't have another appointment for thirty minutes. How are you doing?"
Ms. Dunworthy sat in a large black leather chair that swiveled when she pushed the ground with her feet. Her blonde hair lay loose, cascading over the top of her shoulders, and gold rim glasses surrounded her soft brown, almond shaped eyes. Insisting on a white lab coat when she met her beginning, the staff conceded because she was a doctor. Normally, no one got a choice. You're given an outfit from the time period you lived in; they say it helps to keep a newly transitioned soul more comfortable.
A well-kept secret, everyone arrives in their birthday suit.
"I'm okay. Not really. I had a dream last night that really upset me." Ophelia fidgeted with the hem of her dress.
"Hmm. I'm still getting used to hearing you say that," Ms. Dunworthy said gently.
"What?" Ophelia cocked her head.
"You were dreaming. One day we're going to figure that out. For now, though, let's address what's upsetting you. Tell me about the dream."
"I see Haven. At first, she's smiling and happy. The sun is shining and there's a golden glow surrounding her. But something startles her, she twitches, and the darkness begins to devour the light. Inch by inch it crawls closer to her. She collapses on the ground and draws her knees to her chest. Then she tucks her head down, not looking at the shadows that are about to swallow her. She yells out a name, Alex! And then she's gone. The blackness takes her."
Alex McKenna & the Academy of Souls Page 2
