Touched by Darkness (Young Creator Trilogy)

by Christiane Shoenhair

  the chalk to scribble on the board. I lean from one side of my desk to the other to see what he is

  writing, but the wide expanse of his back is blocking my view.

  While waiting for him to move aside, I quickly look him up and down, taking in the suit

  and gel-styled hair. In a strange way, he reminds me of Professor Snape from the movie Harry

  Potter. He must be substituting for Mrs. Z; I hopeshe’s doing all right. I love her class, so I pray

  this substitute teacher will bring the same enthusiasm and sparkle of magic to Witchcraft and

  Wizardry. I don’t really know what to think of him except that he definitely has an air of

  authority about him. Since his command of silence, not a sound has been heard. I understand that

  you have to earn respect as a teacher to make sure your students are paying attention,but I don’t

  know if putting fear into us is the way to earn that respect. I think about the people back at

  Haven I would consider leaders, and scrutinize each of their leadership styles. Helen is definitely

  the one that would shout to get people’s attention, Tisiphone has an air of authority about her,

  therefore you can’t help but hang on to her every word and action out of respect for who and

  what she is. Maximus, on the other hand, has a whole other leadership style.

  When he finally moves out of the way,I’m surprised to see Artemis’s name written on

  the board in all capital letters. Why are we talking about Artemis in a Wizard and Witchcraft

  class? Today may be interesting; I now know the basics about Artemis based on what I first was

  told in Haven, and then once I got to the Rebel Camp by Maximus. Even though there were some

  similarities between the two lectures, there were also vast differences, soI’m curious to find out

  what history actually has written about the Greek goddess.

  “Can anyone tell me who Artemis was?” the teacher asks the class. A redhead in the front

  of the room—I believe her name is Savannah—raises her hand.

  When the teacher nods in her direction, she answers,“She was some Greek goddess,

  right?” Her guess to the goddesses identity is confirmed when the teacher, whosename I don’t

  even know, replies to her with an eye roll and shake of his head.

  “You are correct, Savannah, she was one of the Greek gods. Is that all you know about

  her? Can anyone tell me more?” The class answers with silence, which causes the teacher to run

  his hands through his gelled hair,making it spike in all directions. “I beg … please, someone tell

  me something about her.Don’t confirm my suspicions that your generation is completely

  hopeless.” Silence meets him.

  I notice everyone shifting uncomfortably in their seats, and several people groaning in

  frustration. “All right, let me do my job and educate your young, ignorant minds. However, I feel

  horrible that so far, up to this point in your life, no one has felt the need to educate you on

  important things, teaching you as you should be taught.” I cover a snort with a cough at his

  dramatic speech. I glance over toward Kristina, who is leaning back in her chair, arms crossed

  with an unhappy look on her face. When she notices that I’m staring at her, she rolls her eyes and

  mouths,‘Not again’. I smile and return my focus to the front of the class.

  “Artemis,” the teacher says while pointingat the letters on the board, “is a Greek

  goddess. You are correct, Savannah, but she is so much more. She was the goddess of chastity,

  virginity, the hunt, the moon, and the natural environment. Could someone please tell me what

  that means to them?”

  This time a few hands fly in the air. The teacher, with a snarl on his face, nods toward

  Kristina. “Do tell, Ms. Mason, what your interpretation is. I’m intrigued to see what your young

  mush of a brain comesup with.”

  Kristina, with wide eyes,slowly lowers her hand now looking unsure of her answer. “She

  protects the innocent and maintains all that is pure. I believe the reason she was goddess of the

  hunt, was to make sure that only those that were hunted were actually needed to survive.

  Therefore protecting the animals who are pure and innocent,” she stammers out. I have never

  seen Kristina uncomfortable or not confident. Suddenly, I remember my first sleepover for

  May’s birthday. On a dare, Kristina—strong and proud—walked into our dorm hallway, which

  was filled with people, in her underwear and gave a random guy a hug. This girl stammering her

  answer doesn’t seem like that same strong girl. It’s truly amazing how this man is reducing even

  someone like Kristina into a quivering unsure mess.

  The teacher, barely acknowledgingKristina’s answer, turns back to the class.“Anyone

  else?”

  “Wasn’t she like a virgin?” a boy in a letterman jacket in the back of the room asks with a

  snicker.

  “Well, Mr. Westman, it is nice to see that you do know about something besides throwing

  a football around a fiend. I must say, the stereotype that all jocks are idiots has now definitely

  been broken. To answer your question, yes, Artemis was a virgin. Virgin Goddess to be more

  accurate, and also the Goddess of Chastity. Did any of you know that she also presided over

  childbirth? Which may seem odd for a virgin, but goes back to causing Leto, her mother, no pain

  when she was born.”

  I can’t help myself; without raising my hand I ask,“Wait, so Artemis was a virgin? She

  never had any kids?” This doesn’t make sense to me at all.Aren’t the Artemisians the direct

  descendants of Artemis? How could that be if Artemis was a virgin and never had any children? The teacher turns his cold, steely eyes on me and studies me for a moment, an unreadable

  expression on his face“I know they say that there are no stupid questions, but you, young lady,

  have just proved me wrong. Apparently not only that, but the stereotype of blondes being idiots

  is now also broken since you are a redhead.” Snickers meet his reply, and I can’t wrap my mind

  around how horrible this teacher is. Not only that, but this just doesn’t make sense. When I was

  told about the Artemisians it all made sense that the protector of the innocent would task her

  descendantsto protect humans from the Furies. If not Artemis’ descendants, then who are the

  Artemisians? There must be some sort of logical explanation.

  “To answer your question, Artemis had no children that were recorded. Logically, the

  dreaded V word, for us humans, means that you technically should not be able to have children.

  But we are not talking about humans here, are we?” Raised eyebrows from the teacher

  emphasize his question. The class responds with a no, and while some of my classmates are very

  firm in their answer, others make it seem more like a question.

  “I would assume that you all know who Zeus is. Please tell me that your basic simple

  minds have at least been exposed to that information.” Nods from the class have him continue

  with his rant,“Good, I’m glad that you at least know who Zeus is. What you may not be aware

  of is that he gave birth to Athena from his forehead … full grown.” A stunned silence fills the room to which the teacher smirks in a satisfied way. “Blew your minds, did I not? Hard to wrap

  your head around this one. Not only did a man give birth,but to a full grown woman.” The class erupts; everyone firingquestions at the teacher, who in turn looks at me. “Did I

&nb
sp; answer your question satisfactory,Trish?” I bobble my head up and down, staring at him but not

  really seeing him since my mind is flying with all of the things I’ve just been told. I guess it’s a

  possibility, but I wonder if it is the truth or just another lie that has to be sorted out. The bell rings, bringing the class to an end and me out of my thoughts. Grabbing my

  stuff, I get up and start heading toward the door.

  “Trish,can I speak to you for a moment?” I stop in my tracks and turn at the sound of the

  teacher’s voice, whose name Istill don’t know.

  “Sure,” I reply while heading to his desk. For the first time I notice that the décor has

  changed in the room. All of Mrs. Z’s stuff is gone, and instead posters and displays have been set

  up, reflecting Greek mythology. Where Mrs. Z loved sparkle and vibrant colors, the displays

  around the room are very classic and neutral colors.

  “What made you ask the question about Artemis having children?” he asks in a casual

  tone with a friendly smile. His body language, though, seems tense and he’s clenching his hands

  tightly by his side.

  “I just thought that all of the gods had children, that’s it.” I have no idea what I’m talking

  about, but I have acquired some trust issues and his question makes the hair on the back of my

  neck stand up. I don’t know why,but there is something about this man that I just don’t know

  about.

  “Hmm, interesting. Well, if you ever have any other questions that you are curious about

  please feel free to ask. There are so many gods to discuss, my favorite being the Furies. Ever

  heard of them?”

  “Umm, yeah. Hammer of the gods or something like that, right?” He gives me an

  appraising look that makes me very uneasy. “Well I have to get to my next class. Thanks for the

  interesting lecture!” I say as I hurriedly walk out the door, rushing to make my next class. He left an uneasy feeling in my stomach. Why was he asking about the Furies?. Does he

  know who and what I’m? I will definitely have to be more careful around him, and warn the rest

  of the group. Perhaps, talk to Maximus next time I see him. Maybe Mrs. Z not being here and

  this new guy teaching in her place is not a coincidence.

  Chapter 12

  Touched by True Friendship That night, while I’m having dinner with Chelsey and Kristina, I decide to find out about our substitute teacher. I haven’t been able to get our conversation out of my head because something about him seems so off.

  “Kristina , what did you think about the Artemis lecture today?”

  “Are you serious, Trish? I hate that class. Mr. Davis sucks the fun out of everything. I’ve always enjoyed mythology, but since he took over for Mrs. Z that hour of the day is my least favorite. I stillcan’t believehe talked to you like that today. Ugh he makes me so mad.” She picks up a French fry and squishes it between her fingers, clearly showing us what she would like to do to Mr. Davis. I have his name now, but I want more information.

  “So any idea when Mrs. Z will be back?”

  “What? Trish, you know she’s not coming back. Why are you asking me that?” I’m completely stunned and really want to ask more questions, but can’t since Kristina doesn’t know that Ihaven’t been around for a few weeks.

  I decide to let it go for now and just enjoy the food. I have missed Dave’s, which is one of my all-time favorite burger places. I inhale my chocolate shake, cheeseburger, and French fries, listening to the easy chatter between Kristina and Chelsey. I get lost in my thoughts and start daydreaming. When I realize that it has gotten quiet on the other side of the table, I glance in their direction. Both girls are staring at me with uneasy expressions on their face.

  “What’s up?” I ask, enjoying the last sip of my shake.

  “So ... the reason we asked you to come out to dinner with us tonight is because we need to talk to you. As a group,we decided that Kristina and I were the best choices for this.”

  “What’s this? What are you talking about?” I give a nervous laugh, feeling dread engulf me. From experience, I know by the looks on their faces that it’s bad news. “Has something happened?” I almost ask if Allecto has been up to something, but remember that since Kristina is here it must not be related to the Young Creators or Haven. I look back and forth between the two of them, trying to figure out what this could be about. “Just spill it, I can handle it. I’m a big girl.”

  “Okay, well you know how Porsche was trying to show you a video yesterday?” asks Kristina

  “Yeah, what about it?”

  “Remember the trip we took to San Francisco over the weekend?” This comes from Chelsey

  “You two are really starting to annoy me. Yes, I remember the San Francisco trip. Just tell me.” The girls look at each other and then Chelsey nods to Kristina, who reaches for her bookbag and pulls out a laptop. She opens it, and after a few minutes of waiting for it to start and connect to the free Wi-Fi, her fingers quickly type away on the keyboard. As she turns the screen to face me, Chelsey gets up. I watch her as she comes around the table and sits next to me. Giving me an encouraging smile, she hits the play button on the computer.

  The video starts out showing the Golden Gate Bridge, a couple of girls pointing out the different things that are visible from the bridge. Just when I’m about to ask Chelsey whyI’m watching this, I hear one of the girls say something about a hot guy. The video then focuses on Keagan, who is in the middle of telling me off. Oh no, this can’t be.

  “I’m telling you that I have no feelings whatsoever for Trish.” I watch the hurt and confusion cross my face. When Riley notices that I’m behind them, her eyes get large. Next, Keagan spins and yells at me while throwing his arms up in frustration. Finally, the camera zooms in on my face and the tears, which I thought I was containing at the time of the incident, spill forth. I watch as they roll onto my cheek. Keagan continues with his rant, which has the camera back off and refocus on him. The expression on his face breaks my heart all over again. Hate and disgust are visible on it. Then he says the words that crushed me.

  “What do you not understand?I don’t want anything to do with you! Your kind is a last cruel joke that the ancient gods decided to grace us with. I’m not interested in having anything to do with you or anyone like you. You need to leave me the hell alone and stop bothering me! Do you understand that?”

  The video continues with the rest of what happened and focuses on the girls that watched the whole thing. They giggle and laugh, and then go on to talk about the whole thing. This part is almost worse than watching Keagan speak to me like that. They speculate about the situation, how pathetic I was and that I must be a stalker, crazy person, or a retard. When the video finishes, I see that it has had over six million views and hundreds of thousands of comments. Some of the comments are supportive and say how wrong the whole situation is, not only that but that those girls should be ashamed of themselves. The majority of them, though, are hateful and cruel, just like the video. I’m in shock, but realize that Chelsey has her arm around me and is rubbing my back in a comforting way. I glance up from the screen and shake my head, denying the possibility that this could be real. How cruel and hateful.

  “Trish, I know that this is bad and you’re probably hurt and humiliated, but you gotta be strong, keep your head up, and not let this get to you. You can’t let people like Porsche get to you. I know that you are stronger than them.I’m really sorry that this happened to you, and if it were at all possible I wouldn’t have had you see that video, but we thought it would be better this way versus what Porsche has planned for you,” Kristina tells me with compassion in her eyes.

  “I completely agree with Kristina, Trish. I know that it’s hard to put aside something like this, but you are my best friend. I’ve seen you at your worst and best,
and I know that compared to everything else this should not even matter.” I try to gain my composure, giving them a watered-down smile;it’s the best that I can do right now.

  I think back to when Porsche tried really hard to humiliate me in front of our entire dorm. “Keagan tried sparing me from all of this, didn’t he? Did he ask you two to do his?”

  “He didn’t, and honestly you should remember that he is the reason all of this is happening. I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but no one deserves to be treated how he’s been treating you. I don’t care how hot Keagan is.” I can’t help but smile at Kristina’s outburst.

  “There it is.” Turning to Chelsey, I see a grin on her face. In answer to my raised eyebrow, she says,“You were smiling.”

  “You two are true friends. I know you meant well and were trying to protect me, but ultimately this still sucks.” Thinking about earlier this morning and the promise of being strong and holding my head up, facing problems versus running away,pops into my mind. “I can handle it. Thanks for looking out for me.” Both girls hug me, and we head back to the dorms after paying our bill. Walking out the door of the burger joint, I notice several people staring and chuckling. It seems like everyone has seen the video. Now that I’m aware of the reason for all of the extra attention, I think it was almost nice being ignorant of the entire situation.. It’s everywhere I turn, and even though I try to keep my head up, it’s getting hard after a few ugly comments and several people snapping pictures. I finally break when I overhear a girl tell her friend that she is going to post it to her Facebook page with the subtitle,‘Which is it? Stalker, Crazy or Retard? I think she is a Stalker’. I hurry out, knowing that the waterworks will come any minute now. Chelsey, being the good friend that she is, puts her arm around me, which causes some guys that are enteringDave’s to make catcalls at us.

  The video was only posted a few days ago. I can’t believe that it has spread so fast; it seems like everyone knows. This becomes blatantly obvious when we get back to Dalton, and I notice all the snickers and degrading glances that are thrown at me.

  “Has this been going on all along, did I just not notice?” I ask Chelsey.

  “We’ve been working really hard to distract you. Wejust didn’t want you to get hurt, Trish.” Looking at Chelsey, I can see the sadness in her eyes and how bad she feels. This really sucks! Part of me just wants to crawl into a hole and hide. I know that Ican’t do that, it’ll just get worse if I do, so I stick with what I’ve been telling myself all day. Head up, stand proud, and do notrun away from this. Don’t let themsee any weakness.