School of Deaths

by Christopher Mannino

“Rain sounds like it’s letting up,” said Billy. “We can head out in a little while, and go around the campus a bit. Or we can stay here. It’s up to you two. I’m supposed to be showing you around.”

  “You showed us a lot yesterday,” said Suzie. “I liked climbing the Tower.”

  “I’m glad.” He broke off as someone knocked at the door. Billy looked at Suzie and Jason but neither moved. He rose.

  “Yes?” he asked, opening the door a crack.

  “I’ve seen you around,” said a boy’s voice. “You’re Billy, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “We had Theory together last year. I’m Frank.”

  “Yes, I remember now. What do you want?”

  “May I come in for a second?”

  Billy opened the door, and Frank walked in. Suzie realized he was the same skinny Death who had smiled at her yesterday. He had freckles and dark brown eyes, almost black. He reminded her a little of herself, with dark hair and freckles. His hair was blacker than ink, it almost looked fake. A cluster of pimples on his cheeks and nose combined with the freckles giving him a mottled appearance. He smiled again, brushing strands of wet hair out of his eyes.

  “What do you want?” asked Billy.

  “I’m sorry for the guys yesterday,” he said. “A lot of them, especially the later years, well they’re freaked she’s here.”

  “Yes, and?” said Billy, his expression icy.

  “Well.” He turned to Suzie. “I wanted to tell you we’re not all like that. Some of us admire your bravery. Takes guts just to be here.”

  “Thank you. I’m Suzie.”

  “I’m Frank.” They shook hands. “Not every Death here will be mean to you. Some of us accept you.”

  “How’d you find out she lives here?” Billy seemed suspicious. Had he forgotten the smile yesterday?

  “I asked Hann. Look, if you want me to go—”

  “No,” said Suzie. “Sit please, make yourself comfortable.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’ve met other Deaths who don’t mind that I’m here?”

  Frank hesitated, sitting awkwardly on the side of the couch. “Yes,” he said. “Not too many, and most won’t admit right away. Sometimes people like to blend in.”

  Jason snorted a short laugh.

  “You are a normal person, even if you’re a girl,” said Frank. “Yes, others agree with me.”

  “And why didn’t they come as well?” asked Billy.

  “I asked some of my friends to, but like I said, people like to blend in.”

  “It’s fine,” said Suzie. Despite Billy’s hesitation, she trusted Frank. She sensed something kind and familiar about him. “You’re a second-year student like Billy?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you like being a Death?”

  Frank turned to her with a puzzled expression. “Doesn’t matter if I like it or not,” he said. “I’m here.”

  “I wondered if you were getting used to this place, or if you still missed home.” She sighed. “I miss home.”

  “This is home now,” said Frank. “And being a Death, well, I guess I do enjoy it, at times.”

  “You ready for term? Starts tomorrow,” said Billy.

  “I am ready. I don’t like summer, gets boring. And we’ve got boskery this year.”

  “What team are you hoping for?” Billy’s expression changed, and he smiled.

  “Dragon Seekers. Angus Wright told me he’d keep an eye on me.”

  “Francois Martin told me the same. I guess I’ll be competing with you at try-outs.”

  “Frenchie?” asked Frank. “You guys friends?”

  “Not friends, not exactly. We worked together in Applications a bit.”

  “He’s an interesting guy,” said Frank. He turned to Suzie. “And he’s one of the ones I’d avoid. Been saying a lot of things against women, ever since word got out that a girl was here.”

  “Who’s this?” asked Suzie.

  “A third year student, and a bully,” replied Frank.

  “He is a bit tough,” said Billy. “I’m not too surprised he’s said things about girls.”

  “Good luck at try-outs,” said Frank.

  “You too.”

  “I’d better get going,” said Frank. He turned to Susan. “If you ever need anything, I’m in Lion Three, room five.”

  “Lion Three, room five.” she repeated.

  “Yes, or send word through Hann or another teacher. They seem creepy, but it’s their job to help.”

  Frank rose and again shook Billy’s hand. “See you Thursday,” he said.

  “Okay.”

  Frank left and Suzie sat at the table.

  “This won’t be too bad,” said Billy. “Some people will be nice to you. Let’s go look around the school a bit. Looks like the rain’s stopped.”

  Suzie spent the rest of the day walking through corridors and peering into classrooms. When Billy brought them by a mound with a picture of a lion holding three scythes, she circled the location on her map, although she didn’t see Frank. They went to the Hall, but it was closed.

  “They’ll open for breakfast tomorrow,” said Billy. “The Hall’s pretty amazing.”

  Jason was silent most of the day, and for long periods Suzie, too, found herself growing silent. Her life was radically different now. She was alone in an alien world, the only girl, and tomorrow would be the beginning of school, the beginning of her real trial here.

  When they walked back to Eagle Two, Suzie caught a glimpse of East Tower, looming above her with menace, disappearing into the gray clouds. Light flickered in a high window, and she wondered if anyone was watching. She turned to her side as the edge of a black cube emerged from around a corner. The Examination Room. Would she make it through the year?

  It would begin tomorrow, when school started. She took a deep breath. She was ready.

  Chapter Seven

  The First Day

  Suzie awoke early. Peering behind her curtain, she gazed out at the still dark sky. Her first day of school in the College of Deaths. She showered and changed into the nicest outfit left for her, a purple dress with white trim, which fit nicely. She pulled out a small lipstick tube from the back of the dresser. It had been in her pocket when Cronk took her from home, the only makeup she owned. She dabbed a bit on her lips: if she was the only girl in this world, she might as well look feminine.

  “Wow, Suzie, you look great,” said Billy, when she walked into the kitchen.

  “Thanks, Billy.”

  “Since term is starting, the Hall will be open for meals. That’s where everyone goes, at least for breakfast and lunch, and most guys for dinner too. I’ll take you in, and then we’ll start school. They usually make a few speeches and stuff at the first Hall anyway. Welcome to school, that sort of thing.”

  “I’m nervous,” said Jason, wiping his nose on his shirt. “Classes and stuff. Being a Death.”

  “It’s a living,” said Billy.

  “Is that a pun?” asked Suzie.

  “Maybe,” said Billy, smiling.

  Suzie returned to her room and got her books, her map, and the pouch with Athanasius’s cake.

  “Here,” said Billy, popping his head in. He tossed her a backpack. “From a job in Mexico last year.”

  “This looks like a kid’s backpack,” said Suzie.

  “Everybody dies.”

  She said nothing. The grim morbidity of this world was only now sinking in. It was beautiful, but this was still the World of the Dead. This wasn’t any normal school; she was training to be a Death.

  “You can wear the dress, you look great,” said Billy, “but you’ll need a robe over it. First day of school is formal, supposed to wear our robes. Starting tomorrow you only have to wear a robe for Applications, though some guys never take theirs off.”

  “Okay,” she said. She went to the closet and put on one of the large robes. She tucked the hood beneath her long hair and went to the mirror. She still looked pretty, t
hough her dress was completely covered. The sleeves were far too large, hanging down in great flaps. The yellow skull patch glared at her.

  “The skull means you aren’t certified,” said Billy, pulling on his own robe, which also had a yellow skull. “Every kid at school has one. Other than your hair and face, you look like a Death.”

  “Thanks. I think.”

  They met Jason, who also wore his robe. “C’mon,” said Billy. “We don’t want to be late.”

  They hurried across the campus, passing through mazes of stone. A few other Deaths walked in the same direction.

  “Where is everyone?” murmured Billy. “We’re not late.”

  They walked past East Tower and climbed a long flight of stairs. Then they stopped.

  Standing in front of the Hall was a mob of at least a hundred Deaths. They shouted and some held signs. One sign read “No Girls,” another “The Bitch Is A Witch” and another said “Burn Her.” Suzie shuddered, and Billy put a hand on her shoulders.

  “What’s going on?” he shouted.

  “We don’t want girls here.”

  “Send her away. She’s not wanted.”

  The crowd shouted taunts and jeers, one after the other. One Death threw something over their heads and the crowd cheered. Another threw a stone, striking Suzie in the face. She staggered back, her cheek stinging.

  “Let us through,” said Billy. “She’s a student here too.”

  Jason stood near them but didn’t speak; he looked ready to run away.

  “Why are you helping her, Billy?” shouted one Death. “You got a girlfriend now?”

  The crowd laughed. Several older boys surged forward and tried to grab them. One knocked Jason’s books to the ground. He went to pick them up, and Suzie knelt to help him. The crowd surged, pulling Billy away from her. One boy pulled up the bottom of her robe.

  “She’s got a dress on,” the Death laughed. “Girly wants to be pretty.”

  “Leave them alone,” shouted a voice. The Deaths backed off, and Suzie spun around. Billy broke free and returned to her side. Frank and three other older boys stood behind her. Frank turned to the crowd again.

  “Leave her alone, I said. You should be ashamed of yourselves.” Frank’s eyes flashed with anger.

  Another stone flew out of the crowd, soaring above his head. He clenched his fist and closed his eyes. The crowd yelled and taunted again. One Death smiled at Suzie then opened his mouth and spat at her.

  “Enough,” boomed a loud voice. The Deaths fell silent. A dozen men in bright purple robes climbed the stairs behind them. An older man in a white robe followed. The Deaths parted, making a path.

  “Get into the Hall,” said one of the men. The Deaths started leaving.

  “It’s the Council of Twelve,” whispered Billy as they followed the others into the Hall. “The one in white is Lord Coran. They’re in charge of the World. I’ve never seen all thirteen at once.”

  Suzie was relieved to find a group of Deaths already in the Hall. Not everyone had protested her entry. Some of the ones from the crowd glared, but others avoided looking at her.

  The Hall was long and narrow. Portraits of Deaths in purple robes, each holding a scythe, lined the walls. The walls themselves were earthen, like the walls of a cavern, similar to the mounds they passed when walking through the College. At the far end of the cave-like Hall, two massive scythes hung on the wall, with a painted skull between them. A large hourglass protruded from the rocky wall beneath the scythes. A series of arches and columns supported the ceiling, which held massive bowls filled with the strange, glowing flowers. Several skylights let in shafts of early sunlight, which shone into the Hall at angles. Three enormous tables with benches on either side stretched the length of the hall. A fourth table was raised and perpendicular to the others, beneath the skull and scythes at the end of the Hall. The Council of Twelve and Lord Coran sat at the far table. Billy led Suzie to the corner of one of the long tables, and they sat with Frank and Jason.

  Plates and silverware were already laid out. The Deaths sat, and the Hall buzzed with anxious conversation.

  “Silence,” shouted a voice from the table at the end. One of the purple-robed figures rose.

  “The Headmaster,” whispered Billy. The Hall silenced.

  Headmaster Sindril stood behind the center of the table next to the white-robed Lord Coran. A neatly trimmed black beard, flecked with gray, framed his angular face. His hair was short and slicked back, and he wore a monocle. He smiled.

  “Welcome,” he said, his deep voice filling the room. “Welcome Deaths, new and old. And a special welcome to Susan Sarnio. Susan, please stand.”

  Suzie’s face turned beet-red. She rose, staring at the table in front of her, aware that the entire Hall was staring at her. Several Deaths muttered.

  “Susan is the first female Death in a million years,” said Sindril.

  “Kill the bitch,” shouted a voice from the far side of the Hall. Several others murmured their approval. Suzie sat down.

  “Now, now,” said Sindril. “I understand many of you are angry about this situation. I myself was surprised to learn she was here. However, Susan is a Death. She is one of us.” He paused, letting the words sink in. “This is a historic opportunity, a chance to change this world for the better. Do not sink to hate, but instead rise to the challenge. I ask all of you to treat Suzie with respect, and show her every courtesy. If anyone does not, if we have any more incidents…” He glared around the Hall and several Deaths looked away. “There will be serious consequences.”

  Billy put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and forced a smile.

  “Do not let this overshadow our purpose,” said Sindril. “You are here to learn, study, and one day take your places as fully-certified Deaths. I expect excellence. Please rise.”

  The entire Hall stood.

  “Have a wonderful year, and good luck.”

  He nodded and they sat again. Suzie glanced at the head table and watched Sindril help Lord Coran sit. The Headmaster leaned to Coran and whispered something in his ear, which made Coran smile. The white-robed old man stared Suzie in the eyes and she quickly looked away.

  Servants came in with large platters of food, placing them on each table. Suzie noticed one of the servants had large yellow eyes, reminding her of Athanasius. Another servant pulled his hand away from the tray, as she stared at what looked like green skin.

  The meal passed in a blur. The food smelled good but Suzie hardly ate. Her stomach clenched in anger and tension. Billy and Frank talked about boskery. Jason never looked up from his food. Suzie didn’t talk, even when Billy tried to bring her into the conversation.

  “It’s time,” said Billy, glancing at the hourglass over the head table. Strange-looking servants cleared the plates and the Deaths rose.

  “Time for classes,” said Frank. “You ready?”

  Suzie glanced down at the schedule Hann had given her. What did it matter? They hated her. Every one of them.

  “Hey,” said Billy. “Don’t let them get to you. Headmaster Sindril doesn’t mess around, and once classes get going, no one will have time to worry about you.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “What do you have first?” asked Frank.

  “I have Theory first, in Room thirty-two.”

  “That’s in West Tower,” said Billy, “where we went on Saturday.”

  “I have Theory first too,” said Jason, “in the same room.”

  “At least I have a friend in my class.”

  “Can I see your schedule?” asked Billy. “We have Applications together at the end of the day. It’s your only mixed-year class. Well, you and Jason should get going. I’m headed the other direction, myself. I’ll meet you guys back here for lunch.”

  “I hope we get into lunch without another scene,” said Suzie. “Maybe I’ll eat somewhere else.”

  He leaned in close, whispering in her ear. “Suzie, what happened didn’t surprise me. It’s a m
ale world, and they’re not ready for you. You can’t let them get to you. Jason, Frank, and I—we’re your friends. You’re not alone. Don’t forget.”

  “Thanks, Billy.”

  “Bill,” shouted a voice across the hall. Billy walked away.

  Frank nodded, following Billy.

  “You ready?” asked Jason.

  “Yes.”

  They left the Hall. When she walked onto the staircase outside, a Death grabbed her arm from behind. He stood behind her, and Suzie couldn’t see his face.

  “I don’t care what Sindril says,” he growled. “You’re not wanted, bitch.”

  He let her go, and Suzie stumbled forward. Jason, walking in front of her, hadn’t even noticed. She continued, without bothering to turn around.

  “Susan, wait a minute,” called a low voice. She stood still but didn’t turn around. Jason stopped.

  “Susan,” a voice touched her back.

  “Back off,” she said, spinning around. She stared at Headmaster Sindril’s frowning face. He adjusted his monocle and scratched his beard.

  “I’m sorry, Headmaster,” she said, blushing. “I didn’t—”

  “It’s all right. I’m sure this is difficult for you. Let me walk you to your first class. You have Theory now?”

  “Yes, how did—?”

  “Susan, it’s my job to oversee the students here. I’m Headmaster of both Colleges, Junior and Senior. But we’ve never had a student like you.”

  “You mean a girl.”

  They walked downstairs, heading toward the enormous West Tower. The sky was bright now, and the sun shone behind them. Scattered clouds lingered around the tower. To her right, in a barren stone courtyard, sat the black cube of the Examination Room.

  “Susan, I’m a friend. If you ever need anything, come to my office in East Tower. I want you to feel comfortable here at the College.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “The year will be hard for you, of course. But if I can help in any way, let me know.”

  “Again, thank you.”

  They reached West Tower. Deaths glanced at her, but no one approached, probably fearful of Sindril.

  “Your class is on the third floor. We will meet again. Good luck.” He held out a hand, which Suzie shook. Sindril turned and walked away.