by Bob Dattolo
The diminishing numbers on the clock tell me to keep running, yet I can’t help thinking that Levi’s stuck here. Can I force him to shift back to human like the researchers that tried to force me to shift? I’m not sure. He can’t shift quickly enough on his own to do it in time, but can I make him do it?
Fuck!
Should I?
That’s the better question. Is a powerless Levi better than a dead one? Or better than one forced to graduate?
Before I can stop myself, power blasts out of me as I turn and flap back. He roars in agony as it hits him, and I’m shocked when he instantly starts getting smaller, all the while struggling against whatever I’m hitting him with.
Then more magic shoves him into my hands, where my claws dig into his shoulders and I head back at the path. He’s heavy as fuck until the last 20 feet or so, then he’s in the air, staring back at me in rage and shock as I follow right on his tail, running across the beam with everything in me.
I had four seconds on the clock when my first foot hit the beam.
There were two left when Angelica, Parece, and Samantha caught me on the other side.
Chapter 42
The entire room shifted as the clock reached zero, and the other side of the space faded as the magic blocked it from our sight. Behind the group that was staring at me in shock, huge doors opened, and adults were lined up clapping.
The same fuckhead from before was on another little platform, “Congratulations! You have all passed your trial for year one!” More cheering. More clapping.
The kids closest to them started shuffling that way. The kids around me broke up and we were semi pulled along with them. Ryan was at Levi’s side, helping him up. Ryan was staring at me as if he never saw something like me before, while Levi stared death my way.
So much for gratitude that I saved him.
Fuckhead didn’t talk again until we moved in closer, “I’m sure many of you are wondering, but there were no surviving students in the trial when the timer ended.” He indicated the number around us, “As you can see? 48 of your fellow classmates failed the trial today. Some were bested by the challenges. Others were bested by your fellow classmates. Only we know exactly what happened in every instance.” His smile tells me that he loves having that information over us. “We have medical care for those of you that are injured. We have food. Your trial today marks the last day of year one at the academy. Year two is right around the corner. You have free time until then. For those of you that need to stay on campus, you can do so. For those of you leaving? Know this; if you fail to return on time, you will be hunted down and made a plaything that wishes mortmagi were used on them. Trust me on this. At least once a decade someone has the bright idea to run. They never evade us. Never. Now, the buses are waiting for you all to return. Clean up. Visit the infirmary if it’s needed. Food will be piping hot by the time you arrive. And…congratulations. You all deserve your downtime.”
Then, as if what he said was a good thing, the adults cheered again.
Weary classmates boarded the single bus. Some did stop to get bandages, but they’ll more than likely need more attention once we’re back. I did a number on Ryan’s shoulders, as an example. Still, though, we went from three buses due to the number of students and adults going with us to a single bus. Some adults are staying behind, while our numbers are down. Drastically.
I wasn’t in the front seat this time. I frankly wasn’t watching where I was going and ended up next to Kaylee closer to the back.
Ryan and Levi were in the seats across the aisle from us. Samantha and Parece in front of us. Angelica and Kynal across from them and in front of Levi. Paige, Riley, and Gage are in the row in front of them. I can’t make out who else is sitting with Gage.
The row directly in front had been turned around staring at me for a solid five minutes of driving before Samantha spoke. “Why the fuck did you do it?”
“Because I love the cream so much. I figured why not put double in? Mark from Accounting came up with the Double Stuf name. I originally wanted Choco Orgasm, but marketing didn’t think that would play well in the bible belt.”
She snickered, while Parece rubbed her face, “Oh my fucking God, that’s really just how she is?”
“Yeah, I’m starting to think that.” She cocked her head, “Why did you do what you did? You could have gotten across earlier. You fucking ran across like it was nothing. You could have…God, you could have killed Ryan. You could have left Levi. You could have killed him. Hell, you could have left him to fail and be magicless, yet you didn’t. You risked a ton of fucking everything for all of that mess. Why did you do it?”
Shrugging, I looked across all of them. Confusion on their faces. Rage and some fear on Levi’s face. “I told you why. I told you about my dragon. I get that most of you wouldn’t have done what I did. I do. I don’t understand it, but I get it. Could I have killed Ryan? Yeah. Easily. The only upside to doing it is gaining more powers. Or possibly removing an ally for Levi. Yet saving him? I see more upside there.”
“Yet you saved Levi? What, do you think he’ll change his mind about you?” Angelica looked over to the pissed dragon.
As did everyone else. “Do I think it’ll change his mind? No. Not even remotely. I get it. I killed his parents. That pisses him off. As it should. Yet from my perspective? It was self-defense. If he wants to kill me for that, then that’s his right. I could have left him. Easily. It nearly cost me my own magic to grab him and save him. Yet…it didn’t feel right to me. I get his anger. His hurt. I don’t understand the hatred of someone that’s a stricken. That one flies right by me. But the rest? I get it. Maybe it’s that, even though I know he won’t change his mind, maybe he will. Like I said? I would love to pull us all together. Yet we can’t all be together if more of us are dead. Do I like what he does with his power? I don’t. He’s a bully. Yet that’s what our world teaches us we need to be. I hate it. With everything in me. I really do. Yet…God, like I said? Maybe he’ll change. I don’t expect it. I really don’t.”
“I’m gonna fucking kill you.” Levi’s voice is soft, yet it still cuts through the noise on the bus.
“I know, Levi. I know. I wish you’d give it up. I understand your hurt. Maybe therapy? I’d even be willing to go with you. We can go to couples’ therapy together. Maybe then you can see my side. I can see yours. And neither of us have to die.”
“It’s like listening to a raggedy corpse talk and talk and talk.”
“Yeah…yeah.” I shrugged, “I know I made things harder on myself. I don’t like that, but I had to try. I really did.”
The rows in front that had been on their knees staring at us shared looks, then they dropped down and promptly didn’t say another word the rest of the way back to school.
Once we arrived, those that were injured peeled off to get treatment. I didn’t see anyone that I think is permanently injured, but there will be scarring. And possibly physical therapy. At least for some of them.
The dragons will shift a few times, possibly, and may have scars from their injuries. Yet should be mostly healed.
My weary feet carried me up to our room, with Parece coming in behind me and letting the door close. Paige and Riley can already be heard in their room.
Parece looked around the room, “Your stuff is fucked. Do you want to wear some of my clothes? Until you get more?”
Huh, “Maybe? If you can? I’m not sure if Samantha will be okay with that?”
Her smile was weak, yet real, “She’d be okay. Year one is over. Allies get reassessed. That sort of thing.”
“My God, man. This is seriously the stuff of nightmares.”
“That it is.” She nodded to the bathroom, “You want to take a shower together? We can help each other get clean?”
That thought makes me smile, “You know what? I think I’d like that. Lord knows I have to have blood all over me that’ll be a pain in the ass to get off.”
“You do. So do I.”
She does, too.
“Let’s do it?”
She opened the door and headed in, getting the water running. Paige came through the door on the other side and started the other shower. She shook her head when she saw me, yet it looks honest. Like she can’t believe what’s happening, yet sort of does. Not that she said anything.
Parece and I stepped under the water and let it soak into us. I was so not expecting her to slowly pull me into a hug. Nor was I expecting the silent tears.
From either of us.
Her silence spell went up, yet I could tell that it’s only blocking our heads and not the water noise. That will make the others think nothing is happening.
“I was so scared.” She trembled in my arms.
“I know. Me too.”
“You didn’t act it!”
“I was, though.” I thought back through everything. “That whole thing? None of it was needed that I can see. Literally none of it. Now we have less than half of our class to do year two? Why others don’t have a problem with it is beyond me.”
“We do, it’s just our world.”
“Yeah, well your world sucks.”
“Your world too.”
“I know.”
She squeezed me tighter before releasing me and letting the water course down her face again. “Thank you for everything you did.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Did you really put up walls on the beam at the end to stop people from falling?”
“Yeah? I thought it might work. Thank God it did. Otherwise, I’m not sure if Ryan and Kaylee would have made it. Or Levi.”
“I can’t believe you saved him. You know he’s not gonna stop!”
“I know. I’m hoping he will, but I won’t hold my breath.”
“Yeah, don’t.”
We traded loofahs and soaped up, then each started washing the other. I feel like we’re grooming each other like animals, which may be exactly what’s happening since we’re dragons.
“Year one’s done. Not at all like what I thought it would be. I’m not sure I would have made it across except for what you did.”
“Maybe not. We can’t say either way, so…what a mess.”
“It was. Thank you again for that. You’re the only reason like half of our class made it across. We were all fighting and fighting, and…a bunch would have died. I know the others nearly turned on me a few times.”
“You’re welcome.”
Silent washing for a bit, “What are you doing for break?”
“Umm, honestly? No idea. It’s not like I have a home, you know? Or even a license. So that means I probably stay here. No idea what I’ll do here, but that’s about it.”
“You want to go with us?”
Huh?
She snorted, “You smell so surprised.”
“Umm, you just asked me to do something with you? Over break? Seriously?”
“Uh, yeah? Why not?”
“Because as much as you were nice to me on your own, you were kinda not an ally for most of the time here?”
“Yeah, but were not in school any longer.”
Oh my fucking God, this is crazy. “It’s that easy for you guys?”
“It is. It’s how we were raised. We all have friends of the family that our parents went to the academy with that nearly killed them. Or were outright enemies.”
“So fucked up.”
She nudged me, “So? Go with us?”
Freaking hell, “Who is us? And where are you going?”
“Me, Samantha, and Angelica? We’re gonna head out. Maybe drive around the country? We’re not firm on that yet. Probably not visit home, but maybe.”
“Why not go home?”
She shrugged, “Issues with our parents? Maybe, though. We’ll see. We have three months, so we figured we’d make it up as we go. Maybe go to LA and see the sights? Florida? Spend some time on the beach? Find fun things to do?”
“So…seriously? You graduate and then you hop in a car and just…go on vacation?”
She nodded, eyes serious, “Year two starts in three months.” She touched my cheek tenderly, “You see how it’s changed us. You saw the kids getting off the bus. We’re not the same kids we were when we got here. We may have all known what this would be like, but the reality? From 88 kids to 40 in six hours. We’re changed. We need something…maybe not normal, but normal. A vacation. No threats of death. No plots. Just…fun. Hanging out. Talking. That’s why we were leaning against seeing our parents. Because they’d probably push us into plotting more. We just haven’t crossed it out entirely.”
“Is this what everyone else is doing too? Vacation?”
She shrugged, “I’m not really sure? Angelica said that Kynal and Gage had plans with their family. Paige and Riley do as well. I know some of the others are going to do the same sort of thing, I’m just not sure who all will be doing that versus not.”
“Ugh…this is so weird.”
She turned me a little to get more of my back as I hit a tough spot on her. “So? You haven’t said yes or no. I get if you want to stay here, but…rest? Relaxation? The beach? Maybe we can get some guys for you?”
“I’m gonna have to go with a no on the guy thing. What with what Reggie’s friends used to do to me? I’m not exactly in a guy kind of mood.”
Her smile changed, “Well then, there’ll be three of us there if you ever want to play?”
“Yeah, I saw how you and Samantha play.”
She shocked me by leaning in and lightly kissing me. Nothing deep, but it still hit me pretty hard. “I’m more than willing to help you branch out. I’m sure the other two would as well.”
What the hell, man.
“So, thoughts?”
We continued to wash while I thought, and she let me get lost for a bit. Memories and flashes of everything that happened in the trial kept flickering through my brain, then it runs into the idea that they plan on going on vacation together. As if nearly nothing happened, and kids didn’t die by the dozens.
And yet this is our world. My world. I can say no and stay here. I can. Alone? Maybe. With people I don’t know? More than likely.
What about Kaylee? She’d never come. Is she staying here?
I don’t know.
What I do know, though, is that I feel a push to join them. Will it be four dragons against the world? No, not really, yet it’ll be the four of us seeing parts of the world that may be forever lost to us once we step foot back here again next year. Facing the reality that it’ll be everyone out for themselves.
So…yeah, maybe spending three months connecting will help? Maybe next year will see us in a better place? Protective of each other?
Or…more likely? It’ll see us back how we were, just with three months of hopefully good memories to see us through to our possible death.
Year one at Sorrowfeld Academy is over. Done. 48 out of 88 of us gone or dead in six hours. A travesty and a horror, yet exactly what this fucked up society has set in place for us.
Maybe staying here isn’t a great idea. I haven’t ever taken a vacation that I can fully recall, those snippets of Disney World notwithstanding.
Year one is done. Year two is three months away. Do I do it? Three months with a former ally and two kinda former enemies?
Stranger things, right? Maybe it comes down to that. Stranger things.
I do know this, though, I don’t want year two to start with me having experienced nothing that this world had to offer other than the nightmare fuel they feed to us here by the casket load.
You know what? I’m gonna do it.
Let’s do something for me. Maybe by doing that, we’ll create an us that’ll be the nucleus for good things next year.
I can hope. I can dream.
Nine years ago, I walked into that inducement ceremony with hopes and dreams and goals. I don’t recall the specifics of what they were, but I know they were there. I was nine years old. A little girl with a hurting tummy and magic in my eyes
waiting to experience life.
Now I’m 18. More jaded than I ever expected to be. But I’m alive. My parents took me down. Expected me to die.
I survived.
Jean expected me to die.
I survived.
Reggie expected me to die.
I survived.
90 classmates on that first day stepping in here, and they expected me to die.
I survived.
Maybe now it’s time to live. For at least three months, it’s time to live. To see. To experience. Sorrowfeld Academy will be waiting for us at the end of our time together. The pressure cooker will start again, pushing us towards slaughtering each other in an orgy of violence.
Tuck the nightmare back into bed, close the closet door and trap it away, and step out into the light of three months of freedom.
Is this what it feels like to have a goal? I have to say, I like it.
I really, really like it.
Author’s Note: Hey – you still with me? If so, thank you so much for reading and then hanging out for at least a minute more. I won’t be too long.
This is book one of the Sorrowfeld Academy series. I hope you enjoyed the introduction to Maddie and to her world and her life.
I wanted Maddie to be a bit different from characters I’ve written before. I’ve had plenty of characters get shoved into awful situations and come out the other side stronger, but I never had one with quite the mentality that she has.
There’s something about her that I like. Her strength. Her willingness to do whatever it takes to get to her goals. Her desire to fight back against anything and everything coming at her and trying to dominate her.
Sometimes life is hard, right? Too many things come at you that take control that you can’t get back. COVID comes to mind and everything going on right now. Too many people have lost control…and Maddie’s my version of a character taking control back for herself.
Much like other “academy” type series, I envisioned this one having one book per year that she’s there, making this a trilogy. In the end, we’re looking at four books. Books 1-3 are done, with book 4 being about halfway finished right now. When I got to the end of 3, I realized that there was more to tell, and I couldn’t end it the way I did. I’m hoping everyone likes Maddie’s journey.
