⋙Story One⋘
I want to let out the most guttural scream the world has ever heard.
“Get off of me! Let go!” That’s all I can manage. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears. Over the ringing. It’s so fast. It’s too fast. The thud of her body hitting the ground echoes in my head and the rest of the world goes silent.
And silence is far scarier than sound.
⋙⌽⋘
“What are you thinking about?” Footsteps approach my chair from behind. I look up to see a familiar face hanging above me, a smile pulled from ear to ear. Sweet perfume sweeps my senses as the figure moves into view.
“Nothing...” I say. An eyebrow raises. The seat in front of me is no longer vacant. “Everything?”
“I’ll drink to that!”
“Ellie, you’re drinking orange juice out of a coffee mug.” Her hand waves over the mug, the liquid fading into a new brown colour. A pink glow emits from a pendant sitting on her ring finger. “Even if you use illusion magic, it’s still orange juice.”
Her cheeks flush red, now hidden by her comically large cup. Three cacti stare at me as I try to see her face, ‘don’t be a prick’ screaming at me.
“You’re adorable.”
⋙⌽⋘
“What are you thinking about?” Footsteps approach my chair from behind. I look up to see a familiar face hanging above me, a smile pulled from ear to ear. Sweet perfume sweeps my senses as the figure moves into view.
“Nothing...” I say. An eyebrow raises. The seat in front of me is no longer vacant. “Everything?”
“I’ll drink to that!”
“Ellie, you’re drinking orange juice out of a coffee mug.” Her hand waves over the mug, the liquid fading into a new brown colour. A pink glow emits from a pendant sitting on her ring finger. “Even if you use illusion magic, it’s still orange juice.”
Her cheeks flush red, now hidden by her comically large cup. Three cacti stare at me as I try to see her face, ‘don’t be a prick’ screaming at me.
“You’re adorable.”
“And you’re an over-thinker, Avery.” She places the cup down, leaning her elbows against the dark wood. Her head rests in her hand, her eyes filled with an admiration I haven’t seen from her since high school. “You think too much.”
“Thank you, Ms Rivera. An over-thinker overthinks. How are you vice-princip-” I’m interrupted by the door slamming open. Ellie’s head snaps over her shoulder, eyes wide in fear and curiosity. “Madelyn?”
She hurls the door shut, falling into it as her chest heaves up and down. “Your students are psychotic! They’re running in circles out there!”
“Says you, you almost burnt down the school in year eleven,” Ellie says, spinning her whole body around. Maddie rolls her eyes, adjusting the lopsided tiara sat amongst golden strands of hair. She’s careful about the way she handles the green and silver embellishments. “You ripped someone in half with a vine in the basement, like, two months later.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t have you two as my principal and vice-principal.” She pulls herself away from the door. Green heels tap against the floorboards, muffling as they reach the carpet. “That’s not why I’m here.”
“So why are you here?” I raise an eyebrow at her. “Why did you barge into my office for the first time in 6 months? Without a phone call first.”
“This.” With nothing else to say, she whacks a piece of paper onto the desk, falling into the empty seat. “It appeared in my office last night. I couldn’t sleep, like I was being watched.”
Ellie picks up the paper, studying it carefully. “No wonder, ‘We see you’? That’s terrifying.”
“Let me see?” My heart sinks. As Ellie said, clear as rain, ‘We see you,’ written in some deep crimson substance. “Is this blood?”
“Looks like it. I-” Maddie’s cut off, everything suddenly happening at once. I’m not sure if it’s the flash of light or the cracking sound that pierces through the air, but we know for certain that this is not going to end well. In unison, we’re drawn to the window.
I’ve seen it all at this point. Murder, magic, much worse. But nothing like this. The once smooth ground, covered in grass, was now uneven. A deep rumbling shakes the floor beneath us. Ellie loses her balance. Luckily, I’m there to catch her.
“What do we do?”
“Come with me. Ellie, get everyone safe. Meet us outside when you’re done.” The three of us race out of the room, each on our own separate missions. I can’t help but feel weighed down. Jeans are not the best armour. Maddie seems to have the same problem. No ballgown is bulletproof.
I’m suddenly aware of everything. My feet hitting the concrete, green fabric swaying around Maddie’s legs as she runs, the wind whistling in my ears. Everything is happening. And then I’m happening.
“What’s the situation?” Ellie runs up behind us in a flash of pink. Anxious, she pulls at her sleeves, allowing them to sit in her palms.
“Whoever they are, they can only control the elements,” Maddie says, scanning the perimeter. Before our eyes, a row of men phase into existence, paired with a spectrum of glowing colours. “...And illusions... Avery, can you still do the thing?”
“I- It’s been a while. Hold on…” It’s almost impossible to tell if time has slowed down or sped up. I raise my hand, palm facing the sky. One deep breath and small sparks appear from the tips of my calloused fingers. The pale green glow from Maddie’s crown is weak, but it’s there.
Concentrate, Avery. Concentrate. And then the flames come, unexpected. All at once rather than sparked into life. I stumble back, but I regain my balance soon after. We know what we need to do. As a collective. A shared nod sends us into battle.
I can’t say I know what happens.
I know it happens all at once.
Fire fights the earth. The land is soon destroyed. I’m in pain, but I have to stand my ground. The world blurs, but I have to keep focused. I’m so far gone, but her voice brings me back.
“Avery! Look, I did it!” Ellie stands over a group of men, a pink glow fading. They’re not moving. Not moving… The sparkle in her eye scares me. The smile on her face fills me with pride.
This is when time slows down. Everything goes quiet. All movement ceases. A scared expression washes over Ellie’s face. I only now hear the gunshot. The ringing. She goes to speak, her bottom lip shaking. Her eyes well with tears. I want to move, but I’m paralysed. I can’t get to her. I can’t help her.
But now, she’s gone.
“I’m not the villain of this story, Madelyn. I never will be.” My heart pounds inside my chest. My stomach flips, and my voice rings in my ears. Words are spat like sharp knives, cold, unrelenting. It’s not like what I’m saying isn’t true, but this isn’t who I am. “If you can name one thing that I’ve ever done to wrong you in this life, I’ll retreat. But until then, don’t even try to convince me otherwise.”
“What about when you refused to help us-”
“-kill someone? You’re really trying to tell me that refusing to commit murder is a bad thing?” Her face scrunches, knowing that I’m right. I clench my fists, sharp nails digging into the palms of my hands.
“No! Ellie, you’re not listening to me,” she states plainly. It’s funny how matter-of-fact she is when it helps her. She stops becoming defensive. She stops deflecting. It’s all about her.
“Because you never listened! You never listened to any of us. Ever.” I swallow my pride, my tongue sitting alien in my mouth. “I’m done being your moral compass. I’m done being that secondary character. I’m done being your only voice of reason. This is my story now. And I’m the hero.”
“Ellie-”
I look her up and down, my eyebrows furrowing with contempt. The setting sun gleams through the classroom windows, setting her silhouette in black. She’s always held herself above others, her morals are so horribly grey. I never know what to think of her. “So far, it seems as though you are my antagonist.”
“You want a villain? I’ll show you a damn villain.” Something burns in her eyes, her face red. A green glow emits from the crown atop her head. Sparks dance around her fingertips, crawling up her arm in synchronized spirals. Avid eyes follow the flames as a smirk painted in the corner of her lips. Unable to think clearly, I stutter and stumble over my words. I’m forced to slink back as she grazes past my shoulder, navigating the desks. It’s impossible not to know that her flames burn at a thousand degrees.
“Maddie-!” As the door slams in my face, I rethink my words. Was I too harsh? No. I don’t think so. Over the nine years I’ve known her, I’m surprised I’ve survived this long. She throws her friends away after she’s finished using them. She’s impulsive, never thinking things through. She’s literally murdered two people out of spite and anger, for Heaven’s sake. After I, of all people, tried to convince her otherwise. Did she listen? No. Of course not. It’s Madelyn Ross.
She doesn’t need to listen.
⋙⌽⋘
“Ellie, what’s wrong with Madelyn this time?” I haven’t moved in what feels like hours. I can’t stop staring at the crescent cuts in my skin. Avery’s voice feels distant, on another plane of existence. “She’s covered in fire and I really don’t want to fill out any more paperwork today.”
“We got into another fight.” She picks up my hands, taking my line of sight with them. Her eyes are soft as she grazes her thumbs over my palms.
“We need to get you a stress ball.” She sighs, giving me a gentle smile. “But, if we don’t stop Madelyn, she’ll burn down the school. You managed to stop her the first time, so get out there and please don’t let her murder anyone else.”
She practically pushes me out of the door. Sorry, literally. She literally pushes me out the door. I stumble into the hall, left to fend for myself. The halls suddenly feel small, unfamiliar. It’s hard to tell if my feet are moving or if it’s just the walls around me.
I somehow find my way to the courtyard, cautious of tripping myself up on the uneven cobble. My heel almost gets caught in the small cracks as I notice Maddie standing upon a small hill. She stares at the cherry blossom tree a few feet in front of her. Her figure is illuminated by coils of fire, wrapped around her skin from her legs to her throat. They hide under the minimal cloth she dons. I’ve never seen her like this.
Green suede boots reach her thighs, burnt at the top. Her once floor-length dress is now scorched almost inappropriately high on her legs. The ends are brown and charred, creating a new harsh edge. Did she burn the edges? On purpose?
“Maddie, what are you doing?” She turns, a hollow darkness in her eyes. A sinister smirk pulls at her lips. Even after the horrors we’ve seen, I’ve never seen her so… cold. I mean, she’s been distant, but never resentful.
“I told you. You wanted a villain. So here I am.”
“No, I called you an antagonist. Something or someone that opposes a protagonist’s goals. Though I could never be a protagonist, I’ve always just wanted harmony. Associating with you is the exact opposite of that.” The fire circling her body begins to slow. “But we still love you, Mads. Even if you are a little mad…”
We both laugh, the soft glow of flame fading before my eyes. Something warms behind her eyes as she approaches me, stumbling over herself. It reminds me of high school. Together, we’d laugh over the stupidest stuff.
“We met here.” I stare at the tree. Pale petals that fall around us line the base of the hill. It’s very serene. “Can’t believe you even thought of burning it down.”
“Hey, that’s not true. I was imagining what it would look like if I did happen to burn it to the ground.” With a blink of an eye and a small pink glow, the tree goes up in flames. You could almost hear the cracking. Embers fly. Smoke rises in columns, clouding the blue sky. We bask in the amber hues. All at once, it disappears. Maddie turns to me, craze colouring her eyes. She looks hopeful. “Magic?”
“You’ve always underestimated me, Madelyn Ross.”
“Thank you, Ms Rivera. An over-thinker overthinks. How are you vice-princip-” I’m interrupted by the door slamming open. Ellie’s head snaps over her shoulder, eyes wide in fear and curiosity. “Madelyn?”
She hurls the door shut, falling into it as her chest heaves up and down. “Your students are psychotic! They’re running in circles out there!”
“Says you, you almost burnt down the school in year eleven,” Ellie says, spinning her whole body around. Maddie rolls her eyes, adjusting the lopsided tiara sat amongst golden strands of hair. She’s careful about the way she handles the green and silver embellishments. “You ripped someone in half with a vine in the basement, like, two months later.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t have you two as my principal and vice-principal.” She pulls herself away from the door. Green heels tap against the floorboards, muffling as they reach the carpet. “That’s not why I’m here.”
“So why are you here?” I raise an eyebrow at her. “Why did you barge into my office for the first time in 6 months? Without a phone call first.”
“This.” With nothing else to say, she whacks a piece of paper onto the desk, falling into the empty seat. “It appeared in my office last night. I couldn’t sleep, like I was being watched.”
Ellie picks up the paper, studying it carefully. “No wonder, ‘We see you’? That’s terrifying.”
“Let me see?” My heart sinks. As Ellie said, clear as rain, ‘We see you,’ written in some deep crimson substance. “Is this blood?”
“Looks like it. I-” Maddie’s cut off, everything suddenly happening at once. I’m not sure if it’s the flash of light or the cracking sound that pierces through the air, but we know for certain that this is not going to end well. In unison, we’re drawn to the window.
I’ve seen it all at this point. Murder, magic, much worse. But nothing like this. The once smooth ground, covered in grass, was now uneven. A deep rumbling shakes the floor beneath us. Ellie loses her balance. Luckily, I’m there to catch her.
“What do we do?”
“Come with me. Ellie, get everyone safe. Meet us outside when you’re done.” The three of us race out of the room, each on our own separate missions. I can’t help but feel weighed down. Jeans are not the best armour. Maddie seems to have the same problem. No ballgown is bulletproof.
I’m suddenly aware of everything. My feet hitting the concrete, green fabric swaying around Maddie’s legs as she runs, the wind whistling in my ears. Everything is happening. And then I’m happening.
“What’s the situation?” Ellie runs up behind us in a flash of pink. Anxious, she pulls at her sleeves, allowing them to sit in her palms.
“Whoever they are, they can only control the elements,” Maddie says, scanning the perimeter. Before our eyes, a row of men phase into existence, paired with a spectrum of glowing colours. “...And illusions... Avery, can you still do the thing?”
“I- It’s been a while. Hold on…” It’s almost impossible to tell if time has slowed down or sped up. I raise my hand, palm facing the sky. One deep breath and small sparks appear from the tips of my calloused fingers. The pale green glow from Maddie’s crown is weak, but it’s there.
Concentrate, Avery. Concentrate. And then the flames come, unexpected. All at once rather than sparked into life. I stumble back, but I regain my balance soon after. We know what we need to do. As a collective. A shared nod sends us into battle.
I can’t say I know what happens.
I know it happens all at once.
Fire fights the earth. The land is soon destroyed. I’m in pain, but I have to stand my ground. The world blurs, but I have to keep focused. I’m so far gone, but her voice brings me back.
“Avery! Look, I did it!” Ellie stands over a group of men, a pink glow fading. They’re not moving. Not moving… The sparkle in her eye scares me. The smile on her face fills me with pride.
This is when time slows down. Everything goes quiet. All movement ceases. A scared expression washes over Ellie’s face. I only now hear the gunshot. The ringing. She goes to speak, her bottom lip shaking. Her eyes well with tears. I want to move, but I’m paralysed. I can’t get to her. I can’t help her.
But now, she’s gone.
⋙Story Two⋘
“What about when you refused to help us-”
“-kill someone? You’re really trying to tell me that refusing to commit murder is a bad thing?” Her face scrunches, knowing that I’m right. I clench my fists, sharp nails digging into the palms of my hands.
“No! Ellie, you’re not listening to me,” she states plainly. It’s funny how matter-of-fact she is when it helps her. She stops becoming defensive. She stops deflecting. It’s all about her.
“Because you never listened! You never listened to any of us. Ever.” I swallow my pride, my tongue sitting alien in my mouth. “I’m done being your moral compass. I’m done being that secondary character. I’m done being your only voice of reason. This is my story now. And I’m the hero.”
“Ellie-”
I look her up and down, my eyebrows furrowing with contempt. The setting sun gleams through the classroom windows, setting her silhouette in black. She’s always held herself above others, her morals are so horribly grey. I never know what to think of her. “So far, it seems as though you are my antagonist.”
“You want a villain? I’ll show you a damn villain.” Something burns in her eyes, her face red. A green glow emits from the crown atop her head. Sparks dance around her fingertips, crawling up her arm in synchronized spirals. Avid eyes follow the flames as a smirk painted in the corner of her lips. Unable to think clearly, I stutter and stumble over my words. I’m forced to slink back as she grazes past my shoulder, navigating the desks. It’s impossible not to know that her flames burn at a thousand degrees.
“Maddie-!” As the door slams in my face, I rethink my words. Was I too harsh? No. I don’t think so. Over the nine years I’ve known her, I’m surprised I’ve survived this long. She throws her friends away after she’s finished using them. She’s impulsive, never thinking things through. She’s literally murdered two people out of spite and anger, for Heaven’s sake. After I, of all people, tried to convince her otherwise. Did she listen? No. Of course not. It’s Madelyn Ross.
She doesn’t need to listen.
⋙⌽⋘
“Ellie, what’s wrong with Madelyn this time?” I haven’t moved in what feels like hours. I can’t stop staring at the crescent cuts in my skin. Avery’s voice feels distant, on another plane of existence. “She’s covered in fire and I really don’t want to fill out any more paperwork today.”
“We got into another fight.” She picks up my hands, taking my line of sight with them. Her eyes are soft as she grazes her thumbs over my palms.
“We need to get you a stress ball.” She sighs, giving me a gentle smile. “But, if we don’t stop Madelyn, she’ll burn down the school. You managed to stop her the first time, so get out there and please don’t let her murder anyone else.”
She practically pushes me out of the door. Sorry, literally. She literally pushes me out the door. I stumble into the hall, left to fend for myself. The halls suddenly feel small, unfamiliar. It’s hard to tell if my feet are moving or if it’s just the walls around me.
I somehow find my way to the courtyard, cautious of tripping myself up on the uneven cobble. My heel almost gets caught in the small cracks as I notice Maddie standing upon a small hill. She stares at the cherry blossom tree a few feet in front of her. Her figure is illuminated by coils of fire, wrapped around her skin from her legs to her throat. They hide under the minimal cloth she dons. I’ve never seen her like this.
Green suede boots reach her thighs, burnt at the top. Her once floor-length dress is now scorched almost inappropriately high on her legs. The ends are brown and charred, creating a new harsh edge. Did she burn the edges? On purpose?
“Maddie, what are you doing?” She turns, a hollow darkness in her eyes. A sinister smirk pulls at her lips. Even after the horrors we’ve seen, I’ve never seen her so… cold. I mean, she’s been distant, but never resentful.
“I told you. You wanted a villain. So here I am.”
“No, I called you an antagonist. Something or someone that opposes a protagonist’s goals. Though I could never be a protagonist, I’ve always just wanted harmony. Associating with you is the exact opposite of that.” The fire circling her body begins to slow. “But we still love you, Mads. Even if you are a little mad…”
We both laugh, the soft glow of flame fading before my eyes. Something warms behind her eyes as she approaches me, stumbling over herself. It reminds me of high school. Together, we’d laugh over the stupidest stuff.
“We met here.” I stare at the tree. Pale petals that fall around us line the base of the hill. It’s very serene. “Can’t believe you even thought of burning it down.”
“Hey, that’s not true. I was imagining what it would look like if I did happen to burn it to the ground.” With a blink of an eye and a small pink glow, the tree goes up in flames. You could almost hear the cracking. Embers fly. Smoke rises in columns, clouding the blue sky. We bask in the amber hues. All at once, it disappears. Maddie turns to me, craze colouring her eyes. She looks hopeful. “Magic?”
“You’ve always underestimated me, Madelyn Ross.”
Samantha
ReplyDeleteI loved the story. I enjoyed the way you used some quite nuanced technique in the story. The first person point of view is fascinating. It';s use creates an interesting issue around the perceived 'reliability' or credibility' of the narrator... can you tell me what that is?
Keep up the great work.