The Cursed Academy

Well. Someone thinks we are cursed.

The other girls and I all sat up a little in anticipation of what lore Coach Blackclaw had to tell us about our cursed school.  Robin even acted interested. We still had not had an opportunity to go over the newspaper article, but that could wait until after Coach tells us what he knows. 

 "This is what I know about the sign." He said dramatically." I fix it.  It gets destroyed again.  I fix it again, it keeps getting destroyed.  Someone is very angry with this academy."

"Or at least that sign" I laughed nervously.  "I mean, we aren't in any danger here, are we?  That is a lot of commitment to keep blowing up a brick sign. It takes real effort." I added.  "Strange thing is though, it looks like they only blew up half of it.  

"Do they ever blow up the entire sign?" Siobhan asked.  She was taking down notes in a little notebook with a spiral at the top. I could see she was drawing the sign as she remembered it. 

"No.  Now that you mention it.  They only blow up the part that says Silverthorne and leave the other half untouched except for the spray paint.  They always spray the word CURSED.   I never noticed that pattern before.  Good detective work, ladies.  That gives me a new direction to explore." Coach Blackclaw said as he stood up from the picnic blanket.  Robin stood up, too.  "Well, we have to get ready for the bonfire tonight.  You ladies will be there, right?  Robin asked us all, but looked eagerly and directly at me the entire time.  I was glad he wasn't looking at anyone else.  

'OK Sophia, you have GOT to get your feelings under control.  You are overly stressed out right now and feeling funny when you are around him because he smells like a dog and that reminds you of home.  YUCK!!  Now I am grossing myself out!!  Stop it, brain!!'

"Ok. Now who isn't paying attention?" Robin teased as I realized he was waiting for me to answer.

"Oh! Umm. Yes. Yes! I will be there." I  replied, hearing the twins giggling behind me.

'I am such a dweeb.' I thought, borrowing Mo's terminology.

"See you there!" Robin said as he smiled and waved goodbye. 

"Sophia?  I have a favor to ask of you.  If you say no, I will respect that and not mention it further.  However, I would like you to hear my request and understand that I would not ask unless I felt that it was completely necessary. Are you ok with my allowing Nerezza out of her room to attend the bonfire?   AND, if I allow Nerezza out of her room do you think you can be civil toward her tonight?  The only reason that I ask is that the bonfire is an important event here at The Silverthorne Academy and I would hate for her to miss the ceremony... despite her poor behavior. In fairness,  I will give her the option of missing the ceremony or doing another chore tomorrow.  I will let it be her decision.  But, I wanted it to be your decision first since you are the one she is targeting.  So, what do you say?  Are we good?  Can you not argue or fight with her?"  Coach asked pleadingly.

"Coach, on my honor,  I have never had a problem with her that she didn't start.  I will not start any problems tonight and will do my very best to walk away if necessary and if I am able." I pledged to Coach Blackclaw. "You won't have any issues from me.  I swear it." 

"Excellent.!" Coach replied.  "Now, I need to go and see if I can find Nerezza and talk to her.  You young ladies don't be late.  You will want to see the ceremony for the lighting of the bonfire. It may hold answers to some of  these questions you have been asking me." He hinted as he started walking back toward the building, leaving us alone again under the oak tree.  

"No one seems to have any straight answers about why this school is cursed." I said to the other girls.

"Well, we still have the article we need to read.  It was the one that talks about the changes in 1850." Andrea reminded us while scrolling through her phone. "Ah-ha! Here it is!"  She exclaimed and began to read aloud while squinting at her screen, struggling to read the photograph of the old type print newspaper..

                     'Board of Directors puts student safety ahead of tradition: Big changes to admissions criteria'  

            The Silverthorne Academy announced today that they would be changing admission requirements for the 1851             class of students.  Effective immediately there will be no canine students allowed on campus; specifically                     Werewolf and Lycan students.  The Silverthorne Academy Headmaster, Rose Hallewell said "It is a necessary                step until we are able to determine the cause of illness and death among our precious students.  We cannot risk             one more life. " There were protests outside of The Silverthorne Academy during the announcement.  The     `                protestors claim that they are being excluded from ancient pack lands by not being able to attend the school              The protestors have asked for access to the school grounds to try to determine the cause of the mysterious             illness that plagued the canine student body last semester.  The illness claimed two young lives and fifteen             others fell ill.  Despite best efforts by the magic community to determine the origin, no cause or source-             natural or magical, has been determined.  Protests are expected to continue throughout the new moon cycle.

"Ok now THAT is creepy!" Mo exclaimed when Andrea was finished reading the article to us.  "Did anyone else catch the name of the Headmaster?  Rose Hallewell?  Could that be Headmaster Peony Hallewells' mother or grandmother?  Both flower names can't be a coincidence. How old IS Headmaster Hallewell?" Mo added asking herself, more than anyone else, the questions.

Siobhan looked very sad and forlorn, as did Saoirse.  "I cannot imagine what that must have been like.  Having fifteen of your classmates get sick and then two of them DIE??  I don't think I could come back to this school if that happened to us." Siobhan said as her sister nodded in agreement.

"I can imagine there were some pretty angry were-parents if they had people protesting.  The land was donated by a werewolf Alpha who's pack is in this area still.  They could be upset they cannot go to this school now.  It is a beautiful school! " I added, feeling upset for the wolves that could not attend but at the same time panicking a little inside because of my own canine pedigree.

'I don't feel sick, yet. Or, even at all. This is literally old news.  I will check with Coach Blackclaw tomorrow and ask about it.  I have to talk to him about Robin, anyways!  I just KNOW he is a wolf.  He was mind linking with someone.  He can't fool me." I silently scoffed.

"I wonder what it was?" Andrea said. "I wonder what killed those students and made them sick.  I wonder why their healers didn't fix them? Did they try?  Were they unable to help them?" She had a look of confusion and concern on her face. Her empathic powers were picking up on the sadness in the room.

"I wonder if it is still cursed or did they just give up looking?   Was easier to just keep this an exclusive school?"          Mo asked, intrigued by the air of mystery surrounding the new revelations from the article.

"Oh my Goddess!  Look at the time!! We have to go get ready for the bonfire!" Siobhan exclaimed.

"Don't forget to wear your robes, everyone!  There is a set in every closet. Wear the white one. And MO.  Wear white undergarments and NO BLACK BRA.  Mrs. Hallewell will have a coronary if she sees your bra through your robes." Andrea said as she sprinted toward the main building with the twins in slow pursuit leaving Mo and I laughing. 

"But, I look good in black!" Mo shouted after her.

'It is really good having Andrea around with her being a second year student.  She knows her way around the campus and knows a lot more about magic and magical abilities.'  I thought as I followed Mo to our dorm room.  

 'Well, that and she really does give the best hugs.'