Alaska Bound
I landed for the third and final time in what I called Bum f**k Alaska. This place didn't even have a proper name just coordinates, so I chose an appropriate name for it. Each plane and airport got smaller every time I boarded. On the last flight the pilot Maurice gave me a sideways eye as I tried Shoving my two suit cases in the small bush plane, It was already loaded with essential supplies and he acted as if my few belongings weren't essential enough to make room for. With determination I made it fit hell if I was going to part with anything. Not that it was much, but I doubted sss delivered out here, and if they did it wouldn't arrive before my six months was up. Mom had six months to prove to child services that she could get her s**t together all she needed to do was complete 90 days of rehab and be employed for 60. I was putting a lot of faith into a woman that lost her mind when her husband disappeared then took a nose dive for the drugs and gambling. Good ol' Nevada all that s**t hole has to offer is addiction on multiply levels and liver sclerosis. Matters only worsened when my older brother Garret decided to attend "College" aka man hunt for dad who he refuses to believe is gone. But mom lost her baby boy so that was even more reason to spend all her time and stipend at the casino. It was only a matter of time before the small town gossip made its way around and Sherriff Kelley came knocking on our door mom was so drunk she puked on his shoe and we were both shipped away to hell.
I was excited to see my uncle it had been five years since him and dads blow out over him taking his position as head master at this weird academy for the academically gifted he called it. It sounded like a pretentious school for the rich, but what rich kids wanted to go to school in BFA. It was weird to me that there was nothing on the internet about The Atrium; school for the gifted. But here I was my only other option was a group home in Reno. My uncle pulled me into a warm and over needed hug. He smelled like home and felt like dad. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes but I fought them off before he pulled me at arms length to properly inspect me. The way he always had. He twisted his lips to the side and said "Gosh Gem I knew you were grown up but its different seeing it, I gotta say your dad wouldn't have looked to bad as a girl." he winked at me and grabbed my bags hulking them in the back of his truck like they weighed nothing. We spent an hour in the truck talking about the different animals and beauty of Alaska. I could understand why he liked it here so much it was beautiful, even covered in snow. We turned down a narrow road that led up a hill the truck barely fit between the overhang of the trees. I glanced at Alvey and he was suddenly tense, I couldn't figure out why. He hadn't received any phone calls, and has boasted about how wonderful the school is since he took the position two years ago. Maybe he was just worried about me liking it or fitting in. my jaw fell slack as we peaked the hill a large wrought iron fence swung open to showcase the most incredible. Castle. I was blown way a medieval era castle sitting in the middle of nowhere Alaska I had expected a log cabin with a bunch of Paul Bunyan's chopping wood. But this; it was incredible and terrifying. I continued to gawk at the expansive place, it was almost ethereal. Alvey parked along the cobblestone near the front doors. " Pretty cool isn't it." He smiled, Cool was not the word I would have used. I scrunched my brows together in disbelief. I held my hand out to him with a smirk in place. he gave me a quizzical look. " Are you forgetting my formal invitation, Mr. Haggard?" I said in my best English accent. He let out a low and guarded chuckle but I could feel it wasn't genuine. Something still had him on edge and I had feeling I was about to find out.
