The Elysian Valley: Kenna

5

Waking up in the morning, I groan knowing that I do not want to go to the university. I know that I have stated that this is such a huge opportunity for the girls and myself getting a college education and all, but I do not honestly want an education, not from this school anyways. I want to be a chef and own my own diner where you can get good food in a calming environment. They do not have a culinary program at this school, so I have to figure out something else that I need to major in, and I have no idea what that is. I know this year it will just be basic courses, but I am still dreading trying to figure out what to do with my future. I roll out of bed and take a shower quickly, choosing some white skinny jeans, purple converses and a black off the shoulder top. I want to make all the girls breakfast this morning before we head in and hopefully start everyone's day off well.

 I make some scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and pancakes with strawberry topping. As I am finishing it, everyone wanders into the room. "Damn Kenna, this smells amazing," Zola exclaimed. 

"If you continue cooking like this, we are all going to put on way more than the expected freshman fifteen," Brook announced, looking disgruntled about the fact.

 "I don't know about all of you, but I think that we all need to put on a little weight, especially Kenna. She looks like a child right now," Alma laughingly says. 

"I am just fine, Alma. I may be a little small, but I'm strong." 

"Girl, I can see your bones when you are in your underwear. That is not something that is acceptable."

 "Fine, I will start eating more and see if it will help." 

Once we are all finished eating, Brook looks at us. "Alright, time to head to school."

 While rolling our eyes at how excited she was to be going to school, we all trudge out the front door and towards the SUV.

Arriving at the school, we get out of the SUV. "I have to go to registration and get my classes figured out." 

"Kenna! You were supposed to do that online nearly a month ago. You told me that you did," exclaimes Brook with a huff. 

"I know I did. I'm just not as excited as you guys are to be here," I start with a frown.

 "Why don't you want to be here, Kenna?" Solana questions while looking at me as if I am crazy. "I mean, we got away from the orphanage, we are all together, and we are able to better our lives by coming to this place. What is it that you don't like about the situation?"

 "It isn't that I dislike the situation, guys, but I want to be a chef and own a diner. You all know this about me, and in the orphanage, it was an impossible dream but at that time, all of our dreams were impossible. We are here now, and you all get to receive an education that will help you achieve those dreams, but here I am at an amazing school with my sisters and still have the dream that is impossible." 

Tilting her head in a doglike manner, Brook questions, "Why is your dream still impossible while you consider ours to be possible?" 

"They don't have a culinary program here, Brook. How am I supposed to become a chef when they don't have the program I need?" 

"Are you stupid, Kenna? You don't need a culinary class, your cooking skills are already above  par. What you need is a business degree, so that when you open that diner of yours, it won't sink because you didn't understand how to run it," Zola states, looking at me as if I am the dumbest person on earth.

 "You really think so, Zola?"

 "Of course I do. I suggest you look into a business administration degree while being here and continue cooking as you already are. If you do these things, there is no way you will fail!" 

Smiling at all of them, I realize how lucky I am to have these ladies in my life. If not for them, I would probably become a sinking ship. "Thank you, guys, for all the encouragement. I'm going to head off now and get my courses figured out." Waving at them, I hurriedly dash across the campus to the registration office, finally feeling a bit of excitement about being at this university.

Once I reach the main building, I walk inside and bump into someone, due to the fact I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. "I am so sorry!" 

Looking up, I see a girl about my age with dark brown hair and blue eyes. "No, it's fine. I wasn't watching where I was going either." 

"Well, I am Kenna," I offer while putting my hand out in order to shake. 

Grasping my hand in her own, she reciprocates, "I am Mayrah."

 "It was nice meeting you, Mayrah, and maybe we will run into each other again, but I really need to get to the registration office," I answer, looking around trying to figure which way to go. "It's on the left, three doors down, Kenna," Mayrah informs me with a small giggle. 

"Right, I knew that," I tell her with a small salute before walking off. I step into the registration office and let out a relieved breath that no one is waiting in line, so I am able to get enrolled pretty fast. Leaving the office, I look at my schedule and scrunch up my face in distaste. These classes are so dumb. I'm only taking four classes this semester, and they are all very basic like music appreciation, composition, psychology, and a karate class. I'm actually excited for the karate class though. Physical fitness and being able to defend myself are two things that I love to do. 

I finish all of my classes and head off to the SUV ready for this day to be over, the school part anyways. At the car, everyone is already waiting for me. "Let's blow this popsicle stand. Today was so boring," I holler while jumping into the drivers side. 

"How do you plan on driving when I have the keys?"

 "Just hand them over, Brook, and nobody gets hurt. I want to go home now. Do not  try to interrupt that process." 

Tossing the keys in my direction, Brook rolls her eyes at me. "You act like you were tortured not getting an education." 

"Education or t*****e, it is all the same to me, especially with the ridiculous classes I am taking."

 "We all have to take them, Kenna. They are prerequisites, let it go. Once you finish out this year, you can go on to your specialized classes." 

Pulling out of the parking lot, I plug my ipod into the hook up and turn up the music. 

Once we get home, I make everyone a quick snack of cut up veggies and a homemade dip. While we are all munching on our snack, I bring up the dreaded topic no one wants to discuss. "So, after we talked last night, I did go to the library to see if I could find any information about what was going on with Brook."

 They all groan and look at me. "I thought we discussed this and decided it was a one off and that your dreams were just your imagination?" Brook questions, being frustrated about me once again bringing up her trance.

 "I know you guys said that, but something tells me that this is something big. I did do all the research, and the library up there is like a supernatural lover's dream. But that is beside the point, I didn't find anything that would be helpful to us and went to leave when I tripped." 

Zola interrupts me while smirking, "Of course you tripped. You are the clumsiest person I have ever met."

 "Now is not the time to discuss my clumsiness. When I tripped, I grabbed a candle holder, and it moved, and a secret passage appeared." 

"You serious? A secret passage in the house, and you found it? This is a little creepy." Alma looks at me with a shiver.

 "Forget about how creepy it is, what was inside of the secret passage?" Zola asks while looking at me with excitement in her eyes. 

"I don't know what is in there. Something told me that going into that passage is something all of us should do together, so I decided to wait. Will you please come with me just to see what is in there?"

 "I suppose exploring a secret passage way would be pretty cool," Brook gave in with a small smile.

 "Yay, to the secret passage we go," Zola yells while jumping up and down. 

Following me to the third floor, we step into the library. Gasping in awe of what they see,they all separate and look at different parts of the room. "Alright, this place is amazing! I am jealous that it is across from your bedroom. I wished I had looked on this floor instead of just imagining  it would be really cramped," Solana admits with a disgruntled face. 

"Let's just look into this secret passage so that Kenna can get the idea that my trance was important." 

Sighing, I look at Brook. "Please just give me a chance to prove that my instincts are correct," I plead while giving her my best puppy dog eyes. 

"Fine, I will look at this with an open mind, but I cannot guarantee I'll believe you or whatever it is we find in the passage." 

Squealing, I wrap my arms around her. "Thank you so much, I am so glad you are willing to give me a chance at the very least." 

Turning around, I grab onto the candle holder and twist it, revealing the secret passage to everyone in the room.

Everyone stops in their tracks when the passageway opens. "I actually thought that you were going crazy and that this place didn't exist, or I hope so anyways, because this is extra creepy," Alma admits, shivering once again. Squealing, Zola runs for the entrance. "We should get in there. This is so exciting! A secret passage, strange dreams, weird trances with prophecies it is like we are Indiana Jones." 

I laugh at her and head into the passageway, knowing the others will follow me. The passage is just a round stone tunnel that leads straight ahead, no twist or turns which is nice since we won't be able to get lost in here. After walking for about ten minutes, I enter a large circular room still made out of stone but with bookcases going all around the walls. In the middle of the room, there is a book on top of a stand that catches my attention. I walk up to it and go to touch it when I get shocked and pushed away from the stand. "Wow, it won't let me touch it, you guys."

 "Maybe since you found the passage, one of us is supposed to get the book," Solana suggests. 

"I suppose you are right, but which one of us? I don't want anyone else to touch it because it hurts if you aren't supposed to." 

"I bet that Brook is the one who has to get it," Alma declared looking confident with her decision. 

"Why me?"

 "Because you were the one who went into the weird trance that started all of this, Brook," Alma claims, rolling her eyes.

 "Kenna had the weird dreams which led her to finding the passage, and you had the trance, the rest of us haven't done or had anything happen to us. Since Kenna can't, it has to be you." 

Pondering Alma's reasoning, I find I agree with her statement and that Brook should indeed be the one to pick up the book. "Come on Brook, I bet she is right; the book is meant for you. Just give it a try, please. I know that we are meant to find this and that it will explain our pasts to us," I plead. 

"Fine, I will try to pick up the stupid book but if it shocks me, I am also going to be extremely pissed off." Taking a deep breath, Brook looks at all of us, then approaches the book, being wary that it will hurt her. She reaches out her hand and closes her eyes while reaching for it. I notice that the barrier doesn't prevent her from touching it and that the book is now in her hand. Brook exhales in relief and then looks down at the book in her hand. "It is really old, you guys, and I don't even think that it is in a language that we can understand." 

"Are you serious! We came into the creepy passage for a book that no one can read? I thought you said this was important, Kenna, that it would answer our questions! How is it supposed to do that if we can't even read the stupid thing?" Alma growls, looking like she wants to punch me. 

"Just relax, I bet we can find a way to translate it. Don't make it into such a big deal yet," Solana answers with her calming voice that always manages to take the tension out of a situation. 

"What do you mean it needs to be translated?" Zola questions.

 "It's written in all of these symbols that we don't know how to read, Zola," Brook reveals, looking at her as if she was dumb.

 "Umm no, it clearly says The Great War and its Effects." 

"Wait, you are saying you can read it, Zola?" 

"Didn't I just say that, Brook? God, open your ears and listen," Zola huffs out.

 "Zola, no one but you can read it. To us, it looks like symbols," I inform her, wary of her reaction. 

"Well, I guess that this means I am the one who has to read it and inform the rest of you. It seems we all have a part of this little mystery." 

"Really Zola, not all of us have a part, just the three of you," Alma claims, looking a little envious that she was not a part of this.

 Smiling softly and grabbing Alma's hand, Solana reassures her, "I bet that you and I have parts as well, they just haven't happened yet. I mean, when we entered the passage, this only truly concerned Kenna and Brooke. Now that the book is here, Zola has been pulled in. Our turn will come soon.” 

Alma quickly relaxes. "I'm sorry I am being such a b***h but being here seems to change everything, and I just don't want us to be separated, even if it is by some weird mystical shit."

Gently wrapping my arms around her "You know that nothing will ever tear us  apart, Alma. We have been through way too much for that, even if it is some mythical bullshit. Now everyone get in here, group hug time!" 

After hugging each other, we walk out of the secret passage and decide to head off in our own directions while we wait for Zola to read the book and then tell us what it says.