Anomalous

Chapter 15

"Grace Sherwood was sentenced to eight years in prison instead of being sentenced to death." Mr. Collins redrew the time line on the board and marked it up with one date.

July 10, 1706

"There was never a second trial, and when she was released Grace died in her Pungo home in 1740. Officials assumed that she died from natural causes." He had a look of doubt as he walked around the class.

"Before she perished, she reinstated her farm land and lived there until her death. She rarely left the house, but when she did she always would hear whispers about her. All of their comments named her 'The Witch of Pungo'."

The door screeched open and in came a blue-haired ghost. Her pale skin seemed to be even whiter. Not only did she look like a ghost, she had to be one because her neck was completely healed.

"Are you Mr. Collins?"

"Yes, how may I help you?"

"I'm a new student. Lucy Hennings." She handed him her class schedule to show that she did attend this school now. Then I noticed our matching plaid skirts and polos which also proved that she wasn't lying.

Mr. Collins scanned her like he was looking for something wrong with her for a couple of seconds. She was doing the same thing to him.

You would think it would be in a s****l way since how both of them don't lack in the 'pretty department', but it looked like pure hatred.

"Take a seat, Ms. Hennings." He broke the silence and tension that I could clearly feel. After a nose flair from Lucy, she strolled to the back of the class and glanced at the girl sitting next to me.

All Lucy did was suck her teeth and the girl scrambled out of her seat like it was crawling with spiders. She found a seat next to Bridget in the front.

With a tiny smirk on her face, Lucy slumped into the now vacant desk. She slouched and rested her legs in the chair in front of her.

Mr. Collins continued his lesson.

"Miss me? Where's that scrumptious little friend of yours?" She stuffed a stick of gum and her mouth and winked my way. "Camila, right?"

"Are you a vampire like Ryder?" I hopped over her comment and she turned toward me.

"Ryder's a fraud since he's practically a hybrid. Bridget is the real deal. She enjoys the hunt of her feast," she said lowly and Bridget turned around on cue. Lucy blew a kiss her way and her cheeks were instantly crimson.

"What are you then?"

"Ladies, if you don't mind, I'm trying to teach a lesson here." Mr. Collins glared at us in frustration.

"Sir, yes, sir." Lucy saluted him which he ignored and resumed talking.

"I have a bad vibe," Lucy muttered while biting on one of her extremely sharp shiny black acrylics.

Not wanting to get into more trouble, I dismissed her comment and listened to a question one of the girls had.

"Did Grace have any children?"

"Three. John, Richard, and James. Richard being the oldest, John the eldest, and James the youngest," he paused to put the names on the board. "There isn't a ton of information about them, but they were rumored to have stayed with the mother up until her last breath. The brothers ran across state because they would soon be accused of witchcraft. They bought some land and began to farm again because that's all they knew how to do."

Lucy sat up in her seat suddenly interested in the story.

"One day, the crops began to die from the water and care one of the brothers was giving them. Sales went down, and the other two siblings knew it had something to do with their mother. All three resented her for not being there for them and instead in jail. They guessed it was her haunting them."

Mr. Collins slammed the chalk on the side of the board which made all of us jump.

"Then one day, the two brothers figured out what the problem was. The third brother would touch a weed and it would sprout faster than a blink of an eye. The two brothers decided to get rid of him." Mr. Collins ran his hand threw his hair and accidentally broke the chalk in his hand.

"What did they do?" Bridget was now on the edge of her seat along with the rest of us.

Mr. C looked at the cactus on his desk and angrily furrowed his brows.

"They burned him to the stake."

"Which brother and how old was he?" Lucy was trying to figure something out as she leaned forward anxious for the answer.

He frowned her way and took his glasses off to wipe them on his pants.

"James. The youngest. He was 24."

Lucy began tapping her foot nonstop and leaned back into her chair. I was about to question her but the bell rang.

"Lunch time!" She stood up and I walked with her.

"Wait, you have the same lunch as me?"

"We have the same schedule. I have to keep my eye on you." She pointed in between my eyes and glanced around her. "Now show me this cafeteria. I'm so hungry I could eat your hand."

* * * * *

"What was that back there?"

"What?"

"Asking Mr. Collins the age of the brother. What's so important about Grace Sherwood." Lucy hushed me as we walked in the lunch line of hungry females.

"Its a sin how much y'all said her name in there. Try not to say it out loud. It's like trying to summon Beetlejuice." She glance over the food with scrutiny.

"Don't like french fries?" I asked going to grab a tray of some.

"I don't know how you people eat all this grease." She shook her head and continued to look until we came to the end of the line. I saw that she had nothing on her tray but she was eyeing the brownies.

"You would rather eat sugar than fried food?" I asked as she picked up four tightly wrapped chocolate treats.

"I've never had any of this stuff before. I usually just eat savory skin, bone, and spirits." She whispered the last part under her hand as she paid for her dessert.

My eyes widened as the new informative sunk in. I bought my food after her and we walked towards the courtyard tables outside.

"What do they call you? A zombie?"

She giggled softly and opened the door so we could walk out.

"Not exactly."

"What in the hell?" Cami stood up from the base of the tree we usually sit at. "Why do I even ask questions anymore!" She huffed and sat back down.

"Cami, since you clearly know Lucy I don't really have to introduce you two." I sat next to her and munched on my fries.

"Clearly." Cami side-eyed Lucy as she sat down in front of her.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Cami looked down at Lucy's array of brownies in bewilderment.

Lucy whipped out a cigarette and lit it. When she blew the smoke it reminded me of the blissful and free feeling of being high.

"That's up to you. What you offering, doll face?"