Salem Academy
1078 Words
The black tesla screeched into a halt in front of a black steel gate, trees flanked at each sides, so the possibility of two cars parking at the gated front was low. The fence was higher than anything I had ever seen. The walls, strongly built of stones, are still breast-high, and the marks of the smearers’ fingers on the plaster inside visible.
“What is this place?” High fence or maybe battlement cause it looked like one. Painted in Dark hues and gave off an eerie feeling. I ask again. What is this place?
“Salem Academy. The students are Milites Sancti christofori, what else?” Mom replied
“Milites what?... Remind me never to ditch Latin class again or is it Spanish?”
We rested Inside the running at the gate for almost an hour and when I asked Mom why, she said they're checking who we are from inside which sounded weird.
“Are we meeting some therapist or something? I told you I didn't need one-”
“No Nami we're not meeting any therapist”
“Then what? counselor?”
“No”
“Counselor?”
“Oh my goodness, they're both the same thing, what is your problem?”
“Where are we?”
"Salem Academy. And before you ask, Milites sancti christofori means 'knight of saint Christopher' it's a school, I don't know much but they might be of a little help. I already talked to Ms. Westerbrooke"
“Ms. Westbrooke?”
“The principal, Now stop asking me questions”
Yeah? I could leave the best for later.
Once the gate rolled open, we walked in, our slight movement drawing the attention of the horde. Before us were a big building just in the middle of the vast compound painted in Burgundy and beige.
The students assembled in a straight line, each in a specific color of the jacket. Pink, white, yellow, green, red, Burgundy, beige, blue, and black. fronting the podium.
A dark-skinned woman walked to us after dropping the mic on the pulpit. “You must be Mrs. Campbell, and you Miss. Campbell-”
"It's Chambers, Tsunami Chanbers. I use my dad's last name, mum doesn't"
“Rule number twenty-one, Young lady, you don't interrupt the representative, and that's me, Charlotte Westbrooke” oh! She's the lady my mom talked to. She looked...young, a neanimorpic maybe.
“Why don't you look around Mrs. Campbell, while I and your daughter introduce ourselves in a much better way.”
Mrs. Westbrooke's looked like the strict type and everything about her screamed danger most especially the 'introduce ourselves in a much better way'.
“Be on your best behavior Darling, I'll be back”
“Um... yeah”
◔
The podium was higher than I imagined, the students looked a bit smaller when I looked at them.
Ms. Westbrooke arranged the mic on the pulpit with her phone and whatever was in the red box she was holding.
"Milites Sancti christifori!" She called
And “Militesvenimus et vicimus” the students responded.
Was this a foundation or something? Like 'the happy chandara girls' because I was already loving it.
"Milites sancti christofori!" She called again.
"venimus et vicimus!" And again they replied.
She scrutinized me for a second before addressing the students.
"We have a girl in our midst, a new member of the family"
I scanned the populace for anything annoying, like facial expressions or...anything. I always do that.
“Mind telling us the ability you possess?” The question was meant for me I could tell but her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.
And...ability? The hell she was talking about?.
“Sorry, Ms. Westbrooke but I don't understand your question” murmur washed over the populace as the words slipped out of my lips.
“What do you mean you don't understand?” She asked, her blue eyes not leaving mine. “Annie!”
“Yes, Ms. Westbrooke” A girl from the crowd answered.
“Why don'you come up here and show Miss Campbell-”
“It's Chambers” Despite my interruption she continued.
“Something unique” And finally her eyes left mine as the girl walked up the podium. Annie stood out in a trendy top, matching mini skirt and black knee-length socks, and a pink jacket with 'Milites Sancti Cristofori's written in a curve.
A brunette with emerald eyes.
Annie placed her pencil on the pulpit and when she raised her hand it flew up into the air, just the same height as her hand.
THE HOLY f**k!
Holy f*****g Macaroni!!!. She was telekinetic! Was I dreaming?. This couldn't be happening. Even if I believed in fairy tales blah blah blah I was a hundred percent sure that my brain was playing tricks on me, I didn't have breakfast so that was possible.
“The hell just happened!?”
??? ????? ????
The drive home was quiet, with me lost in my thought and mom saying things when I wasn't even listening, I could only see her lips moving.
It was spring but my entire body was as if the source of air had vanished, my face pale in fright, realization, and the battle between me and my brain in another world. Throat sore and eyes too itchy not to close. I suddenly found it difficult to breathe.
And what Ms. Westbrooke told mom at the gate didn't stop replaying in my damned head.
“She possess something strong, something strange, I can feel it but I'm not sure it's what I'm thinking”
I didn't know why I was sobbing but it felt good to let it all out. Just a shoulder to lean on and then it was going to be alright. She said I was expected to be back next week but I just needed to pick my things and a young chap called 'Joe' would come to pick me up. Was this how my life was gonna change?
I was gonna leave my family to live with people I don't even know. Aliens.
Was I gonna stay there forever?
I knew I should do something but my head was jumbled up, with warning bells going off. Salem—whatever was no place for me but mom agreed and I was beginning to wonder if her 'I dunno much' was the truth.
Everything happened so quickly but the further we drove, the more I realized my life was...crumbling.
- Writer
