by K. C. RILEY
“Uh. No. Nothing. Thanks,” I lied. Everything was wrong.
“If you have any questions, I’m always here. Most of the time, you can find me either in the chapel or the library. It’s one of the best in the country.”
I wasn’t trying to be rude. All I wanted to do was to go to my room and sleep. “Thanks. Up the stairs, right, then third on the right. 483?” I had to be sure.
“Yes. 483.” Sister Clara paused for a moment before looking me over for one last time. “We expect good things from you, Miss Maverick, good things. Great in fact.”
I half smiled, not sure what she meant by that. Regardless, I turned to go up a flight of stairs that went on forever. Of course, they did. It was a freaking castle.
I peeped around to see if she was still watching me. And yep. She was. Sister Clara held her hands clasped in front of her, smiling. I gave her a nod, faced forward, and picked up the pace.
Up the stairs, ethereal halls swallowed me whole. If the school’s outside was a grim fairy tale castle, then the inside was a gothic cathedral built by angels themselves. My balance wobbled as I marveled at the banisters and railings at either side of me, sculpted stone of celestial knights crucifying the demons that bit at their feet. I took a deep breath.
The higher I climbed, the more the granite war between light and dark engulfed me.
At the fourth floor, ascending pillars and archways of cherubs and serpents opened to a grand stained-glass window of an angel. With a silver sword in one hand and a golden shield in the other, the angelic being held his foot pressed on the head of a slain dragon. The glass portrait split the top of the stairs into rooms on the left and right.
I peered down a hall that danced in the shadow and soft glow of lanterns.
Out of breath, it was clear that the stairs would be the death of me. At 483, I stopped and curled my fingers back into the sweaty palms of my hands. 13TH HR, 483, The Destroyer. The thought of Mom’s note from the night of the accident spidered up my throat. My heart raced, and my chest tightened. What was I waiting for? I couldn’t just stand in the hall and stare at the door forever.
I took another deep breath, turned the knob, and stepped inside.
The small room was plain but quaint. High buttress ceilings opened to a large window that would have let in plenty of light had the sun been out. In the corner was a tiny fireplace and against the wall, a small wooden bookshelf, a dresser with a mirror, and a simple desk. I dropped my bag at the door and then fell face-first into the bed. The mattress was a bit on the hard side, but it would do.
Someone then knocked at the door I had forgotten to close.
“Hey. Welcome to All Saints. Better known as Saints & Sinners. I’m Cassie. And this is Josie.”
Before I could get up, Cassie and Josie had already stepped in. The faint smell of vanilla perfume scented the stale air of the old abandoned room.
I sat up and turned around. “Hey. Sorry, who is Cassie, and who is Josie?”
With warm dark brown skin, high cheekbones, and honey brown eyes, the curly brunette smiled. “No worries, we get that all the time.”
The other girl with wide blue eyes and platinum blonde hair, cut into a perfect bob, laughed. “Yeah, all the time.”
Even though they were in old T-shirts and busted jeans, they both looked like they had just flown in from the runways of Milan. It was both ridiculous and intimidating. “Sorry, that’s not what I meant.”
“Lighten up. We’re kidding. I’m Cassie, and the blonde is Josie.” Cassie placed the folded clothes next to me on the bed. “And this is your uniform. Your shoes are over in the closet.”
“Thanks.”
Cassie and Josie both stared at me like there was something more they wanted to say but were afraid to.
“Sorry, we rarely get newbies, I mean other than freshmen,” Josie said, finally breaking the weird silence.
“Yeah. It’s usually the same old people you’ve known for like ever.” Cassie’s voice was broken by the whistling sound of a steam radiator in the corner. She went and opened the desk drawer and grabbed a wrench from it. “And don’t mind this piece of crap. If it acts up, just give it a couple of knocks with this. The whole system is older than dirt. If you break it, maybe they’ll fix it.” She clanked on the radiator before it quieted back down. She then marched over to the window. “And you’ll want to keep this open, especially at night. It can get pretty hot in here.”
“Thanks. Do they always keep wrenches in desk drawers?”
They both went pale and glanced at each other like I had said something wrong.
“Well, now that we’ve gotten that all sorted, are you ready?” Josie grinned as they both continued to ignore my question.
“Ready for?” Despite the weirdness, I hoped the answer was a nap.
“The tour, of course,” Josie said still smiling.
“Sure. Sounds great,” I lied. “Just one thing. Is there an elevator?”
“God, yes,” Cassie said. “We’ll show you where it is. The stairs will kill you, at least on the way up.”
Now we were getting somewhere.
We left my room and toured the overcast grounds of the castle.
Inside the walls of All Saints was a small city of labyrinths, mazes, and supposed shortcuts through halls I swore were changing as we walked through them.
“It’s overwhelming at first, but you’ll get the hang of it,” Cassie said.
I didn’t want to get the hang of it. While I was grateful for the tour, what I really wanted was to go home. But there was no home. Not anymore.
The girls continued reassuring me that All Saints was the place to be as they ushered me through the athletic complex, classes in Grendel Hall, lectures in Hansel Hall, a small chapel, the research and studies hall in Griffin Library, and a dining hall which was one massive food court. It was bigger than anything I had ever seen at the Mall.
They then took me through the trails on the grounds, the ones that would lead to the track, the lake, the stables, and supposedly some secret parties. And there were still more Halls to come after that.
All I could say was that it was going to be a long day.
At the end of the tour was the boys’ dorms.
I caught a glimpse of a shadow at the top of the roof, some guy in a black hoodie perched on the ledge like the gargoyle statues that were next to him. He was watching us. Watching me. I could feel his eyes. That, or I was being paranoid.
“Who’s that?” I said, staring up at the roof. I couldn’t make out his face. He was too far away.
Josie looked at me like I was losing it. “Who’s who?”
I had only taken my eyes off the hooded stranger for a second. When I looked back, he was gone. “I could have sworn I saw someone.”
Cassie raised an eyebrow. “On the roof? Probably not. No one’s allowed up there.”
“Believe me,” Josie said. “We’ve tried.”
Hmmmm. Strange.
By the time we had gotten back to the girls’ dorms, my legs were pooped. Cassie and Josie left, and all I wanted was a hot shower.
I gathered my things and was about to enter the bathroom when I heard someone inside mention something about the new girl. AKA me. There was a round of giggling and laughter which was my cue to about-face. I carefully released the door that creaked until it closed. There was no way was I serving myself up to a hen-house full of hungry clucking gossiping chickens.
Instead, I sighed and opted for a nap.
I would wait till later, when everyone was asleep, and sneak back in.
The coast was finally clear. And quiet.
Hot water streamed down my back before prickling and dancing at my feet. The steam warmed my skin penetrating the pores of my face and body. Even better than the hot water was the sense of being alone and having some privacy. Yeah. I was the new girl. Again. The way Mom moved around, I always had been. Given everything that had happened, it was probably better to lay low for a while, maybe forever.
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Revived, refreshed, and a smidge spooked, I scuttled back to my room. The dark halls at night were kind of creepy, not to mention, practically deserted. Anyway, I dried my hair, put on my favorite Hello Kitty T-shirt and pajama shorts, turned off the light, and hopped in bed.
My phone read 10:38 p.m. when I turned it face down. And Christ. Cassie was right. The room was hotter than hell and half of Georgia.
I got out of the bed and fanned myself with my hand by the window. A fresh cool breeze blew across my face, and for the moment, the world seemed okay. Beyond that, I wasn’t getting my hopes up.
I stepped out onto the small iron-rod balcony and looked up at a sky full of stars I couldn’t help but envy. It was funny how they always seemed to twinkle and shine regardless of the crap that was always going on down here.
I tuned in to the choir of crickets that unfolded in more gentle breezes. With another sigh of relief, I stepped back inside, popped my meds, and was back in bed ready to fall asleep.
At least, that was the plan.
Two hours later, I was wide awake with eyes as big as an owl’s. It wasn’t new girl or first-day-of-school syndrome. No, it was the unrelenting sound of whispers and images from the night of Mom’s accident that tugged at my nerves. I squeezed my hand tighter.
13TH HR, 483, The Destroyer.
I couldn’t get my mom’s note out of my head.
None of it made sense, the accident or coming to All Saints Academy. The doctor at Crown Hill said I had won a scholarship. But how? I never applied for one. And how did Mom know I would be in room 483?
Moreover, what was the 13th HR? And what was The Destroyer?
The questions were driving me nuts.
I tried smothering my head under a pillow, but it didn’t work. Neither did turning from side to side. Nothing would make the noise in my head stop. Maybe the meds weren’t helping anymore. Maybe I needed a stronger prescription. I grunted and threw the pillow across the room when something clanked outside on the balcony. I sat up in bed and listened.
This time the whispers were coming from outside the window versus inside my head. “I told you she’s asleep.”
“How do you even know she’ll want to go?”
“We should ask her anyway.”
I stepped out onto the balcony and followed the chatter.
“Hey, are you asleep?” Josie whispered up to me.
“No,” I whispered back.
“We’re going to a party,” Cassie said. “Wanna come?”
The thought of music drowning out the nightmare sounded appealing. And I had already turned back to the room as though busted by Sister Clara. “What if we get caught?”
“Trust me. We won’t. You want to go or not?” Cassie asked.
“I don’t have anything to wear.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Josie said. “Just come on.”
I glanced over at the bed knowing sleep wasn’t happening. “All right, give me a minute.”
I turned on the light, threw on a pair of jeans, a gray tee, and canvas sneakers.
One look in the mirror and I barely recognized the girl that stared back. The messy bun at the top of my head was more like a wild campfire begging to be put out. And the bags under my eyes were deep enough for my head to fall in.
Still, I was motivated by the idea of a party drowning out the darkness. Who wouldn’t be?
Screw it. I changed my tee for a red baggy hoodie, kept the messy bun, opened the door to leave, and turned off the lights.
I hated to admit it, but Josie and Cassie were kind of contagious. They tiptoed and giggled outside like two bandits up to no good in the dark. I smirked and joined them. I hadn’t smiled in months.
We crept through the parking lot, got in Josie’s white Range Rover, and quietly pulled off.
Even at night, Lucy—my blue 2000 Honda Sedan—stood out like an eyesore amongst a parking lot full of BMWs, Bentleys, Mercedes, and Porsches. I didn’t care. Lucy might have been old and stubborn, but I wouldn’t have traded her for the world. She was all I had left of my mom.
Josie didn’t turn on her headlights until we were out of the gate and in the clear. “All right, so here’s the plan: fun, fun, fun, and more fun.” With the radio turned on full blast, she let out a hoot.
“So, where’s the party at?” I inquired trying to be cool. I know. It was a terrible idea.
“At Zander’s house,” Josie said. “He graduated from All Saints over a year ago.”
“Technically, we’re not invited,” Cassie said. “Zander is throwing a party for his frat house while his parents are out of town. At least, that’s the word.”
“Wait until you see him,” Josie cooed. “Can you say hot?”
Cassie twisted a lock of her hair around her finger. “Sure, if you’re into tall, dark, and crazy.”
“Don’t listen to her. Zander is pure gorgeous. All six feet of him.”
“Is he cute? Possibly,” Cassie added. “But if you want my opinion? There’s something off in the eyes. I don’t trust the guy. At all.”
Crazy. My chest seized at the word. I tried to shake off the feeling of being an imposter, of sitting in the car with these girls and acting like I was completely normal, sane. No one had any idea that I had spent the last six months locked away at the looney bin in Nashville, and I wanted to keep it that way.
“He’s just misunderstood,” Josie countered.
“Whatever. Don’t worry. Once we get there, we’ll break it all down.”
“Break down what?” I asked as I tried to forget the past.
“The politics, of course.” Josie thumbed through her playlist. “Who’s who, who to talk to, who not to talk to, and who to completely avoid. Most of our class will more than likely be there. Even though none of us were invited.”
I leaned back into my seat as the girls sang some pop song from Josie’s playlist. I had to admit I was a bit jealous of how happy they were. How easy being alive came to them when most days were a struggle to get out of bed.
I tried to shake off the word crazy and stared blankly out the window.
I shouldn’t have been surprised at the darkness that stared back, a trail of black trees and more haunted memories.
My mind drifted to the night of Mom’s accident.
Time and rationality froze against the blinding lights of the police, the ambulance, and the fire trucks that had arrived on sight. I was in the back of an ambulance truck but couldn’t remember how I had gotten there, at least, not after being locked in my mom’s car.
In passing, someone mentioned the victim possibly took their own life, but that was a lie and not how it happened.
Shaking in the cold of the night, I unwrapped myself from the blanket the officers had placed over my shoulders. While they weren’t looking, I snuck away from the mayhem and pulled out my mom’s phone. At some point, I must have put in my pocket.
My hand trembled as I tried to hold it steady.
I scrolled to the unknown number that started it all and hit…Dial.
The phone rang twice when someone answered.
My chest tightened. I waited for them to say something, anything, but no one said a word.
There was only the odd sound of water rolling onto a shore. That was soon broken with the heavy breathing of something old and decrepit.
“Soon, darling. Soon,” the ghastly thing said. It was the shadow from the road. The one that tried to kill me. The one that killed my mother. And its voice was no longer sweet.
My stomach wrenched from the stench of death and decomposing fish that was coming through the phone. I gagged and hacked as I flung it from my ear onto the ground. With the back of my sleeve, I wiped the spit that hung from my mouth and stepped closer.
Black sludge veined its way out of the phone, and I could still hear the sound of water rolling onto a shore.
Curious, I took another step toward it and listened.
There was a tiny voice broken by static. “Lizz...y...Liz?
Lizzy?”
“Mom?” I yelled, the adrenaline rushing through my body.
Her voice was weak, but there. “You’re na...not...a...alone.”
“Where are you?” I pleaded. The shadow, I was sure it had her. And it was all my fault.
It was useless. The static soon turned into a sound of whispers that drowned her out, voices that murmured too low to understand and too loud to ignore.
My head twisted in confusion. The whispers were tearing my mind apart from the inside out. I grabbed the phone off the ground and hit end. Within seconds, the veins of black sludge quickly oozed and receded back to normal and my mom’s voice was gone.
I had lost her all over again.
In a panic, I ran and told the police and the paramedics everything that had happened. All of it. The shadow that had summoned me. How my mom had saved my life by taking my place on the road with magic. No one was listening. And they kept telling me to calm down. But I had to make them understand that my mother didn’t kill herself. It was the shadow. All they had to do was dial the number to see for themselves. The black sludge, my mom’s voice.
Before I knew it, they were holding me down. They said it was for my own good, that I was a danger to myself. At least, that’s how I remembered it. I was only trying to explain. But explaining didn’t matter because no one listened.
A pinch to the arm and the world went black.
Hours later, I awoke strapped to a hospital bed in a place for the mentally insane, a place just outside Nashville called Crown Hill.
“Liz? You okay?” Cassie peered at me from around her seat.
I couldn’t mess this up. As much I hated being here, All Saints was a chance to start over, a chance to be normal again. Whatever that meant.
A weak chuckle managed to escape from my mouth. “Yeah, just daydreaming.”
“Well, we’re here.” Josie parked off to the side of the road.
Lights from a house peeked through a dark forest of trees as the heavy bass of music thumped through the ground. Up in the night sky, clouds rolled in from nowhere and devoured the sea of stars that had twinkled back at school. The faint crack of thunder and lightning sparked the black peak of a mountaintop that rumbled in the distance.