First Project

by Jennifer Rose McMahon

  "Okay, yes,” I agreed. “She's very good at what she does. Power through intimidation and humiliation. We just have to fight against it. Like, don't give her the satisfaction."

  She nodded. "Yup. You're right." She gave a weak smile.

  I smiled back, knowing I was winning her back.

  "I'm sorry that pic was sent around, though. That sucks," I added.

  We turned toward guidance and bumped into Shane and Blake. The lift in their steps proved they were eager to get to X-block as well. Excitement returned to my nerves, and I jittered with anticipation.

  Dom hurried in behind us with the energy of a wild horse, followed by Courtney, who kept her face hidden behind her rats-nest of hair.

  As soon as the six of us gathered together, my sight brightened, and everything took on sharper clarity. A vibrating hum shot through my body, and I stared at everyone, wondering if they felt it too. Shane chuckled at me, and then Ms. Kelly came over to us.

  "Morning," she welcomed us. "I've been counting the minutes. Who's ready to hear about our first project?"

  Without another word, we got up and moved into the conference room and closed the door behind us. Within two seconds, we were seated and silent, staring at Ms. Kelly for her next words.

  "I can see you're just as eager as I am," she started. "And I'm delighted to see you back, Brynn. We can never be too sure how well new recruits will react once they hear what we are all about."

  "Oh, we know how they'll react," Shane jested. "We'd never risk it, otherwise."

  Ms. Kelly smirked. "True. For the most part. But you have to remember, we never really know what each of us is capable of until we tap into it, so we can't get too confident that we truly know what's going on around us."

  Blake nodded. "Yeah, like when I first joined. You guys all thought I was just a nerd." He straightened his pile of textbooks in front of him.

  "No shit," Dom huffed. "But then you kicked all our asses in last year's first project. As a freshman, none the less."

  "Language," Ms. Kelly reminded Dom.

  "Sorry." He dropped his gaze to the table, but his dimple exposed the fact that he was smiling.

  "So, I'm looking forward to practicing our exercises, but first, I thought you'd like to hear the project details."

  Everyone shifted in their seats and sat taller, waiting on whatever she would say next.

  She cleared her throat and began in a hushed tone. "You've all felt it in some shape or form, but maybe haven't been sure of the source. But I can assure you, there's been a re-awakening. Like a portal's been opened, allowing the demons back into our community."

  My breath stopped, and I stared at her.

  She scanned the room. "The two young boys who went missing in the woods, they've been found. But, like the others, they have no memory of what occurred while they were lost. The town knows it's not the first time this has happened. And it won't be the last until the mystery is solved."

  Courtney dropped her head and banged it on the table.

  Ms. Kelly didn't flinch at the thud and continued. "The police have brought in specialists, but I can assure you, they'll find no trace of foul play. The events are of a different realm. One they don't understand. One they can't fathom." She took a deep breath. "Our first project, my students, will be to study the local urban legend...."

  Shane blurted, "Hell's Gates."

  She nodded. "Gain insight into the legend of Hell's Gates, then, explore the town woods to uncover whatever it is that's been going on in our community for over three hundred years. And report your findings back to me."

  My chin dropped down as I stared at her in disbelief.

  Was she nuts?

  That project was too big. And it sounded dangerous. And scary.

  I gasped, realizing I hadn't taken a breath since she began speaking.

  All eyes turned to me, and they let out nervous giggles.

  "So, yeah," Shane said to me. "Welcome to the club."

  Second-guessing my status as a newly initiated member of the secret-society-of-whatevers, I fidgeted in my seat, wondering if it was too late to bail.

  I hated the woods.

  I hated creepy legends. They kept me up at night.

  And most of all, I hated words like 'open portal' and 'demons'.

  I was clearly over my head.

  My hand lifted on its own will, and Ms. Kelly called on me.

  "Brynn. Question?" she asked.

  "Umm." My mind went blank.

  I had so many questions, so many excuses as to why we shouldn't get involved. My mind raced with a million options at my escape attempt. But then, something shifted within me—a curiosity that I couldn't squash. A glimpse into the supernatural world was offered to me on a platter, and there was no way I could turn my back on it.

  "Well, I guess I'm just wondering," I began again. "Why us?"

  She smiled, and I sensed a wave of relief wash through her as if she had expected me to quit right on the spot.

  "Good question, Brynn." She glanced around the room. "You are all juveniles in the development of your abilities. That makes you hypersensitive and open to new experiences. This means that the six of you combined can be more powerful than any highly-experienced sensitives."

  Blake chimed in. "It still sounds like something the police should be able to solve."

  "You would think so," Ms. Kelly agreed. "But some of us, from my ancient order, believe there's more to it. We're sensing a supernatural current disturbing the balance around us. Our vision is shrouded, though, by thick smoke. The elders believe it's the perfect opportunity for our students, unbiased sensitives, to explore and practice their extrasensory abilities. Therefore, your first project has been established."

  "Sounds cool," Shane interjected. "We've all heard of that urban legend our entire lives. It used to keep me up at night, terrified I'd be pulled into the woods, never to return." He huffed.

  "Same," Dom added. "I've never actually entered those woods. Like, you were crazy to even consider it."

  Courtney thumped her head on the table again, and this time, let out a small whimper.

  Poorva glanced at her with concern, then said, "The legend of Hell's Gates is just a story made up to keep kids from wandering into the woods and getting lost. It seems to have worked, considering you guys believed it to some level." She smirked at the guys, then shrugged. "I don't understand why it's such a big deal now."

  Ms. Kelly nodded. "There is always a hint of truth within legend, and it will be our mission to discover what that is."

  Her focus moved to Courtney, who left her face hidden on the table.

  It was bizarre that everyone accepted her behavior as normal, and I was ready to find out what the hell was wrong with her.

  Poorva leaned closer to me. "She always does this when she hears the new project. It's like it causes emotional overload. Don't worry about it."

  I stared unblinking at Poorva and then back at Courtney.

  Then, without warning, Courtney shot her head up from the table and scanned the room, death-staring at each of us. Her eyes blazed with flames deep within her pupils, and she bared her teeth in a grimace of excruciating pain. Her hands gripped the edge of the table in a white-knuckled clamp, and she shuddered in her seat.

  "What's wrong with her?" I blasted.

  Ms. Kelly jumped up, knocking her seat to the floor, and raced to Courtney's side. She reached for her face and stared straight into her eyes.

  The rest of us moved closer to see what we could do to help.

  "Courtney, look at me," Ms. Kelly said with a soothing voice. "Keep control. Steady."

  What the hell was happening? It was like she was having a seizure, only worse. She was being burned from the inside out.

  Ms. Kelly held her gaze without flinching. "Now release it," she commanded.

  Courtney let out a loud gasp, and pushed herself away from the table, panting. She dropped her head back and her hair fell away from her face.

 
It was my first time seeing her full features, and I was shocked at how attractive she was. Her pain had caused her face to twist and gnarl, and then with her ratty hair all over it, she initially appeared witch-like. But in fact, now I could see her natural beauty behind it all and my jaw dropped.

  She gasped for air, then pulled herself upright again.

  "They're still burning," she whispered. A tear fell down her cheek and she swiped at it.

  Ms. Kelly nodded with understanding. "Okay, Courtney. We'll try to help. Maybe this will be the time."

  My eyes shot wide, and I glanced at Poorva. Her gaze remained fixed on Ms. Kelley and Courtney. I turned to Shane and then Dom but they continued to stare at them as well.

  Then I focused on Blake. He sat with his hands folded in front of him as if nothing crazy had gone on at all.

  As I looked at him, a new sense of calm washed over me, and my shoulders relaxed. My teeth unclenched from their vice grip, and the aching twist in my gut released.

  It would be okay. This was a normal part of our practice. Everyone's gifts manifested in different ways, and some could appear frightening at times.

  The ideas soothed me as I allowed the tension to flow out of my muscles.

  I blinked and stared at Blake deeper. He smiled gently and gave me a nod.

  How the hell did he do that?

  I shifted in my seat, trying to keep my cool, but my mind raced along without me, trying to make sense of what was happening.

  Shit just got real. Real fast.

  Chapter 7

  The bell rang, and I was left gasping.

  X-block had ended, and I was feeling drained and frightened.

  Courtney had had some kind of epic meltdown. Blake got into my head, manipulating my thoughts without saying a word. And Ms. Kelly gave us the specific instructions for our first project, and it all scared the crap out of me.

  We trailed out of the conference room in silence, each one affected in their own way.

  Ms. Kelly stayed back with Courtney for a moment, and I was relieved. Courtney did not seem ready to walk into her next class after nearly bursting into flames right before our eyes. And come to think of it, she never seemed ready to go to class. Her condition plagued her twenty-four seven, making it practically impossible for her to function.

  "Want to be the first to go into the woods?" Dom whispered, causing me to flinch.

  My mind hadn’t had the chance to even consider the idea of exploring the woods. I was too distracted by the insane events that had just occurred. I really needed to roll with these concepts better if I was going to keep up.

  I hesitated, considering his idea of being the first to the woods. I initially figured we'd all do some research first and discuss our approach, but it seemed like he was turning it into a race.

  Maybe it was one.

  "Don't rush her, asshole," Shane jabbed. "She's new. Remember?"

  Poorva put her arm around my shoulder as if claiming me and brushed the guys away. "Back off, wolves,” she laughed.

  Then Ms. Kelly called to us from the conference room. "Oh, one more thing," she said.

  We all froze before taking another step.

  "The project will be broken into two teams," she stated.

  "What?" Shane blasted, staring at her with an open mouth.

  "Blake, Shane, and Poorva for the first team. Courtney, Dom, and Brynn for team two. The team approach will keep a healthy level of competition while also allowing for different strategies and skills to develop within the project." She waved her hand. "Off to class now."

  We filed out of the guidance suite, already checking our calendars for the next advisory meeting. It was clear I wasn’t’ the only one with a load of questions.

  "Teams? What the hell?" Shane complained as we moved down the hall. "I hate getting competitive with you guys."

  "You just don't like your team," Dom teased. "You're such a little bitch."

  "Fuck you," Shane murmured as he turned away from us and shot down the B wing.

  I hurried and caught up with him as we walked toward our history class. "Wait up," I said. "What? You don't want to be seen with me?" I jabbed.

  He slowed his pace. "Sorry. I'm just pissed."

  "Why? Teams kinda make sense. I can see why she wants to do it that way," I said.

  In honesty, I was perplexed as well. Sticking together seemed the safest approach, but I figured she knew what she was doing. As our mentor, Ms. Kelly’s goal was to hone our skills as best as possible. Breaking us into groups would probably help to do that.

  Shane kept his head down, avoiding eye contact. "Yup."

  We moved closer to our classroom, and I wished we had more time to process our advisory meeting. Getting together with my team was a priority now, so we could plan out our next moves for the project.

  "Have you ever been in those woods?" I asked him.

  Shane stopped for a second and looked at me.

  "Yeah. Couple times." His face grew somber. "Once on a dare. Few years ago, some of the guys in my grade, you know. I didn't want to look like a chicken-shit, so I pretended I wasn't scared and went in. Just far enough, where they couldn't see me anymore." He pressed his lips together. "Yeah, not looking forward to going back there."

  "Are you serious?" My eyes widened, wondering what happened to him.

  "We don't have all day," Ms. Harrison's voice pierced through my skull. "Are you waiting for an invitation?" She stood at her door, ushering us in.

  I thought more about the idea of breaking into teams. My group made me nervous with just Dom and Courtney. I wasn't sure how I would navigate it, especially with Courtney's bizarre episodes. Something was clearly very wrong with that girl.

  "Shane," I whispered, as we filed to the back of the room.

  He stopped at our seats. "Yeah?"

  "Courtney's in my group," I murmured, unable to hide my concern.

  He huffed. "Yeah. You're fucked."

  The first thing I did after school was create a group chat with the six of us. Poorva helped me get everyone's number, and I saved them all to my contacts.

  Dom was the first to reply.

  So u do use social media

  Shane named the group, UMA.

  Courtney remained silent, so I wasn't even sure if she used her phone or not.

  Blake sent a bunch of enthusiastic emojis.

  Then, before the group even had a chance to explode with questions and comments, Dom created a second group chat. This one was just Courtney, him, and me, and he named it Champions. His first text gave rule number one.

  Keep our strategies private in this chat

  So, the competition began.

  I didn't reply to his team chat and kept my comments to the bigger group. In my mind, we were all still one big team. I hoped.

  My questions flooded out of me while I simultaneously researched urban legends and the woods of Lakefield, Massachusetts. It was my first time living in the north shore of Mass, and I wasn't sure what it might be known for. Of course, the only information that popped up referred back to the nearby historic town of Salem and its witch trials. It stole all the headlines from any other cities around it. No wonder.

  With nothing of interest coming up for Lakefield, I texted UMA.

  Why is there no info on the children who get lost in the woods

  Shane's ellipses showed up immediately as he typed.

  Not considered newsworthy always a coverup

  I supposed since the children were found unharmed, the stories didn't capture much attention. People craved horror stories of loss and despair on the news, so happy endings got buried.

  Poorva added a line.

  Everyone in town is afraid

  Afraid of what? Bad press? A drop in real estate value?

  I typed again with my question.

  Afraid of the woods

  Shane replied quickly.

  Afraid of making it angry

  He typed again.

  They think if they ign
ore it then it won't get worse

  My questions grew tenfold. I couldn't handle waiting another minute to figure out how we were going to approach this project. I typed.

  Screw this lets meet there tonight

  Shane typed.

  What the fuck for

  I replied.

  Planning purposes

  A few more messages flew around, and we decided to meet there at seven o'clock. My giddiness nearly bounced me out of my shoes.

  As the time grew nearer, Dom had entered the chat and agreed to meet with us. Blake replied, too, saying his parents wouldn't let him out, that he had to focus on his homework. Courtney never replied.

  Poorva planned to pick me up on her way there. At first, I was embarrassed to give her my address. It was obvious she came from a well-to-do family, her dad being the town attorney, and I wanted her to think the same of me. And I'd die if she met my mother. The longer I could keep Mom a secret, the better. I just didn't want to deal with having to explain those awkward dynamics right now.

  For the first time in my life, I was creating my own identity, without my mother's gruff involvement—offending people without hesitation. I just wanted to forge my own path now, and not be judged for being something I wasn't. Keeping Mom hidden from Poorva was the first step in the process.

  Creating my own identity was actually a little exciting. Liberating. A sense of empowerment had crept in over the last week, and I liked it. I'd always felt like a victim, being dragged around against my will, from place to place. But now, it was different. I wanted to stay here and made a silent vow to myself that I would.

  My phone lit up as I was getting ready.

  Dom's name popped up.

  Need a ride

  My eyes widened as I stared at the phone, and my heart raced for a second. It was dumb. He was just checking if I needed a ride, but still. I hated my girly reaction to it.

  I typed back.

  All set. Poorva's getting me

  He replied.

  K

  I stared at his response, wondering what it meant. Was he mad? Disappointed? Didn't care?

  Then I rolled my eyes, wanting to choke myself for being so petty.