by Jimi Alan
Her aunt stayed by her side, as Alice felt overwhelmed with emotions. She wanted to scream at them to not let her go. Her aunt tugged her hand slightly on Alice’s waist.
Cedric stayed close behind them with his hand gripping the handle to their luggage. He took a deep breath in.
Walking into the station, Alice pushed on the glass door. She took the first step with her aunt by her side.
Her uncle smiled behind her. “We are heading to platform three.”
The three of them walked through the train station. Alice never took the train before. She was excited to be taking such old transportation. Her aunt loosened her grip on Alice.
“Are you excited?” Serena asked her niece. “I know I am.”
“What for?” Alice wondered. “Your not the one getting on the train.”
“No.” Her aunt smiled. “But your parents always wanted you to attend Graves. Like they did, back when they were around your age. You know.” Her aunt lifted her head up slightly. “Your father and mother met in this station.”
“What?” Alice was surprised. “Are you joking?”
“Nope.” Cedric smiled. “I heard that story so many times. Have we were told you the story?”
Alice sighed. “Dad bumped into mom. And her luggage when everywhere.”
“Kind of.” Her aunt said. “Your father was with his friend Natas. And she bumped into your mother. Your father helped pick up your mother’s luggage with her. She was so nervous.”
Alice was suspicious. “How do you know that?”
Her uncle muttered. “Your aunt was their.”
“We should get going.” Alice’s aunt said. “We don’t want you to miss your train.”
The three of them kept on walking. Alice placed her hands nervously in her pockets, hoping her aunt and uncle could tell how nervous she was. She kept her hands holding on the inside of her pockets.
Alice took a deep breath in. She walked down the platform as her aunt let go of her. Her aunt held a serious look on her face, one that Alice was used to seeing.
She glanced in the direction were her aunt was looking. Her aunt stared at the Monroe family who looked at them with concern. She clenched her hands together, trying to pretend not to notice the family dressed in white.
Alice looked over at the daughters standing on the platform. She saw two of them looked almost alike. Noticing them, she realized that one of them was the girl in the window of the Sparkling Cafe.
Keeping her eyes on the daughter, Alice wondered why her aunt didn’t like them. She wondered who to word her question without sounding rude.
“That’s the same family from the cafe.” Alice stated.
Her aunt said. “Don’t mind them.”
Cedric told her. “Your see many families like them at the academy.”
The whistle for the train blew, warning those on the platform that the train would be leaving shortly. Alice looked at her aunt and uncle. She stood outside the buggie of the locomotive, waiting for it’s departure. Alice wondered if her uncle would give her a hug. She knew she would see them again, but she always worried that they would die like her parents did.
Taking a deep breath in, Alice sighed. “I guess, I should get going.”
“Yup.” Her aunt smiled. “We’ll see you before the summer.”
Her uncle patted her head, like he did whenever he had to say goodbye. Alice never liked saying goodbye. She felt a cold feeling in her bones as his hand left her head.
Alice lifted her head up at her uncle. She hoped she would see him, once summer came. Her eyes looked over at her aunt. Serena took a deep breath in. She gave Alice a hug.
Whispering in Alice’s ear. “Have fun.”
Alice felt her aunt’s arms wrap around her. She felt warm for just a second before her aunt let go. Alice sighed softly as her aunt’s voice charmed in her head.
Taking a moment, Cedric passed Alice her luggage. She held her hands on the handle, wondering if her luggage should be taken on the train with her. Alice looked over her shoulder at the train. She saw the red on the locomotive train making her it stand out among the others.
Alice placed her hand onto the side of the door. She took a step up the staircase with her suitcase dragging on the ground behind her. Walking up each step, Alice heard the engine in the train starting. She wondered if her parents traveled on this very same train, when they were around her age.
On the train, Alice sat in a booth. She looked out the window at her aunt and uncle standing on the platform outside her window. Alice wondered if her aunt had more stories she could tell her about her parents. The three of them must of been inseparable when they were her age.
The train jolted slightly as it began to move. Alice lifted her hand up towards the window with her aunt staring at her. She waved her hand ever so slightly with her aunt and uncle replying with a simple nod.
Lowering her hand, Alice watched as the train passed the Monroe twins mother. She stood with her hand folded in front of her white suit, which she was completely covered in. Not even a wave of her hand. Alice realized being on the train wasn’t as big as a deal for some of those families who stood on the platform, watching their kids make the first steps.
She sat in her seat, looking out the window as the stone tunnel walls seemed to go on forever. The train started to move slightly faster for each second pasted. Alice placed her hands on her knees, tapping her shoes on her luggage beside her.
Staring out the window, her eyes widened as the train departed from the tunnel. She looked out at one of the Great Lakes she heard so much but never saw. Small towns covered the coast side of the lake. Alice wondered what the lake name was as she stared out the train window.
“Lake Huron.” A voice said from behind her.
Startled by the voice, Alice clenched her hand onto the wand handle nugged in her pocket. She looked over her shoulder at the girl who spoke to her. Alice was surprised to see the girl was dressed in a green robe with black pants underneath. She thought it was a strange choice for an outfit.
“You have to wear one as well.” The girl smiled. “I’m Gloria Parker. But some people call me Glor.”
“Ok.” Alice thought it was strange how she acted like she knew exactly what to say.
“It’s a gift and a curse.” Gloria smiled. “So, what’s your name?”
“Alice Corey.” She smiled at the girl.
“Wait?” Gloria’s expression on her face seemed shocked, like her name meant something. “Like the Alice Corey. The daughter of Jacob and Martina Corey, raised by Cedric and Serena Lake that Alice Corey.”
“Um.” Alice wondered if that meant something. “Does that matter.”
“Well, yes.” Gloria smirked. “You’re parents were on the council. So are mine, but we will learn all about them in Magic History. It’s a really long story.”
“Oh.” Alice was surprised. She had no idea her parents were on a council. She wondered. “I never knew.”
“Right.” Gloria looked down for a moment. “Do you mind if I sight?”
“It’s all yours.” Alice gestured to the seat in front of her.
“Great.”
Gloria sat down on the seat in front of Alice with excitement in her step. She looked pleased as Alice looked out the window to admire the view. She listened as Gloria told her about the train and a brief history of the council.
“This train is bewitched.” Gloria smirked as Alice kept her eyes on the view outside the window. “It’s traveling faster, making use reach Lake Superior in a few minutes.”
Alice watched as she saw a slight field outside the window. Her eyes looked down at the train tracks, noticing how they seemed like nothing but a blur. She looked back up at the view as a large lake appeared in sight. Alice guessed that lake was the one Gloria mentioned second before.
“Well there it is.” Gloria told her. “Some say that the Great Lakes are the oldest source of magic around.”
“Cool.” Alice was a bit surprised. Sh
e always wondered why the lakes looked so perfect to her, but looked different to her friends at school.
“A caster cloaked them before our time.” Gloria said that word Alice heard her aunt call her mother in Harrings Shop.
She wondered. “Caster?”
Gloria smiled. “Oh, they are very powerful witches and wizards. Kind of like an alchemist, just they don’t need any magical items to cast spells. Your mother was the last one anyone knew of.”
Alice took her eyes of the view of fields. She was surprised by what Gloria said. Her mother was a powerful witch, which she never heard her aunt mention until recently.
“We are in Manitoba now.” Gloria told her. “We should be passing Winnipeg soon.”
Alice looked out the window. She had no idea how fast they were going, but it seemed faster than an airplane. Her eyes saw a city in the distance, she guessed that was Winnipeg with the plains stretching around the city. Alice never saw land so flat before.
Gloria continued. “We are heading to Banff. It’s a small town located on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. The academy is located by the magical town called Cascade Falls.”
Alice nodded her head slightly, still listening to what Gloria had to stay. She never saw the Rocky Mountains before, besides what she saw online. Her aunt mentioned taking a trip to them, but they never got around to it.
“The academy is located by the lake. It has a glammered spell over it.” Gloria told her. “Like most magic schools. It’s surrounded by mountains too.”
“Nice.” Alice was getting bored of the conversation.
“You should probably get your robe on.” Gloria smiled. “It’s mandatory for all freshmen to wear them when attending the school.”
“Oh.” Alice had no idea.
“It should be in with your supplies.” Gloria stood up from her seat. “I need to get back to my booth. We should be arriving very soon.”
“Cool.” Alice smiled. “Thank you for sitting with me.”
“Any time.” Gloria winked at her, leaving the booth in the process. She closed the door behind her, to give Alice some privacy.
Alice thought about her supplies for school, then she remembered what Harrings said back at his shop. Everything she needed was in the sack. She opened a pouch on her suitcase, remembering packing the sack inside.
Sliding her hand inside, Alice pulled out the small sack her aunt bought for her. She placed her hand onto the draw string. Alice yanked on the string.
As the string unraveled from the sack, she saw a light sparkling dust come from inside the sack. She thought it was strange. Her fingers slid into the sack, felling a silk like material inside.
Pulling her fingers out of the sack, Alice held her robe in her hands. A green robe like Gloria was wearing. She wondered if her blue jeans were good enough for the school dress code.
Taking a deep breath in, Alice got ready. She slipped the green robe over her head, poking her arms out of the sleeves. Flipping her hair to make sure it wasn’t a total mess from the robe. She wanted to make a good first impression.
Alice tightened the string back around the sack. Placing it into her suitcase once more, hoping it would not vanish like her wand could do. Zipping up her suitcase, Alice glanced back out the window. Her eyes widened at the sight of the roaring mountain range. She was stunned by the sight before her. The train went up the mountains, making her feel like the world behind them was so small.
No matter how hard she tried, her eyes wouldn’t let her look away. The train seemed to be traveling slower than before. Alice wondered if that meant they were getting closer to the academy. She placed her hands back onto her knees, waiting for the train to come to a stop.
The train rushed into a small valley with evergreen trees surrounding around it. Following the track, the train followed a river going up stream with a mountain on each side.
Rushing down the track, Alice looked out her booth’s window. She watched as the water ahead looked like it was moving. Alice blinked for a second as the water began to rise.
Stones came out of the river below connecting together like a jigsaw puzzle. The row of stones lines up with the train tracks on each side of the river. Alice was captivated by the sight behind the bridge that erected from the river.
Behind the bridge stood the Graves Academy. A large tower stood in the middle of the academy. The centre wing wrapped around the tower with a wing to the north and a wing to the south. A tower smaller than the one in the middle, stood around eleven-storeys tall at the end of each wing.
Steep pitched gable roofs of the tower in the middle matched the rest of the higher parts of the academy. Along with the ornate dormers appearing from the rooftops. The massive walls filled with limestone, influenced largely by the scottish baronial architecture, made Alice feel like she was transported to another world.
The academy gave her another feeling, a darker on with a mysterious side. She stared at the gothic shadow of the building as the train crossed over the stone bridge. Reaching the other side, the stones crumbled from each other once the train left them.
Entering a tunnel on the other side of the bridge, Alice felt like her journey was about to end. She kept her eyes peeled open, hoping she wouldn’t wake up from this magical ride. She felt the train slowing down even more, as it came to a slow stop.
Alice stared out of the window, taking in the sight before her. A large train station made of bricks and pillars on the platform stood on the other side of the train window. She saw a woman standing on a large stoned staircase she expected to see in a large city.
The woman wore a green dress with black sunglasses over her eyes. Her skin was far and lighter then Alice thought was possible. She had black hair, which draped down over her green skin-tight dress. Alice got a feeling the woman was powerful.
Coming to a grinding stop, the train’s whistle squealed through the station. Alice grabbed her suitcase with one hand and her other firmly on her wand. She stepped off of her seat, ready to see what this school had in store.
Outside the train, Alice stepped onto the platform. She looked out as the rest of the first year students all wearing their robes. A few of the students hugged as they greeted each other.
Alice smiled as she saw a familiar face. Gloria. She took a step towards Alice with a smile on her face. She said nothing as the woman raised her hands.
The children’s attention was drawn to the woman before them. “Welcome to Graves Academy. I am one of the teachers, who is incharge of making sure you all return safely at the end of this year. Leave your luggage at the platform and follow me.”
She took a step up the staircase. Alice left her luggage on the platform. She thought it was strange to leave all of her belongings behind. Looking around, she noticed all of the students had done as they were asked.
The students followed behind the woman, who hadn’t told them her name. Some of the students whispered to each other, as they walked up the stairs. Alice stayed beside Gloria, who walked with a smile on her face.
Gloria whispered to Alice. “It’s like these staircases go forever.”
“I know.” Alice kept her pace, hoping none of the students behind her would trample her.
She was nervous walking up the staircase. Her feet kept on moving as she caught a glimpse of the girl she saw at the Sparkling Cafe. Alice wondered who the girl was.
The girl raised her hand slightly to Alice, like a friendly hello. She thought it was strange, but waved back at her to be polite.
Gloria told her. “I see that you met Lucia Monroe.”
Alice sighed. “She didn’t tell me her name.”
“That’s because she’s a Monroe.” Gloria told her. “They think that everyone knows who they are.”
Alice thought that was strange. The way Gloria spoke was like she envied the Monroe family. She wondered what was so special about them.
Gloria said. “The Monroe’s are on the council, just like my parents are.”
&n
bsp; “Oh.” Alice wondered if everyone had a parent on the council. “Is that normal? I mean, to have a parent on the council.”
“Not really.” Gloria told her. “My father’s on the council, being a pure wizard and all. But the council is made up of four seats now.”
Alice asked. “Why only four?”
“Because of the founding witch families.” Gloria told her. “They formed this school and over sees it.”
The teacher stopped in front of large arched stone doors. The students ahead of Alice and Gloria stopped as well. She turned around, looking at the group of students who waited nervously behind her. The teacher smiled as she placed her hand up to her sunglasses. Alice thought it was strange for someone to wear sunglasses in the day, let alone inside.
“As you stay in Graves Academy, you will find your dorms changing each year.” The teacher smiled as the stone doors behind her began to open.
Her hand left her sunglasses as the stone doors stopped moving. Alice saw behind the teacher, a hall of large pillars with marsony floors and walls made out of bricks. She saw a few students sitting on the benches and chairs throughout the hall.
“This is the heart of our priceless academy.” The teacher said as she stepped into the hall. “Stay close and follow along.”
The teacher walked through the hall, like she had done with many other students before them. She kept a slow but nice pace, like she knew the students behind her would want a minute to soak in the awe of the hall around them.
Alice was one of the students who was blown away. She thought the school looked way to fancy for her, like a hotel or a resort of some kind. Her aunt and uncle always tried to get her into a nice school, but her grades were never the best.
Walking with her fellow students, Alice followed the teacher towards an archway. They walked into the archway into another grande hall. Alice noticed a difference in the hall, it was barren with no students in sight.
The teacher told them. “This is the south wing, where the second years live and study. They don’t start for another week.”
Alice guessed the school was laid out by wings. She kept on following with Gloria staying close beside her. Alice had a feeling she would get lost in the school quite some times.