“Oh, yeah, maybe we’re being taken for the same reason that Mom and Dad were,” mumbled Alana, just as the bus came to a screeching halt. Sam and Alana were jolted forward and thrown out of their seats. Their heads hit the floor hard, and they felt as if their skulls were about to shatter. They got up cautiously, rubbed their heads, and walked to the front of the bus. The two men, Viktor and Derek, had already left the bus and had the doors open so the children could file out.
Sam and Alana quickly walked out of the bus and the group was led to a tall, brick building. A sign on the building said, “Ms. Montrose’s orphanage for the orderly and obedient children.” It was a cheerful building, with colorful potted plants all around it. Two small benches rested near the entrance, polished and new. There were two black doors, one reading “New orphans” and the other “Departing orphans.” Just as Sam and Alana finished scanning their surroundings, they heard footsteps coming toward them.
They whirled around and saw a large stream of pale faced, grim looking children walking toward them from the bus. Most of the children were dressed in rags and clutching their small number of belongings. Sam and Alana felt as if these children had been taken from a desolate village of some sort. The thought scared them. They both waited as the children caught up to them. Sam and Alana were surprised to see Viktor and Derek walking behind the children, wearing looks of triumph and jubilation. The two men seemed to have been gone long before the children had all exited the bus. However, Sam and Alana did not have time to worry about the two men; they needed to focus on the situation. Viktor and Derek were slowly making their way up to the front of the line.
They then cut in front of Sam and Alana, bringing them to a halt. “Now,” said Derek, in his low, hoarse voice, “follow us into the building like good little kids.” Viktor gave a loud, harsh laugh, and then said, “We don’t want any trouble, kids, so just listen to us. This can go well, or badly. Your decision.” He raised his fist. The children did not dare speak and just nodded their heads. Viktor and Derek walked towards the building and all the children followed. The moment they entered the building, Sam and Alana knew something was wrong.
Children, ages two to fifteen, were sitting on dirty, gray bunks and watching as a middle-aged lady leaned over a small girl who appeared to be unconscious. The girl had a gigantic lump in her throat. The lump was abnormal and extraordinary. It almost seemed as if the girl had attempted to swallow a soccer ball. The children all stared at the middle-aged woman as she pressed her hands on the little girl’s stomach and pushed.
After a few minutes, the little girl gave a loud, spluttering cough, and a large orange ball flew out of her mouth. To both Sam and Alana’s surprise, it was a basketball. The basketball was covered in saliva, mucus, and a little bit of blood. The middle-aged woman whirled around, and then, Sam and Alana saw her clearly. She was a short, stubby-looking woman, with light brown hair, watery brown eyes, and a pudgy nose. She looked flustered but when she saw them, she gave a tight smile. “Right this way,” she said, in a strangely sweet voice.
The children obediently followed her into a small waiting room. The room had gray walls, which looked slightly faded and old, but were still in good condition. The room was scattered with black armchairs, and small wooden side tables were placed right next to them. On top of the side tables were old magazines and circular-shaped lamps. The children all sat down and made themselves comfortable. A minute later, the same strangely sweet voice was heard, saying, “Mildred Jones, please follow me into the conference room.”
A tall, blond girl with crystal blue eyes and a pale face got out of her armchair and followed the middle-aged woman down a long hallway, and soon they both disappeared from view. A few minutes later, Mildred reappeared from the hallway and said in a soft, high-pitched voice, “The headmistress wants to see Alex Ness now.” A short chubby boy with dark brown hair and hazel eyes got up from his armchair and joined Mildred in the hallway. Both of them walked down the hallway and disappeared. Mildred reappeared from the hallway and sat down in her black armchair. A few minutes of silence followed. “Sam,” said Alana quietly. “This morning, we saw a soldier who looked exactly like that boy. Don’t you remember him?” Sam thought for a few moments and replied, “Yeah, I think so. Do you think that kid Alex is that man’s son?”
“I don’t know,” said Alana. Just at that moment, Alex came into the waiting room and said, “The headmistress wants to see Sam and Alana Smith.” Sam and Alana got out of their chairs and walked with Alex down the hallway. Alex led them to a small brown door.
“In here,” he said gruffly. “One second,” said Alana. “Quick question. Does your dad look anything like you?” Alex looked taken aback by this. “I haven’t got a dad,” said Alex, somberly. “My dad left us when I was very little. It’s just me and my mom now. My mom’s told me that my dad didn’t look anything like me. I don’t really want to talk about him, because he’s not here with me today.” “Oh,” said Alana. “Well, do you know how the headmistress knows our names?” Alex looked annoyed. “No,” he said blankly. He promptly turned away from them and walked down the hallway. Sam and Alana had no choice but to open the door and walk inside.
They were immediately greeted by the headmistress, who beckoned them to their seats. The room was extremely cozy, with paintings of Paris, portraits of American presidents, and vases of flowers. A large desk was placed in the center of the room, with one large chair at the head of the desk and two smaller chairs on either side. The desk was cluttered with papers, books, letters, and boxes of chocolate.
A large tower of papers was partially blocking the middle-aged woman from view. “Hello,” she said. “My name is Gyanna Montrose, but you can just call me Ms. Montrose. I am the headmistress.” “OK,” said Sam.“Why are we here? We’re not orphans.”
Ms. Montrose looked surprised. “Your parents haven’t told you yet?” asked Ms. Montrose. “Our parents were kidnapped this morning,” interjected Alana. “We have no idea why we’re here, but you’d be better off if you let us go, now!” exclaimed Alana. “Calm down children,” said Ms. Montrose sweetly. “I am here to explain everything to you. The origin of our story begins with the Transmalian Legends.” Then, she nervously cleared her throat. “But, first, please sit down,” she said, gesturing to the two smaller chairs on the other side of the desk.
Sam and Alana took their seats. Ms. Montrose smiled and then, from the depths of her desk, pulled out a small tin box. She opened the lid and took out a tray of cookies. She offered them to Sam, and then Alana, who both politely refused them. “Well,” said Sam, “can you start explaining things to us? We’re really confused.” “Very well,” said Ms. Montrose, gravely. “A long time ago, people believed that certain human beings were gifted with the characteristics of some animals. Unlike centaurs or other half-animal, half-humans, Transmalians were fully human, but under certain special circumstances, they could transform into the animal whose characteristics they possess. Transmalians were a rare species, but once recognized and captured, Transmalians were forced to do all sorts of work.”
Alana, who had been listening carefully, remembered one of the odd events of the day and said, “Our maid and butler transformed into animal-like creatures. Are they Transmalians?” Ms. Montrose smiled and said kindly, “Well, of course they are! If you would please let me continue with my story, dear, that would be wonderful.” Ms. Montrose took a deep breath and said, “So, as I was saying, the Transmalians were forced to do all sorts of work.” “Wait a minute!” interjected Sam. “How can we distinguish the Transmalians from the regular people?”
“Excellent question,” said Ms. Montrose. “All Transmalian people are born with a green, star-shaped birth mark, which fades away and returns only once their power is activated. In that era, people who disliked Transmalians formed a force called the WAR society. The job of this society was to search every home and find all Transmalian babies. Once the babies were taken, they were raised in captivity by WAR societ
y officials.” “Why did people dislike them?” asked Alana.
Ms. Montrose gave a watery smile, and said, “Well, it’s because the Transmalians are different. People feel threatened by them and feel that they are not safe, even though they are. Sometimes, people take quite a while to understand those who are different.” Ms. Montrose paused and said bitterly, “Anyway, the WAR society stood for the elimination of all Transmalians. We don’t know why they named themselves the WAR society.”
She then continued, “The WAR effort officials would demand that the captive Transmalian people do odd jobs for them. Soon, Transmalians got tired of serving people. Instead of fighting the people who had captured them, the Transmalians ran away and lived in hiding. To this day, most of them still live in hiding. Only the brave ones attempt to blend in with society.”
She then pointed, first at Sam and then at Alana. “Everyone inside this building is a Transmalian. You two were brought here because you are Transmalians. This isn’t really an orphanage. It is a school. You are inside the Nightfire Nocturnal School.” Sam was in awe. He didn’t know what to say. Alana seized the opportunity. “Well, Ms. Montrose,” said Alana forcedly, “what do you mean by nocturnal?” Ms. Montrose smiled. “Well, my dear, it’s very simple, really. This school functions at night.” This statement confused Alana thoroughly.
“Well then, why were there so many students crowded around you when you were taking care of that little girl?” asked Alana, smugly. “Oh, my dear girl,” said Ms. Montrose sweetly. “Those were just stuffed dummies. The only real child inside that room was Ms. Avery Magmoto. Such a trouble maker she is, swallowing basketballs in the dead of day.” “Oh, and let me make one thing clear to you, children. This school is a training facility. You will become used to sleeping in the morning and staying awake all night. We need to operate at night in order to protect our secret, and maintain the façade of an orphanage during the day.”
“Anyway,” she continued “we should get back to the story. You are both Transmalians.” She pointed at Alana, and said, “You are a unicorn Transmalian.” “And you,” she said, pointing at Sam, “are a dragon Transmalian, one of the rarest types of Transmalians.” “How do you know all this?” asked Sam. “Your parents told me,” Ms. Montrose said simply. “Your parents and I went to this school, Nightfire, and we trained here together.
For nine years we went to this school. Then we graduated, and your parents were given a gift. The headmaster, Mr. Magentio, presented your mom with a green and silver locket. This locket is extremely special. It is what prevents the WAR force from finding the Transmalians in hiding, and what prevents the attacks from continuing. The locket is the reason that the WAR force is after your parents,” said Ms. Montrose.
“Now I understand,” said Alana. Ms. Montrose looked proud when Alana finished her statement and said, “The WAR force still exists, and until they retrieve the weapon that they need most, the locket, they will not stop hunting down Transmalians.”
“You see, the whole reason that Transmalians were captured is because humans saw them as dangerous creatures, beasts. But maybe, humans craved for the power of the Transmalians and to become Transmalian. The humans discovered that the Transmalians had a special locket, which they could use to their own benefit. The locket can allow them to transform into any being they wish. So, the humans have been hunting us down. They wish to steal the locket from us and use it to become more powerful.”
“All the children of Transmalian descent are in danger, and have been brought to this orphanage. This school has been used to guard the children from encountering the WAR society, or facing danger. If the WAR society finds one of us, they will soon find us all, and we shall face the threat of elimination. That is why this school has been built, disguised as an orphanage.”
“But what about our parents?” asked Alana. “They have been found! We could all be in danger!” Ms. Montrose shook her head. “Your parents would never reveal the secrets of the Transmalians,” she said. “If it were any other Transmalian, I would have been worried. But not your parents. I would trust them with my life.”
Sam rolled his eyes in disbelief. “How are you so confident that we will all be fine?” he asked. “Because we are all Transmalians, and we have special powers,” she answered. “Tell us about our powers,” demanded Sam. “Very well,” said Ms. Montrose. “I don’t know what to tell you about your powers. You have never realized your powers, which is extremely strange, as all the other students realized their powers at a very young age. Maybe since you have been cut off from the Transmalian world, your powers are fading. The more time you spend in the school, the closer you will come to gaining your powers.”
“Well,” continued Ms. Montrose. “I’m sure that the teachers at our school will be able to help you gain your powers, and then you can choose whether you would like to continue on to use them or not.” “I have a question” interrupted Alana. “What kind of Transmalians are our parents?” “Oh,” said Ms. Montrose. “Your mom is a cat Transmalian, and your dad is a tiger Transmalian.” “Well,” said Alana, “how did we get different animal traits than our parents?” “Oh,” said Ms. Montrose. “I am not exactly sure how you got different animal powers than your parents, but, I have made an inference. I think that when you two children were born, you showed the personalities of a unicorn and a dragon, so you were had those animal traits.”
Ms. Montrose stopped speaking, and glanced at a small clock that sat on her desk. Then she spoke again. “Children, we must do whatever it takes to retrieve that locket, otherwise your parents will be forced to hand the locket over to the WAR association.” Alana remembered something. She fumbled around in her pants pocket and pulled out a small green and silver locket. “Is this the locket, Ms. Montrose?” she asked. Ms. Montrose gazed open-mouthed at the two children and said, “Y-y-yes, it is. I think it would be best for you to give me the locket, and I can keep it safe.” Sam and Alana pondered over the thought for a moment, doubtfully staring at each other. Then, Alana spoke. “No, I think it would be better if we kept the locket. Our parents trusted us with it.”
“Well,” Ms. Montrose said with a sigh. “If you insist, then keep the locket and keep it safe. You must get going now. Just sit down in the waiting room until you are assigned dormitories. All the information that you need will be provided to you in the near future. Thank you and good-bye. Just keep in mind what I have told you. Oh, and please tell Wanda Wolcrest that she must come see me right away.”
Sam and Alana did as they were told, and soon settled back down into the black armchairs. Sam was the first to make a move. “We’ll discuss this later”, he mouthed to Alana. She nodded her head and settled her gaze on a magazine lying on one of the side tables. Alana stared at the magazine for a few seconds, then gingerly picked it up as if it were about to tear into pieces. She leafed through the pages. Then, she stared, open-mouthed, at one particular page.
Sam began to wonder what was wrong with Alana. “What is it?” he mouthed to her. She held up the tattered magazine. Sam could only make out a few words. “Wanted: Joanne and Lionel Smith.” Alana looked horrified. She rapidly turned the pages of the magazine, inspecting it for further information. Then she turned back to the page with her parents’ names on it. She stared at it for a few minutes, then passed the magazine to Sam. Sam quickly began to read the article. It appeared that the article was some sort of notice. Their parents had been branded as criminals and were claimed to be highly dangerous.
Sam was unable to read much more, because Ms. Montrose had finished speaking to all the students and had come out into the waiting room. Sam carefully folded the magazine and shoved it into his pocket. He had done so just in time, as Ms. Montrose had just begun to give out dormitory numbers. “Sarah Zalento, dormitory 143. Please walk with one of the guides,” she said, gesturing to a group of tall students dressed in red uniforms. Then she continued telling people their dormitory numbers. Once Sam and Alana were given their dormitory information,
they followed the guides to their room.
When they arrived at their room, number 158, the guides helped them get inside and organized their luggage. Sam and Alana settled themselves in their large room. The room had two queen-sized beds, which looked like puffy clouds. In addition to the beds, there was also a sink and a small closet for clothing. The room was cozy, but not quite home.
The room lacked many things, but what Sam and Alana were missing the most were their parents. Alana was the first person to speak about the day’s events. “Sam,” she said in a frightened voice. “I don’t know if we can trust this place.” Sam was extremely irritated with Alana. As if there weren’t any other concerns. As it was, their parents had been abducted. No one knew, except for them and, Ms. Montrose. As if she even cares, thought Sam. Mom and Dad have been taken, and the police don’t even know about it. Then, he spoke. “You’re right, Alana,” he said. Alana, who had been waiting for an answer, looked slightly happier at the thought that she and Sam had actually agreed on something.
She plopped herself down on the first bed and said, “We don’t know what this place actually is, and what to do here. We’ve got no idea how to use our powers and how we can save Mom and Dad because we’ve got no clue as to where they are.” It suddenly dawned upon Sam; Alana was completely right. This wasn’t just one of her unnecessary worries. It was the truth.
There was no point in hoping they could rescue their parents. They didn’t know where their parents were being held, and even if they did figure that out, they didn’t know how to get there. It was all pointless. Even if, by some sheer magic, Sam and Alana managed to save their parents, where would they go? So many thoughts were racing through Sam’s head that he didn’t even hear what Alana had said. “What?” asked Sam. Alana looked flustered and said, “I asked you whether you thought this place was weird. First, we walk in here and a little girl had a basketball stuck in her throat. Ms. Montrose somehow gets the basketball out of her throat and then acts as if nothing happened at all.” She stopped and stared at Sam expectantly. Sam said nothing.
The Transmalians Page 2