Almost Dead (Blackwell Academy Book 1)

by Rae Hendricks

  “Hello, young lady. You are the first of your kind to cross the gate in a long time. For the powers that be to make a specimen such as yourself means that you are needed. The time draws near. One will be made from one who feels, and she is the one who raises them.”

  “The prophecy, we cannot be sure of that, Stockwell.” Dean Andrew looked like he had seen a ghost.

  “Oh, my.” Aberdeen raised her hands to her chest.

  I took the weird man’s hand and let him help me off the floor. He guided me over to the chair that I overturned and gently patted my hand then he walked away.

  "I demand to know right now what is going on." It just couldn't be right. For all I knew, I was still laid up in the hospital bed and was really in a coma right now.

  "Be calm, my dear. I will explain everything soon enough." It was like I had entered the Twilight Zone. They were all staring at me like I was a science experiment, and I was starting to get mad. Nobody would answer me. I felt like I was under a microscope.

  "No! I will not be - you will tell me now!"

  Anastasia, no. You must be calm and contain yourself before you hurt someone.

  And just like he was an extinguisher, I died down. The heat left my skin, the tingling feeling went away, and I took a deep breath.

  "Help." At the moment the one little word was all I can get out. I was overwhelmed, and I was confused. I thought of my parents, and my heart hurt. I was glad I was here and not there with this kind of outburst. All I could think of was Dean Andrews saying I could hurt someone, if I didn't control my emotions.

  "It is going to be hard, probably one of the hardest things that you've ever had to do in your life, but you've got to do it. Being here at school is going to be a challenge.”

  What had I become?

  “We will start slowly - sometimes that helps to ease the mind. I grew up in Britain. I was 13 years old and became ill. My near-death experience was pretty cut and dry. I hung onto the edges of death for many days. My heart stopped once, and the doctor brought me back. After that, things went pretty fast. I began hearing voices, and I thought I was losing my mind. It didn't take long before I realized that I was reading their minds. I was an orphan on the streets of Liverpool, so my little parlor trick came in handy. I soon ran into other children who were like me, and we formed a little gang. Rumors soon trickled around about a school for children like us. Ones with gifts. We manipulated, stole, and tricked anyone that we could, to cross the ocean. Since I've gotten here, I haven't had nerve enough to leave. Your near-death experience was traumatic, and yet, it produced a great gift.”

  "What am I?" My voice was so quiet, and I barely recognized it because it shook.

  "You, my dear, I believe to be some kind of psychic; like most who suffer as you have are. However, judging by your ability to see Mr. Stockwell without assistance, I would say you are clairvoyant, at the very least," Ms. Aberdeen answered, which I only comprehended a portion of it.

  “What is that? I’m not understanding.”

  “You can see and communicate with the dead. That’s just one thing. There may be more things that you are capable of.”

  “See the what? You people are crazy. Nobody can do anything like that.”

  The little old man walked over and laid a hand on my arm. He immediately changed into a young man right before my eyes once more. The look he gave me spoke volumes. He took his hand off of me and walked away. How was this possible?

  I looked over at Aberdeen, “What is your gift?”

  She gave me the sweetest smile and turned into something you would see off of a sci-fi movie. It was big and black with scales. “Are you a freakin’ dragon?” I raised my voice. My eyes were big as saucers, and I had tucked my feet in the chair. She walked over in front of me, and in a blink, she was a cute, little, white poodle. Then, suddenly, she was herself again. I blinked at her repeatedly in confusion. My brain could not process what had just happened. Within one minute she had changed into three different beings. I looked at the old man, and I froze. Nope, I refused to ask, and he laughed menacingly at me like he already knew what was on my mind, and he knew I wouldn’t dare to ask. I had seen enough.

  “I can also sense people’s powers, but it is not a precise magic like my shape shifting.”

  “That’s enough for you. You are excused from classes today. Go to your room, and I suggest you stay there for the day. Tomorrow, you begin your courses.” Dean Andrews handed me a stack of books. “I suggest you begin here. Prepare yourself, because you will see a lot of things in the next couple of days. Many of your peers have had a near-death experience, and they all became something other.”

  I walked out with a hand full of books, a piece of paper, and a lot of self-doubts.

  The door closed behind me, and with it, my once normal world.

  10

  Him

  My walk back to my room was long. There were kids everywhere. Some played in the grass. They threw balls or frisbees. There was laughter and normal teenage horse-play. I saw no difference between here and my regular school. There was even a couple by a tree, kissing. Nobody was freezing time or throwing fireballs, hell, what did supernaturals do? I guess that is what this godforsaken pile of books were for. The top one appeared to taunt me, ‘What is a Clairvoyant?’. I felt my feet pick up speed so that I could hurry up and get to my room. I just wanted to open up one of these books. I had a burning desire to study and understand what had happened to me.

  I made my way into my room and threw all of the books across the bed. I stared at them, waiting for things to change even though I knew they wouldn’t. Deep down, I knew I was awake, and this was my new reality.

  I kicked off my shoes, pushing the books on the other side of the bed towards the top where my pillows laid, and I sat with my legs crossed.

  How does one handle being told that they can communicate with the dead? I mean, seriously.

  I thought of my mother and how she said that I could call her and ask her anything. Yep, I wasn't going to call her and ask her about this. I reached for the closest book to me, which so happened to be about clairvoyants. I rubbed my hands across the old, hard, black cover. The words were written in silver. I opened the pages and just glanced through it. I turned to page one and read the first sentence.

  Clairvoyance is the practice of being in contact with an object, person, or location and being able to perceive unknown knowledge regarding those things.

  Some clairvoyants may present with the ability to see the near future or decipher the past, while others find their powers delve into the darker arts such as being a medium.

  I instantly threw the book across the room and jumped up out of my bed and just ran. I ran down the stairs. I didn't even take the elevator this time. I had to get away. This could not be real.

  I flew out of the front door of my dorm into the walkway, and I collided with something hard. It knocked the wind out of me, and I hit the ground. I laid there for what seemed like a full minute, trying to catch my breath. I sat up there with my knees tucked to my chest until a strong pair of arms wrapped around my waist and lifted me in one scoop.

  "Are you okay? You should really watch where you're going." I was looking into the eyes the most gorgeous boy I had ever seen in my life. He had fair skin, light hair that kind of had waves at the ends, and dark, soulful eyes. I was mesmerized. He quickly dropped his hands from my body and took a huge step back.

  "Who are you?" he asked me as his head turned to the side, and he gave me a strange look

  "Anastasia. I'm new here," I forced out, his presence turning me into a nervous wreck.

  "What are-" before he could finish, I heard someone call my name, and I turned around to see who it was. I recognized Charlotte, and I was confused because she was running toward me. I turned back to him, and he was gone. It was like he had disappeared into thin air. I never got his name or anything.

  “Anastasia!” Charlotte called my name again as she got closer to me. I didn't know
why she seemed so frantic, but she was out of breath by the time she reached me. She gently laid her hand on my arm.

  “Are you okay? I heard what happened to Brady, and I thought of you. I went to your room, and your door was open, and there were books spread all across your bed.” The look she gave me let me know that she knew.

  "You know, don't you?" the sympathetic look she gave me said it all - she didn't even have to give me the words.

  "Let's go back to my room." We walked hand-in-hand back to my dorm room. I still was looking around to see where that boy had disappeared to. I was really curious now.

  “Hey, did you happen to see that boy I was talking to when you were walking towards me?”

  “Boy?”

  “Yes. Light hair with a slight wave to it, pale skin, and ancient eyes.”

  She stopped suddenly, taking both of my hands into hers and faced me.

  “Look, I know that you are new here and new to all of this, but I think you should heed my warning. We are very careful about spilling what or who someone is. It’s the code around here. However, without breaking the code, that one you should stay away from. Some things or people are dangerous, Anastasia.”

  “I don’t understand. Why should I stay away from him?.”

  “Come on, my student. Let’s go study, and I’ll teach you everything I know,” Charlotte teased, making me laugh. The sound was foreign but lifted a heavy weight off my chest.

  11

  Waking the Dead

  Desmond

  I had no idea what that was. When I touched her, my skin felt electrified. I felt alive. I had never felt anything like it in my long life.

  Anastasia? I looked behind me and watched her walk and talk to her friend. Her long, dark hair and innocent looks were more than I could take. I ran my fingers over my fangs, trying to will them back in. From the moment that she touched me, they had come out. She brought something to life in me that had not been alive in more than a century. Since Grandfather had cursed me to this existence, I felt dead. One touch from her and what had died inside of me came alive.

  I watched as her and her friend turned into the dorm and disappeared. I continued to walk in the direction that I was headed before she had practically ran me over. I was heading to the far south side of the school. Not many people came here, and it was peaceful. I opened the large front door easily.

  Living alone had never been easy, but here lately, it seemed like it has gotten harder. The encounter with Anastasia had put that in a harsh light and left me thirsty in a way I am not used to. Not because I really wanted to hurt her, but I missed the feeling of my fangs sinking into flesh and the warm gush of blood that splashed into my mouth belonging to someone special. My kind was like an animal, needing to mate and hunt. Neither one of those needs had been met in a very long time despite the childish rumors around this place. Maybe it was for the best, though.

  I thought about her, and I shook my head. It was true that there was nothing new under the sun and that life repeated itself. She was new, however, that gift she hid was familiar. I looked at the picture of my father that was hung up on the wall, and I knew that it had begun. The familiarity of all of this could not be denied. I was going to have to keep an eye on things and her. Not that I was complaining since I would take any excuse to get near her, no matter how pathetic it made me or how much of a bad idea it was.

  Funny how one moment could change everything about you.

  I leaned over the glass case that was in the corner of the room. The dagger that laid inside floated in midair. There was no stand, just pure magic, the same kind that kept me inside the fence. Constantine was a true bastard, and he condemned me to be inside of this teenage hellhole by putting suspicion on me. Alastair had taken up this very dagger and had put an end to that tyrant's life. Constantine had hidden under the guise of the school and used it to power his empire and feed his belly. He had lured children there in an attempt to trick them into hating humans and being in his crusade to rid the Earth of them. The Circle had formed, and they were used to lure others, and I wouldn’t put anything past them.

  Just thinking about that pissed me off. If one could turn enough people and brainwash them, another Reign of Terror could begin. The Circle’s ultimate goal had always been to raise Constantine from the dead and help him to rule once more.

  It was the dagger that would determine which side prevailed in the end, and my blood did hold Constantine’s selfishness, even if I didn’t agree with his methods.

  The steel glowed a fiery red as it now laid in my hand.

  I didn’t like choosing sides, but the winner would be up to me.

  12

  Reckless

  "Please, come with me to get my schedule. I don't think I can face all of them alone again after the outburst I had," I begged Charlotte. I had actually spent the night in her room after we made sure to close up mine. I was so freaked out after the day I had, I just couldn't handle any more time on my own to think about what had happened to me.

  My awakening of sorts had come on strong, and my head was buzzing with voices of what I assumed were either the dead or thoughts I was hearing. I couldn't be sure, but that was what Charlotte and I had deduced during last night’s pow-wow. It was giving me a terrible migraine. It also made me instantly curious about all the other students, especially those I had already met. Charlotte, Liam, Sam...the boy I had run into the night before.

  "I am supposed to go to classes. I want to help you. My gut is telling me to help you. Well, more than my gut, but I am not sure if I would get away with it," Charlotte explained, coming out of the bathroom in full uniform. It looked cute on her, and I scowled with a bit of jealousy. She reminded me of a better looking version of Thelma from Scooby Doo. Me, I thought, with my flatter chest and short stature, I was awkward, but maybe everyone felt like that the first time they put on a school uniform. I had never had to wear one before, having grown up in a public school in California. You know; where you could wear practically anything but a bathing suit to school.

  "They told me I would need friends. I am sure this would make them feel like I am doing what they asked and not fault you for it." I felt so stupid begging for her to come with me. I really didn't know what else to do. Dean Andrews scared me with the way he could speak in my head, and Ms. Aberdeen with the fact she could turn into a dragon...some moral support was more than needed.

  "Fine, but you owe me if I get in trouble," she said, scolding me with a finger in my face. Then, both of us burst out laughing. I couldn't take anything serious, at all, with her round, kind face, and glasses that just kept sliding down her nose. It was hard to think she might be able to do anything dangerous at all.

  "Fair enough."

  We stopped by my room so I could change into a fresh uniform. Then, she showed me how to set my laundry out for the staff to grab, three days a week. I guess they liked us to be really clean and fresh here.

  Then, we walked outside and into the morning sunshine. It wasn't as warm as the bay, but it wasn't cold either. Not yet.

  I stood for a moment to bask in the sun, the warmth making me feel more like myself for a moment. "Enjoy it while you can. It won't last. Most of the year is gray and rainy here," Charlotte warned.

  "Yeah, I know all about it from Twilight. Any Cullens hanging around campus?" I joked, and she nudged into me, as we started to walk to the dean's office. I saw her trying to hide a smile as she passed to walk in front of me.

  "You'll see plenty of things here, but I don't know of anything that sparkles," she called back to me.

  I rolled my eyes and willed my short, achy, legs to keep up. Even though the hospital staff had me up and moving as soon as possible, being laid out like that for weeks had still taken its toll. My soreness was about more than a still healing body - it was a body out of practice.

  Going into the office, we found no sign of anyone other than Ms. Aberdeen, which caused a huge sigh of relief to escape from my mouth. No talking in my head or
ghosty old man today. It would be a nice break.

  "Hello, Anastasia, dear. I see you have brought a friend. That's good. Friends can really help you navigate this tough time, coming into your powers. You are in great hands with Charlotte."

  Ms. Aberdeen was lit up with her various pink hues again. She bent over the desk and pulled out a slip of paper - my schedule. I took it from her hand and looked over it as she kept talking to me. "This will be your schedule for now. Sometimes, there are kinks to work out, as someone comes into their powers, but we will see how you do. You can also come to me at any time. I have been here a long time and seen some tough cases come through. I would be happy to help."

  She winked as I looked up, not sure what to say about the list of classes in front of me. It was so little like what I was thinking I was getting into, when I came here.

  8:00 to 17:00

  Dealing with the Dead

  Famous Magical Figures in History

  Types of Magic

  Auras

  Lunch Hour B

  Controlling Dark Magic

  Magical Defense

  Arithmetic & Reading

  Magical Government

  "Oh, look, you have Magical Defense with me!" Charlotte pointed it out over my shoulder. "And lunch, of course."

  It made me feel only a little better. It meant I would be on my own for seven hours out of the day unless I could find another friend here. I got the feeling that would not be easy. Charlotte seemed to be a diamond in the rough.

  "Thanks," was all I could say before walking out of there, wondering what all of these classes would possibly be teaching, especially the darker ones. Would there be actual dead people, we had to talk to?

  Charlotte's hand landed on my shoulder, and we went back out into the sunny day in comfort. Whatever she said, was drowned out by the sound of a loud engine.