She was in darkness, but here she felt safe and secure. It was as if she was floating, drifting almost.
For me. For them. For you.
It was the voice again, though it was softer than before. It felt so far away, yet she could still hear it.
We are all running out of time.
It was like a plea, a moment of weakness. The girl desperately wanted to say something, to ask why they were so desperate. But she could not move her lips, dripping away from this place of comfort.
No matter what, never let go of my hand.
She felt a gentle presence at her palm, slowly wrapping around it and pulling her away from this place. She didn't fight it, its grip being familiar and grounding.
Then a rumble woke her slightly, shaking her from her sleep. Her golden eyes eventually opened, though they were heavy and watery. It took a moment to clear but all she saw was darkness. She was still in a daze but could feel the place around her. It was a confined space, but not claustrophobic. She felt velvet all around her, soft and warm but still no light. Another rumble went through the place where she had slept.
"What's that noise…?" her voice was weak when she spoke.
"Crap. People are coming. Gotta get a uniform while…" She heard a voice from the outside, though a bit muffled, it was quite loud. Once more the world shook, making her put out her hands to steady herself. "Grrr! The lid is too heavy. Time for...my secret movie! Fanaa! There!"
At first, there was nothing, then a crackling began to occur in the lid. A light came from a crack in the opening in front of her.
"F-fire!?" She yelped though her voice was still not strong enough to be heard by the attacker. She pounded weekly on the lid before it finally fell away. Coughing and taking in gups of air, letting her eyes adjust to the light.
"Okay, okay. Gotta get…" She leaned over the side of the container, her eyes watering a bit. She looked up only to be met with an odd creature, their face full of surprise. "Whaaaaa! Why are you up!?"
"A talking r-raccoon!?" Was the best word that could describe what was in front of her. The thing was small, maybe a foot or two, covered in gray fur with a tuft of white on its chest and neck, with glowing cyan eyes. The only indication that something was off was its ears, glowing the same color as its eyes, its tail, ending a leathery black with a pitchfork pattern, as well as its ability to talk.
"Just who are you calling a raccoon! I am the Great Grim!" they exclaimed, agitated at the girl's reaction.
"S-sorry," She says, backing away a bit. She looked around, finding herself in a room similar to her dream, yet there was no significant difference. "I'm in a room with floating coffins!?" Her voice was still not at its strongest, so it was left unharmed by the small best. All around the room, there are floating coffins, black with chains that bound them. A green oval glitter near the top face of the coffin, where the head of a person may be. It was then she noticed that she too was in one, though the chains were now broken and the lid now discarded on the floor. It all circulated the pedestal that held the black mirror, she could feel it watching.
"Well, whatever. Hey, human! Hurry and gimme those clothes!" the little thing demanded. "Otherwise...I'll roast ya!"
Her mind wandered back to what happened before this, the dreams and nightmares that were constantly consuming her."Dreaming about getting roasted by a raccoon. That's a new one..." She whispered out loud, not realizing he heard her.
"I said I'm not a freakin' raccoon!" they cried, changing at the poor girl, blue flames enveloping the area around them. She didn't even think twice about running away, her body already halfway out the door.
Blindly running, not paying attention to where she was going, just knowing she needed to get away. After a while she felt her lungs ache, as her heart pounded against her chest, telling her to slow down. Eventually, she stopped, putting her weight against a wall, to help ease the pain.
"Where am I?" She whispered between gasps. Her eyes looked around, finding shelves and tables stunned about in an orderly fashion. Books littered every space, some even floated in the air. She looked down at herself, her hands shaking in her fearful state. "If this is a dream, I need to wake up. I can't keep doing this." She held herself, trying to calm her body.
A sudden flame made her jump, as the small gremlin walked towards her. "Did you really think you'd get away from my nose? Dumb human!" they said holding up another fiery ball. "If you don't wanna get roasted, better hand over-" The girl covered her face with her hands, sinking deep into the wall, trying to defend herself.
"Gyah! Ow! What's with this cord?" the creature cried as the heat of his flames died down. Hesitant, she peeked through her defensive position to see what was happening.
"This is no mere cord. It is a lash of love!" The creature bared a long black whip wrapped around its body, restricting its movement. The whip is being held by a man wearing a crow mask. He wore a black suit, his vest was speckled with blue rhinestones, and a white dress shirt underneath. Instead of wearing his jacket, it hung off its shoulders, the inner flap being blue and a royal purple. Several black feathers came from the shoulders. He had pale skin and black hair though most was covered by a large tophat with a blue ribbon. He turned to the shaking girl, his piercing yellow eyes glared into her, but his exposed mouth offered a gentle smile.
"Ah, found you at last. Are you one of the new students?" he asked, extending a gloved hand with silver claws. "You shouldn't do things like that. Leaving the Gate on your own! Not only that, you have yet to tame your familiar which has broken a number of school rules." he sounded as if he were scolding, but it was not harsh or angered. His smile never wavered, providing some comfort in this terrifying event.
"Let me go! I'm not their freakin' familiar!" the small thing yelled, trying to escape its snare.
"Sure, sure. The rebellious ones always say things like that. Just quiet down for a moment." the man said, placing his hand over the best mouth. Before it could say anything, its mouth instantly shut, unable to move.
"Mmmph! Mmmph!" the thing mumbled, struggling to communicate with them.
"My goodness. It's unprecedented for a new student to leave the Gate on their own." His tone was playful as he turned to the girl. "Ugh… How impatient can you be? The entrance ceremony is already well under way. Let's head to the Hall of Mirrors."
She looked at him, not sure how to react to all this. "...New Student?" she whispered, through her jumbled thoughts."...Gate?"
"It's the room you woke up in with all of the doors," he explained, gingerly guiding the youth towards the exit. "All students who wish to attend this academy must pass through one of those doors to arrive here. Normally, students wake up only after the door is opened with a special key but…"
'So those coffins were doors' She thought, collecting herself and processing what he said. "The fire must have blown the lid off." She mumbled thinking about the blue flames and smoke.
The man sighed looking at the small beast. "So in the end, the culprit appears to be this familiar." he then turned to the girl once more, a stern look on his face. "If you're going to bring it with you, you have to take responsibility and properly take care of it.'' Before she could explain what happened he suddenly grabbed her hand with a frantic expression. "...oh my! Now isn't the time to be long winded. The entrance ceremony will soon come to a close. Let's get a move on."
He pulled her towards the door, heading back to the first room. "J-just a second," She says, a bit panicked. "W-who exactly are you? W-where am I?"
He looked back at her a bit startled. "What's this? Are you still dazed?" he said, bringing her closer and looking over her body.
"It appears the teleportation magic has left you disoriented. Well, it is fine. It happens often enough." he lets go of her shoulder and walks away. "I shall give you an explanation as we make our way therefore I am gracious."
She hesitated a bit before walking after him not knowing what else to do. They walked through the halls, for the most part not paying attention. She just followed him, not speaking fearing that she would cause trouble. She took the time to examine herself, finding that her clothing was different. She wore an elegant black outfit with royal purple and gold accents. It was light and soft, a comforting feeling. She wore a dress that went to her ankles and had a turtle neckline. Onits chest was a golden design. Covering it was a flowing coat of a similar material, about her waist. It was held closed with a purple sash and golden pin. It also held a hood with a purple inside, that had fallen off during her chance. Her chestnut hair with strands of silver was hidden once more upon realization.
Staring at the long gathering, she failed to notice her guide stopped, causing the girl to bump into them. She looks up, quickly apologizing, before observing the scene around them. They were on a stone brick path to three others with a fountain in the middle. On all sides was green grass, bushes, and trees, all bathed in the full moonlight, some even bared flowers or fruit. The air was crisp but a gentle warm breeze filtered around them. The building that surrounded this little garden had an old gentle feel, calming her.
"Ahem." The man suddenly coughed and brought her attention back to him. "This is Night Raven College. Thosemagicians blessed with a unique aptitude for magic gather from all over the world, here at the most prestigious magical academy in Twisted Wonderland and I am the principal, appointed to take care of this academy by the board chairman, Dire Crowley."
"Night...College…? Ma...magician?" She asked in amazement and wonder.
"Only Those Magicians seen as worthy by the Dark Mirror can attend this school." he continued to explain as they walked. "Chosen ones use the Gate and are summoned here from around the world. An Ebony Carriage carrying a Gate should have gone to meet you as well."
The girl looked through her memory, recalling what happened before the dreams and nightmares. "I... remember going through a forest… and a horse with a terrifying face…" She shivers at the memory, the fear and confusion evident on her face.
Crowley watched and listened to the girl, seeing her fear and discomfort. "The Ebony Carriage goes to welcome new students chosen by the Dark Mirror. They are special carriages that carry the doors to the academy. The market decided long ago that carriages are used to welcome people on special days."
She looked up at him with wide eyes. "So you're saying that carriage brought me here on its own!?" This made her wonder how the horses were so well trained.
"Mmmph! Mmmph!" The girl's gaze went back to the struggling creature that was still in the levitation whip. He did not look happy.
Crowley followed her line of sight before putting a hand on the girl's shoulder, taking her attention away. "Come. Let's go to the entrance ceremony." She followed him without a word, still not fully understanding why she was there.
Trust and wait.
Embrace the uncertainty.
Enjoy the beauty of becoming.
When nothing is certain, anything is possible.
Carol Moehrle Trust and wait.