Chapter Six: The Traditions
“In the dawn, armed with a burning patience, we shall enter the splendid Cities.”
-Arthur Rimbaud, A Season in Hell & Other Poems
Ialian Academy of Wisdom
Dallas, Texas
Time: 14:42
There weren’t that many people to build up an army with, but within a couple of hours, although his brother still hasn’t replied to the text, an action that worried William greatly. Of course, time was pressing, and he didn’t want to let Hunter return to his usual and comfortable routine – it would be difficult to grab answers then.
He had eighteen friends that surrounded him, and the group of nineteen marched into the atelier in which Hunter had walked into. The place was fairly lit, revealing most of the workshop, and the iron pathways that lined the walls, and the numerous forges and benches that filled up the space in the atelier. However, Hunter was nowhere to be seen – he might’ve left, by this point.
As William continued closer to the center of the room, something that sounded like the scratching of a gramophone record, and the famous song by the Clash began to fill up the entire room, as the doors slid themselves shut. A couple of William’s friends ran over to try and open the door, but it was to no avail – they were sealed within this room. The thought that he might’ve walked into a trap caused William’s brow to sweat.
Darling, you gotta let me know.
Should I stay or should I go?
If you say that you are mine,
I’ll be there ‘till the end of time.
So you gotta let me know,
Should I stay or should I go?
A giggle, perhaps the most feminine and yet the most wild laughter that anyone present in the room has ever heard, rang out from one of the walkways above. All nineteen pair of eyes looked up to see a young girl with white hair and violet eyes, dressed in only black underwear and a black jacket to cover it. The rather skimpy appearance of the pretty girl embarrassed the party present, but the girl simply licked the tip of the fingers making up her right hand, before jumping off from the walkway and landing on one of the benches that was set up underneath.
I’ll always tease, tease, tease
You’re happy when I’m on my knees
One day is fine and the next is black
So if you want me off your back,
Well, come on and let me know,
Should I stay or should I go?
It seemed as if the girl had no intention to talk to anyone – she didn’t acknowledge any of them as holding up to the energy spent talking to them. Indeed, she was only going to spend her efforts to do this one action, and the rest of this fun play will sustain itself afterwards. Walking slowly up to the party of nineteen, she grabbed one of the paralyzed boys who stood closer to the front, and stroking his chin, lead him back to one of the benches, bringing him on top of her as she lay down across the bench. Smiling in response to the boy’s face, contorted with both arousal and terror, the girl flipped the boy over the bench and raised her fist, repeatedly pounding against the boy’s face.
William watched with terror as he saw his friend beaten to death, and when the girl jumped off the motionless body, the bloody head that stood there was unrecognizable mess of bone and flesh. Licking the hand clean of the boy’s blood, the girl grinned at the other eighteen, and she thought her intention was clear: she wanted them to kill each other, to the very last one. After a moment of silence, the girl finally realized that the shock didn’t allow them to register what she wants, so sighing, she explained.
“Okay, you idiots, you’re going to beat yourselves down to death, last one to survive gets to leave this place, the other eighteen are for me to eat. Got it? Good, now go, before I kill you all myself.”
Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go, there will be trouble.
And if I stay it will be double.
So come on and let me know,
Should I stay or should I go?
___________________
Gillard felt Diane’s arms cross over his shoulder, before he was grabbed into a warm embrace, with his professor rubbing her cheek against the top of his head. Giggling at the surprised look on Gillard’s face, Lilah decided to explain the situation.
“I never brought you here because of Hunter, I brought you here because my older sister has something of a, um, fixation, on younger men, and you fit her profile perfectly.”
Walking over to the grand piano, Lilah bent down and opened up some latch located under the keys, and magazines and manga with boys that had a similar appearance to Gillard fell onto the floor, and the poor boy realized what was going on: he was the object of affection of a surprisingly big pervert, who also happened to be giving his grade for one of the more important subjects in the curriculum.
Diana saw the magazines fall to the floor, and in her embarrassment, released Gillard to go and hide the magazines before anyone else saw them. Gillard watched the debacle, and understood why Diane Sheffield seemed so reclusive – it seemed that outside of the classroom, outside of when she’s a teacher, she can’t seem to talk to anyone outside of her own family. The uniqueness of that shy nature was definitely that – unique.
“Anyways, I did this as a favor for my sister, but you see, regarding Hunter, I also think my dear older sister is also an expert on a name that Cecilia picked up from overhearing Hunter Gray earlier – Lyssa.”
Diane stopped picking up the books, and looked back at both Gillard and Lilah, a frightened look in her eyes. The smile disappeared from Lilah’s face, and walking over to her sister, she spoke in a low voice.
“You know something about this, don’t you, sister?”
Diane looked at the ground, as if in shame, and holding the books closer to her chest, she walked over to the couch, and directed Lilah to return to her seat. With a deep breath, Diane began the subject of the horror Hunter Gray planned to unleash upon the academy.
“A few months ago, Hunter asked to help me in researching a faerie that was rather unique. How he knew about it, I had no idea, but a member of House Mercere would be wonderful to have, since no one else was interested in trying to save the faerie, who was heavily wounded at the time. I needed someone to care for it, and Hunter volunteered his services, so I simply disregarded the fact that he somehow knew about the faerie, especially when the school tries to keep quiet about the professional research being done here; I figured something slipped, I was just grateful for the help.
Around last month, Hunter seemingly changed. He kept on making unwarranted moves on me, and he even attacked me around three weeks ago. I was nearly strangled to death in one of the ateliers, but as I was losing my breath, I could see Hunter’s eyes: they didn’t have any intelligence in them, only insanity. The research I had been doing for around six weeks about the property of the faerie I had been keeping in the atelier all suddenly made sense to me – the faerie was no normal faerie, but a personification of insanity that went by Lyssa.
Just last week, I saw Lyssa standing outside the apartment complex I was staying in. She made no gesture to look for me, so I thought nothing of it – I had been avoiding Hunter since he tried to choke me, but I figured he might have wanted Lyssa to have some fresh air. But, two days after that, one of my neighbors, a nice old man who kept quite a few pets for his company, was torn apart by his own dogs, who went mad. They were put to sleep, and the vets said they contracted rabies, but I understood then – Lyssa was trying to turn me what she did to Hunter, a servant to the insanity she is.”
With a shaky breath, Diane looked down on her lap, as Lilah began to show incredibly concern on her face – she had seen her sister wear a turtleneck recently, and now she understood: it was to hide the strangle marks that had probably left on her neck. Diane did not break down into tears, but she turned her head to look at Gillard.
“I don’t know what Hunter has against you or your brother, but be careful. He has a being that is basically a god on his side. If anything, I would want you to leave this school; I’ll do anything to make sure neither Hunter or Lyssa leaves this place, even if I must be a prisoner here for the rest of my life.”
Edited by Serph Sheffield, 20 February 2015 - 11:46 PM.