Halo Of Fire: An Angel In Trouble

Ophelia 2

Ophelia came out of her room, looking as prim and proper as I had seen her on the first day I met her. Her hair was shiny and pin straight down her back, and the uniform was pressed and clean. She would have looked amazing to any person who could only see her physical body, but I could see more than that. Her aura was dark, dreadfully so, and it was somewhat dull, just like Tyler's was only days prior.

"Are you doing ok?" I asked her out of impulse, completely forgetting about Jordan's argument not to ask her anything.

She looked at me like a deer stuck in headlights, "I'm doing ok, I just miss home."

I nodded my head in understanding, I felt the same way every day. Sometimes when the wind hit just right I could hear the same sound of leaves rustling as I did from my bedroom window during summer nights. But deep down I knew she was lying.

Jordan walked ahead as we went towards the cafe in the plaza. The leaves turning amber and ochre reminded me of warm fires that my father would start so we could make smores and hot chocolates and camp out in front of the fire.

When we arrived, we sat at one of the iron tables that were set outside and Jay offered themself to go make our order. The day was nice enough that staying outside wasn't terribly uncomfortable. We had our breakfast quietly, Ophelia mainly played around with her food a lot and I wondered if she was OK. If there were any problems at home or at The Academy that made her behave the way that she had been.

Then I noticed a tall figure wearing the Academy's uniform walk by carrying a backpack. I recognized him immediately as the person that had knocked me over the week before, Damian. He slinked through a small entrance to one of the buildings that I couldn't identify yet and disappeared. I returned to my conversation with Jordan and Ophelia but noticed when he resurfaced, now without a backpack on his shoulders.

My curiosity was killing me. He had been such an ass and his lack of aura really creeped me out, but there was something about him, and I wasn't sure what it was, that led me to want to know everything about him. The image of his green eyes was imprinted in my mind and I couldn't get rid of it no matter how hard I tried to fight it.

"I just saw Damian go by," I said, nonchalant.

"Oh?" Jordan went, their mouth formed in a perfect O.

"He went through a door with a backpack on, and then came out without it. I wonder what he's up to," I said.

They shrugged, "No idea, but don't waste your time on him. He's trouble."

I nodded my head and rested it on my hand, "Hey, Ophelia. We were talking yesterday and we are going to start the History and Mystery Club again. Do you want to participate?"

She looked up from her half-eaten food, "Uh, I guess. What is it?"

"We're trying to find a hidden room in the school that students keep saying has a light that goes by the windows every week at night." Jordan piped in, "Angel's been in it but she can't remember where it was."

"Oh," Ophelia lit up, "I might actually have some stuff that might help with that." She then proceeded to eat a couple more bites of her breakfast and then led the way towards the entrance of the school to get to class. Her aura, still dull in color, had lit up in a pattern of excited yellows and creative oranges that created a fiery line following behind her.

Then, as we walked down the hall together, I noticed another student with a dull aura. This one was weaker than Tylers or Ophelias were and it looked nearly gray. Shriveled up like the victims of Ursula's deals in Disney's The Little Mermaid. There was something going on in The Academy that was doing something to these kids auras and I had to figure out what.

Hello reader! I'm so happy you're back! What do you think is happening to the auras?
Don't forget to vote if you like a chapter, please! It definitely helps me write more :)
Veronique