The Lonely Thoughts of a Snail in Soil

Youth is Hard

Chapter 16: Youth... is hard

When the Hidden first came to Earth, their first action defined the future to it's core. They saw beauty and... wept.

--Excerpts from 'The Guide to the Realm of the Hidden.'

Hannah

The damned sun once again ruined a perfectly good morning. Hannah, who awoke to a beam shining arrogantly into her eyes, blinked profusely, rolling over in her bed and staring at the blank wall on the opposite side of her dorm.

It was there she remembered the words of the Slayer.

She gritted her teeth. How dare that woman treat a fan so badly.

Rolling onto her back, she closed her eyes, and thought of the last few moments of the night. After they left Angela, Hannah and her friends found their dorm from their pile of papers they'd gotten, and wished everyone else a goodnight. Coach had told them to get a good night's rest, then to meet him for lunch at noon to discuss their game plan about the future.

Hannah didn't recall much after that. Their stuff had already been dropped off, and after the long day, she immediately went to sleep.

Sitting up and blinking, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Pressing her hands against the mattress, she felt a great deal of gratitude for the school being able to afford real mattresses for their students. Hannah had brought her own sheets, pillows, and blankets -- all dressed in a lovely snow covered pattern -- but she had a feeling this bed would become a dear friend in the days to come.

Twisting, she placed her feet against the tile floor. They were cool, and made even cooler as she breathed out some stored up magic from the night. A snowy mist spread out before her. Stretching as far as the girl could, Hannah stood and went for her pile of bags laying haplessly by the wall.

The mountains were cold, but she was too, so Hannah selected a dark navy T-shirt and jeans. Throwing them on, Hannah finally took a moment to observe her now dorm room.

It was small, with a single bed, window beside it, and a small dresser. Against the blank wall that she awoke to was her desk, a small table, and two comfy looking chairs to pair with them. She went into her mirror on her door, touching her gray hair, wondering what she should do with it today.

I'll have to get Lilly to do something with it. Braids maybe. Though those take some time. Fluff it up? Not bad either. Curls? Just leave it long?

A worry for later. Her stomach growled, so she opened up the door and went out into the commons. This was where the students of this dorm could hang out, cook from their kitchen, lounge from their small living area, and have access to the restroom and shower. Now though, with Hannah standing there, she noticed there were four doors total, even though there were only three on her team.

Who was their fourth?

But she was the first one up, so she took in the sights. Everything was all together, nothing separating the commons functions besides the restroom. Same white tile as her room, the lounge had a couch and three chairs with thick stuffing, though they were an ugly navy blue with black striped undertones. To her left was the kitchen, with a counter that was dividing the room a little, with four stools placed against it. All the standard fixings of a kitchen, except there were stacked tiles going half way up the walls, these lined with blue swirls that made her think of a flowing ocean.

The door to the restroom was on the far side of the commons to her right, so she'd never get there first before anyone else. Disappointing. Feeling the rumble in her stomach, Hannah went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. They brought a few groceries, nothing much. Shopping would come later. For right now though, something basic would have to be done.