What happened at Beldmount Boarding School?

Interview 2.3

"I imagine... very little can be understood from the words of a liar." the venomous voice rang through the room. The old lady was back in control of her body, even if for a little, as her hands continued to shake with ferocity. For the first time, Mrs Woods noticed Jen scratching, and a bleak grin passed briefly between her lips. "They could materialize for short periods of time, if they were strong enough and if the host allowed, of course. Most didn't, and many times they stayed unseen in the shadows of our hearts. Corrupting them." 

There was a certainty and dread on the woman's face that Jen recognized from Mr Knowles. Nothing that she could or would share with Mrs Woods, for obvious reasons. Their stories had similarities, and Jen knew it was not coincidental. There was truth in those tales.

"You are saying then, Mrs Woods, that the familiars fed on your wicked deeds? Was the ritual to summon them real?" Jen moved forward, her scratching stopping with her urgent curiosity.

"Not sure what that coward told you, but yes. We did the ritual, and through it, we called our familiars. It was on that night we gave up our innocence, along with our souls. I remember every detail, from sounds to places, from clothing to people. I wish I didn't..."

"Did you see him? Puzuzu? Maybe not in the ritual..." Jen's voice sounded almost excited, but the woman's eyes paled and her hands clutched her legs.

A terrible silence followed Jen's question. There was no answer besides the horror on Mrs Woods' face. It was enough to get an idea of the dreadful experience it had been for the lady. Through these actions, Jen was sure that no matter how much she tried, Mrs Woods would never answer that question. And the truth of her ritual would never come to light, even after her death.

Knowing it was futile going that way, she opted for a different route. More delicate.

"Tell me then... How much did Anne change after the ritual? If she changed at all."

The room became breathable with the change of topic. Mrs Woods relaxed her jaw and played with her hair for a bit.

"At the beginning, not much. Though as time went on, her behaviour became erratic, eviler and chaotic. No one could say or do anything against her wishes. She reigned supreme, as the princess of the school. He was the one..." her hand stopped lacing her grey hair. "He was the voice that whispered in her ears, that influenced her, that caused all the wrong in Anne. He steered her into a spiral of madness, feeding on her and making himself stronger." She looked at the empty glass, taking it from the desk. Then, without warning, she let it fall to the ground, breaking it into small pieces with her black heels.

This alerted Jen, who jumped back. Yet, the woman was serene and looked at the mess she created as if nothing. "It was horrible to see her go down that path, but it was worst when the fire happened. This enraged the familiars, who knew there was no longer a way to come back. It especially enraged him... Puzuzu. After Anne, he would never come to our world, so in revenge, or in desperation, he influenced her more and more. He pushed her further into uncontrollable hysteria. They all did... And the things that happened because of that... seem very much like a horrible nightmare now."

Mrs Woods concentrated on the broken glass on the ground, the only chaos beyond her. Jen called her several times without getting anything back, not even a glance. She reached closer to the lady, sat mere inches away and whispered softly. "What happened on May 21st?"

A tear rolled down the woman's face, driving Jen to take her hand and give her some comfort. It worked for a moment, but, as if Jen's warmth brought an awakening, Mrs Woods took her hand away, the kindness, too intense for her to handle. At that, Jen recoiled and waited.