What Once was Broken

Chapter 28.... Fox among Wolves

I stayed close to Barney as we ventured through a hall FILLED with those wretched bullies, every now and then adjusting the school uniform that was slightly bigger than I. "Keep close.... Nearly there...." Barney grunted, continuing his way through the hoard, turning his head to make sure I was still behind him. I was stunned at the carnage these life sized creatures brought, with the screaming of other porcelain children as they were choked, pushed, beat, tugged on, and all the while breaking, littering, and scorching the hall around us, setting off fire sprinklers! "Oh my. How have you managed as long as you have?" I asked, quivering as I witnessed a group of bullies smash a book over another's head, breaking them like china. "Tread careful..... Keep out of way.... All we CAN do." Barney replied, holding his arm out to stop me as a bowling ball fell from above, making me squeal in fright. Annoyed, I looked above me, and spotted a group of bullies, pointing their fingers at me and laughing as they motioned a beheading gesture. "Little meanaces!" I yelled as they disappeared into the shadows. "Come! Up ahead!" Barney exclaimed, grabbing my hand and walking into an oversized classroom FILLED with little porcelain children, all on the floor as they colored the panels. They looked up just as we walked into the room, making Barney and I freeze to the spot as I observed each child. Some of them looked identical to Barney, which he called them "Benny", and females with long, sleek black hair that flowed down their back, and over their shoulders. One girl in particular caught my attention, for her long hair was not sleek, but rolled in soft waves. Barney pulled me over to the side, and whispered one name, "Jennnnnaaaaaaaaaa...." "Jenna? Is that her name?" I asked back. Barney nodded timidly, and he reeled back bashfully as I concluded, "Is she your friend?" "She nice to me.... Barney like her....." He replied, covering his face as if to hide an invisible blush, and I giggled. "Who wouldn't? You're VERY sweet." I complemented. Barney smiled wide with joy, but immediately dropped into a look of terror, forcing me to turn around. Goodness gravy do I wish I hadn't as well! To my terror was a group of porcelain children with broken heads, as well as a few other models of the doll-like meanace. Instead of having dainty lips formed into smiles, and soft perky noses, these models held an unnaturally stretched out smile, showing crooked teeth, and their noses like pig snouts! The girls of this model held rugged, bob cuts with bangs, and a boy, with a rugged bowl cut that barely covered the tips of his ears. "W-Who are they?" I whimpered, backing slowly away from the group of bullies. One by one Barney called as he pointed, "Jennifor.... Crackhead....." His finger fell onto the last bully, the second boy model who was there and murmured, "Truls...." "Truls?" I asked, and the boy model snickered as he waltzed his way up to us, leaving the children coloring on the floor, and standing in the group paralyzed with fear, even Barney didn't dare to move. "Me, Truls!" The model huffed in a snarky, clear voice. "Oh...." I said, akwardly looking over my shoulder at Barney to make sure he was still behind me. "Well, it's good to meet-" "BARNEY!" Truls screamed, making the poor dear cower. "Truls?" Barney replied, crawling closer to me on all fours, hiding behind my skirt. Truls snickered again, and pushed me with alarming strength on top of him, making him fall flat in surprise. The whole classroom began to laugh as I rubbed my arm, and I spat, "Owww! Who do YOU think you are!" I got up, and quickly took Barney into my arms to check if he was injured. Truls giggled alongside the porcelain children, and towered over the two of us meanacingly. "I in charge! No get away from Truls!" He boasted proudly, yanking Barney from my embrace, and kicking me back. "Hey!" I yelled, getting back to my feet just as the porcelain villain began to kick, and beat Barney, "HEY! GET OFF OF HIM!" I screeched, grabbing at Truls to try and separate him from Barney. Everyone in the room cheered as I tried to wrestle the bully off, appalling me entirely. The only one who didn't seem to be laughing was Jenna, who watched quietly in the shadows. Truls threw me backwards, and turned his attention to me as he laughed, "Weak girl! No match for Truls!" "Just you wait! I'll get you soon, you evil blot of waste!" I replied sternly, and I charged at him from the front, which I soon found out was just about the most idiotic thing I could do. He punched me square in the stomach, knocking the breath out of me as I fell to my knees. "Seigneur he's strong!" I thought to myself as hot tears burned my cheeks. He came up to take another blow when Barney threw himself over me and yelled, "ENOUGH! Leave alone Truls!" The cheering crowd became eerily silent, even Truls seemed shocked as if it were his first time seeing Barney take a stand. I looked up towards Jenna, who seemed to be in awe at the unknown authority Barney possessed, and smiled softly at how brave he looked in the moment. Barney helped me to my feet as I took slow, deep breaths, and said, "Teacher is coming. Must get to desk quick!" And the crowd parted as we walked to a couple desks up front. "No last you see of Truls! Mark words!" Grunted Truls, but I did what I could to just ignore him. "Are you okay?" I asked Barney once we got to the desk. Barney nodded, and whimpered as he looked down at my stomach. I covered my stomach, and place a gentle hand on his shoulder as I reassured, "I'll be fine. Promise!" I held my pinkie up to him, and he wrapped his pointer finger around it as if he knew the concept of a pinkie promise. Once he released my finger, a loud thunking noise caught our attention, as well as the attention of the entire class of dolls, and each one quickly made for their seats just as a gigantic woman peered her head into the classroom. Her hair was quite neat, and matched her jawline splendidly, and her lips were colored a neutral brown color, pressed into a tight smile that seemed welcoming. Her style of dress was that of a school teacher from the twenties, from her neatly tucked blouse, all the way to her neatly polished loafers. She seemed..... Normal..... "Hello there class!" She began in a soft tone as she slowly walked her way up to the front. "In chair! Quick!" Barney whispered, and we both lifted ourselves into our seats, which were tall enough for us to see over the desk. The woman noticed us, and smiled gently, showing a row of tiny, razor sharp teeth as she started, "Oh, why it seems we have a new student in the class with us today. Tell us, my dear, what is your name?" Everything about her felt.... Wrong..... She sounded like she was dazed..... And MAD.... I swallowed nervously as I replied, "I'm Claire Elise LaBouvier. I came to the Pale City from the Maw with my maman and sœur!" "Hm?" the woman asked in confusion, her eyes going dark. "My Mother and Sister, madame. Sorry if I confused you, my native language is French and I've only been speaking English for a few weeks now." the woman, with sickening cracks, began to stretch her neck, bringing her head down to my level and turning me green with nauseousness. "You don't SEEM like you're one of us. Tell me, is THIS how the doctor created you?" "The doctor? As in, the doctor who created life from nothing?" I had only heard of the doctor, thinking it as nothing but a myth when I was a lot younger, but she wasn't going to wait for an answer. "Yes ma'am," I lied, "a "Prototype" he said, to experiment if he could transfer knowledge, and emotion to a vessel to make it seem more human! He assigned me a mother on the Maw, and I've been there ever since until now." The teacher kept her eyes glued onto me, sniffing around the air to try and pick up the scent of human, causing me to panic internally. Finally, she lifted her head back up, gave me a couple pats with her finger, and said, "Welcome to class Miss LaBouvier. I will be your teacher for this year, so be on your BEST behavior or I will see to it that you be punished! Are we clear?" "Oui, I mean, yes madame." I replied quickly, breathing out in relief as I realized that some of Barney's scent rubbed off onto me, masking me from the lady who calls herself "The Teacher". She smiled, turned to the chalk board that was worn and cracked, and asked me, "So, Miss LaBouvier, what is it you KNOW about our creator?" "Well, I know that God is almighty, and he's the one who created ALL the life on-" "WRONG!" She screeched turning to me in a maniac rage. "But, my mother told me that we were created by God." I replied, tilting my head in confusion. "Well then she mislead you. Allow me, your teacher, to enlighten your feeble mind, child." She replied, sounding a lot calmer than she was a moment ago. She grabbed the chalk from her desk, and turned her back to the class as she drew a large building on the board with an antenna. "Tell me, miss LaBouvier, what I drew on the board." She began, turning back to me. I felt every eye in the class peirce my soul, and I sunk low in my chair as I replied bashfully, "A building, madame?" "Not just ANY building. This building, is a SPECIAL building. One where you, your classmates, and everyone else in this world was granted life!" She fawned, drawing rings around the building from the antenna to the bottom of where the building ended. "Why, it's almost like a signal is pulsing from it!" I blurted in awe. "Precisely!" The Teacher replied happily, "And who here can tell us WHY these signals pulse from the tower?" All at once, the hands of the porcelain children shot upward, all except for Barney, who bowed his head in annoyance. My guess was that he too, had heard this schtick multiple times, just like the others! Like an imprinting tactic.... "Let's have Jenna tell us." The teacher said after scanning the room for a worthy child to answer her. Jenna smiled, and set her hand gently on the desk as she replied in a clear, sweet sounding voice, "Signal pulse to bring life, and form world. Without, we have nothing!" "Correct my dear! And now Barney, explain to us WHO is in charge of the signals." The Teacher said, pointing to Barney and quickly making him sit up straight in fear. "Erm.... Uhhhh....." "Come now Barney, we haven't all day." The teacher pressured. "Ummm...... Errrr..... Uhhhh......" "It's like he's heasitating to answer the question. I wonder if he really DOES believe this bologna she's teaching?" I thought to myself as the teacher frustratedly moved on to the next child, "Jennifor, help your incompetent classmate." "Thin Man makes pulse to give life." She sneered roughly. "Right!" The Teacher replied, pleased with her answer. I raised my hand respectfully, and the teacher pointed to me silently. "So, if I'm correct, the Thin Man is in Charge of the signal tower, and those signal pulses shape the world and gives life to those it chooses?" "Yes, and Yes! You catch on MAGNIFICENTLY my girl. The doctor would most definitely be pleased with your progress!" The Teacher confirmed, and turned back to the board to draw a crude picture of a tall man in a fedora. All at once, a flash of pain shot through my head, and I remembered one of the things the shadow children on the Maw had told me shortly before dying. "Transmission distorts and destroys all things once beautiful and joyous." was what it had told me in the Lady's domain when I was aboard the Maw, and it was starting to make sense: The signals from the T.V.s, the mysterious "Him" in my visions and in the gossip of my friends, why the world was slowly decaying beneath my tiny, shoe covered feet. The boy was trapped in the tower BY this Thin Man, and he needed MY help to defeat him! Why else could my destiny bring me here in the first place? "So I must find this Thin Man, and put an end to his evil once and for all. Only then can I save you! Why does it sound more like a challenge than a heroic quest? Something here seems off...." I thought to myself, observing the crudely drawn image of the Thin Man when all of a sudden, "New girl likes Thin Man!" Truls teased, making a few others around him giggle as he made kissy noises. "WH-WHAT?! N-NO!" I replied, blushing out of embarrassment. The Teacher raised an eyebrow at me, and I quickly lied, "I mean, I do, but NOT like THAT!" "Cheeks red," one of the Jennifors cackled, "means embarrassed!" "Means she LYING!" Benny sneered, and the class of bullies howled in laughter as my face turned from pink, to red, to crimson in a heartbeat! The only ones who didn't seem amused was Jenna, who sat quietly at the back, shaking her wavy black locks at the class, and Barney, who shamefully set his head down to avoid eye contact with anyone. The teacher pulled out a long, wooden ruler, and smacked it hard on her desk, shutting the entire class up in an instant with a sudden cry. "Good children," she began, walking halfway between the rows of desks before stretching out her neck to hover over Truls, "DON'T DISRUPT THE TEACHER'S LECTURE!" Truls yelped, and slid low into his chair as he muttered, "Yes teacher." The teacher nodded her head in approval before turning her attention onto me. "Does the Thin Man interest you, my dear?" She asked, coming up to my ear. "No madame." I replied akwardly, placing my clasped hands onto my lap as I blushed, "At least, not in a INTERESTED interested sort of way, heh." The Teacher raised her elongated neck into the air, and nodded as she shrunk it back down to normal length. "Good child. Besides, young ladies like you are MUCH too young to worry about a trifling thing, such as love." She replied, patting me on the head lightly. "My mother told me the same thing." I said, recalling my mother's complaints of Bree and I talking about love. "Well then," the Teacher began, erasing the drawings on the board, "at least she taught you SOMETHING correct." I didn't like the way she was talking about my mother, but I canned it as to avoid any further conflicts. A broken bell began to sound, and the Teacher clapped her hands together as she said in a mockingly cheerful tone, "Lunch time my dears! I'll see you in about thirty minutes, and remember kiddos...." The Teacher's grin widened, revealing her tiny, razor sharp teeth, "Tardiness, is NOT ALLOWED." and on that note, the class was dismissed to lunch. As the Teacher was busily scrubbing the chalk board, and the other porcelain students filed out the door, Truls and his small band of dolls approached Barney and I. In response, I threw myself in front of Barney to protect him, which seemed to amuse Truls. "Still no get, do you?" He asked, his group laughing behind him. "Oh, I get it plenty Truls. I'm not scared of YOU or YOUR nonsense!" I seethed quietly through gritted teeth. Truls chuckled, waltzed up to me in his annoyingly cocky manner, and yanked my hair to pull my head back. I winced in pain, trying not to cry out as Truls growled, "Listen up, girl. This MY domain, and YOU not welcome in it! In place, you bow to me. I say goes! King of classroom, and you nothing but a peasant!" He threw me into Barney's arms, and tried to advance on both of us when a soft, silky voice scolded, "Leave alone, Truls!" Truls whipped around, and I peered my head over him just as the crowd parted to reveal Jenna. At that moment, Barney AND Truls both became nervous wrecks, and Truls stuttered, "H-Hi Jenna. Look pretty today!" "Hm!" She replied, turning away from Truls. Barney peered out from behind Truls, akwardly messing with his vest buttons as he continued to gaze upon the porcelain beauty herself. Jenna noticed him, turned to face him, and gave a kind smile as she waved. Barney bashfully waved back, and I could feel the jealousy emitting from Truls as he crumpled his fists into balls, and began to growl. With a swish of her wavy hair over her shoulder, Jenna made her way out of the Classroom with her arms filled with books. Truls' Friend group closed in front of us once more, and Truls turned his gaze to Barney in rage. He harshly grabbed my arm, and threw me behind him to his group, which quickly steadied me. "Look here, Barneeeey," Truls began, grabbing ahold of his collar, and lifting him into the air, "Jenna MINE! You no come near her loser, EVER." "Jenna is a being, NOT property!" I scolded, trying to fight off his groups grips. Truls turned to me, and slapped me hard across the face. "Stay out of this you-" he paused mid sentence, observing my cheek as I looked up to him with tears in my eyes. "Cheek is purple......" Truls stated in amazement. I realized what he had meant, and I shook off his group, holding my cheek as I ran from the classroom. "Wait!" Barney called, and I could hear him crawling after me at the same speed. Once we stepped into an elevator, Barney pressed the down button, and I sat propped up in the corner. "Is friend okay? Need patch?" Barney asked, examining the bruise on my cheek. "No, I can handle it Barney." I assured, and my chest began to glow as I placed my hand over the wound. Once fully healed, I put my hand back over to my side, and Barney was left shocked, and amazed by my powers. "Heart glow! No hurt?" "No Barney, it doesn't hurt. I've had them since I was an infant, but it was never as strong as it was today." Barney pulled back in thought, and his face brightened as he said, "School have library. Can research powers!" I thought for a moment, and smiled in response. "Yeah, there COULD be something there that could help. Brilliant idea Barney!" Barney looked down bashfully, and stretched his lips into a huge grin. Once the elevator had stopped, we stepped into a darkened library filled with piles, and piles of books, but not as many as the Lady herself. I grabbed Barney's hand, and we started our research for what my powers were caused by, and quite possibly, more information on this "Thin Man".