Entranced

Chapter 9 So it Begins

Students of all different ages streamed through the hallways, their voices a loud buzz.

"Over here," Penny called. She turned a corner into a different area. The previous hallways had been lined with tall lockers spaced far apart. More dorms, I assumed. This one had regular wooden classroom doors. I peeked through the window of the first room. At first it looked like a regular school classroom. But with a closer look, I could see scorch marks on the walls and blackened edges on the desk. I didn't know what that meant, it was hard not to wonder what kind of homework they assigned here. I shrugged and followed Penny down the hall.

At the end of it were heavy double - doors that led into a gym, similar to the ones at my normal middle school. Which this was not. Obviously. When I opened the doors, I caught my breath. Inside, a maze of mats, hurdles, and other obstacles snaked around the gym. A aluminum sign hung on a door to my left that read: CAUTION!DANGEROUS! They must have been kidding. I think. At least, I sure hoped they were. Penny placed her hand on my shoulder. "C'mon. Class starts soon," she said. Right on cue, the bell blared over the intercom. Kids spilled out of doors, their voices flooding into the hall. Coach Wilson, my PE coach at school stepped into the gym. Kids filed onto bleachers against the right wall, and I followed. The coach grabbed a megaphone and spoke into it.The students fell silent.

"Today we will be trying something new," she announced. Murmurs rose from the crowd.
"What does that mean?" I asked Penny. She whispered her answer.
"New skill. She askes for volenteers, but no one does. You just stay quiet and hope she doesn't pick you."

"Why?"
"Because. It's usually something super hard and complicated that only people with rare powers can do." I thought a moment.
"So? You don't know if you can do it if you don't try," I insist.
"Everyone here's only seen the Light. But a handful of people actually touched it. It's a very dangerous thing too do. You could die," Penny said. I bit my lip, trying not to grin. "But," she continued. "If they survive, those people get extra powers. Something really cool." My head snapped up. We sat in silence, thinking. Once it got quiet enough for Coach Wilson to tell us the lesson, sure enough, she asked for a volunteer. Everyone looked down.

Except me. I looked up.
"Don't you want to try?" The coach asked. People started looking around to see if anyone was stupid enough to actually volunteer. "Okay then." She looked disappointed, like she had expected something. "I'll have to choose then." Everyone ducked down, not meeting her eyes. I made a split second decision. Once again, the crowd parted to let me through as I stood and stepped down the bleachers. I held my head high and ignored the Entranced's stares. I could do this. I had to do this. I swallowed my fear as coach Wilson opened the door with the CAUTION sign.