SONGS AND TRAILS (Book 1)

CHAPTER 9

Arabella stumbled inside the room shaking, trembling nervously, thin sweat covered the layer of her skin. She was in her thin white nightgown and yet she felt her blood boil when it was practically bone-breaking cold outside. 

She tried to catch her breath as she got in and kept fiddling and wiping on her nightgown until...

“Bella?” a voice startled her and she jumped back almost screaming. It was Marie covered in a towel from the bathroom. “Are you okay?”

Bella had forgotten that Marie was a morning bird, which reminded her, “What time is it?”

“It’s almost dawn. Where are you from? You weren’t here when I woke up.”

“I... uh! I...” Bella stuttered not knowing what to say. “I went for a walk.”

“A walk?” Marie raised an eyebrow.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“At dawn?”

“I just...”

“Why were you out in the cold wearing that?” Marie presses.

“I... I...” Bella didn’t know what to say and Marie still held her gaze on her.

“You’ve been stepping out most of the nights lately.” Marie continued.

A yawn snapped the both of them from their conversation as they turned to look at Mia stretching on her bed like a little kitten.

“Hi, guys. Is it morning already?” Mia asked.

“Shut the fuck up! I’m trying to finish my sleep.” Daya peeped from under her pillow and then returned.

“Rude much!” Mia cursed as she threw a pillow at her, hard.

Daya sat up and threw it back but Mia diverged it with her powers.

“I don’t have time for this. The dawn bells might just go off and...” Just then the morning bells went off. “Fuuuuuuuck!” Daya groaned as she smashed back on her bed and pulled the sheets over her head.

Mia just laughed under her sheets too.

“Come on. You better go get a shower.” Marie told Bella snapping her out of the show her roommates were making and Bella rushed into the bathroom before Marie could ask anything else.

She locked the door quickly and took deep breaths calming her nerves then looked at the mirror and proceeded with the rest of her morning rituals. After she was done in the shower she woke both Daya and Mia up and of course the two scrambled to the bathroom and Arabella just chuckled. Luckily enough, Marietta was already gone for the day.

Arabella walked the corridors in the morning and before taking a corner, she peeped to make sure of something... It wasn’t to make sure the cost is clear but she had something else in her mind.

Just then another bell rang. It wasn’t a normal routined bell, the ones that ring during dusk, midnight, dawn, and mid-day.

When such bells ring, it’s usually an emergency assembly and everyone headed into the assembly garden for the announcements. Arabella’s heart thundered at the assembly as she awaited for the supreme master to arrive. All the masters were up there even other minor staff such as the cooks, cleaners, librarians, janitors, gardeners, and so on.

“What do you think this is about?” Daya’s voice from behind made Bella jump. “Sheesh! Why are you jumpy?” Daya looked at the supreme master who arrived.

Bella just took a breath, “It’s nothing... I just thought...”

“Shhh!” Daya shushed her as the supreme master started her talk.