Call Me "Ozzie" | ONC24

Citrine's Boarding Academy for the Half-Naturals

"Good morning, Citrine Academy students! Today is another beautiful day, so get into your uniforms and out and about to classes after some breakfast!"

The intercom shuts off and I watch the students continue on with their day, enjoying themselves and laughing and smiling even.

"They're hypocrites, showing this bullshit." Aqua says from the doorway. "You don't believe this shit, do you?"

"I can't say," I turn back to the screen. "If they show it, it's because it's true?"

"That's a bunch of lies in pretty packaging."

The Citrine Boarding Academy for Half-Naturals' advertisement ends, and I turn to Aqua.

"Where's mom?"

"Hell, do I know. That bitch can give two fucks about us and make them seem invisible."

Aqua speaks like such an adult, yet he's only seven.

"Aqua."

"What is it, Ivy?"

"We're not gonna go there, right?"

"To Citrine's? No. I'll try to make sure mom doesn't do that." Aqua pats my head. "You hungry? I'm sure something can be made with what we have."

"Mhm." I nod.

I take his hand as we walk to the kitchen.

"Why?"

"Don't ask why, she didn't know why and that's why." Aqua replies, knowing what I'm talking about even if he's not looking at me. "Now, I can make us some pancakes if you're willing to wait."

"Okay!"

"Good girl, Ivy."

Praise. Aqua's praise is as good as a hug from dad. Speaking of which-

"Why's dad gone?"

"You know they're trying their best to keep our kind from the living world." Aqua reminds, mixing some batter. "That's why Citrine's was established. Not for our own good, those of us being half human and half whatever else."

"But I don't understand. They say they were made to help us."

"Help us is putting it nicely. Humans are naturally afraid of what they can't explain in any sense, but it also makes them curious. So curious they establish things to do something else and present themselves in pretty packaging."

I'll never understand why Aqua's so bitter but fine. If that's what he thinks, I can't say anything. We managed three years before the day the 'Raid for Alumni' was started.

"They're in the next house over, so I need you to hide here, okay?" Aqua shoves me into a secret hideout we have.

He tosses in some fruits and a pack of gummy bears. I crawl back as he places the board into the wall again.

"Whatever you do and whatever you hear, don't come out, okay?!"

"Aqua, what's going on?!"

"Stay in there!"

That's when something downstairs was heard. Then thundering footsteps up the stairs and I hear Aqua start spouting swear words.

"Where's Onyx Aphelion?!"

"Hell, do I know where she's at!" Aqua yells. "Put me down! I'm not going with you fucking hypocrites!"

"Such a sharp tongue for a ten-year-old."

There's a zap and I hear Aqua growling.

"Let's see......"

There's a scream and I smell blood. I cover my mouth to prevent my drool from falling onto my shirt. Human blood above all is the sweetest smelling and most alluring as said by Aqua.

"Hellhound, for sure." Someone says.

The hair stands on the back of my neck and I claw at the floorboards in the hideout, wanting to go help Aqua.

"Aquamarine Aphelion, you are now an alumnus of Citrine's Boarding Academy for Half Naturals."

That was the last time I ever saw Aqua.