Phrontistery Of Monster Kind - Six Feet Deep

Chapter 44

I was called out of my room before daybreak, for an update on last night's events and to speak to the parents of the children. They requested to speak to me as soon as possible, which Mayor apologised profusely for. Words were muttered about wanting Mr Barkley to stay silent for one minute and it was too early to deal with that man's biases.

I promised it was no issue as I threw on my clothes for the day (separate for my attire for the evening), and said I'd be down in a few minutes. I wouldn't mention my irritation with my slumber being disturbed, Mayor didn't deserve that, or having to deal with this due to Harro's incompetence.

It was too early to deal with my uncomfortable high heels, my hair falling in my face, or even my enchanted ear weights. Most were still napping, and I had forgone putting my tunnels in last night in favour of rest, so the skin was left to hang bare. It was going to be a nightmare tonight.

The waiting room was made the designated meeting point, which was more of a hassle than then either of their offices, but I didn't complain more than a grumble as I walked my way down there.

The only person I passed was the groundskeeper on his way to the gardens.

I was the last to arrive. Harro and a tired Mayor lingered around the four guests. Officer Fairmorph, parted allowing us a moment, opting to speak to Mary.

"Sorry to disturb you Ambrose, but Simon and Vivian's parents wished to speak to you." Harro's eyes met mine, I detected a glimmer of an apology within their depths. More than the usual sorrowful expression he'd give me when he thought I wasn't looking. The same one Mayor had been giving me more as of late. But the headmaster's ones always stung.

Harro was more transparent than usual, hair behind both his shoulders, neat as ever. What he made up for in tidiness, Mayor had in unkemptness. Hair frayed, singed, and escaping her usual bun. Clothes askew, her favourite shawl covering most of her outfit, as though she rushed out in her pyjamas and threw it on to cover up that fact. Though from the glimpse of her skirt, I gather she never got changed last night.

I politely greeted them. Nodding and then turning to the parents of Simon. I went to shake their hands, with my only good one. Simon's parents looked down at my casted arm guiltily asking rather stupidly if it was still broken. I answered as nicely as one could with little sleep, thankful my arm was immobile as to not have a repeat of how I rebroke it.

"Do you three know each other?" The only woman I wasn't introduced to asked.

I hadn't seen her before and couldn't place who she was. She appeared as old as the two she was with, possibly older. Wolf like features, ears pocking out of her wild brownish red hair and had permanent eyeliner on her eyelids. Her pelage (the only term that felt applicable because it was far too course and all over the otherwise humanlike being) matched her hair, but salt and peppered, too lazy to maintain the colour on her head.

The only man among the visitors spoke, "We met her when Simon allegedly attacked her."

'"Allegedly?" I repeated glaring daggers at the man. "He bit me and then drowned me when I tried to save him."

"That's one take."

"Okay-"

"Miss Ambrose-"

"You can't expect me to sit back and take this when I didn't get any sleep last night because I had to drag your son back into the school, so he didn't get killed by the fae in Scarrow."

"I bet you sent him there you moon-blind weakling. You're tethered by human fragility. Your feeble senses wouldn't last a second in any of the monsters in this school's place. Your kind fear what you can't grasp, and it shows in every-"