THE HUNTRESS

1

                       SALEM HIGH

"Céline!" Casey yelled to her friend, Céline. The warm covers flew off of Céline.

"Wake up! Look!" She shoved her tablet under Céline's nose. "Look!"

"Salem High? We got the posts! Oh my goodness! We got the posts." In disbelief, she grabbed the tablet from Casey to reread the email letter.

"Get up! We need to be there tomorrow!" Casey yanked Céline off the bed.

"I'm up! I'm up!" She held her hands up in mock surrender.

"Gosh, everyone who had thrown their CV's in at Salem High never got an acceptance letter. Not even students who exceeded academically and in sports. What are the chances that two graduates like us..." Céline pointed at them. "gets into that school."

"Hey! Don't underestimate us. We graduated with honors and top of our classes." Casey said smugly and hopped around the room from the bubbling excitement.

Céline nodded at her words. Her laughter filled the room as she watched Casey, who lay sprawled on her carpet, exhausted.

"We should get ready. Salem High awaits!" Céline said. She walked towards her closet and dragged out her black suitcase. With a click of the case, she looked back at Casey, sprawled on the floor. "I think I might have a problem here." She said and nodded towards her suitcase.

Casey saw her friend's despair. "Looks like we have to go shopping cause there's no way you're going to go to Salem High with sweats and hoodies."

"Why go shopping when we can go shopping." Céline jumped up and grabbed her phone. Casey nodded when she finally understood what Céline meant. "Yay to technology!" Casey said and grabbed the phone from her.

"You have no taste. I'm sorry to say this honey, but lounge clothes are not for everyday wear, especially at Salem High."

Céline slumped on her fluffy white carpet. "As long as you don't choose bright colors, please. I don't want to look like a rainbow on my first day." She begged, knowing that Casey loved a pop of color.

*********

"Where is this school?" Casey asked the driver which the school had sent for them. "We are almost there, miss."

Céline watched the scenery outside the moving car. Her brows creased when she looked back. A thick blanket of fog hovered over the road behind them. The asphalt was still visible. The trees next to the road were hidden from the top down to the roots. The fog touched the ground but not the asphalt.

The driver cleared his throat. Céline looked at him for second and then turned her head back. The fog now touched the asphalt. The road behind them, invisible. 

"What are you looking at?" Casey asked and looked back. She saw the fog and thought nothing of it. The driver watched Céline in the mirror, who had her eyes trained on the fog. Suddenly, he began making smalltalk.

"I think you lovely ladies are going to love Salem High." He said and looked at Céline to see if he had caught her attention. He smirked when he saw that she was faced to the front and nodded.

"We heard a lot of good things." Casey chirped.

"Not a lot, though." Céline said and looked at Casey.

"Yeah, of other schools we have heard a lot but from Salem High not that much, but of that, that we had heard were only good things." She said with a bright smile.

"Salem High does not boast." He said.

"We can tell." Céline said.

"Ladies. Welcome to Salem High." The driver said as they approached two huge rusty gates.

"Ew." Casey voiced her thoughts and slapped her hand over her mouth. That earned a chuckle from the driver.

"The interior is much better. They just haven't gotten around to upgrading the exterior."

"It's huge. It's bigger than any other school I have ever seen." Céline said.

"We have a diverse community behind those gates, miss. Therefore, the school harbors a recent number of students." He said and entered the school yard. The car came to a halt in front of the school's office. "I shall take your luggage to your rooms." He said and held the door open for them.

"I see no child in sight." Casey spoke, confused.

"That is because they are preparing for the annual ball. It's tonight, miss."

Casey mouthed OH and walked with Céline to the office.

"He was right. The interior looks modernized. It's much better than the exterior." Casey said, looking at the pictures on the wall of students who held a cup or medal.

"Miss Céline, Miss Casey. Welcome to Salem High." A sweet voice greeted them. There was no one in front of them. Céline turned around and held her hand to her heart. She could feel her heart beating fast in her chest. A woman stood face to face with her. With a smile that could put those people on toothpaste ads to shame.

"I'm sorry if I had frightened you." She apologized.

"It's all right." Céline waved it off.

"HI." Casey said when she turned to put a face to the voice who had greeted them. The woman smiled at her.

"I am the Dean. Mrs Woodson. Everything you shall need, you shall find in your rooms." She said.

Mrs Woodson walked out front, and they silently followed. "So tonight we have our annual ball. It's one of the many to come this year, but this one is very important. We have a very, very important person coming. I hope you have something you can wear tonight. If not, we shall give you something to wear."

"We hadn't packed for any special events." Casey said, to which the Dean nodded.

"Then something will be arranged. Let's talk, school tomorrow morning. Classes start at 10, but only for tomorrow. Now I shall leave you ladies to prepare for tonight." The Dean said and showed them their rooms.