School for Good and Evil x OC's insert

Chapter 5: The Blue Forest and the Wishes

Candace's POV

It's Surviving Fairytales class and we were waiting for Professor Yuba the Gnome. I was feeling a little frightened and this reminded me of my worst trauma. When I was 10 years old, I had to pick apples to help my mom make apple cinnamon cake for her birthday until Xyla sent her pet basilisk and it tried to poison me in the woods for leaving less apples for her mother, Odile. My heart was pounding faster, I was shaking in fear, my face turned white, and I had a bad feeling in my stomach. Agatha noticed that I was scared, "Candace, what's the matter?" "I'm terrified, Agatha, of dying in the woods and I don't like being alone," I shivered. She suggested, "Why not hold my hand?" I held her hand tightly to soothe my fears. Then we heard a booming voice and I got startled which gave me a heart attack. It was Professor Yuba the Gnome of the Blue forest. "Welcome students! Gather around! I need you all to sign in so I know who survived and who hasn't!" He boomed.

I was watching Agatha and Tedros sharing conversations with them as I felt joyful and distraught at the same time. Yuba called, "All right, come on, everybody! Come on, gather round! Let's drink balloon juice. I am Yuba, the school woods survival expert. I've lived in them for 100 years and I haven't died once, At least... not that I can remember." I chuckled a bit at his Gnome humor and he was not that perfect but he was hilarious. Perhaps he could be my favorite teacher. Yuba stammered, "Oh! That's just a little gnome humor So off we jolly we go. Alright, let's get these doors open. Go on open!" Nothing happened and I suggested, "Perhaps try knocking on the door." "I see, thank you, miss," he stammered. Yuba tried knocking the door and nothing happened once more. "Open. Open the forest doors!" Yuba commanded. After telling the door to open, we were led to the woods and I was getting horrified. We were led to the Blue Forest and as Professor Yuba was explaining, "You can't survive any adventure if you can't survive the woods. The Blue Forest prepares students for any perils you face." When He noticed that I was scared, he asked, "Miss. You seemed frightened. Are you alright?" "I'm scared, sir," I breathed heavily. He boomed, "The more you cling on to your fears, the more you won't survive in the woods!" Yuba proceeded and continued while I held Agatha's hand tightly until I saw Greg who looked wounded. "Greg, you ok?" I questioned as my eyes widened with anxiety. He said while panting, "I failed at steed-riding this morning and it turns out, I'm not good with horse riding. I think I need glasses. That grocery store's getting better and better right?" Poor Greg... he just wants to live his normal life. Beatrix bumped into Agatha and growled, "Stay away from Tedros you goon!" She and Chinen bumped into her and I just facepalmed. Greg held my hand tightly and Yuba called, "Come on! A field of pretty pansies but as we know from fairytales, pretty can sometimes kill you!" He poked a pansy with his staff until it got eaten. "Cheeky little plant! That's one bouquet you wouldn't want to catch at a wedding. Gnome humor, right?" Yuba laughed nervously

When I touched a beautiful pansy, it tried to bite me like a venus flytrap as I pulled my hand away from it. I remember when Xyla and I celebrated our 6th birthday, she gave me black lilies that tried to scratch me with their thorns. "Careful with these flowers, Miss Candace. Looks can be deceiving," he warned. I remember what my parents taught me about deceitful looks. They told me that just because someone has the face of a hero does not mean that they are kind and someone has the face of a villain doesn't mean who is evil. Instead, it was the other way around. I remember encountering a villager from the other town who looked so righteous-faced but was stone-hearted. I recall the time I met a grandmother witch and she wasn't like the other witches who would have one tooth, a hunch, or any of those hideous appearances. Instead, she looked healthy, still beautiful, and aged well even if she was feeble and would always give medicines as a gift.

Then we were led to the pumpkin patch and it was Yuba's favorite part. I uttered quietly, "Pumpkin pies?" "Oh yes! Pumpkin Pie is my favorite dessert," he chuckled. Yuba continued, "Benign by day, but by night, a grisly horror world where reapers hunt you down, drink your blood, and sell your limbs for spoils." Creepy! I thought as I shuddered in fear as I cuddled myself. Millicent asked, "Reapers? What are those?" "Oh that's just a scarecrow and I suppose pansies are just flowers," Yuba answered nervously. Then the pansies came to life and were screeching and one of them gave me a light scratch on both of my cheeks. Yuba warned, "Remember, only the best evil can disguise as good."