Chapter Five
The Headmistress was a lot different than what Maritae had initially imagined. For one thing, she was extremely small. She had a slim build, taking the form of a girl around ten-years-old. Her hair was cropped short, close to her small, round ears, and the colour bleach blonde. She looked like a quintessential child, looking out of place in her giant leather business chair with columns of paper stacked into high mountains before her. However behind those sparkling blue eyes, there was a whole mass of destruction lying in wait. Furthermore, she looked neither kind nor stern as Maritae had pictured a typical Headmistress, but instead playful, as if all matters had a funny hidden meaning behind them. If the Headmistress was as mischievous and impish as Maritae saw in her eyes, it was no wonder that she would hate paperwork so much.
“Jomo! Marise!” the Headmistress exclaimed and jumped up so that she was standing on her chair. The chair twisted and turned as she did so, however the tiny Headmistress still stood solid and steady, without noticeably gripping the chair with her bare toes. Amazing balance and light on her feet, Maritae observed. “Here to bring me more paperwork?”
Her voice was light and humorous, however Maritae heard a slight twinge of distress in her voice. Jomo and Marise bowed politely. “My apologies, Lady Headmistress,” Jomo said with courtesy and respect, both aspects Maritae had thought he was incapable of. “She was the last for us to find in the District Section before the school year begins. Therefore, you won’t be receiving anymore until the next patrol.”
The Headmistress sighed with defeat. “Alright, what is her name?”
Jomo and Marise looked at one another. “Uh, Maritae, miss.” Jomo said.
“No, I meant her full name,” she said with impatience.
“We actually, don’t know,” Jomo replied, his voice was neutral, however embarrassment rang subtly under the surface. “We never actually asked her…”
“You guys are so useless,” the Headmistress groaned. She jumped once more—or more accurately, she flew—and landed in front of her desk without even disrupting her chair. She made her way towards Maritae, her bare feet seeming to glide over the velvet carpeted floor. “Hello,” she said with a smile. “Do you mind telling me your name?”
“Maritae Kai, miss,” she replied and imitated the bow as Marise and Jomo had earlier, right fist over her heart.
Marise and Jomo both stared at her in astonishment, but if the Headmistress too found anything surprising, she didn’t show it. She didn’t miss a beat in her stride. “Maritae,” the Headmistress said slowly, as if rolling the name over her tongue. “Maritae. Was your grandfather Chang-Hau Kai?”
“Yes,” Maritae replied in confusion. “How did you know?”
Marise opened her mouth to say something, but the Headmistress raised her hand to silence her. She stopped in front of Maritae. “Where is he now? Chang-Hau Kai, that is.”
Maritae felt her heart strum with pain. She opened her mouth to reply, but she couldn’t summon a sound. She swallowed and pushed her voice out with every mental muscle she had. “He’s dead.” Her voice cracked, but she forced herself to continue. “Rabid attack.”
“What a shame,” the Headmistress said. Her voice was indifferent, however Maritae saw aching grief flicker behind her eyes. It was so small, that Maritae wondered if she had imagined it.
“Did you know him, Lady Headmistress?” Maritae asked.
“Call me Mai,” she said absently. “Silly me, I haven’t even introduced myself. My name is Mai Zandeko, founder and Headmistress of this academy. Your grandfather helped me build the Academy so you could say he was the co-founder. Yes, that makes the two of us incredibly old.”
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Death Angel
ParanormalWhat comes after death? It's a question that at least everyone has thought of at some point. Maritae Kai, newly dead, didn't have much of a life. At least that's what she gathered from the veiled memories of her living self, a feature that comes wit...
