Janette Lennox

Chapter 6

The next day, Janette found herself waking up at 6:00 a.m.

It was Sunday morning, and it usually meant that she would have to be in the sanctuary of Bethsaida Chapel, cleaning it up and getting the pews ready for the hordes of worshippers that would flood the church for the morning and evening services. (Attending Sunday morning and evening worship services was mandatory for the people living in Gillamoor.)

Only this time, Janette was not in Bethsaida; she was in Gamaris Academy. She began to wonder if the students and teachers even attended church at all. Was there a church for them to go to, or did they just not go to church at all?

Sleep had abandoned her, so she resigned herself to getting out of bed. She found herself fetching the gift basket that contained her mother's prized possessions. She stared at the letter again, glaring at the name "Janelle Lennon" that was on the top of the letter. "It's like they don't even have the decency to respect my father's name," Janette said, but then she glanced around to see if the other girls had overheard her. They were still asleep; Janette was still safe. Then, in a whisper, she continued, "If only they knew the truth about why my mother married my father and had me, then they wouldn’t have to call me by a different name. I will have to ask them about it later."

She went to the closet and pulled out a dress; the dress was made from made from turquoise fabric, with a short-layered skirt and spaghetti straps with an inverted V-line waist. It is accented with a brown belt with turquoise stones. It was the only dress that she owned in her life; she had brought it last year after Malinda had dragged her out of the library to the only clothing store in Gillamoor.

After getting dressed, Janette took her notebook and went to the library. After pulling out several books dealing with basic alchemy, she sat down at a table and began to read about several potions:

The potion known as senselonium causes diminished senses. It is exceedingly difficult to combine with other substances. Normally, it is dark brown and tastes spicy. A higher dose is needed for effectiveness.

The potion known as taluculm causes severe pain. It is easy to combine with other substances. On its own, it is silvery and smells somewhat like cheese. It is rarely used today.

The poison known as florious causes mild pain. It is extremely easy to mix with other substances. Normally, it is clear as glass and tastes like garlic. It comes from a certain region in Bavaria, and it is difficult to obtain.

The poison known as ivyoak causes itching rashes. It is difficult to combine with other substances. Normally, it is light brown and smells like Orc spit.

Janette shook her head, wondering why she was reading about poisons when she wanted to learn about alchemy. She was beginning to abandon the project altogether when she looked up and saw a group of people walking down the hallway. Breakfast was being served in the Grand Hall and she was late.

Janette quickly put the books away, resolving to start with the basics with alchemy before going to advanced alchemy. She rushed down the hall, hoping to get to the Grand Hall before the food was eaten.

- - - - -

At 9:00 A.M., Janette found herself standing in front of Pleasant Valley Church, which was a few miles from Gamaris Academy. The church was large, took up several building lots, and had many stained-glass windows. "You could drop Bethsaida into this church and it would barely put a dent in the place," Janette whispered to herself as she looked up at the huge steeple that was on top of the church. She felt intimidated as she thought about the tiny church with its tiny bell tower in Gillamoor.