The Truth About Banshees

Chapter 2

My mother wouldn’t stop hugging me, it was getting annoying. I was apparently going to some kind of boarding school. I pushed her off me and winced. One of her talons had dug into the back of my neck. She started to laugh again slowly pulling it out. She kissed the top of my head and we said our goodbyes.

I walked up to a worker and she helped me get to where I needed to go. I sat waiting for them to call my flight, and sent one last text to that girl who was stalking me. I don’t think she really understood the word no. I coughed lightly and looked at the clock. This was the first time I was ever flying. Nervous wasn’t a feeling I liked and right now it was swallowing my soul whole.

Pretty soon I boarded the plane and clutched the arm rests on my seat. I could feel my talons elongating and digging into the foam in them. The plane cleanup crew was really going to be in for a surprise when I left. A flight attendant passed and stared. “Um…sir….I understand that your nervous but that doesn’t give you a reason to go into a change,” She said her eyes turning a steely grey. “What?” I asked confused once again. “You’re a first time flyer aren’t you? We aren’t a human airline. So no form changing on the plane it upsets the other passengers,” she said tossing me a bottle of water and walking off.

I was still a little confused to what just happened and went to bed. I didn’t know exactly where I was going. But I didn’t want to be awake for whatever movie they were going to play.

Several hours later I was woken up. We were about to land. I sat up strait and clutched the seat again. The flight attendant came back and pried my hands out of them. “Remember…..Relax,” She said.

I hate planes. Planes are bad. Why did they even make me take a plane? I have wings! I can fly! There are reasons why I don’t like planes. I’ve seen the movie airplane, the show lost. I don’t want to end up like those poor souls, risking my life.

When the plane landed I basically ran off the plane and ended up kissing the ground. I looked up at a couple who were now staring at me. I knew they thought I was weird. I didn’t  care. I got my luggage and continued walking. A man suddenly tapped me on the shoulder. I froze and turned around. A tall man with elfin like features and hair so blonde it was almost white stood waiting for a reaction.

To be honest I didn’t offer a huge one, “Uh….hi?” I said a little unsure. “You’re Ivan Fletcher?” He asked with a cocked smile. I nodded a little scared that this person actually knew my name. My mother had told me to avoid people who knew my name before telling them yourself. I started to back away becoming more and more freaked out. “Relax, I’m Professor Ere. I’m here to take you to the academy,” The man said quickly to try to get me to stay. “Alright,” I said reluctantly shaking his out stretched hand. He motioned for me to follow him. Didn’t know how I felt about that. “Since your entering the academy at such a late age I’m going to be your mentor. From what I heard your banshee power hasn’t even surfaced yet. Do you know how rare that is to meet a kid like you? Fourteen years old and you still don’t have a power,” He said shaking his head with a ‘you have much to learn little one’ kind of way. I cocked an eyebrow and tried to come up with a witty remark. All that came out was, “Actually I’m almost fifteen.”

Ere started laughing and patted me on the shoulder, “You’re alright Ivan,” He said with a cocky grin. He looked and seemed far too young to be a teacher. He almost had that big brother quality to him. That scared me.

I followed him out of the airport. He insisted on carrying half my luggage. I didn’t really care my head was spinning. I was still kind of freaked out from that air plane.

We walked to a ship. It was like a ferry. I climbed on. I liked boats. Boats were fun for me.They weren't evil like planes. I sat down and Ere started talking about all the weird stuff associated with banshees.  He asked me about incubi, this was a subject I knew about. I told him a few simple things to know. He seemed mildly concerned. I quickly learned I was the first incubus they would have staying at the academy, ever. I wasn’t concerned. I was the first in a lot of things. First boy who wore tried to impress Serena by wearing a girl’s leotard and joining her ballet team. I may of been a little jealous of her.

By the time the boat got to the island the sky was beginning to turn shades of pink and orange from the sunset. I followed Professor Ere up the path to the school and slipped into the main hall.  I walked into the administrative office and waited.

The lady at the front desk looked up at me with a slight smile. She handed me paperwork to fill out. I groaned filling out all the stuff that was required. Dietary needs intrigued me. I looked at all the boxes to check by. I checked the box next to other and filled in ‘dying energy’ and handed the papers back to the lady. She gave me a dorm key and smiled. I turned back to Ere who got up and opened the door.

It felt strange walking down the hall, speacially as the new kid. All those kids you’ve never met staring at you. You know that there passing judgments about you. This is why I like to remain nobody.  My feet felt heavy with every step. I looked down. The floor seemed to be turning into sand and blowing away.. I looked over at a boy who smiled at me. I gave him a twisted kind of look back. I knew for sure it definitely wasn’t a smile. “Rupert! Stop messing with the new students,” The boy turned the floor back to normal. He couldn’t have been more than eleven. “Those are the banshee powers I was talking about,” Ere said with a soft smile.

Ere lead me to a dorm, “This room is yours,” He said motioning to the door. I quickly unlocked it and sat on the bed, still very confused by the events of the day.