Winter's Bite

Chapter Four: Monsters & Potions, Oh my!

I found my seat at the start of the final chime as Rayne took the empty chair to my left. Mrs. Beck stood with her back to us, writing down today's lesson on the whiteboard. The rancid smell coming from the blue marker made me wrinkle my nose in disgust as I tried my hardest not to sneeze and cause too much attention to myself.

The cap popped back down into place, putting an end to the foul smell that still hanged in the air. As I looked around the room I noticed that this room was different then from when I was in Mr. Ariston's class. Various taxidermy animals aligned the corners and walls. Each one more creepier than the next and that was saying something.

"Good morning, students. Glad to see you all back here again. Even though most of you are now seniors, you still have to take this class in order to graduate. So suck it up. Now, I notice that we have a new student joining us at St. Ravenwood Academy. Mr. Hastings, would you kindly stand up so that the rest of the class and myself may be able to see you."

I whimpered softly then sucked in a breath as I rose from my seat. Mrs. Beck adjusted the half-moon glasses atop her nose before smiling in appreciation. When no other word was given. I gladly sat back down and reached into my bag to pull out a new notebook and pen. Rayne leaned in close, her hair smelling like fresh rain after a storm.

"Lower your heart rate," she whispered. "I can see your vein pulsating rapidly."

"Sorry. It's just that I don't like speaking in class. I get uncomfortable."

"After today you'll be fine. You're new right now. But the rest of the student population will forget about you eventually. You'll be old news soon enough."

"Let's hope so." I muttered.

Mrs. Beck called the class to order as the closing remnants of talking ceased all within an instant. As snapped her fingers together, another textbook appeared right in front of me. Self Defense Monsters Vol. Ten. Undoing the leather straps that held the book closed, I opened the cover and flipped through the pages until I found the chapter listed on the whiteboard.

"Chapter One: Shapeshifters. Shapeshifters are a nasty breed. Born with the ability to transform their physical form into a another being or species. They are almost impossible to detect. However, a single spell has the power to render them immobile allowing you the chance to escape. Incantego. Everybody got that? And I want you to remember it because it might just save your life one day."

My hand flourished across the fresh white page of the notebook as I wrote down the incantation. Rayne, twirled her fingers around her hair. Her inhuman green eyes stayed still on the textbook while Mrs. Beck continued to tell us more about the shapeshifters and the history of their origin.

"Long ago, in Ancient times. A powerful sorceress by the name of Helena Umbra ruled over Egypt. History today remembers her as Queen Nefertiti. Her immortal beauty adorned temples throughout the land. While her magic was a force not to be reckon with for she had the power to topple armies with a single blow and even wipe out entire cities with just a snap of her fingers. Until one day she vanished from history like an illusion."

"So what happened to her?" A student asked.

Mrs. Beck shook her head. "No one knows. Some say she was captured by the Romans and burned for her crimes. While others helped her escape where she spent her remaining years living in exile. But one thing is for sure. Helena is and was the very first of her kind as a shapeshifter and certainly not the last."

Classical music played again signaling the end of class as the students gathered their belongings and headed out the door. Rayne waited for me just like time before taking the lead down the corridor. We followed the overflowing crowd to a large dining hall with round tables and chairs spread throughout while at the back was a self-serving station filled with endless food and drinks.