The Initiation

Prologue

Charlotte writhed with pain. Her retinas were painted with spots of black and red. The lady loomed closer to her, with a sinister grin. She raised her arm, ready to slice her throat. Charlotte closed her eyes, waiting for the impact. Waiting for death.

But it didn't happen. Lying on the ground was a stranger, blood streaming down her neck. Charlotte let out a blood curdling scream before-

"Gah!"

Charlotte had awaken on her desk, dizzy and confused. Was she asleep? Charlotte shuddered, hugging her jacket close to her chest.

Charlotte had not expected this cold of a day, usually it had been always in the mid-sixties in the ghost town Frienbear, but today it had taken a drastic turn, it had dropped nearly 10 degrees. How odd. Global Warming obviously, though. She scanned her cat-like light green eyes across the room. Mr. Pence, her Geography teacher, was staring down at a laptop screen, grading the classwork. We were supposed to be working on our notes, but naturally she was finished early. The girls behind her whispered and laughed. The projector light flickered ever-so-slightly. She slowly draped her eyes onto the sketchbook paper and began doodling a random woman. Charlotte always took a particular interest in drawing women, she practiced nearly everyday drawing the curls of a smile on a pale face, cheeks scattered with freckles or baring blush. Different styles of hair, eyebrows, eyes. The eyes. She recalled the common quote to her mind, "Eyes are the windows to the soul." Being apart of the Photography Club she had taken pictures of several people's eyes in curiosity, and for a project further on.

As her pencil scattered across the paper, whispers grew louder. On the paper a woman with beautiful golden hair and green eyes twirled with grace. A necklace with a pentagram pendant glared boldly on her collarbone, and green essence was spilling from her slender fingers. Her pencil shook. The pentagram seemed to grow bolder and more defined. She could see a string of gold tied on each band of the pentagram. Charlotte scanned around the classroom. No one spoke a word, all scribbling notes on their papers as the air vent blew warm air around. She looked back at the paper, and the pentagram was normal, resting with the dancing lady. It was just all in her head, she must still be dazed from that dream...

Charlotte smiled to herself and took a deep breath. Eat more breakfast and drink more water next time. "Let's not go any more crazy than she already was," she thought to herself.

The tick tock of the clock echoed in the silence of the room until Mr. Pence cleared his throat.

"Alright, get your stuff all gathered, and turn in your notes if you haven't already so they can be graded," he addressed to the classroom. People immediately started to talk and gather their things, slowly heading to the door. Charlotte closed her sketchbook and turned to her grey backpack, slinging it across her back. 

"The bell hasn't rang yet, don't line up against the-". The bell chimed before he could finish his sentence, and students piled out of the room. Mr. Pence sighed in exasperation, and sat back down into his seat. Charlotte approached him expectantly, and he looked up. 

"Yes? Oh, right, food. Don't worry about the floor today, you don't need to clean it," he said kindly, and handed me a granola bar. 

"Thank you for your-" she grinned and spoke in a horrible Southern accent "-Southern hospitality, sir." Mr. Pence spoke back in his own Southern accent. 

"It is my pleasure ma'am." Charlotte chuckled and headed towards the door. "Have a nice day, Mr. Pence!" "You too!" he called back, and she headed out the door and into the crisp, winter air.

Charlotte wandered around the campus and into her next classroom quietly, unwrapping her granola bar and savoring its chocolatey goodness as she sat down. The intermission period seemed shorter than usual, though it was a shorter school day, so it made sense. The other teacher chatted with mingling students about the project due next week. She, of course, had already finished it, and had no particular interest anymore and took her phone out of her pocket. The screen flickered on. She scrolled aimlessly through articles and pictures of her dogs, or cute adorable cats, until the bell rang again.

----Time Skip to Lunch----

A white small Toyota was parked in the driveway. Lauren sat next to me, enveloped in her Mario themed jacket on my bed as she ate spicy Top Ramen and watched tv. 

"I don't understand why some series exist if they're just going to cancel it. What's the point?" Charlotte exclaimed, and grumpily plopped onto her bed. "Because sometimes they don't know they have to until they actually have to? I don't know," Lauren retorted. She twirled the noodle onto her fork and ate. 

Outside clouds grew a dark grey, the breeze started to lift into strong gusts of wind that blew the dead leafless tree branches outside. It illuminated shadows across the bedroom.

"Do you think I'm going crazy?" Charlotte asked. "More than I already am," she added. Lauren looked at Charlotte with her lazy chocolate eyes. "Mmn, no, not more than I am, at least..." Lauren, who was 16, a few months younger than herself, suffered from chronic depression and anxiety, but she was very clever and witty. Most of her friends have some type of problems, but doesn't everyone? She knew she was the same. But she wasn't actually crazy earlier, she might just be getting sick. She always gets sick often. 

"I was just saying because I was tripping out earlier in Pence's... that's all," Charlotte said. "Maybe I'm just sick?" She suggested. Lauren shrugged and chowed down more on her ramen

Soon we both headed back to school in her car, but suddenly, something happen. An ear-screeching alarm filled the undisturbed air, and red blaring lights could be seen reflected on the school campus. 

"Maybe a dangerous person accidentally got let in?" Lauren inquired. 

"Should we just stay out in the parking lot and call in the office?" Charlotte said.

"Good idea. I don't want to be killed." Lauren began to figet uncomfortably, obviously becoming anxious.

Charlotte nodded and pulled into the school parking lot. "Wanna grab some Starbucks while chaos erupts?" 

"Sure," Lauren said with a small smile, but she could tell that Lauren was nervous as they grabbed lattes and sat in the quiet lot.

This was new, she thought. This usually happens in the documentaires, not something to happen in real life, unless its just a false alarm. But maybe it isn't. Maybe she's just over-thinking. As we sat in the parking lot and sipped our lattes, Charlotte stared into the abyss.

A flock of students were approaching the side gates. Were they students? Charlotte leaned forward, and squinted her eyes. These people were wearing dark cloaks, covering most of their bodies and faces. They entered the parking lot, and they all huddled together. She poked Lauren and pointed at the cloaked figures. 

"What the f-?" Bright light bursted between the figures like a string of white sun, until it became a stingy portal, and each figure entered through. Charlotte and Lauren looked at each other. 

"We have to," Charlotte said quickly, and opened the car door and ran to the portal. 

"Wait- Charlotte- you can't just-" Lauren ran after Charlotte, coffee still in hand.

Charlotte trotted towards the portal, and stared. It was like a mirror, only it reflected a whole other place. Charlotte looked at Lauren and grinned, laughing nervously.

"If I die, tell everyone I was the Zodiac killer, not Ted Cruz." She turned around, and dived head first into the portal.

(If this gets bout ten reads, I'll update it for you all. I personally enjoyed writing this, and I hope you guys and gals would like more <3)