Permafrost Academy

Chapter Ten

The next day atop the tower was brutal. Fleck had little to entertain himself with. Occasionally, Pepper and Dapple would get into a heated argument that he'd take part in, but mainly, everyone was just sitting around worrying. Ben, Dapple's big brother, suggested they take turns checking on the water every ten minutes. The flaw to that plan was there wasn't a clock up here. 

Eventually, the sun began to melt into the horizon. It was now Fleck's turn to check the water and make a report. He peeked over the edge.

It was more or less the same as the beginning of the day, making little progress. It climbed about a foot every hour. Fleck prayed this was a sign their waiting was almost over. He almost missed Miss Snowflake's drawling voice.

He sat atop his blanket, preparing for bed. After turning this way and that uncomfortably for a solid minute, he rolled on his back and stared at the sky. Stars dotted the black background like blotchy streams of white paint. In the center of it all was the moon. But it didn't look right. It almost looked as if...

"THE MOON IS BLEEDING!" 

Pepper's yell pierced the air, and Fleck heard something fall off the tower. Dapple crossed her arms at her.

"The moon is most certainly not bleeding," Dapple snapped.

Pepper met her glare defiantly. "See for yourself!"

Dapple squinted at the sky and then her gaze completely changed. "Oh, I guess it is."

Ben and Dapple began to shuffle back to their blankets. Fleck saw Pepper stomp with frustration. 

"So, nobody cares, then? We're going to ignore the bleeding moon?"

Dapple shrugged. "I mean, it's not the weirdest thing we've seen. A tsunami just ravaged the halls and forced us to sleep atop a tower. The moon is probably just bleeding so Miss Snowflake can scare anyone who managed to escape the tower back inside." 

Suddenly, a loudspeaker blared from the tower they were sitting upon. Dapple rushed to open the hatch they had entered through so they could hear it better.

"Attention, students!" Miss Snowflake said. Her voice was high pitched and crackly. Fleck had the feeling she was extremely angry. "I'm not sure how many of you are left, but for those who are, the water is now draining. I am very disappointed it took you this long to wash away the water. I have now redone the win system to make it more fair. It is as follows."

Pepper and Fleck exchanged startled glances as she began to speak. "Instead of the last ten people standing at the end of a season, there is a point system. If you are caught with an injury, you will lose five points. If you make a kill, and bring it back to my office for proof, you will gain twenty points. If you assist in a kill and bring me proof, you will gain five to ten points depending on your damage. If you are still alive at the end of a season and have forty or more points, you will gain a win. The person with the most wins by the end of the year gains a prize. There are other ways to gain points, young students, before you fret. Events will be hosted occasionally where preforming certain deeds will award you with points."

Her voice paused and Fleck began to let out his sigh, but she continued. 

"The first event will be from now until the end of October. It's a Halloween event. I have compiled together a scavenger hunt. Each item will give you a specific amount of points depending on how well it was hidden or how hard it was to achieve. You will find a notice in your bags, or, if you don't have one on you, it will be waiting in your dorm. Good luck, Permafrost Academy. Don't worry, you'll need it."