Kenai

Chapter Ten - Restless Spirits

I followed Katie up a wide staircase to the dormitories. From what I had read in the study, this was a unisex space where the students of the Academy could relax and unwind during their free time, which seemed to be very sparse. Katie had chosen a room halfway along the corridor, and as we entered I was overwhelmed by a strong feeling of sadness.

The room itself was beautiful. It was a circular room, with five beds and accompanying cabinets and wardrobes. Each bed had a name carved into the wooden footboard, as did the other furniture. Katie perched on the end of a bed labelled 'Jenson' and watched me, concerned.

"You need to see this." She said.

"See what?" I ask.

She opened the Jenson bedside cabinet and I gasped. In the top drawer was a hairbrush, photographs and other personal possessions. Katie then stood up and opened the Jenson wardrobe, which was still full of black clothes. It was as if these children had been forgotten, like nobody missed them. I walked over to a second cabinet, labelled 'Benwick', and opened the drawer. That too was still full of personal items, and I wanted to cry as I turned back to Katie.

"Are they all like this?" I ask, afraid of the answer.

"So far, all the ones I've searched have been." Katie confirmed.

My heart felt like it was going to shatter, and I sat on the Benwick bed before I hit the floor. I held my head in my hands, devastation washing over me like a morbid wave. After a few minutes, I looked up, and I almost fell off of the bed in shock.

Standing before me were five children. Three girls and two boys no older than sixteen, and all dressed in identical black clothing. They watched me with sunken eyes and pale faces, and I slowly stood up and walked over to Katie.

"You're the one who buried us." One girl said.

"I am," I replied, "I'm so sorry for what happened to you."

"it was awful," Said the smaller girl, "they came at us with no warning. We fought, but there were too many of them."

"They wiped us out." The older boy spat.

"Was this your room?" I ask.

"Yeah," said the older girl, "your friend is sat on my bed."

I turned to Katie, who was watching me with fearful eyes.

"Get up!" I snapped.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because you're fat ass is parked on her bed!"

"Kay, who's bed?"

I turned back to the children, who hadn't moved a muscle.

"She can't see us." Said the younger boy.

"Not unless you want her to." The older boy added.

"Let her see you," I said, "if you're comfortable to do so."

In a flash of blue light the ghosts became solid, almost mistakable for living people. Katie sprang off of the bed and stood behind me, her nails digging into my arm as she cowered.

"Who are you?" She asked nervously.

One by one they identified themselves. Alice was the oldest girl and Nate was the oldest boy. The other boy was called Jude and the other girls were sisters called Amy and Rosalyn. They stood by their respective beds and watched me with nervous eyes.

"Why are you still here?" I asked, "I laid you all to rest."

"Our killers still live." Nate said sadly.

"We cannot pass on until the one who spilled our blood dies." Alice reaffirmed.

"Was it the Varaat?" I ask.

The ghosts shivered, something I never thought I would see, at the mention of the name. I understood immediately, and I wanted to kill Deacon now more than ever.

"Are all of your spirits still bound here?" Katie asked.

"Not all of us," Alice said, "some passed on yesterday."

"Because Mum killed their killers." I said.

I looked to Katie, who stared back at me with wide eyes. I wanted some privacy with the spirits, I had so many questions, so I made up an excuse to send Katie away.

"Katie," I asked, "would you go and make a list of all the spirits that are still here? I want a list of names so I know which families to contact."

Katie looked offended at first, but then she nodded and left the dorm, leaving me with five ghosts and more questions than I could count.

"So," I ask, "what happens when a Kenai passes on?"

"The spirit pays their family one final visit before ascending." Nate recited.

"And what if there is no family?"

"Then the spirit just ascends," Alice replied, "why?"

"How do I help you ascend?"

Alice looked to Nate, and the younger spirits vanished. They stepped towards me, looking grim. Alice held her hand out to me, and I took it, curious. Immediately I felt the ground shift beneath my feet and a blinding blue light filled my eyes as I relived the events of the past.

---

The light faded, and I was standing in the dorm once again. Alice and Nate were beside me, and they looked more human now than before. They sprinted from the dorm down the stairs to the Grand Hall, and I followed. The corridors were packed with students, and each time I looked into the face of one I saw not the living face but the skeleton I had laid to rest.

"Alice?" I asked, "what is this?"

"This is the last day of our lives." She said.

"Why am I here?"

"We wanted you to see how we fought," Nate said, "that we did everything to protect each other. That we didn't go down without a fight."

As he spoke, the main doors flew open and a horde of Wesen burst through into the atrium, and the killing began. They tore apart the students in front of them, slashing at them without mercy. I could only watch as Alice and Nate disappeared, no doubt taking their places in their last day on Earth.

The Wesen moved further into the building, killing anyone who got in their way. I spotted Alice herding the younger students into the Grand Hall, and I watched with pride as she stood before them holding two swords, prepared to die for them. I could do nothing as the horde reached her and she went down.

Tears ran down my cheeks as I watched the slaughter. By the time the Wesen left the Hall, there were no survivors. I edged closer to the bodies, and my heart shattered when I saw the looks of terror permanently etched onto the children's faces.

I left the Hall in search of Nate, and found myself back in the dorms. He was surrounded by larger bear-like Wesen, wounded but still alive. I looked past him for a moment and realised that he was protecting someone. Behind his legs were two boys, twins, one injured and the other dead. Nate's brothers. I remembered three names appearing on the Benwick wall in the Hall of the Fallen, and now I was seeing them as more than just skeletons. I watched as Nate fought with everything he had, killing two of his attackers before succumbing to his wounds.

---

As quickly as the scene had started, it was over. I was back in the dorm, shaking, with Alice and Nate watching me closely. I was speechless, still crying, full of rage. The students stood no chance, it was a massacre.

"You needed to know," Alice said, "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry," I said, "you both fought like champions. I'm proud to be one of you."