Adventures in the Boiling Isles

We Were Teenage Abominations

"Well, kiddos, did you ever in your life think you'd see something as breathtaking as this?" Eda asked, showing us this creature covered in dirt. "Uh, this looks like something that came out of Stranger Things." I explained, extremely disgusted. "I don't like this." Luz replied. "Yes, it doesn't get much more inspiring than the trash slug, it makes a home, a life from what others have thrown by the wayside." Eda said. "Until blam! It gets blasted by a wave, one day and croaks from all the salt, and then, we get to sell the stuff it ate." Eda hands us each a pickaxe. "Please don't make me." We both begged. "Oh, come on, guys, it's not everyday you get to go to the dump and pick apart a garbage carcass." King said. "Eh, nuts to all three of you." Eda groaned, using her pickaxe on the slug. "So, Eda, what if we tried some new lessons for our apprenticeship?" I suggested. "Like, read ancient scrolls, or mix together potions or..." Eda threw some stuff towards us. "Ugh, that sounds like a bunch of magic school stuff." Eda complained. "Wait, is there a magic school here?" Luz asked. "Like, winding towers, cute uniforms, dark plots that threaten your life kind of magic school?""What's worse, they force you to learn magic the "proper" way." Eda nodded. "But, magic isn't proper, it's wild and unpredictable, and that's why it's so beautiful, I didn't finish school and look at me, who wouldn't envy where I am right now?" Luz frowned. "Hey, here's a lesson, a great witch is resourceful, like this." Eda explains, putting our hands in a mysterious liquid. "Oh, hey, greasy slime ball." I said, disgusted. "Use your slime ball wisely, young witches." Eda replied. "Back at it, we'll hit the stink nodes first." "Actually, if it's okay, I think I'll head home and look at pictures of animals that are still alive." Luz explains as she heads back to the house. "I'll go check on her." I said, following Luz. "More for me then!" Eda shouted.

I finally caught up to Luz in the forest. "Hey, Luz, you alright?" I asked, catching my breath. "Ugh, if magic's all about digging for slime balls, maybe I don't have the stomach for it." Luz replied. "You can do it! You can!" A female voice said in the distance. "Mysterious voice of encouragement?" Luz asked. "I heard it too, I think it's coming from over there." I replied, walking over to some bushes to see a young witch girl practicing a spell. My jaw just dropped at the sight of her. "No! Little witch girl!" Luz gasped. "Beautiful witch girl!" I added. "You can do it. Even if you get a bad grade, it's not a reflection of you as a witch, and my parents are right, there are better opportunities in this track, now get to school." She said to herself, accidentally stepping on a flower. "Oh no! Oh, little friend, I'm sorry." She used a spell to bring the flower back to life as two identical twin girls are riding on a cart, one of them was wearing a badge. "Willow!" The twin with the badge greeted. "Whoa, you're so unnoticeable, we almost rolled into you." "Hi, Amity, Alexa." The girl, who was named Willow, grumbled. "Shouldn't you get to class early to prep your..." The other twin started as Willow's project tipped over. "You don't have anything to show, do you?" The first twin teased. "This is why people call you "Half-a-witch Willow."" "Amity, stop teasing her." Her sister begged as their container with their project began shaking. "Oh, looks like someone wants to say something to you." Amity said. "Abomination, rise." A purple slime monster came out of the container and put a spot on Willow's forehead in the shape of a star. "Aw, it's like mine, but much smaller and meaningless." Amity teased. "As top student, it's my duty to tell you to keep at it, even you can get a passing grade someday, abomination, cower. See you in class, superstar." The abomination went back into the container as Amity began heading to school. Alexa walked over to Willow. "Good luck on your project, Willow." Alexa said. "Let me know if you ever want any help." As Alexa follows her sister, Willow began talking to herself. "See you in class, superstar." Willow intimidates Amity. "I hate when she does that, I hate making abominations, I hate getting bad grades, I can't stand this anymore!" All of a sudden, Willow rapidly grows vines from the ground as those vines grab us by the legs. After a few seconds, she was back to normal. "Oh, no, I'm so sorry!" Willow apologized as she reversed her spell. "It's okay, the thorns only went through a few layers of skin." Luz explains. "So, circly." Willow said, examining our ears. "You're humans, this is astounding, two humans on the Boiling Isles, how'd you get here? What are you doing here?" I began blushing as she got closer to me. Some bells began ringing in the distance. "I'm sorry, I can't stay, I have to go disappoint my teacher, it was nice to meet you, humans." "Wait, I'm Luz." Luz introduced. "Peter." I added. "You're Willow, right?" "What you did with that flower and those plants, it was... wow!" Luz exclaimed. "That's very impressive for a witch your age." I complimented. "Thanks, but, I'm not even supposed to be doing plant magic, my parents put me in the abomination track at school." Willow sighed. "Like, magic school?!" Luz exclaimed. Willow nodded. "That's so cool!" I exclaimed. "We're so jealous." "We have a teacher, but her lessons are a bit untraditional, I bet she wouldn't let either of us enroll." Luz explains. "I wish we could spend one day there." "Me too." I added. "I wish I could get a passing grade for once." Willow said. "Then people will stop calling me "Half-a-witch Willow"." "Wait, I know how we can all get what we want." I suggested, picking up some of her rotted project. "Make Luz and I your abominations. We'll get you a good grade, and you can get us into magic school." "It's fiendishly clever." Luz added. "What?!" Willow asked. "We saw those girls abomination, it's just chunks of stuff that talks weird." I explained. "We're chunks of stuff, and we both talk weird!" "That's true." Willow giggled. "Okay, it's a deal, Luz and Peter." "This is a great plan." Luz said as we both shook her hand.