The Spirit Academy

Chapter 19 - The Snake

Mishal

Mishal woke up with a start, sweat covering her skin, her breaths short and frantic. She looked to the side to see Kenna looking at her, like she had ever since assembly. It was a mixture of fear, disgust and pity and Mishal wasn't sure which one she hated more. 

She spoke for the first time since then, "Should have known it was you."

"What was me?" Mishal said cracking a smile, "The platinum blonde dye in your shampoo? The itching powder in your coat? The onion in your shoes?"

"I knew they were you." She said not sharing Mishal's humour, "I just... out of everyone... I never thought it could be you, you who... never takes anything seriously, you were so powerful, I guess, but I thought, I can't believe it was you."

"What me?" Mishal asked, even more confused than before.

But Kenna just shook her head and didn't say anything.

Mishal closed her eyes but opened then when images from last night flooded her mind. Lana. Azalea. Knife. Blood. Golden.

She opened them quickly and looked to see Kenna sleeping soundly in her bed. 

She then ran outside the dorm, outside the hallway, and out of the building. When she found the oak tree in the gardens, she lay under it and stared up at the moon.

She took a deep breath. Once Azalea had closed the door, they had all been magically teleported standing inside the fountain, with water up to their knees, all of them soaking wet.

Lana had explained to them bits and pieces. That were stolen from their homes. The principal always made it sound like they were the lucky ones, but that was wrong. Lana had told them that when they came, their memories had been wiped.

When Lynn had asked why, Lana had told her that she didn't know. All that she knew was from fragments of memories. There was a group of people who had escaped from the academy previously. Lana had said they were trying to save her from the academy.

She said that there was some previous students who were trying to save as many students as they could. Lana and Sefarina had both been shown their memories and had decided to leave. 

Lana told Mishal she didn't know much other than that, and that she only found out about this a few days before the rest of them. Mishal had asked her how the ball worked, and Lana had said whoever touches it first it goes into their memories. 

Lana had then asked Dahlia to come with her and Dahlia had agreed and left.

 Lana had told Mishal, tomorrow at dawn, to meet her here.

Mishal sat down with her back against the trunk of the tree. She wondered what her family was like. Did she have brothers and sisters? A mother? A father?

She looked up to see Lana walking towards her. 

"You're early." Mishal commented.

"So are you." Lana replied sitting down next to her and handing her a bag. Mishal opened it seeing the crystal ball.

"You mean you already have the ball. I don't have to jump in a fountain again?" Mishal said scorn leaking into her voice. Truth was, she was just nervous about seeing her memories. 

Lana chose to ignore it. "Marina made the fountain have a false bottom. Last time I didn't have a bag. So I kept travelling into my memories. I could either leave it in the gardens or drop it in the fountain. Now hold the crystal ball."

Mishal nodded, reaching her hands out to find it. The crystal filled with colours and Lana laid her hands-on top of Mishal's.

It was the same. Dry, barren, almost red dirt covered every inch of the ground. From afar Mishal could see lines of spirits with Azalea at the front. They were in front of a sort of medieval tent this time. She opened the front and walked in, making sure to close the flap after Lana but no-one noticed. Of course they didn't. This isn't real. She chastised herself. She saw two figures huddled together.