A Tale Of Peculiars

CHAPTER ONE: THE NEWS

THE rays of the rising sun poked in like blades of swords which had thrust through the small cracks and gaps on the walls of the wooden cabin. Even the closed window wasn't enough to keep the streaks of light at bay. I opened one eye, my blurry vision slowly adjusted. I met eyes with Old Midnight, Papa's sheepdog. He sat at the side of my bed, unmoving and his black fur covered most of his eyes.

"Hello, Midnight," I greeted, my voice groggy.

Old Midnight sniffed the air before wagging his tail and jumping up the bed. He snuggled under the crook of my elbow and I patted his head. "How long have you been up?" I asked.

I received a bark as a response.

I yawned, stretching my limbs before sitting up. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and rest but I forced myself to stay awake. I looked over at the closed window.

I have training classes today and I have to be there early. I'm going to turn eighteen next month. It's going to be my most important birthday out of all the other birthdays I will have because it will be the day I can use my powers anywhere outside of the school without getting in trouble.

It also meant I won't have to take the torturous trainings conducted by Professor Hamond every single day of the week. He's the only Hamond in the Village of Cabbages and the only person living here who can read and write very well.

I groaned. "Come now, Midnight," I called.

I heard him groan and when I looked back at him I saw him curled around my blankets. "Midnight, get up. You and I have a lot of work to do today. Maybe just me but you still have to be productive."

Old Midnight didn't budge. I walked to the window and opened it to allow the sunshine to light up the room completely. There's no wind but the morning still felt cold against my face. I gazed down at the small cabbage patch beside our house where Mama stood shaking her head at the crops. Her back faced me and her jet black hair appeared to reflect the sun's light.

"Did the leaves get eaten again?" I asked. This would be the third day this happened.

Mama turned around to look at me. Her brows furrowed, making the creases of her forehead become more prominent. Her olive coloured skin glowed under the sunlight, giving her an ethereal look.

"Not just the leaves," she replied in a thick Verdonian accent, pronouncing just as jist and the as dae. "Some of the cabbages had gone rotten in the night. Smushed to a pulp on the ground. I don't know what did it." Some of the letter T's on her words aren't prominent, like they're not there at all.

She turned back to the crops and held her hand up, her long fingers balled to a fist. I watched as bright white light formed around Mama's body before gathering around her lifted hand. She opened her fist and the white light shot in many directions in a flash. The cabbages healed and a few seconds later they looked good as new as if no damage had been done to them.

"That should do it," I heard Mama whisper. "Now aren't you supposed to be getting ready for your training?" she asked in a much louder voice.

"Right." I closed the window to have some privacy so I can change from my nightdress to the proper uniform.

"Wake the twins up on your way down!" Mama yelled.

"Okay!"

I took my nightdress off then put on a dark gray shirt followed by an ankle-length skirt of the same colour. I pulled on a brown coat made out of sheep skin. I put on a pair of cattle skin boots before braiding my long green hair, tying the ends with thick beaded yarns.