Fruition// A Dark Academia Murder Mystery

First Day

As the residents of dormitory 3B, room 12 woke up to the screeching school-wide alarm the next morning their room had a lazy yet bustling atmosphere that Genie had only ever seen at summer camp. This, she was well aware, would not transpire to be like summer camp in the slightest.

It was now Genie's first day of classes, during a normal school year this would excite her, but this year she was quite nervous. An ever-looming presence seemed to be absorbed in the school. It was like a thread was dangling over her head with something unseemly tied to it, like a knife, something just out of reach that she could not see.

Pushing that all behind her, she moved swiftly through the dormitory, weaving around her room-mates and trying her best to look presentable. After she finished getting ready she turned to Athena who was combing through her wavy light brown hair.

She wanted to ask what to expect: what teachers to avoid; what classes to study for; which students not to associate with, but she couldn't, she wouldn't let herself. She did not yet know whether she should trust these people, and the general ambiance of the school inforced her inclination to watch her back. So her mouth stayed shut as Athena gave her the smallest of nods before tying in her second pigtail. Then they walked out side by side, into the unknown, leaving Mousey and Harmon to themselves.

"So, are you ready for your first day?" piped Athena cheerfully as she and Genie made their way down the staircase leading to the common room.

"Possibly," Genie responded while trying to sound as ambiguous as she was able.

"Alrighty then!" Athena shoved open the door with her hip and led her companion through the lion's den that post haste and out of the door to the hall.

Yet again Genie's black heels clicked on the dark oak flooring. Except when they had done so previously their beat was steady, firm, and uninterrupted whereas now the throngs of students bustling throughout caused her to be swifter and admittedly more clumsy on her feet. Athena must have sensed the panic in her chest because she grabbed her hand and turned around to smile sweetly at her before walking directly into a herd of children in front of her and plunging them both into the sea of black, white, and green. The wool of stranger's sweaters rubbed irritatingly against their cheeks as they pressed onward ( being as they were only as high as the chest of most of their peers ).

In a short while, which seemed to stretch infinitely, the two girls arrived outside of their first class of the day: religious education. Genie could feel her eyes threatening to roll back into her head but made sure to keep them steady due to the pressing nature of the situation she had found herself in.

Within a few moments, another school-wide bell rang and the teacher, a short plump man in a light blue collard-shirt with a navy tie and a pair of khakis unlocked the door to the room from inside and stood behind it tallying heads. Genie was sure she could hear other rooms being unlocked as she stepped within.

Within a few moments, another school-wide bell rang and the teacher, a short plump man in a light blue collard-shirt with a navy tie and a pair of khakis unlocked the door to the room from inside and stood behind it tallying heads. Genie was sure she could hear other rooms being unlocked as she stepped within and took at the seat next to Athena two rows in and two and three rows over.

Six by five rows of standard wooden desks stood in straight rows in front of a green chalkboard, a dark mahogany teacher's desk sat in the corner with a red leather office chair settled behind it. The man stood in front of the chalkboard and gave a yellow-toothed smile to his class before clearing his throat and beginning to speak.

"Dear class, today we have a new student joining our midst, Ms. Genie Thad! A nice exotic girl, we've been needing one of those!"

Genie's eyes widened and from the corner of her eye, she could see Athena cringing at the blatant racism. She wanted to raise her hand and say that wasn't very polite and that maybe he should've educated himself before he made it his job to educate other people, but she didn't, she smiled and let the anger seeth quietly in her heart where it would soon bubble down.

"My name is Mr. Jamie Klark for those of you who don't already know!" he threw a wink at Genie that made bile pool in her mouth. "In this course, we will be studying the Bible and applying it to everyday life!". This didn't seem very bad, so Gene waited for the catch. "Today, people are very quick to skirt over issues they deem taboo or offensive, but being soft isn't going to solve any of the world's problems! It only makes society more susceptible to brainwashing. Things that used to be considered horrible, abominable things are now completely acceptable! As Christians, it is our job to disciple these people and teach them right from wrong! Turn to page 317."

As she flipped open her large hardcover textbook she sighed to herself, the wording he used could only mean one thing.

"Athena would you please read aloud the dangers of homosexuality."

"Yes, sir. In these trying times, some sins are considered more tolerable than others. However, all sins are created equal including those which the media brainwashes teens into believing are not sins at all. One of these sins is homosexuality, it says in Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it [is] abomination and in Leviticus 20:13, If a man also lies with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood is on their own hands. This explicitly states that engaging in homosexual relations is not to be tolerated by the church and the body of Christ should not discount the Lord's views on the subject. Next to death, which the Lord recommends be the punishment for this particular sexual sin the most severe repercussion is HIV and AIDS please refer to the diagram below and answer pages 43-45 in your workbooks."

"Good Job missy!" 

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After completing a very disturbing and graphic set of workbook pages, the bells rang and students started filing out of the room.

"Did we seriously just have to sit through that?" Genie asked sarcastically. Athena didn't say anything, but merely nodded and discretely put a finger to her lip before speedily dragging Genie into the bathroom across the hall.

There were dark oak floors just as in the corridors and the countertops were black and gold granite. The whole lavatory seemed to fit that color scheme and it did not go unnoticed by Genie.

A puzzled look was thrown at Athena.

"I couldn't have said this out there, but there are cameras, and they pick up sound. Anything negative that has to be said about the school should be done in the dorms if you can. Though I do quite agree with you. Even the bathrooms aren't totally safe" She continued grimly "never know where a teacher could be hiding".

"Ok then, thanks for the advice, I guess?"

Just then a stall door flung open from behind them and the radiant blonde curls that had pounced on Genie just yesterday bopped up and down as McKenzie made her way to the sink with a polite "excuse me" and a smile.

After McK had left, the girls silently turned to each other with furrowed brows. At first, they were both concerned that their unexpected guest would tell of their little conversation, but now they had noticed the complete quiet engulfing as far as the ear could hear. An odd, unsettling quiet that was almost suspicious...

Both ladies knew one thing that enhanced the lack of noise's creepiness...

It was never silent between classes. Never.