Strains

Chapter 16

Tucked away amongst the trees and down an unused path is the Legacy Academy library. Its façade, like all of the other buildings on campus, is grand and intimidating. Unlike the others, it is made up of black stones in a huge Gothic display.

This place is a castle on its own. How could I have managed to miss this? There could be hundreds, maybe thousands of books in there. I climb the steps leading up to the entrance.

Around the brass door handles is a chain, and on that chain is a lock. So that's why it wasn't on the map Matthew gave me. A world of heroes and no books. That doesn't make sense, not to me anyway.

I'll have to ask Mr. Crowe where he got the one he reads in class. I turn around. Time for the walk back to campus.

A clang behind me makes me jump forward. It's the chain and lock. How did it fall off like that? I bend over to grab it, but as my hand inches towards it, I can sense heat coming off it.

What the heck is going on here?

The lock is still on the floor, still intact and still very much locked.

I look up at the door and reach for the handle. No, I shouldn't. I need to get back to my room. Matthew made it clear, I can't afford to get killed. And going into an abandoned building that was locked and then magically not, seems like a recipe for death.

But if there are books in there...nope. Not today, not me. I've seen the movies, I'm not stupid. I'll just ask Mr. Crowe about his book next week.

I go back up the path to campus. What a waste of time that was. I walk through the garden, and once I get to the bridge, I stop. Two Meat boys are coming my way. Both are wearing athletic gear, so they must be headed to Hercules's class, but why come this way? There's a paved path that goes right by the dorms, I only come this way because it isn't far from the administration building.

They notice me, and I see their smiles turn wide.

"Hey, it's the admin's puppet. What are you doing here? We're pretty far from campus."

The other boy chuckles. "Yeah, you could get hurt, and no one would be able to find you."

That doesn't sound good.

My heart begins to race, and the rapid beats make my breath and legs shaky.

"Right, so if you'll just excuse me. I'll just be going..."

The boys separate, blocking the bridge completely. I step back and they step forward.

I have a bad feeling this isn't going to end well. I take off, running back up towards the garden. I shut the gate behind me as I enter. The boys waste no time in beginning to scale the gate.

Crap.

I run out the other side. This isn't good, I'm just getting further away from campus. This was so stupid, stupid, stupid! I should have listened to Matthew when he said not to wander off. I should have stayed in my room where I belonged.

I slip going down the dirt path, but quickly get back to my feet. The forest. Maybe I could lose them in the trees.

I'm at the point where the grass turns to trees when my hair is yanked back. I kick and struggle, scratch and wiggle to get out of the Meats' arms; but he's a true member of that house. His arms don't budge and he doesn't flinch when I stomp on his foot.

"What do we do now?" he asks the other.

You idiots didn't think of that when you decided to chase me?

"Dude, I don't know, but class is about to start."

So they were going to Hercules's class. He was the only teacher on campus that could get away with punishing students. He wasn't a facilitator anymore, but that didn't stop him from killing students and calling it homework.