The Spirit Academy

Chapter 23 - In The Dark

Mishal

The memories did come back in Mishals sleep. She remembered Azzie. Her and Azzie were tent-hoppers. They flit from place to place, working for food. Sometimes stealing food.

The world was in ruins.

Some days was a sandstorm, a scorching dessert. Other days there would be a snowstorm, a freezing ice land. That's where they had thrived. People would ask them to make them fires, desperate people paid well.

She had flitted in and out of her delirious sleep. Calling out for Azzie. And then for Dahlia. There was something important Mishal needed to tell her. But Mishal could never stay conscious enough to remember what.

It was in these few moments of sanity that Auretta came to visit her.

Mishal was in a hospital like room. The walls were white. There was a small bed in the corner. There were no windows. Just one door. It wasn't a normal door. Extra security. Though Mishal wasn't strong enough to try to escape. She wasn't even strong enough to get up. Hell, she used a bedpan.

Auretta was the only person she had contact with. She came to visit her with breakfast, lunch and dinner. She checked the tubes injected into both her arms. She checked her heart rate monitor. She asked if she needed to use the bedpan.

Mishal didn't cooperate. She was going to make it as hard as she could for the witch in her final moments. Mishal assumed Guthrie was being kept in a dungeon underground. Nothing like the VIP treatment Mishal was receiving.

She was one of the five. Auretta had explained everything to her, and then looked surprised when Mishal lunged at her, screaming and cursing.

If they had expected her to cooperate, boy, were they disappointed.

The room was always too bright, it gave her a headache. But she wouldn't tell Auretta that. She wasn't going to ask for anything. She wasn't going to become their toy.

Auretta had left a plate of steaming food on a tray, on her lap. She waited patiently beside the heart rate monitor waiting for her to eat. Mishal wondered why she bothered. Since she had been taken here, she had refused to eat or drink anything.

"You need to eat Mishal."

Mishal didn't look her way.

Auretta sighed. "If you're trying to starve to death it won't work."

Mishal didn't show any outward reaction. She wasn't trying to starve to death. Although she was hoping for it. She didn't eat because she didn't want to give them any leverage. She didn't want to become dependent on them.

"The fluids going into your arm contain all the necessary vitamins and nutrients you need."

Mishal knew that. But there was a reason Auretta had wanted her to eat. And not out of concern for Mishal's welfare. They weren't getting what they wanted. She felt satisfied.

Auretta crossed the room to stand infront of Mishal. "You burned her, Mishal. You burned Kenna. You're dangerous."

"I hope she dies. I hope you die and rot in hell." Mishal spat out.

Auretta looked at Mishal the way one would look at an animal in a cage.

"You're not brave Mishal," Auretta said, thrusting her face into hers.

A lifetime ago, that would have been a punch in the guts. But now she couldn't care less. Auretta was beginning to go fuzzy around the edges.

The brightness was dimming. She welcomed the darkness.

Lynn

Lynn had watched silently as both Mishal and Guthrie were sedated and flanked away by guards. She had hated herself for it for a while, but when Lana arrived at the academy bruised and bloody, she rejoiced. She could get them out.

After Lana had been questioned, see was sent to her old dorm, atleast that's what she heard from rumours going around.

Lynn knocked. Lana opened the door on the third knock.

Lynn walked in and sat down on Gemma's bed.

"Where is she?" Lynn asked.

"Gemma's out."

"How'd you get here?"

"It's part of the plan. I came here to find out who to trust. I need to get you back."

"No." Lynn said firmly. "I won't go without Mish and Guthrie. How'd they let you in?"

"I told them what they wanted to hear. I got kidnapped by these two girls. Managed to escape."

"They believed you then. Just like that?"

Something was fishy. Lynn had a bad feeling in her gut.

"Don't be such a downer, Linnie." Lana said. "Like I said. I won't be here long. Just need to get you out. And Mishal and Guthrie. Then I stay, figure out which of the top-ranking students I can trust, and we leave. Easy."

"Easy?" Lynn felt hysterical, "Mishal is being experimented on! Guthrie is rotting in the dungeons! Auretta is a witch! And you think this is going to be easy?"

Lana looked very pale. "I thought- Graduation was next week?'

"Mishal lost control. Burned Kenna."

"We can't trust Kenna then." Lana pursed her lips. "Or Auretta. Where are they being held."

"How am I supposed to know?" Lynn asked.

"You're Lynn. The listen doesn't talk type. The observe don't show type. The I know random stuff that no-one cares about type. You should know shouldn't you? You're invisible!"

"Excuse me?"

"No-one notices you. No-one gives you a second glance. You can go snooping around."

Lynn felt like this was getting out of control very fast. "Mish is one of the five, isn't she?"

Lana shook her head. "I don't know. We're just kids Lynn. We're just kids in a dark ... dark world."