Seeing with the Shadows

Chapter 17

“Quiet in the back!” Professor Iri said, “We need to reenact the time when VHP was made and why. Who’s going to go first?”

Wait for it, wait for it… Ellevet. Lena predicted correctly. As soon as Professor Iri uttered the words, Ellevet’s hand shot up and she smiled at Professor Iri while waving her hand up and down. She needed to have at least oneteacher on her side. Misha sat beside her, and next to Misha sat the two girls Lena had seen in the room before, and the ones that Talla had described: Rella and Naran. They all pointed to Ellevet excitedly while raising their own hands and waving them about.It’s either me, or Ellevet... Ellevet, please... Lena twisted to her side and looked at the gang again. Misha was concentrating and squinting at Professor Iri. Lena leaned in, watching closely on what Misha was doing. Suddenly, Professor Iri’s movements seemed more jerky.

Lena looked closely at Misha, and then back at Professor Iri. They had the same expression on their faces… Misha was Controlling her teacher.

“Ellevet! Tell us your answer.”

*  *  *

After a tedious day, it was, once again, 7:30. Stupid 7:30... Lena thought as she finished up her homework and got up to go to the Control classroom. Lena’s shoes clicked along the deserted corridor and every step she took she regretted more than the last one. How does Misha Control people and not get in trouble for it?!

Lena entered the classroom hesitantly, but it seemed that Professor Iri was herself again. “Today, you’re doing only the Unclaimed Animals room.” She informed Lena.

Oh, goody. Lena thought sarcastically.

Garry stepped towards her, smiling, “Follow me.” Lena hadn’t brought Phelicia with her because she thought she might attack one of the two teachers.

Lena unwillingly started to follow Garry to her destination. When he opened this door, a metal one with multiple chains, bars, and locks on it, Lena’s mouth fell open. The room was at least twice the size of the last one she had been in. The first one had been roughly the size of two large dining rooms end to end.

This one was size of four very large dining rooms in length and two very large living rooms wide. It could’ve been one of those fancy old ballrooms in black and white movies if there weren’t a bunch of cages and animals in it. Could this get any worse? Lena groaned inwardly when she realized it could.

“Well, hello Garry! I love the way your hair looks today! You’re my role model, I think you’re amazing, Sir! Fancy meeting you here!” Misha gushed. “My friend Naran here- I think you know her? We heard that poor Lena here had detention right in this very place and that she was taking care of the animals, and, you see, Raliyle isn’t doing that well, and we also heard that everything went fine with the other Pixir, so we were wondering- could Lena give sweet, wonderful Raliyle a look here?” Misha gushed once more.

A girl stepped out from behind her, Naran. Raliyle the Pixir hovered above her. Naran had the kind of smooth, perfect skin that normally only models get after they’ve been airbrushed and edited for a while. Her hair wasn’t dark brown, but more like dark grey, like something burned. She smiled, but it was a fake, a receptionist smile, and her eyes betrayed nothing. Her eyes were two empty never ending black pits, never showing what they had seen.