Secrets Within the Resounding Sound

Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

I followed the man through the thicket until we finally reached the end of the path. Hidden within the trees were five very large buildings. All of the buildings were painted a bright white and ivy made its way up the sides. One building was larger than the others, maybe five stories high and a football field in length. The other four buildings were about the same size as each other. In the middle of all these buildings was a circular, cobblestone path and a large fountain. I didn't realise until my feet touched the cobblestone that there was actually a large black gate and fence surrounding the property. How had I missed that?

Sam was ahead of me, using his powers to play in the water from the fountain. He strutted around the campus the confidence oozing off of him. Everyone knew that he was the student council president. They nodded to him. Some ran from him, The entire while, he had one hand in his jeans pocket and the other messing with the water.

"Welcome to Silverleaf Academy, Echo." There were students walking around, talking, chatting, laughing. Did all of these people have abilities too? There were so many different age groups. I saw a group of three girls that seemed to me maybe eight or nine years old. Then there were other students who looked to be in their early twenties. I stared and tried to process this hidden school within the woods. I felt like I had been transported into a new world.

With water swirling around his hand and then back into the fountain, Sam hopped back over to me, his shorts jingling with whatever he had in his pockets.

"Not what you thought it would be, is it?"

"No, it isn't."

"Yo!" The voice was loud and unknown to me. Sam looked over to where the voice had come from. A student was standing on the other side of the courtyard yelling at him. "Who's the new dude?"

"Someone you shouldn't touch!" Same yelled back. I though this statement was strange, but pushed it to the back of my mind. It wasn't like I had never met someone who was gay before. He spun back towards me. "Come," he grinned, waiting for me to follow him before he started walking towards the biggest building of the three. "Your adventure has just begun."

We wound our way through all of the students until we came to the doorstep of the biggest building. The doors were so large, it seemed you could fit ten people in its frame. With one hand, Sam opened the door, waiting until I had passed the threshold and entered before following me in.

Inside the building was just as immaculate as the lawns and outside was. There was a large staircase to the right of the door, it curved up into the second floor. The room itself was open, large pillars reaching high up to hold the third floor. You could see the walkways on the second floor because of the openings in the half walls. The floors were a cream tile and I was guessing this was the common area of the building.

Sam turned to the left and led me through the students mingling around. He talked and smiled to those he passed. We walked by open doors to classrooms where students were either working on assignments or listening to teachers. It almost seemed like a regular school until we passed a larger room and I caught a glimpse of some students playing with fire as if it was nothing more than air. Another student waved a hand at the two students and the fire abruptly went out, leaving only smoke. That smoke then began to take the shape of a large lion. It opened its maw and roared a soundless roar.

Transfixed, I didn't even notice when Sam came up beside me and tapped me on my shoulder. I looked up at him, he still had on the grin.

"Almost there," he said, leaving me to walk farther through the halls. We finally reached a closed door, without knocking, Sam walked through.