The Roswell Coven: Circle of Terra

Chapter Four.

A long billowing cloud shot across the eastern sky before disappearing behind Athena Mountain. I stood next to the welcome sign at the base of the her twin Apollo Mountain. They were named after a Greek god and goddess, and long rumored to contain piece of their respective souls.
It is also believed the mountains protect the inhabitants within their borders from magical beings.  I know better than most how little protection they actual give to the souls in Brookville.
After all it was here I drew my very last human breath, and took my first non-human one. Katherine must have known sending me here, would be like staring my own personal Achilles heel in the face.
I cannot shake the feeling some kind of sinister element is at play here. I took a deep cleansing breath and then drove across the town line.
The drive into town was short, as the only place is no bigger than one of those overdeveloped mall parking lots. The sad part is for how much time that's passed since my last visit so much had stayed the same.
Long rows of corn fields still ran diagonal with the roads. The massive farm houses with their tall chimneys and painted barns, still loomed in the distance.
I smiled a little when I spotted an old weather worn tire swing handing off a nearby tree. I guess some things should be preserved throughout time.
I think the oldest building still standing in its original place is the white clapboard church with its slightly leaning steeple.
The rest were new modern buildings as was the new square. A part of me had hoped they had left the square untouched. There was a time when Brookville was known all across the state for its lavish town square. People used to travel from all over to visit our handcrafted shops, walk on the cobblestone paths, and picnic on the blankets of lush grass surrounded by bushes of pink, yellow, and blue azalea's.
What remains is a single long strip of grass in between a string of brick and mortar shops and concrete sidewalks. I recognized a few names on  the shops which indicated most of the founding families were probably still running the town.
I pulled into a gravel parking lot across the street from a two-toned brick building known as Brookville High School.
The parking lot was pretty full but I managed to squeeze my bike in between a red Honda and a chain linked fence. I unstrapped my bag from the back, heaved it over my shoulder, and headed across the street. When Violet suggest I infiltrate the high school to flush out the perp I thought her idea was brilliant.
Now that I'm about to walk in the front doors it doesn't seem like such a brilliant plan after all. I pulled on one of the glass doors and stepped inside. Every nerve-ending in my body tingled and burned as the smell of iron and salt saturated the air. My gums throbbed and my mouth watered in anticipation.
On second thought this is a terrible plan. It has been far too long since I have been in the presence of so many human bodies. Violet is the one who goes undercover on these kind of jobs. She is much better with humans then I ever could be. No. I have do this on my own. I need to keep Violet safe.
I located the office door and ducked inside the tiny wood panel room. To my relief the air was slight more tolerable.
A short plump woman with greying brown curls glance up from her decade old computer as I approached the counter. A look of annoyance crossed her face.

"The attendance office is across the hall. They will give you a pass." She immediately turned her attention back to the screen.

I hope Foster remembered to call. I folded my hands neatly on the counter. "Excuse me. I believe you may have spoken to my Brother on the phone about my intended transfer to this school." I flashed a polite smile.

The woman stared at me with a blank expression. "Brady Andrews from Liberty High in Montana." She pulled a folder from a mounding stack of papers on the corner of her desk.

"Brady Andrews." She laid the folder on the counter. "It says here you're a senior and an honor student with an impeccable record."

I gave a polite nod. Foster may have gone a tad overboard selling my abilities to the school. Once upon a time I had been a decent student but a lot has changed in the world since I last attended school.
Hopefully I will not be here long enough to live up to those standards.
Ms. Wright whose name I learned from the partially hidden placard on her desk gave me a packet of forms and went back to her desk.
I slid into one of the three conjoining orange chairs and went to work on the forms.
As I worked on my emergency contact form a girl entered the office and accidental bushed her leg against my arm. A wave of energy shot through my body awakening every one of my nerves. A hushed gasp escaped the girl lips. She glanced at me curiously. "I umm am sorry."