TWISTED: Book 1

There Was A Memory...

I sat on the step in front of the weapondry house next to Aladdin. The sun was just setting, as we finished up the training, and we decided to spend our last few moments in the school peacefully.

"You know...I've only been here a few days, but I'm gonna miss this place". I said, looking around the school. "Despite you working me to death, I do feel really good now. Cracked some stiff bones..."

"Stiff bones? At your age"? Aladdin laughed. "Yeah, this is a pretty cool place. It changes you. That's just part of the magic in it. I'm a very different person from when I first trained here".

"Really? You trained here"? I asked, surprised.

"Oh, yeah. Me, Robin, Red, and a load of other really powerful people studied here as children. It was one of the most famous schools in the world".

I pulled my knees up to my chest, and rested my head on them. "Could you tell me a story about when you guys were younger here"? I asked, quietly.

"You sound so childish".

"Hey, I've always been into stories, OK? Besides, nobody's ever too old for them. I still write loads all the time". I remembered my Angelica Hughes novel. Now, it didn't seem like my life's priority anymore. 

I was now in the kind of world I fantasised about almost every day. And although, of course, it was pretty cool, with the magic and weapons, and awesome people like Phoebe and Robin and Aladdin...it wasn't where I truelly belonged. 

It was almost like...this was my story. My life story. And fate was just writing it all out for me.

"I guess you're right, Jessika. I actually write a bit, as well ". 

My eyes widened. "No way. You write? You've never told me that".

"Yeah, well, where do you think all those books came from back at my house"? Aladdin grinned.

I gasped. "There's no way you wrote all those things".

"You're right, I didn't. Just messing with you. But I do write. Maybe one day you can read some of my work". 

"That would be so cool. But don't mess with me again. Can you tell me a story now"?

He looked up at the sky. "Fine. Let's see...I remember the first day we all started school here, as if it was yesterday. That was a day that changed my life forever..."

The children all gathered on the compound. There were loads of them. Aladdin looked around, frightened. He didn't know any of these people. He wanted to go home. Why did Grandmother leave him here?

"It's time you learn to control your powers, Al. This is the best place to do it". She had said, before dropping him off. "I'll come for you at the end of the day".

Aladdin had stayed in the corner of the compound for awhile, before joining the other children as they gathered for assembly.

A man stood on a tall wooden stool, dressed in the traditional Morgiana gown, and had his brown hair tied up in a long ponytail. His moustache covered his mouth, and Aladdin thought he looked funny as he watched the man run his hands over it.

"Future warriors of Morgiana and beyond, welcome to the academy of warrior art. Here we teach various subjects to enhance your powers. Whether you're a genie, a royal, a rogue, a witch or wizard, we have everything you need for your different types of training. Now, you need to divide yourself into five groups, each of the different types of warriors. Royals, you can come here on the left, genies..."

The children immediately started bustling around and making noise. Aladdin looked around frantically, not sure which way to go. He didn't hear where the man said the genies should go. He wondered around aimlessly, until he reached a group. He wasn't sure if he was in the right one, but he was too scared to ask anyone.