Secrets All Around

Fear or Shame

"Fear," the instructor said, pacing the room. "Listen to me carefully when I say fear is a very powerful tool in combat." She turned her head to look at two girls sitting together in the back of class giggling. "It can turn best friends against each other," she said. The girls quickly quieted and lowered their eyes. "Or," the instructor continued, fixing on two boys in the front glaring at each other, "it can cause enemies to work together." She turned and returned to the front of the room, her long dark blue dress swishing on the stones beneath her feet.

"With that said, who thinks fear would be the best strategy to use against your opponent?" Hands all around the classroom went up. The instructor nodded and the hands went down. "Now what if I told you there was something stronger than fear?" A puzzled murmur rose from the class. She put her hands up for silence.

"Shame is more powerful than fear and is sometimes easier to orchestrate," she said. She walked behind her desk and leaned on it for emphasis. "I've watched shame turn best friends on each other in the blink of an eye. I've watched the most loving wife turn on her husband because of shame. I've even see two halfs of a whole, a dark and a light, work together for years because of shame." The students who were paying attention saw a gold seep into her blue irises. The class became quiet as some gasped.

"Ms. Skysong?"

"Yes Rose Pellihan?"

"If this strategy is so much more powerful, then why is it not in our books?"

Ever viligant Rose, thought Ms. Skysong. She'll go far.

"The results of this method can be catastrophic if not done properly," she responded, "but if done properly, it can be worked in your favor." She stepped from behind her desk and an image appeared. "May I introduce Alana." The image warped and the face of a smiling young lady with dark blonde curls appeared. "And her husband Randall." A handsome man entered the picture and kissed Alana. "A happy couple, very loving. Now may I introduce Alana's best friend and her husband." The image warped again and a dark hair girl in a white dress and a man in a tuxedo appeared and began to twirl around the view. "Just as happpy, if not more," Ms. Skysong said. A faint smile found its way to her face before a serious expression reumed, "Now, I must intoduce Nocturne." The happy scene swirled away and was replaced by by a woman with golden eyes that shone with hatred and dark hair pulled tight into a ponytail that streamed down her back. A menacing smile slowly spread across her face. "I do hope you write down her name. N-O-C-T-U-R-N-E, Nocturne. She is the master of creating feuds between the most loving of couples and the most trusting of friends." The whole class began shifting uneasily under Nocturne's vile gaze. Just then, the bell rang. No one moved, waiting to be dismissed. "I want a paper next week on your opinion of the best strategy," Ms. Skysong said, wavinng herr hand to destroy the image. Noddin her head, she returned to her desk and sat down while the students packed up.

Ms. Skysong wrote a note at her desk as the students left. She hadsuddenly remembered a task she had  been long putting off. She paused in her writing and felt a presence approach her desk. Looking up, she saw Rose Pellihan standing at her desk.

"Yes Ms. Pellihan?"

"I'm still confused on the whole shame idea, Ms. Skysong," she said quietly.

"Do you have another class right now?"

"Yes."

"Come back at the end of the day. I don't have detention duty today. I'll explain then." Rose smiled and ran off.

Now I must finish this letter to Erik.