Flammable: A Small Part of a Bigger Thing

I stroke the cat’s brittle fur and sigh. It was now or never, to go into the school or not. The cat purred loudly and wrapped its large body around me playfully.
/Stop that. I can’t walk this way/ I scold.

/Sorry/ it’s voice was amused and collected unlike the other animals I’d ever talked to./So are you going in/

/I don’t know anymore/

/You should. You can find yourself in their or lose yourself but I think you are still pure hearted/

/Thanks/ I thought softly and straightened out locking my jaws together and staring at the large looming double doors that stood before me. The Cat gave me a friendly nudge.

/Go, your destiny awaits you/

I sighed, the weight of gravity fell upon me again and the feeling of floating above everything disappeared like mist. I climbed up the large stairs quickly. Suddenly, a tall figure appeared in front of me. I jumped back and if I had been clumsier I would’ve tripped and rolled down all those stairs. Why did a castle need so many?

The figure was an old man with sharp hawk-like eyes and bright golden irises.
"What are you doing here mortal?" He growled staring me down

“I’m Blithe Tharrow.” I said in a small voice feeling like a child again in his presence.

“Ah.” A grin spread across his face, “Blithe Tharrow we have been expecting you. Come in our principal has especially been anticipating your arrival.” He ushered me inside the dark castle and closed the door behind Cat.

He chuckled loudly as if listing to an inside joke, “I am Mr. Bronze, the social worker of this establishment. I like most other teachers am a pure blood and our institution has a high prestige known world wide.” He beamed. “I do hope you enjoy Broxweln.”

“Yes.” I replied weakly trying not to show the shaking of my knees.

This place was strange. When he said pure blood just what did he mean? We stopped at a large circular door and Mr. Bronze stopped talking. He pushed the door open with a fluid movement and beckoned me in. Cat tried to follow but Mr. Bronze stopped it short and shut the door behind me.

The room was cave like, circular and rounded giving an animus feeling. I felt like the walls would cave in on me. The room was barely light but I could make out some things like the large desk that stood in the middle of the room and a tall man sitting behind that desk.

“Good day Ms. Blithe or is it night now?" He thunders. "You seem to have passed the entrance exam-Pardon me, I’ve forgotten my manners, sit down lets have a nice long talk together. You must be tired and confused.”

“Yes,” I replied shaking slightly as I sank into the leather chair that he pointed at.

The man chuckled softly, “I see you have made an animal friend already, it is a pity he works for us. It is quite rare for a human, especially a female to posses the powers you harvest. Explain them to me, I sense you have many.”

“Um...” I bit my lower lip nervously. This man was intimidating and I felt the insane urge to please him. “I can control objects with my mind, talk to dead and alive animals, tell the future of someone by contact and I can burn peoples minds till they go crazy.”

“Ah, so you’re telekinetic, psychic, you have fortune telling abilities and can bend fire on people’s minds. Oh my, you really are special.” He couldn’t keep the mocking tone out of his voice.

“You’ll feel right at home with our family. There are three types, actually four now but moving on there are the vampires, werewolves and the mixed. We have one demon in our possession but that is just for publicities sake. Our family is split into three social groups as it will state in your handbook. The artisans, plebeians and the criminals or slaves.”

I grimaced but took everything in. Why shouldn’t I. If I existed surely vampires, werewolves and Hybrids existed.

“I placed you in CW for you are of a poor class and werewolves would suite your nature more.” He paused, “I hope you do not feel offended.”

“No, it’s true.”

“Tomorrow you’ll be able to pick your classes. It is similar to a human school except we offer more...lets say supernatural classes. By the fourth you should have your full schedule.”

I nodded and shuddered, the man in the chair looked up at me now. His red irises fell on me now searching.

“We have rules though Ms. Blithe and though you are a human we expect that you follow every single one. First, you are in a new realm and since it is your first year we can only allow you to go out with another immortal. You are to have all the regular human classes once each year, we go beyond your high school learning. Children from fourteen to eighteen come to our school for the finest education. We take them one for four years but for you we cut it down. No disobeying the purebloods there isn’t any other way around that rule, they are the rulers of our school weather it be student or teacher know your place as a human. You will get a contract and a handbook that will explain everything. You will pick your classes tomorrow; Mr. Bronze will meet with you. I do hope you enjoy our school, though you came rather late into the school year.”

I blushed and fingered my shirt. I could just imagine the man grinning sadistically at me.

/Blithe, are you okay?/ Cat’s voice reaches me /I am worried/

/I’m okay/

“You can leave now.” The principal’s tone was inpatient so I scuttled out of the room.

Mr. Bronze was standing alone in the hallway with a grim expression on his face, “Well Ms. Tharrow, how was your introduction?” He paused, “Swell I assume, well lets get you to your dorm. You will be sharing it with two other beautiful young werewolves, a Ms. LaShandra and Ms. LaMarietta.” Mr. Bronze talked on answering all his questions without allowing her to voice her opinion.

“Upstairs is where we are going the first floor, where only the slaves, or poor families live. Ms. LaMarietta is an outstanding student and I hope she shall be your role model. Ms. LaShandra is a trouble maker and is famous for her temperament.” He ended his sentence in a dry tone and glanced at me. “You seem to be a Ms. LaMarietta, are you?”

I personally hate to be judged as someone else so I fixed my eyes on his and glared. “I am a Blithe. Myself. “I put emphasis on the last part and left it at that. If he didn’t get it I would have to assume he was denser than he looked. I stared counting the number of steps we took up the stairway. Already I’d counted twenty, did a school really need so much? We stepped of the stairs and Mr. Bronze led me on.

“Here we are the poor floor section vampire. Most vampires are unlike those you read in silly books these days. I bet you haven’t guessed yet that I myself am a vampire.

“Oh really?” I said acting like I cared. It was obvious though by the fond way he talked about vampires since the time I’d met him and the odd strength he had.

“Yes, and my daughter, a pureblood is also a part of this schools family,” He then went silent to my surprise.

We passed through the dark halls till they began to gain light and Mr. Bronze explained that Hybrids liked a bit more light that vampires, though I already knew that from the silly little books I’ve read about the supernatural. Then all of a sudden light flooded in and Mr. Bronze cursed.

“I’ll never get used to this part of the school. Too much light those damned werewolves like. They seem to enjoy basking in heat and radiance.” He shielded his eyes and continued on wearily.

I saw now how different he looked in the light. His face was drawn and uglier. He seemed to age with the light.

“Your room is 103, right between 102 and 104.”

Yeah, I think I could have guessed that.

“No room is on the right side of this floor, only the plebeians and patricians have that privilege.”

Oh wow, I am so impressed. I shook my head; maybe it was because I was so tired that my sarcastic side was taking over.

“You’re room mates will be arriving shortly from their classes so you will have a period of rest.” He stopped short at a door that had a golden plaque on it. “Here we are room 103.” He pushed open the door and walked back without saying goodbye, but I barely noticed that anyway.

I was too shocked by the appearance of the dorm. “Oh!” My eyes bulged as I took in all of the room. This place was larger than the apartment I had been living in almost all my life. They called this floor poor? The fluffy carpet was a snow white color that gave way as I walked in and the walls where dark lavender trimmed with gold. The room reminded me of hotels I’ve seen in movies.

Walking in you are faced with three single canopy beds with multi colored curtains hanging off the sides elegantly and three desks on the opposite side, but further to the left there are three walk in closets, two were already occupied and on the right a bathroom. There is a large balcony on the wall between the three beds, and though it was dark I could make out a large expanse of fields and forests that made me feel dizzy though I was not one to be frightened of heights.