Resurrection by Mary Ann Moody - HTML preview

Chapter Four

I peeked through the curtains and saw the school looming on the horizon like a killer waiting patiently for its prey.  It was a big school, covered in light red brick and windows every fifteen feet.  Little white shutters covered every window as if the secrets of the school were locked up tightly behind them.  The roof was black with one tall pitch in the center of the building.  I saw two white columns in front and large double red doors.  I looked out the window of my carriage.  Not one shrub or flower grew in the grass surrounding the school.  It looked so boring and ordinary, even the grass looked dull.  A spectacular light marble fountain was in front and the only item decorating the outside of the school.  As the carriages drew closer, I could not take my eyes off the fountain.  Carved into the marble was a king sitting in his throne, in deep thought while a woman washed his feet.  Water escaped out her bucket, over his feet, and into the fountain below as she knelt down.  The king held a long staff and real jewels were in his crown on his head.  I stared at the man with curiosity through the window of the carriage.  The artist did a wonderful job capturing the lines of worry in the man’s forehead.  His eyes were visibly strained and even though the statue was made of marble, his body was intentionally created with a stiff posture.  Suddenly, grey clouds rolled through the sky and thunder cried somewhere far away.

The Williamson Law Academy was divided into three groups of students.  The first was the youngest children, ages twelve to fourteen.  They lived in the west side of the school.  The second group was the students fifteen through sixteen, and they dominated the north with their superiority.  The third group was the seventeen year old students.  The entire east side of the building was theirs to rule.  Normally seventy or so students attended the school.  Each room was set to house two students.  The boys were separated from the girls.  I did not know who my roommate was.  I was starting to get nervous about meeting the students.  I was used to my small family of Delengrad and Lordview, not strangers from other kingdoms.

My heart thumped hard when we pulled up to the double red doors.  Our three carriages were the only ones in front of the school.  Sarah and I started climbing out of the carriage, taking notice of our new surroundings.  I gasped.  The doors looked as if they were painted from real blood!  A deep red color covered the iron doors with a little blue hue.  I felt mesmerized as I looked as those bloody doors.  My vision shook and my head started to throb with an intense pain.  I gasped in pain when the doors flew open and a woman emerged from the school.  She came out to greet us, looking like the very definition of a witch.  Her hair was black, thick and wild.  She tamed it by keeping it pinned behind her large head.  A long grey bit of hair ran proudly through the front of her head to the ends.  I almost laughed from the thought of someone trying to look like a skunk, but I stopped once she looked me in the face.  Our eyes met and I felt a hot breeze softly kiss my sweaty face.  As she came closer I smelled her perfume.  It was a mixture of a deep rich wood with a faint scent of lavender.  Her voluptuous body towered over me as she looked me up and down.  I heard a strange melody inside my head, playing over and over.  My feelings of anxiety increased about this strange woman.  She moved along to Sarah, giving her the same look over I had just received.  Her red eyes glowed as if they were made of real rubies.  Her black eye paint enhanced the color of her eyes.  When she turned her face from me, I saw her witch-like features such as the long nose and pointed chin, but her beautiful face cleverly disguised it.  Her voice was more like a cackle rather than a smooth tone.  The woman didn’t smile.  Her face was telling us she was superior without saying a word.

“Welcome to the Williamson Law Academy.  I recognize William and Richard, welcome back.”  She gave them a deep nod as a sign of respect, and apparently a sign of dismissal, as well. Our brothers quickly moved through the double doors and out of our sight.  We were left alone with this creepy woman on the front steps of the school.  She turned to us slowly when our brothers were gone.  “Welcome girls.  I am the headmistress, Miss Maxine.  You are to refer to me as such.  It is my duty to keep this school, as well as the students residing in it, in perfect condition with the highest level of education.  Tomorrow you are to report to my office.  I personally meet all of my new students before the first day.”  She pursed her lips in a sneer.

“Yes, mam.”  Sarah said enthusiastically, missing Miss Maxine’s sarcasm in the process. 

“Not mam.  You are to address me as Miss Maxine.  I’m sure it will take a while getting use to such fine royalty for someone such as yourself, but please remember to keep those kinds of uneducated verbiage out of my school or you will no longer be welcomed.  Do you understand me?”  Miss Maxine demanded. 

Her red eyes shone down on Sarah.  I saw her sweet soul cower from Miss Maxine's intimidation. Her smile fell, her shoulders dropped, and her posture started to slouch.  She was hurt by the harsh tongue of Miss Maxine.

“Yes, Miss Maxine.”  Sarah replied without much confidence. 

Miss Maxine rolled her eyes, and nodded her head as if confirming the thought that ran across her mind.  She turned around, and started to walk away from us before calling out in a sharp, sing song voice, “Keep that spine straight, girls.  We wouldn’t want men to mistake us for the poor, would we?”  

Sarah and I looked at each other with wonder and confusion in our eyes. I did not know whether to laugh to help relieve the situation or to cry.  Sarah turned to me and put her hands into mine.  I’ll never forget the feel of her satin gloves as they pressed into my hands.  A lone tear escaped the side of her eye as she looked deep into my eyes.  The dark clouds rolled in above us and the thunder clapped somewhere close by.  Sarah’s pretty brown eyes were so sad and defeated.  It was as if she had seen the future and couldn’t do anything to stop the horrifying result.  I started to become frightened as she stared into my eyes with such silent devastation.  The wind furiously blew her hair to one side, but her dark plaid hat stayed perfectly in place on her head.  I felt her words flowing from her hands, and into mine.  She didn’t want to go inside.  With all her might, she wished we could get back into the carriage and go home.  Her heart ached so deeply, I could feel her sorrow invading my body.  She breathed it onto me.  We stayed like that for a few seconds, then she let go.  Her back was perfectly straight as she walked into the darkness beyond the bloody doors.

Sample End.

Thank you for reading the sample for Resurrection.  I look forward to hearing from my readers.

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