Green Beginnings: Part One

     The first-years were all huddled together in a big mob, while the eighth-years dominated the courtyard, roaming freely and greeting each other. Jhudora quickly walked toward where the first-year mob was.

     She had practiced her smile at home until her cheekbones hurt and picked out her outfit weeks ago, not that there was really a choice. She was wearing a purple dress, her favorite color. The orphanage caretaker had given it to her as a starting-school gift. She was determined to make a good first impression.

     “Hi!” she said nervously, hoping someone would respond.

     “Hi! I like your outfit!” a faerie said. “My name’s Ember.”

     “Thank you,” Jhudora said, glad her “outfit planning” didn’t go to waste. “My name’s Jhudora.”

     “Are you nervous about your first day of school?’ Ember asked. “I’m not nervous at all because my sister went to Faerieland Academy for Beginning Faeries, or FABF for short, when she was young, and she told me ALL about it.”

     “Oh,” Jhudora said, momentarily thinking about how she didn’t have any sisters. And how she lived in an orphanage. She was only able to attend this prestigious school because FAFB funded one student from the orphanage to attend the school as their Charity Act of the Year.

     Before Jhudora could properly reply, the school bell rang and they were ushered in. Jhudora lost sight of Ember as she entered the school.

     Jhudora gasped as she stepped into the cool, air-conditioned school (Faerieland is very close to the sun, you know!). The school was magnificently built, with towering towers and arching ceilings. The glass windows absolutely shone and were illuminated by the sunny day outside. Jhudora’s gaze lingered on a plaque on the wall. The words were etched in gold. It read, “Founding Faerie: Fyora”. The school was founded by Fyora herself!? Jhudora gasped for the second time that day. Nobody told me that! Although I know she isn’t the Headmistress...

     “Excuse me.” Somebody tapped Jhudora on the shoulder. “You’re to see the Headmistress right now. Follow me.”

     Jhudora was afraid of being late to her first class, but she couldn’t exactly politely refuse the Headmistress’ request. A snub is a snub.

     ---

     “Hello. You must be Jhudora,” the Headmistress greeted as Jhudora was dropped off. “I’m Fora.”

     “Fora and Jhudora rhyme!” Jhudora giggled. She couldn’t help herself; she was only eight, after all.

     Fora smiled. First-years are so cute! Especially Jhudora’s pretty lavender eyes, Fora thought.

     “Sorry,” Jhudora immediately apologized, afraid she had offended Fora.

     The beautiful Headmistress shook her head to show that she didn’t mind.

     “I called you here to give you your classroom assignment. The other faeries received theirs by neomail,” Fora explained. “Your classroom assignment is room 236B.”

     “Thank you,” Jhudora said, turning to go.

     “Oh, one more thing. Here’s a gift for you to help make your first day a little easier.” Fora handed Jhudora a light purple doll.

     “Thank you very much!” Jhudora said again, this time clutching the doll I gave her.

     Not knowing the doll’s value, Jhudora exited the headmistress’ room.

     Fora smiled wistfully. I love her already... I will do everything I can to stop the prophecy.

     ---

     As Jhudora stepped into the school’s halls, she found that there was nobody there. Her footsteps echoed as she walked through the halls, searching for room 236B.

     She passed by many rooms; 15A, 15B, 50A, 50B, 75A, 75B...

     Jhudora yawned and hugged her doll a little tighter.

     Ah! Found it! Jhudora thought happily. Wait... 236A is here... so where’s 236B?

     Jhudora looked up and down the hallway but couldn’t find 236B. Why me? Jhudora thought exasperatedly. My first day, too.

     Tired of walking around, she decided to knock on 236A and see if a Faerie Teacher could help her. She rocked back and forth on her feet. After a while, she knocked again.

     “Hello?” Jhudora called out. She opened the door a tiny bit. She peeked inside, and stepped in.

     “Hellooo?” Jhudora called out again.

     She heard water dripping and a soft bubbling sound. Jhudora looked around the empty room. She was about to leave when she saw another door. She quickly walked toward it and slightly opened it. She saw a dark faerie. Jhudora shuddered.

     Young faeries usually found out what type of faerie they were at their eighth-years. They took an exam and based on their previous teachers’ observations through the years, their eighth-year teacher told them what faerie they were. It was very rare for a faerie to know what type they were before their exam.

     Dark faeries were hated. Shunned. Nobody wanted to be one. Or be close to one, for that matter. Thankfully, Jhudora knew that less than 1% of faeries who graduated from the FABF were actually dark faeries.

     Jhudora knew that the faerie was a dark faerie by the aura she omitted. She shuddered again, and it had nothing to do with the cold temperature of the room. How did the eighth-year know that she was a dark faerie before the exam? Jhudora wondered.

     “Who’s there?” the dark faerie suddenly whipped around. Jhudora closed the door quickly and ran. She ran as fast as she could, but she was suddenly starting to be dragged back by an invisible force.

     “Aww, a cute little first-year with a doll,” the dark faerie cackled. “Too nosy for your own good.”

     “W-what are you doing here?” Jhudora found the nerve to ask as the invisible force turned her around to face the dark faerie.

     “This? This is just an abandoned room,” the dark faerie said. “Oooh, come here. Let me try my experiment on you.”

     Jhudora struggled, but she was no match for the dark faerie’s power. She had a feeling that the dark faerie wasn’t supposed to be there. The dark faerie had never answered her question.

     “Are you an eighth-year?” Jhudora asked again, trying to stall for time.

     “Me!? NO!” the dark faerie shouted. “I left this school many years ago! I’m not a chubby little eighth-year!”

     Wrong question to ask. Jhudora flinched. That would explain how she’s a dark faerie already.

     The dark faerie’s shouts echoed across the room. Surely somebody would hear the dark faerie and come rescue Jhudora.

     “By the way, I sound-proofed the walls,” the dark faerie said, as if she could read Jhudora’s mind.

     The dark faerie dragged Jhudora next to the cauldron, which was where the soft bubbling sound she heard earlier came from.

     “My name’s Mis. Drink this,” Mis commanded, handing Jhudora a cup filled with the bubbling green liquid.

     Jhudora didn’t move.

     “Drink it!” Mis yelled, her hair starting to spark from rage.

     Jhudora jumped, but still didn’t move.

     Finally, she slowly lifted the cup and took a tiny sip. It was tangy and sweet, unlike anything she had ever tasted before. She greedily finished the cup, before realizing with horror what she had done.

     “Now, now, that’s a good little faerie,” Mis said.

     Mis stared deep into Jhudora’s eyes.

     Jhudora felt a little odd. It didn’t hurt, she just didn’t feel like before. In fact, she could even dare to say that she felt great...

     “Be glad,” Mis said. “I gave you a potion to strengthen your powers. Usually faeries don’t survive it. You’re going to become a great faerie when you grow up.”

     Jhudora widened her eyes. Was Mis a good faerie? She doesn’t look like it... she did say that faeries usually don’t survive the potion, Jhudora thought, confused.

     “A-a great faerie?” Jhudora stuttered.

     “Yes. A great faerie,” Mis said, smirking.

     Jhudora was starting to get really, really nervous. Mis was crazy. She knew it. She had to get out of here!

     She glanced at the door and saw that it was open. If she could run fast enough...

     Curse my wings, Jhudora thought. Faeries didn’t know how to fly until they were fifth-years. Of course everybody tried, but nobody could actually do it. There were a few faeries in history who knew how to fly during their first-years, but those were very rare. They were the faerie prodigies. Fyora was one of them. Jhudora herself personally had never tried before. Her orphanage was quite small, and there was no room to fly, even if she could.

     Jhudora decided to make a run for it. Mis just stood there, watching. Just before Jhudora reached the door to the hallway, the invisible force stopped her. Jhudora was close to tears. She was so close to getting out of the creepy room and away from Mis... so close...

     “You will become a great faerie,” Mis said with a slight ironic tone to her voice. “But you will also become a dark faerie.”

     Jhudora couldn’t believe it.

     “You’re lying! I don’t believe you!” Jhudora cried, covering her ears.

     “I didn’t believe it either,” Mis said mysteriously. Her face looked sad for a second, before she started to smirk again. “Before you go, remember me. I assure you, you’ll see me again.”

     Suddenly, the force that stopped her let her go. Jhudora bolted out the door, her ears ringing with the words, “...but you will also become a dark faerie.”

     Mis’s cackle and words would haunt her for the rest of her life.

To be continued...