The Devil's Smile

Chapter 6

“Good evening dwellers,” he began, just as we took seats towards the back peering around the heads in front of us to try and get a better glimpse of corporal Thomas. “As you know we have reached the end of another year and we will be sending off two of our best to attend the Demi-Gods in training at the Godville Academy.” He paused allowing the people in the front row jump in excitement out of their seats, cheering excitedly.

I recognised none of them but Red told me that they were our classmates.

“Red,” I nudged her. I think we are supposed to be sitting up front for

She nodded at me and we both slid out of the seat creeping up the middle I with her right behind me as corporal Thomas started talking again.

As you all know, goodwill was the original birthplace of the first Demi God family many hundreds of thousands of years earlier. The original family did not work to strengthen themselves for the gods so they were not chosen to ascend to Elysium to be with the gods. The Demi gods in training of this age no better and throughout Vandelay they are even now gathering the best among their own people to send to goodwill to train for that purpose. To impress the gods full just as we are striving to serve the Demi gods the Demi gods are striving to serve the gods. And we must always keep in mind that some of those Demi gods may be chosen to join the gods which means that our chosen dwellers will not only be attending the most respected Demi gods of our world but also the future gods of our world. There is no more noble profession for a dweller in all of Vandelay.

except maybe just staying put and probably accidentally burning the village down, I muttered to Red over my shoulder. I think my future profession is super noble.

She snickered but hit my shoulder kind of heart which wasn't surprising full feel that she had quite an amount of strength in her hands. The boy whose chair I was currently crouched next to shot me a glare and I shut up turning my attention back to corporal thomas.

So he shook the top sheet of the paper clearing his throat ,”Without further ado the selected dwellers both graduated with perfect marks in all classes and are even the siblings of the same household. May they bring honour to their family and to this village. Talulah and Charmaine Archer….please come up to the stage.”

I froze, the breath rushing out of my chest in a grown.

Shit.

Shit!

I didn't think that they would use those records to decide on who to send to Godville Academy.

“Charm?” Red muttered from behind me her voice a squeak. “You altered my forms too?”

“Just your last name.” I was on autopilot my mind spinning too fast for logical thought ,”You are my sister. You needed my last name.”

“Oh Charm what have you done?”

I did not get a chance to answer because she was standing grabbing my arm and pulling up me with her. I tried to Crouch down again but she wouldn't let me and holy God she was strong. She dragged me all the way up to the stage and planted me directly beside corporal Thomas who shook my hand then her hand before presenting us to the village people. Diwali didn't even clapping food they were sitting there mouths hanging open while metaphorical crickets chirped in the background.

Corporal Thomas crown having no idea what was going on because he really didn't get involved with the people he was supposed to be leading unless it was to force us to do something that he wanted. Or on the rare occasion that the Miraniors—the governing body of demigods in training inspected our village.

he grabbed my shoulders and forced me a step forward. “Would you like to say something?” He asked me in a way that didn't really make any question. “Thank your teachers may be?”

“Thanks our teachers,” I managed my voice strangled.

His frown deepened and he turned too Red who stepped beside me clearing her throat confidently.

“We will not let this village down she promised her voice strong and carrying over everyone shock and stirring them back into motion. We will work harder than any of the chosen dwellers and we will return to this village with the blessings of the gods. That is the promise.”

It was such a short speech but Red had been the one to deliver it so it was enough to force a few cheers from the people. The rest were still all staring at me. Corporal Thomas seemed to give up on us pointing to the side of the stage to dismiss us while he rambled on a few longer about a few of the most legendary Demi gods to ever ascend it too Elysium.

Red world laughing by the time the people cleared out. I mean really laughing. She was sitting on the stage her knees brought up to cradle her face as she hung her head and veritably lost it. When she looked up there were tors streaming down her face.

“I can't believe our luck,” she told me. “I just can't believe it. This was something I didn't even dare to dream about. We are both going to Godville, Charm. Both of us together!” She started laughing again and I started worrying about her sanity.

“Are you okay?” And asked kneeling beside her my hand on her back.

Immediately she started sobbing.

What the hell?

“I have been losing it inside my head,’ she admitted between hiccuping sobs. “Ever since you got kicked out of school. You are so smart you could have made it but then then it all came crashing down. I thought. I thought I would have to say no if I got chosen.”

I felt my own tears welling then I had to bite them back as I cuddled her into my arms. I stroked her beautiful Red hair muttering things that weren't really things like you are fine we are fine it will be fine. What I really wanted to say was that I was probably going to die. Literally. I was the least appropriate person to throw into a school of elite Demi gods. If I passed one of them off in app they would send me to one of the temples to be sacrificed to the gods. No joke. We are probably going to die.

We are fine I repeat it. This is going to be amazing. Our whole new life. Just you wait Red.

Within one day Red and I were standing at the edge of our village single bag in hand preparing for our big moment. Preparing to walk from the only home that this girl had ever known. I was leaving behind someone who probably even wasn't aware that I had been chosen. She had been barely present or conscious since our selection. I wasn't sure she understood what had happened. Maybe she didn't even know that read and I were leaving full that we were never going to return goodwill jewellers didn't come back to the outline villagers despite what Red had promised Nope they were destined for bigger and better things. Like being hogtied and sacrificed to gods for accidentally tripping and punching the secret balls of other sacred demigods don't think it couldn't happen because I was up to 5 cases of this year alone torture. That was what my future had been store for me. I was going to be tortured. Red head figure doubt that I wasn't lying and I did not recall everything that she had said and she had kept on telling me stories that I had been doing in this life.

The previous afternoon after the ceremony I had told Red that I couldn’t wait. That it was going to be fantastic. The best ever. Sign me up for 2 lifetimes and then end on core. But when the sky grew dark and there was nobody around to see my false enthusiasm the terrors grew particularly dark and nightmarish. Each nightmarish scene depicted one of the million ways I might inflict disaster on to the Demi gods. On to goodwill.

I try to tell that it would be fine. That the Academy had been costing along with the perfect reputation for too long anyway. And that a little tarnish would do some amount of good. Spice things up stop as long as they didn’t use my blood and try to buff the stain.

Crowds swell around us as we waited by the oldest oak tree for transport card to arrive this huge nailed and shine think represented the most northern road of our village where the 2 dirt roads intersected one leading to God will in the north and the other leading to the last vestiges of civilization beyond Vandelay. Beyond that nobody really knew. Not a single person had ever travelled any further South than the last village and actually returned. And none of us were any wiser to what lay beyond the most mysterious part of hand Delhi. More death I was sure. Or maybe it was paradise and that was why nobody came back. The thing was a pretty big gamble. Death or paradise? Only 2 villages leave for the from ours and both struggle to grow from the landfills dog water was cars but their leaders had expressed on more than one occasion how grateful they were at to not to have me so that was something.

Glancing up I led the sweet of the Red and green tinge to leave soothe me full we were in the middle of summer but despite a scarcity of water this old tree continued to provide shade and shelter. As the folk stories tool date this tree was from time before. No one like to talk much the time before. I am not sure any of the stories truly remember the true beauty of the world. Apparently all of Vandelay had once resembled Elysium. Which was said to be the most beautiful of all worlds. Not that any of us knew about other worlds. We just assumed that they were out there somewhere like Elysium.

“You ready for this, Charm?” Red gripped her bag loosely, her other hand wound tightly around mine.

“How long do you think that it will take Mother to realise that we are gone?” I continued to scan the crowd. It was quite common to come to see off the new recruits for the village as a whole but there was no sign of the dirty blonde haired tired faced and Red eyed mother of this girl.

Talulah’s Red hair slid across her cheek as the slightest of breezes lifted the strands. She looked extra pretty and she had taken time and care with her appearance. I had worn a good shirt which was mostly clean, except for a small burn mark in the back.

“Probably around the same time that she realises that the medical kits are full and the dinners have run out,” Red replied.

Noises swelled in the crowds and I could see the transport card slowly moving towards us. Yellow ochre coloured dirt kicked beneath the 4 spoked wheels. It was believed that within the sacred walls of goodwill they had transport systems able to move without the help of bullocks the huge black pointy headed beasts that now pulled the approaching card. It wasn't called goodwill for no reason you see. The gods had gifted them with magic and technology of the caliber that dwellers could only dream of. That must have been where the book on tar had come from. From a place where reality was far beyond even our brightest years.