Apprentices: Full Moon

Let's Play a Game

I stare at the message in horror, unable to believe that she’d actually write something like that to me. Not a single word from her and now this? Now this? Is she f*****g insane? Does she really think I’m going to respond to her?

A moment later, I’m already considering it. Especially as I decide to read the message through one more time, with a cooler head. And it makes me realize that she might be onto something. Or … Could she be threatening to expose my dominant element? s**t. What do I do?

Finally, after taking a deep breath, I’m already typing the response. I don’t want to risk it. I can’t let her reveal my true powers. It’s not going to end well, if she does.

What do you want? I write, taking a deep breath as I wait for her response. Luckily, I don’t have to wait very long.

Hello, mom. How are you? I’m great, thanks. Let’s play a little game, shall we? she texts back, making my face fall. Hell no, she doesn’t get the VIP treatment with me. I’m not nice to murderers. Even if they’re my own blood.

Not in the mood. Tell me what you want, or leave me alone. As I hit sends, I almost regret not thinking this through. What am I doing? Why am I even responding? Do I really have nothing better to do with my life than to chat with a criminal?

You’ll play a game with me. Or I talk. I grit my teeth as I read the next message, not happy about her response at all. Not so nice anymore, huh, mommy? I look up, realizing that I’m still standing in the middle of the hallway.

Before I respond again, I get out of there, not wanting to be seen by anyone. I choose a dark hallway, where I’m sure no one’s going to wander to, then pick my phone up again, writing back to her. You have no right to do that. Do you really want your own daughter to get thrown out of school? Petty, I know. But I have nothing better in store.

I can almost hear her cackling as she sends laughing emojis in response. Really? Ugh. Just as I thought I can’t hate her even more. I can feel practically feel myself growing pale as she sends something else. Of course, I want you to get thrown out. Then you’ll finally come live with me.

Blergh. Egh. Haaard pass. But I don’t write that to her. I know I have no other choice but to do what she wants. Okay, fine. What is this game? I text her, hoping that she doesn’t have something dangerous in mind. Well, I don’t know much about her, but I can just feel that she’s going to make me do something reckless.

We’re going on a scavenger hunt, she finally reveals, making my face fall. Really? A scavenger hunt? What am I, six? No, b***h, I’m seventeen! I’m really not in the mood for her s**t. But I know I have no other choice. Not if I want to keep my specialization a secret.

I swallow nervously, typing back: Great. What am I looking for? She doesn’t respond for quite a while, already making me think that she changed her mind. And that she’s already revealing my secret to the whole Seminary.

I can feel the panic wrapping its nasty claws around my throat, choking me and preventing me from breathing. Evelyn, pull yourself together! She’s not going to betray you the moment you agree to play her little game. She’s not that cruel … Or is she?

Finally, my phone lights up and I’m already reading the message through before it even properly appears. We’re starting somewhere cold. A place, where no one ever warms up. The next clue is waiting for you there.

What the hell is this? A place, where no one ever warms up? That would be outside, but it doesn’t add up. You can surely warm up outside during the summer. Suddenly, my phone lights up again, the next message making me freeze.

By the way, you have one hour. If you fail to send me a picture of the treasure at the final destination, before one hour runs out, I’m talking. The clock starts ticking now, she lets me know. I swallow nervously, checking the time. It’s five minutes to eleven. If I manage to complete this in an hour, I can get back just in time for the countdown.

No, I can’t think about ifs. I will finish this. Sooner than in one hour. It’s my only choice, I can’t let her ruin my future, just so she could get her claws on me.

I read her clue through a few times, trying to come up with something. Somewhere cold … Could it be the kitchen’s cold storage room? No one surely warms up there. It’s f*****g freezing. Well, it’s worth trying. I can think on the way there.

As I walk to the college kitchen, I hope that I’m heading to the right place. But the more I think about it, the more it somehow doesn’t seem right. I stop in my tracks as an unpleasant thought pops into my mind. If the next clue is waiting for me there … Does this mean that my mother is here?

I suddenly don’t feel safe anymore. I wish I took someone with me. But I know she’d somehow find out, if I didn’t do this alone. And who knows what she’d have to say to that. Worst case scenario, she’d say that I’m cheating and just leak the information about my magic without a warning. Shuddering in horror, I quicken my step, knowing that I have to hurry up a little.

The college cafeteria is a much bigger and nicer than ours. The ceiling is made of glass, letting in lots of light during the day. But now, in the light of the newly waning moon, it only looks ominous. I try to ignore the feeling of being watched, then quickly jump over the counter, going to look for the cold storage room.

It’s not that hard to find, because I’d have to be an i***t to miss that big metal door with a temperature panel on top. As I open it and peek inside, the cold air travels to my skin, making me shiver. I’m kind of afraid of entering. What if I close myself in and can’t get out?

I look around, getting a feeling like I’m in a morgue, not in a kitchen. Suddenly, an idea jumps into my mind. What was the clue again? A place where no one ever warms up? What if it’s talking about dead people? We don’t have a morgue in the Seminary, at least not one that I know of … But we do have a cemetery.

In a nanosecond, I turn around, already heading outside. I’m not really happy about having to run around in the cold, but I have no time to go get my coat. I already messed up the first place, I can’t afford a delay. I can’t fail this because of a damn coat!

I grit my teeth together as the cold air travels to my skin, making goosebumps stand up all over my arms, legs and even across my boobs. It’s okay. Finnish people do this because it’s supposed to be healthy for the immune system, right?

Not even thinking about it twice, I start running. It’s a way to keep myself warm and save time. I call it a win-win situation. Until I get all wet with sweat and catch a cold. Or a pneumonia. But no matter, we’re going to worry about that later. As long as I finish this scavenger hunt, I can deal with anything.

As I get to the cemetery, I try to figure out where that clue could be hiding. I head to the memorial stone, like I’m being dragged towards it. It might be because my grandparents’ names are on there. Or something else. I don’t know how, but I have a feeling it’s the right place.

When I get to it, I realize I have no idea what to do with it. Do I just … Touch it? Or is there a piece of paper stacked around here somewhere? Ugh, what do I do? Deciding to test my luck, I lean both my hands on the stone, trying to ignore how cold it feels against my hands.

Suddenly, the names on the stone start mixing up, already making me expect to see the names of my grandparents on there. But then, some words start being written out, almost making me move my hands away in horror.

However, knowing that I have to get the clue, I keep them on, gritting my teeth together to prevent them from chattering. She enchanted it. She enchanted the memorial stone, I can’t believe this. How? No one can mess with it, how can she do it?

As the words are written out, I carefully scan them through a few times, in an attempt to memorize them. The next clue is even more confusing. Or is it somehow more logical?

A place where good and evil collide. But they both end up with the same fate. Huh. Death? In death is the only possibility of good and evil sharing the same fate. Or am I going at this the wrong way? Good and evil, good and evil. Who’s good, who’s evil? I mean, duh, murderers are evil. But where do murderers meet good people and they both share the same fate?

Oh. Wait a second. Criminals … Criminals are usually convicted. But there are cases where innocents end up behind bars, because the system goes wrong at one point. Could this clue be talking about the jail cells in the Warrior Headquarters?

I don’t hesitate for long. I decide it’s worth a try. The only thing I can do is miss. And if I’m right, I’m already one step closer to beating the clock. I got this. I can save my own fate tonight.

As I check the time, I feel like someone just sat on my chest. I wasted so many minutes already. I’m only on my way to the second place and fifteen minutes have already passed. Okay, time to pick up the pace.

I start running again, hoping that I’ll get into the Headquarters without any trouble. There’s a high possibility that it’s secured by magic I haven’t even heard of. Or maybe, if I’m lucky, someone’s there to protect the place. If I ask nicely enough, they might let me in.

Once I reach the door, I knock on it. Just in case. I don’t expect anyone to open, but you can imagine my surprise as the door actually opens. And not just that, my jaw almost drops as a familiar face pops out. Damn. It’s my aunt’s ex s***h mentor. There’s no way he’ll let me in.