Obedience School P. 2: Do you know the feeling you get when you’re having a nice afternoon, and then suddenly you’re blasted off the street by some passing storm or tornado? Well, I am experiencing that sort of feeling right now.
Delia walks up to the stage with a stony expression on her face. Isabella is grasping my arm so hard that little finger marks are being made in my flesh, and Stella keeps screaming silently and repeatedly drops one of her cats. I have to do something.
Sussana: (Running up to the stage) Waiittt!
Veridia: (Turning around) Excuse me?
Delia: (Hissing, in a low voice) Sussana, shuttup and go back to your seat before you get in trouble!
Mr. Oak: (Bellowing) You stupid little kid, get down from there!
Sussana: (Ignoring him) Please, Veridia, you have to let me volunteer for Delia!
Isabella: (Glasses falling to the ground) What?
Stella: (Dropping both of her cats at the same time) WHAT?!
Elena: (Looking furious) Sussana!! What are you-what the- Veridia: (Looking concerned) But Sussana dear, this isn’t the Hunger Games, or any other book, so I’m not sure I can do that.
Sussana: (Blasts off her best sad and adorable puppy eyes)
Veridia: (Sighing somberly) (Looking at the guards standing at the doorway) Is that even allowed?
Head Guard: (Nods gravely)
Veridia: (Glaring at her) Well, I guess we can sort somethings what with the changes of school attendees; but never in a hundred years has there ever existed a volunteer, even by high-class lovers who would do anything for each other (and I say strongly that children of your age should not think about those kinds of romantic matters and leave it off to adults). Well, kind sirs (gesturing at the guards, who look far from “Kind”), please escort Ms. Delia Katherine Hupburk back to her seat.
Delia: (Being dragged down from the stage) (Yelping and punching the air and grappling the soldier’s beards) No, Sussana you fool! Noooo! I told you not to “Save” me in these kinds of situations! You (says some not-very-nice words)!!
Mrs. Ickelberry: (Pushing her down to the floor) Pull ‘er down, straight down, you foolish soldiers!
Veridia: (Looking grimly at Sussana) Fine, I guess you’re the one eventually heading to the Obedience Training; just remember, the School’s train will be waiting for you at 2.pm tomorrow.
***
I sit on the comfortable seat on the lounge of the train “Die or Live”. Not at all a very happy and sunshiny name. But still, it has about everything a five-star hotel would have. Long pass ways with red carpets at the bottom, compartments filled with featherbeds, a living room, a bathroom with an automatic bubble-bath system, and even a passage directly leading to The Dining Room. I’ve tried to watch some movies on the large, fancy tv set on the rich velvet cushions of “my” sofa, but I eventually had to get out of there because of Cora’s weeping noises, and also because I wasn’t really getting used to my new “richness”.
After I eat a cake or two, I smooth it down with some herb tea. Then, when I feel like everything has become much quieter, I decide to go back to my compartment. My Head Guard, Agni Beekin (Jeannie), stands in front of my compartment, holding something that looks suspiciously like a black whip; but she’s nice enough. As soon as she sees me, she smiles, and tells me that we’ll arrive soon, in about a few hours, at the Obedience School. She also introduces me to Kayleen Arc (Tei), who keeps all the Keys to all of the entrances in the School. She is about my age, and she looks quite nice.
For a while, I stay with them to talk a little, and then I say goodbye, and walk into my compartment. I’m quite stunned to see that there, on the soft covers of my bed, there lies a rather arrogant-looking girl.
Sussana: (Slightly scared) Umm…hellooooo?
Girl (me): (Immediately standing up) You don’t mind if I share this room with you, eh? The other compartments are overloaded right now.
Sussana: (Thinking ‘Oh, curse my cruddy luck! To be stuck with this girl in the same compartment for some hours; and she looks mean enough to destroy everyone here with one slash of a knife!’) Uh…sure?
Girl: Good! Besides, my name is Caroline Brown. What’s yours?
Sussana: (Hesitating) Sussana Obervine.
Caroline Brown: Well! What do you like?
Sussana: (Slightly surprised by her friendliness) I like cakes. And my older sister’s homemade Berry Pie.
Caroline: (Clapping her hands excitedly) Yes! Right in the right time! I’ve just brought some delicious stash of berries with me from my hometown!
Sussana: (Starting to think that she is not so evil after all) Well, why don’t we try it then?
Caroline: (Putting her hand inside her bag) It…was…here…
At last, she conjures out blueberries from her sack on the ground. At least, it looks like blueberries; it’s some midnight-blue fruits she has in her hands. It looks so ripe and sweet and delicious, that I immediately want to grab it from her and eat up. But yet…
Sussana: (Shivering) That’s a moonberry.
Caroline: (Shocked) What?
Sussana: (Ruefully) (Slightly angry) A Poisonous Moonberry it is. You immediately die after taking just one bite, as I’ve learned from old books.
Caroline: (Shaking her head in mock sadness) Oh, a dreadful bookworm you are! People like you are no fun at all!
A whistle sounds nearby. I look up and see Agni coming up to me.
Head Soldier Agni Beekin (Jeannie): We’re here!
Sussana: (Surprised) Already? I thought it’d take about 3 hours to get there; in fact, even days!
Keeper of Keys, Kayleen Arc (Tei): Yeah, it would’ve probably taken about a day to get there, but the new driver Ethan Acomb (Leo) somehow found a way to enchant the trains wheels and make them go faster; he is super-fast for a new driver!
Agni: Okay lads, chap, chap! Get off the train for heaven’s sake!
Caroline Brown rushes out of the compartment with her luggage, leaving me trembling behind her, and Kayleen goes with her. Agni waits till I get ready; then she escorts me off the train, outside into a bright lawn filled with piles of angry and dangerous-looking kids piling around.
I feel like I shouldn’t feel afraid because of everything and everyone here. After all, this is the Obedience Training, and there’s no one here who’s not dangerous.
And besides, if a girl I’ve never even met before tried to kill me with a Moonberry before she even got a chance to know me, who knows what others could do to me, too.
What will happen to Sussana at the Obedience School? Will she survive with Caroline Brown?
(To be continued in P.3.) Spoilers: Dueling class assistant, Daniel/ Enchantment-making driver, Leo/ Thomason Pudge to come soon
Whoooo Yoonseo!! I have expected, but episode 2 of the obedience school is AMAZING... So a lot of kids in our class came out... (Me, You, Tei, Jeannie, Savina, Irene, Dain, Leo) And Daniel will come out in the next episode... So the others are Sophia and Yoomin. (I am pretty sure the characters based on the two of them will also be AWESOME) Anyways, cool story!