Chapter One

“How dare you say that to me!” A deep voice snarled. “You're lucky I don't kick your a*s right now!”

            “I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you!” A shaky voice pleaded.

            “Bullshit! Everyone has heard what you said about me.”

            The sun was setting that spring Friday and school had entered it's final hour of the day. Students and teachers sat restlessly, waiting for their weekend to start and to enjoy the pleasant weather. Though most students were inside the buildings for class, the physical education class for juniors was held outside. There did not seem to be a problem. However, three students were not with their class. Near the Garden Club's woodshed nestled in Royal Raven Academy's wooded terrace, three people were hiding among the trunks and foliage. Two feeble students cowered in the shadow of a burly young man. His fists were rolled into tight balls, his muscles twitched under his thin tank top. His tall complexion and dyed bright red, spiky hair complimented his tough appearance. The giant boy's facial piercings caught in the sunlight and shined brilliantly. He snarled at the two weaker students like an angry dog. One of the students, the one with a shaved head and glasses, spoke first.

            “W-we said nothing!” His voice and body trembled in fear. He looked to his friend beside him for reassurance. “Daniel! What are we going to do?”

            The other boy looked at his friend. Daniel looked much more calm than his friend, but his eyes showed the same terrified look. He was a thin boy and not the type to throw a punch. His messy, dark hair was pushed to the side, covering his left eye. A hand gripped at the purple scarf that was tied around his neck. He gulped and looked back up up at his tormenter.

            “We have no idea what you are talking about,” Daniel said as calmly as he could, trying not to let his fear show. “We haven't been spreading rumors about you.”

            “That's not what everyone else is saying!” The bully roared. His anger was reaching a boiling point now. “Now, you little pricks are going to get it!”

            As if it were a rocket, a fist launched at the boy wearing glasses. The punch landed on his face, knocking the glasses of and sending him into the dirt. He tried to sit up, but fear overcame him and he got as low as he could to the ground. Blood trailed from his nose. Daniel gasped and moved over to his friend, placing a comforting hand on his back. Daniel looked up to see the face of the bully. The bully  cracked his fists.

            “You're next,” he growled.

            Daniel's arms instinctively flew up to cover his face, preparing for the contact and the world of hurt that was to come. Moments passed and nothing had come to him. He looked through the narrow hole his arms allowed. A second later, he removed his hands and stared in awe at was before him.

            A girl stood next to the bully, grasping his wrist with a single hand as if it were nothing. She was a student of the school, wearing the regulatory girl's white blouse and black and red plaid skirt. Her hair fell in long, burgundy waves. Her grey eyes stared blankly at the bully's face. Daniel's eyes glanced over her slender body, only stopping momentarily to stare at her breasts. In the girl's free hand, she was holding a thin stick with a half eaten corn dog resting on half of it. He had no idea who this girl was or where she had come from. She was a complete mystery. The bully stared at her in shock, struggling to free his wrist from her iron grip.

            “Here I was, skipping class to eat a corn dog.” Her voice calm and elegant. “And then I find you picking on these poor boys for no good re-”

            “W-who the hell are you?” the bully snapped, interrupting the mysterious student.

            Her face hardened at the bully's rude interruption. Suddenly, the girl gave him a dangerous smile and a sinister glint came to her eye.

            “The name is Margaret Magdalene. And I'm your worst nightmare.”

            Before Daniel and the bully could react, Margaret's knee made contact with the bully's abdomen. She dropped his wrist, letting him curl forward and grip his sore belly. When he turned his head to look at her, she brought an elbow down hard onto his neck. The bully let out a hurtful moan and collapsed onto the ground. He remained still. Though it didn't look like he was in any mortal danger, the bully was definitely not going to forget the sensation for some time.

            Daniel did not know how to react; he was in awe by her strength but was afraid of her at the same time. He couldn't help but notice something off about her as she went after the bully. It was almost as if he could feel an aura from her, another power that drove her actions forward. Before he could make any conclusions, he felt Margaret's eyes on him. He looked over to her and she crossed her arms over her chest.

            “Next time, be more careful when picking fights with other people,”she said coarsely. “I might not be here to save your a*s.”

            “Why did you help me?” Daniel asked her.

            Before he could even get an answer or see her walk away, a teacher came running from the class group. The teacher was cursing at Margaret, demanding her to go inside and go to the headmaster of the school at once. Margaret rolled her eyes in annoyance and looked once more at Daniel. She didn't say a thing and with a flick of her hair, she followed after the teacher, leaving Daniel and the two beaten boys behind.

 

“Margaret...didn't we have a talk earlier about not hurting other students of this school?”

            Headmaster James P. Solomon was a chubby, friendly looking old man. He barely made over five feet in height but many held him in high regards. That is, everyone except for Margaret. She sat in the chair across from his desk, staring down at the screen of a portable gaming device. He let out a sigh and readjusted the glasses on his face.

            “How do you think your grandfather would react seeing his granddaughter refusing to listen to her caretaker?” Headmaster Solomon asked firmly. “What would your grandfather Simon react?”

            Margaret shrugged. “He'd probably say 'Margaret, you're on a boss in Never-Ending Fantasy X? Good for you, girl!' Besides, there was no way that kid could defend himself.”

            “That still doesn't justify beating up a student. You're lucky it wasn't more than a few bruises. The nurse in the informatory was aghast! I can already imagine the call I'm going to get in a few hours from his parents. You cannot be a loose cannon here at this school.”

            Margaret rolled her eyes in annoyance and continued to play her game, trying to drown out Solomon's rambling. She had only been going to this school for less than a month and she had already wanted to leave. Her grandfather, Simon Magdalene, had passed away a month and a half before and he requested that his friend, Mr. Solomon, to watch over her. Margaret definitely wasn't fond of that idea; she didn't want to leave her home in the country to move out to the city. She didn't like the noise, the smells or the people since she had arrived. Living in the school dorms a pain because most of the people there were afraid of her and never wanted to be around her. Out of all the things, she especially hated that some guy she hardly knew was telling her what to do. She remained silent.

            Headmaster Solomon let out a sigh. “Margaret...I am allowing you to go to this school free of charge. The least you could do is show a bit more respect.”

            “I didn't want to come here though,” she responded tartly.

            “Simon said that he wanted me to take care of you. I couldn't say no to my friend. But, Margaret, you must listen.”

            Margaret never looked up from her screen and let out a bored yawn.

            “You need to show some restraint and behave yourself. What if the students and faculty find out about your gift.”

            “So what if they do? It's not like I can change myself for them anyway. I'm a Witch and that's that.”

            Her face never left the screen as she spoke. Witches were humans with an extraordinary gift to see the supernatural. They were gifted to fight the things that regular mortals could not see, the Demons. She was taught by her grandfather who was considered an amazingly gifted wizard who had slain over four hundred demons. She knew that she had an amazing gift to dispel and banish monsters. She loved fighting and and showing her strength. Even so, she did not enjoy the fact of helping people that do not deserve to be helped.

            “Can I go now?” Margaret asked. “I just want to go out and-”

            Headmaster Solomon let out a hardy chuckle. “Not so fast, young lady. You have to go detention.”

            That finally got her attention. Margaret looked up from her screen and frowned at the old man. “Say what?”

            “You broke school rules by injuring a student, Margaret. Though the headmaster is taking care of you, you still have to abide by the school's rules. Detention is being held in room 207 today.”

            Margaret shot up from her seat. “This is bullshit! I'm not going to detention.”

            “Oh...I think you will.” Margaret felt the tiny weight from her hand vanish. She gasped, realizing her portable system was no longer in her hand. The girl looked back at the old man with rage in her eyes. He dangled the tiny game system in his hand, all the while giving her a cheeky smile. “You will get this back as soon as you complete your time. Now, you may leave.”

            Margaret narrowed her eyes at the headmaster and grumbled to herself. She stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind her. Headmaster Solomon let out a heavy sigh as soon as he knew she was gone. She turned his chair around to look out the window behind his desk. He mused quietly to himself and began to think about Margaret's late grandfather. A small smile came to his face.

            “Oh Simon, she reminds me so much of you it's almost sickening.”

 

“Stupid, old fart,” Margaret fumed as she stomped as she made her way down the hallway. “I was so close to beating that boss, too!”

            There were three floors located within the school; today's detention being held on the second floor in classroom 207. The setting sun peaked through the large windows, dying the walls a dusky orange. The lingering students, who were leaving to go do sports or other activities, cowered when Margaret stomped past them. The young woman's angry aura could frighten even a lion. However, with her game on the line, she knew it was best to make it to detention.

            She was just outside the classroom when she heard a noise, a loud jingle. She stopped walking and looked around her. The sound reminded her of jewelry hitting together. She looked out the window and noticed something sitting in the tree that was close by. It small cat with fur the color of sand staring at her with it's green eyes. It's small frame balanced itself on the tree branch. The gold earring on it's left ear caught the sun's light, as well as the golden bangles that wrapped around it's front legs. The cat's tail wrapped around it's body as it sat. A playful glow danced in it's eye. Margaret smiled at the cat.

            “Sodom, what are you doing here?” Margaret asked the cat in a familiar tone.

            “Just out for a walk. Gomorrah's back in your dorm watching that glowy vision box and wouldn't decide on a channel, so” Sodom said to the girl. Sodom's voice was gruff and deep, hinting at nothing but masculinity. He poked his black head out of the backpack to look around. “Where are you going now? I thought school ends at this time.”

            “It's called a TV; Gomorrah is watching the TV and get this. Our wonderful headmaster sent me to detention for beating up a student,” Margaret said with a roll of her eyes.

            Sodom shook his head. “Geez, you know better than that, Margy.”

            “What else was I supposed to do? I would've been damned if I didn't help and damned if I did. So I went with my gut and got detention. By the way, why can't you be a color that matches in more with the shadows. Like black or something?”

            “Ha! It's not like humans can see me anyway.” Sodom said with a rumbling purr.

            Margaret smiled at the beige colored cat. “I guess you're right. Though you decide to take the form of a cat, you're far from actually being one.”

            “Old man Solomon can be a prick but you have no choice but to listen to him for the moment,” Sodom said. “Don't let your aggressive demeanor get the better of you.”

            “I guess you're right. I really don't want to spend the night in a jail cell for beating the guy up. Or worse, have my grandpa's spirit come and haunt me.”

            “There are no such things as spirits or benevolent apparitions, Margy,” Sodom said in a sing-song fashion. “You know that as well as I do. There are only Demons in this world.”

            The atmosphere grew quiet between the girl and the feline. What Sodom had said was true beyond a doubt: the only supernatural beings in this world were Demons. She knew that because her companions, Sodom and Gomorrah, were Demons themselves. Though most Demons were considered troublesome, Sodom and Gomorrah were a rare case who decided to help out humanity by aiding Witches. They were companions to Simon Magdalene, passed down to his granddaughter after his death. She had grown up with the two and looked upon them as mentors. Though they had a vast amount of power, there was no way she could use them to get out of detention.

            “Sorry, Sodom,” Margaret groaned. “I have to go to detention. I'll see you after I get out.”

            Sodom bowed his head. “I'll probably meet you back your dorm then. See you later, Margy.”

             Margaret waved at her Demon and continued her walk down the hallway till she made it to her destination. She stood before the classroom's door. Margaret gave one last snarl before taking hold of the classroom's doorknob. With a quick twist and pull, she flung open the door, nearly pulling the door from it's hinges.

            Classroom 207 was used primarily for biology classes. It was a moderately large room with dim greenish lighting and the binds were drawn to a close, giving the room a sick feeling. The middle of the room had about fifteen tables set up, two chairs placed neatly at each station and a single microscope, as well. A larger, nicer desk was at the front and center of the room; this was the teacher's desk. The walls were lined with bookshelves and cabinets. Jars of animal specimens swimming lifelessly in formaldehyde lined the shelves of every bookcase in the room. This place seemed much more like a mad scientist's lair than a normal, high school biology room.

            A person sat at the teacher's desk. He was lanky looking man wearing a dress shirt and pants. He was wearing circular-framed glasses, making his eyes seem much bigger than they actually were. He had shaggy, brown hair that looked as if it hadn't been washed for quite some time. Sitting properly on his right arm was an antique porcelain doll. The doll was female, had curly blonde hair and was wearing a very nice red and black, Victorian-style dress. The man's left hand caressed the doll's pale, painted cheek, stroking it as if it were a child. This was Mr. James Arthur, Royal Raven Academy's newest biology teacher. Margaret didn't have him as a teacher but she already knew that she didn't like the man. He was just a few years older than her and would demand respect from everyone he came in contact with. He was also a bit of creep, known for staking out the girl's locker rooms and bathrooms when most of the other teachers were gone. The web page that was opened on the computer screen in front of him showed the image of two teenage girls playing on the beach in their bikinis. Margaret snarled at him as soon as she made eye contact with him. He took his left hand away from his doll to adjust his glasses.

            “Aw, it's you Margaret,” he purred. His eyes wandered up and down her body. “Got in trouble for fighting again, haven't you?”

            “Bite me, shithead,” Margaret growled. “I don't want to get in trouble for punching a teacher and for breaking his dumb doll.”

            Mr. Arthur let out a laugh, as if he was completely unaware of Margaret's threat. “Take a seat, Ms. Margaret. Go sit next to our other visitor.”

            Margaret turned her head to the other seats and noticed another body within the classroom.  In the back corner of the classroom was the boy from earlier, Daniel. He was staring down at the desk, writing into a notebook.  His free hand fumbled at the scarf that was tied around his neck. Margaret was unsure why he was in detention; the kid seemed like he couldn't even hurt a fly. Margaret gave a small snort and went over to where Daniel was sitting. She threw her backpack on the table, startling the unsuspecting boy. He looked at Margaret with wide eyes.

            “Oh! It's you!” Daniel said in shock.

            Margaret raised a brow at him. “Yo. I haven't changed much from the last time you saw me.”

            “Sorry,” Daniel mumbled. He looked back down at the notebook, his right hand beginning to fumble with his pen. “I-it's just I never got to thank you for earlier.”

            Margaret took her seat next to the boy and crossed her arms. “Well, I guess it's no problem. What are you in here for?” Daniel looked up at her with confusion written on his face. Margaret gave him a quick shrug. “It's obvious why I'm here. I don't get how someone as soft as you can be stuck in detention.”

             “What do you mean by 'soft'?” Daniel asked.

            “You know, like...you don't look like the trouble making type.”

            “Oh! Well, I kind of fell asleep in class and the teacher wasn't very happy about that,” Daniel replied sheepishly. He gave a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his head.

            Margaret let out a sigh. Falling asleep in class was kind of a boring reason to be stuck in detention. She looked at the boy's face and noticed something odd about his face. Deep, dark rings circled under his eyes. Bloodshot veins crept out, extending towards the center like tree branches. From the looks of it, the young man hadn't slept for a few days.

            “You don't get much sleep, do you?” She stated bluntly.

            “I try to get plenty of sleep,” Daniel responded. His face faltered and he fell silent for a few moments. Just before Margaret could prompt him, Daniel spoke very quietly. “However, as of late, I've been having trouble, I guess. It feels like someone is always watching me, so I've been feeling really uneasy.”

            “Heh, maybe you're possessed or something,” Margaret joked.

            “Like by a ghost or something?” Daniel's tired looking eyes widened. “That'd be so cool to see. I always wanted to see a ghost!”

            “Too bad ghosts aren't real-I mean, yeah! Ghosts and crap.” Margaret quickly changed her answer. She definitely didn't want this Daniel to get the idea that Demons were a real thing.

            “You're telling me you believe in ghosts too?” Daniel stared at Margaret as if she were a brilliant jewel. She gave the boy an awkward smile and nodded slowly. “That's awesome! I was wondering if I was crazy.”

            Margaret was beginning to wonder what she had gotten herself into. Sure, it was nice to talk to someone her age but Daniel's enthusiasm was just beyond her. He was very nice though, the kind of person who would not seem to cause very many problems. She dared to ask him, curious to get to the bottom of his situation.

            “The guy that was picking on you and that guy with the glasses said something like you were saying crap about him. Is this true?”

            “I would never do such a thing!” Daniel looked at her with a shocked expression. “I don't even have a class with him. He just said that we were spreading rumors about him.”

            Margaret shrugged and crossed her arms. “So you don't have any beef with him. But what about your friend?”

            “Oh, my friend doesn't really go out much. He likes to stay inside and play video games all day when he's not at school. He just hangs out with me all day and then goes  home to play whatever MMO that's big at the moment.”

            “He seems to have an interesting life,” Margaret said sarcastically.

            “I don't think I have any enemies in this school. I like to think I'm mild-mannered and quiet. It must be that annoying, clicking sound my jaw makes when I chew food! People must not like that about me.”

            “Uh...what?”

            Daniel's face turned beet red. He gave another nervous laugh. “Sorry, I guess I got a bit excited.”

            Margaret gave a loud sigh. This kid certainly was an odd one. He was friendly but very dorky, in a sense. But as Margaret continued to listen to his words, she felt something very odd was happening to him. He looked like a happy, young man but she couldn't help but sense something off about him. Was it loneliness or some other feeling? She thought back to Daniel's current problem: the rumor spreading and the bullying. Daniel definitely didn't seem to be a bad person. Ideas played around Margaret's mind. Maybe he really was possessed by a ghost.

            “Margaret, you seem like a really nice person. Do you mind if I can hang out with you?”

            Daniel's question shocked Margaret. She really did not see that coming in the least bit. She looked at the weary eyed student and smiled. “I don't know. Do you really want the loose cannon to be associated with you.” Daniel nodded eagerly. “I guess we can hang out sometimes...”

            “Yay! I'm so happy to have met someone like you. It must have been fate!”

            “Yeah...fate.”

            The two sat in detention for the rest of the hour. They talked about many things and seemed to enjoy themselves as time went by.

            When it was over, Mr. Arthur excused the two and they were free to go. Margaret was overjoyed it was finished. She was astonished  that she enjoyed her time with Daniel. It was refreshing to have a nice chat, especially when she found out that Daniel had the entire collection to the Never-Ending Fantasy series. They walked together out of the biology classroom.

            The sun had disappeared and a beautiful crescent moon was smiling in the sky. Light pollution from the city's skyscraper's made it impossible to see any stars. Smells of spring danced with the smells of car exhaust. Margaret and Daniel began walking to the east part of the campus, towards the school's dorms. He backpack suddenly became just a tiny bit heavier. She figured that Solomon had placed her game system back in her bag, using the same teleportation magic he used earlier on her.

            Her stomach grumbled in hunger. Margaret wasn't a fan of the dorm's food so she would often leave the campus for food. This particular night, a burger sounded wonderful. She looked at Daniel and thought maybe it would be a good idea to invite him with. It's been a while since she had talked to someone that didn't completely infuriate her. Besides, he seemed like a nice guy.

            “Hey,” Margaret said as they walked before the campus' main entrance. “I'm going to go out and get me some food. I hate the food here and I'm starving. Do you want to come?”

            Margaret was surprised by the look she got from Daniel. It was not one of excitement but instead one of uneasiness. Margaret looked at him in confusion.

            “What's wrong?”

            “Well, you see...I just can't go,” Daniel muttered quietly.

            “Huh? Why is that?” Then, it suddenly hit Margaret. “Oh! I get it! You're too scared to be walking around with a girl, aren't you? It's okay, I don't bite too hard. And I’ll scare anyone who thinks we're dating.”

            Daniel didn't even crack a smile. Instead, his hands went up to grab at his purple scarf for comfort. “No...it's not that.”

            “Then what is it?” Margaret said, starting to get annoyed with the young man.

            Daniel took a deep breath. “Well, for the past few weeks, I haven't been able to leave the school grounds.”

            Margaret raised a brow. “Like your parents don't allow you to leave?”

            “No, not that. I actually can't leave the perimeter of the school.”

Author's Note

I know this is bit long but I'll probably separate it soon. I hope you enjoy it!!