Page 20 of Alchemy of Secrets

It smells like urine.

You keep walking, kicking up dust from the dirt trails, but the scent only grows stronger. You think about leaving, about skipping this class, but everyone who’s taken the course before says this one is important.

The words are always followed by a hush.

You’re impressed by the loyalty the Professor’s old students all seem to have. But you understand it; you don’t share secrets of the class, either. These stories are things you feel you’ve earned, and you don’t want to give them away for free.

And so here you are at the Old LA Zoo in Griffith Park.

You’re not sure how long the zoo was open, but after passing by the tragically small cages, you can’t believe it was open at all. You’ve seen closets bigger than these pens. No wonder the animals who once lived here are said to still haunt it.

You think it was built in the early 1900s, but unlike other parts of LA that were constructed during that time, these small iron and stone enclosures don’t seem to hold any magic. If anything, they feel cursed.

This place has more ghosts than it does trees.

You think about the poor couple who died on a picnic table while making love.

Then you think about all the people over the years who’ve shown up here with amnesia.

It happens about once a month. Sometimes they forget days, sometimes years, and no one has ever been able to figure out why.

You wonder if maybe this is what the class will be about as you stop behind one of the cages, where the few remaining students are gathered.

“Ahem,” says someone behind you. Everyone slowly turns.

It’s not the Professor. But this young woman is clearly one of her protégés. Her posture is rigidly straight. Her eyes don’t blink quite as much as they should. And you immediately dislike her because you fear her presence means the Professor isn’t coming. She’s sent a proxy.

The proxy waits until all eyes are on her before she says, “I’m here to inform everyone that all the Professor’s classes have been suspended until further notice.”

She turns and leaves before you can ask any questions.