Page 3

Celeste Taylor

“Ms. Taylor?”

I heard her voice but I stood in complete awe of the building decor. The commotion came from people standing up from different tables, gathering their papers for schedules and other things needed for school.

“Ms. Taylor?”

There were girls there that had visible signs of wings on their backs, just in the center of their spine.

“Msssss Taylor?”

There were also men as tall as tree limbs and some with vertical eyes like crocodiles in the swamp, blinking ever so slowly. I felt like I was in my own creation, walking through the different types of creatures I’d created but I was amongst them. I was no different than them. There were girls talking about Chris Brown and sour jar spells… There were men discussing sports be fore speaking about who could shift the fastest into their beast type.

Shifters!

Black shifters!

Black witches! Black fairies! Black everything was all right here…

“Ms. Taylor?”

The calming voice was directly in front of me as I blinked a few times to see an elderly woman staring at me with a welcoming smile. Her purple blazer and matching skirt had a huge green and white flower pinned in the corner with the letters BNP written together. Beta Nu Pi.

“Come with me, dear, so we can get you settled in. I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” she said, taking my hand.

I heard a collective “ ohhhhh ” as I looked up, watching two black birds whip around the high ceiling of the building, both attacking and flying into one another with their fluttering wings until someone shouted.

“AYE?!” The deep voice let out, hearing a whistle blow. “Knock that shit off! Now! We’re not doing that! Y'all just got to the damn school! Knock it off! ”

The birds separated as they warped into two lanky teenage boys glaring at one another with hate and teary eyes. The tall, deep complected man with muscles and seductive eyes stood in between the two with a clipboard in his hand. Another shouted as the man chucked his chin up to acknowledge the request.

“Coach Namir!? Make sure I’m in yo’ class, bruh!”

I found myself smiling because just by the way his nostrils flared and his chest in the maroon t-shirt heaved up and down, I could tell he was something strong…beastly. A werewolf! Oh! A Black man that was a werewolf! Oh my God! It almost made me forget about the two puncture wounds on the side of my neck from that bastard.

The woman in the purple suit closed her office door behind me as she motioned for me to sit.

“This has been an exciting and busy past few days,” she said, walking around her desk to sit down. “My name is Mrs. Nates. I will be your student advisor and counselor should you have any questions throughout your stay. Do you have any questions for me?” She crossed her fingers together on her desk with a smile.

My mouth fell open but I wasn’t sure what to say. I followed the directions on the back of the letter on how to get here and…It was as simple as opening the door, literally, and now I was sitting in this woman’s office with…my books…She had a stack of my books on her desk! Just Another Vampire Story by Celeste Taylor. How in the hell did she get a hold of those?

“Um…” I tucked the loose strands of hair behind my ear. Nervously, I crossed one ankle behind the other in the light blue denim and adjusted my black frames. I probably looked so red in the face from this humidity and my lips felt chapped but I didn’t have anything on me. Damn it. Focus, girl. Focus. You are in this place…it’s real and you’re worrying about cracked lips.

“So…if I wrote something similar to this in a book…about…mythical beings and creatures existing beneath us,” I said slowly as I looked around her neat office. “Does that mean…this is real and I’m…”

“Well that is what we, at Drew Collins University, would like to figure out. It can be one of two things… You can be a fallen or lost soul or spirit. The term varies depending on where you’re from. Your magic comes from visions created by your imagination. The other would be having visions that happen in real time dealing with real people you have never met before …” She paused, hesitant to speak on the latter. “You are able to see things that have yet to happen… That…is quite dangerous for someone like you. If you were to get involved with the wrong people that is… ”

I sat back in my seat, stuck as I stared at the woman.

“I’ve read your book and although it made no specific mention to any particular student here…it’s very telling that a lot of the things you’ve mentioned have indeed happened here at this school or could possibly happen.”

My mouth dropped as I shot up from the chair before dropping back down.

“WHAT?!” I gawked before laughing with a shake of my hand. “Noooo!”

“Yes.” She nodded calmly. “ Just Another Vampire Story …by Celeste Taylor…several of us have read it and agreed.

“So, I’m a fallen…spirit?” I asked, intrigued. Even I, couldn’t make this up!

“Or…an oracle,” she replied, voice deepening. “If you are indeed an oracle, precautions will have to be taken in order for you to remain safe. Unfortunately, we do not allow oracles in The Underground without supervision and high security. With that being said, do you usually have dreams and visions when your eyes are closed?”

“Um…Yeah.” I nodded. “Most of the time…I mean, I daydream but…mostly…it's just dreams…really detailed dreams..” I tucked my hair behind my ear.

Mrs. Nate began taking notes as I heard the laughter and screams just outside of the door .

“Have you found yourself in someone else’s dream?”

“What?” I let out, confused. “No. They’re my own.”

She frowned with an approving nod.

“Have you made any contact with anyone in your dreams? Do you speak with them or tell them things about this world?”

“No,” I said, swallowing hard. It was a lie that came a little too easy but something told me not to give that detail away. The woman looked at me, peering over her glasses while I pushed mine up.

“I usually take notes, write down what I see and hear and write my stories from there,” I told her.

“How nice.” She smiled, scribbling something on the paper. “I believe you are showing signs of a fallen spirit.” She looked up. “And I think Drew Collins University is the perfect place for you to find your way.”

“Do I…just stay a fallen spirit or–––”

“Fallen spirits have lived many lives, many times over,” she said. “Once you tap into that…Most lost spirits take on the role of writers and stories for writers live many lives and have been all over the world without having to go anywhere at all.”

“Are these…lives real?” The question felt dumb but it was needed.

“Hardly…” She blew off. “More like bits and pieces of distorted memories of dreams and imagination…It’s seen as a creative ability…most take on the role of artists such as painters, singers, and writers… You have an imaginat ion that is gifted with magic. That is simply all it is. A gifted imagination that allows you to move through different realms. That is why we call it a lost soul or fallen because it belongs to no one or nobody.”

That was fine and all but this didn’t feel like a gifted imagination . This felt more like scenes, visions, and moments that happened or didn’t happen. It felt real.

“Now it’s curious that your book is very similar to actual events but the key trait is the ability to talk in your visions…receive messages that can be passed on to people in real time and you don’t possess that trait. That is what would make you an oracle and that…” She shook her head with a frown. “Well that will be a different case entirely.”

Mrs. Nates dug into her drawer, and I heard a set of keys jingle until she pulled out a large, slender skeleton key to place on her desk. She stood up, closing the drawer with her hip as she dug into the shelves behind her for clothes wrapped in plastic.

“I am placing you in the school of the spiritual. Your uniform will be all black as is tradition with dark arts and black magic. There are teachers here that specialize in such artistic spirituality. The ability to move from different realms and times and create a form of art from it…Very much like how the moon and sun control day an d night. Space and time. It’s what the door system is based on and how it was created.

“The… door system ?” I questioned.

“Yes. How we move through time and space to get somewhere. The professors here know how to help you channel some of that energy and who knows, you might unlock a new ability and turn your stories into movies or more.” She shrugged as she tossed another uniform in a pack on the desk.

“We have a growing film industry here in The Underground and a great film course here at Drew Collins. One of our students who is a fallen spirit, has developed a talent for creating something out of thin air…If she wanted to make a pig fly…she can simply think it and it happens. Very rare ability. Only a few are born every decade or so.”

She turned around with a smug grin as she pointed at me.

“You will fit right at home,” she said.

“But if I was an oracle–––”

She shook her head, waving her hand for me to keep quiet.

“You would not be alive for long,” she whispered. “That is the truth I rather not repeat in my office. ”

Her eyes slowly darted up and around the ceiling as if someone was listening before she let out a bright smile.

“Now here…It’s unfortunate you received such an unwelcomed introduction from The First Family but that isolated incident will never happen again. This is your schedule.” She handed me a folder. I opened it up to see a stack of papers with letters being typed as we spoke. “Our administrative staff is currently coming up with all the student schedules so it may change from time to time but by morning, you will know where to go. You will have a roommate.” She handed me my skeleton key. “Her name is Souxie Lafayette…She is…”

The woman forced a smile, swallowing whatever truth she wanted to say about her.

“She’s a very gifted witch. I think you two will get along just fine. Her father, on the other hand…he’s a unique individual…one of those flashy, sassy types, you know,” she whispered with a wiggle of her fingers. “Now come, I’ll have a student show you to your dorms.”

…

“Scuze me! Coming through! New student arrivals, all follow me! Thank you!”

The short woman with the bouncy, curly hair raised her hand in the air before adjusting her white blazer with a tug. She wore matching white pants that were impossible not to stain and a maroon blouse tucked in the waist. She smirked with her nose held up high, poised posture, and a look that said, I’m better than you but I also try hard.

I knew that look all too well.

“My name is Clementine. I am the daughter of a very famous legacy here at this school, and I come from a line of historical doctors, healers, and there’s a drop of witch’s blood on my mother’s side.” She raised on her toes to reach those in the back of the group. “I will be your student guide as I drop each of you off to your dorms! I hope everyone can hear me! If you are here at Drew Collins, it is because you belong and something is deep down in your ancestry and bloodline, you are unlike any other above. Welcome to your new home.” She clapped.

“ Booooo! Beware new students! Hide your carpets! Hide your drapes! Clepto over there likes to munch on both !” Someone shouted as Clementine’s face turned bright red. She turned around to see two girls walking across the campus while one with locs flipped her the bird. The other wearing a black hoodie kneeled over in laughter as she slapped her knee. I tried not to laugh but the small cough was hard to ignore. She turned back to glare at me. I hid my grin behind the box of clothes and school supplies .

“You may leave,” she said with a roll of her neck.

“Whaa…I didn’t even do–––and leave where? You don’t own this––”

“That is all. Everyone else, follow me. We don’t talk to the dead fish here on The Grounds,” Clementine said. She brushed past me with a shove as the box I was holding suddenly tipped over. Everything spilled out from the packs of clothes to the stack of books I was given for my classes.

“Really!? How old are you?!” I shouted after her as the rest of the new students followed behind her like minions. I adjusted my glasses before bending down to grab the things. Laughing, I dumped the things into the box. “Mean girl on campus…classic!” I didn’t realize the two girls that were walking came up to me, looking like they hadn’t slept in days. They had their bags across their back when one dumped hers right in front of my things.

“You look normal as hell,” the one with the locs said. Ironically, she looked far from normal. Her deep brown skin was scarred like someone clawed at her cheeks at the same time and stained her skin with black lines. Her eyes were hardened, and her demeanor was aggressive unlike her friend who was texting on her phone with her pure white hair spilling down her face from the hoodie.

These are the misfits of the campus.

“I’m Asha,” the one with the locs said before nodding towards her friend. “This is Maggie. What are you? ”

“I’m…Celeste?”

“Nah, I mean what are you?” She asked again. Her northern accent, heavy like she was purposely laying it on thick to sound intimidating. I stood up with the box in my arms.

“According to my paperwork,” I said, nodding towards the paper stacked on top of the clothes. Asha swiped it first as the three of us slowly began to walk.

“You’re a fallen spirit…” she read out loud before sucking her teeth. “What is that?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” I laughed. “I just got here.”

“Let me see,” Maggie said, taking the paper to read. “Fallen spirit…Spiritual student…dorm…OH! Oh my God! Look who her roommate is!”

The two girls stopped to look at the paper before Asha’s mouth twisted. She looked at me, trying to hide what I thought was a smirk.

“This is her,” Asha said with a hard sigh. “Fuck, this is who Souxie was talking about and of course, I randomly come up to you without even knowing.”

“The fifth?” Maggie exclaimed. Excitement dancing in her eyes as she looked at me.

The two stared like I was a hot meal on a cold night… Ooo…The writer in me can’t even help it, even in my own thoughts. The two stared like they were anxiously waiting to devour… Okay, that’s enough, Celeste .

“The fifth what ?” I asked.

The two shared a glance at one another before turning to look back at me to say in unison, “You have to come with us.”

I found myself sitting on a small twin size bed that was pushed up the wall of my otherwise empty bedroom. It was past two in the morning and there were four girls staring me down, and talking black cat that freaked me out. I found cats to be gross.

I was being interrogated by a witch…a beautiful blue-eyed witch who had the softest expression like she was as sweet as pie. I knew better about pretty girls. She was probably hell when done wrong. There was Isis, the wide-eyed nymph in her PJs that smelled like straight weed. The friendliest of them all. Maggie looked like she could nod off at any given moment, and Asha, who was the big bully but probably the softest out of the four. I knew the type. She was probably carrying so much on her plate and lashed out at everyone else as a way to relieve herself. Yeah, I knew the type very well. They all seemed on the younger side but I wondered by how much? Maybe I could find women around my age as I got settled .

“I don’t like her,” Quan the cat stated as he had the nerve to hiss at me.

“Does he always talk? ” I pointed at him.

“Unfortunately, he doesn’t shut up but one thing is, he’s not going anywhere so you’ll have to get used to him,” Asha stated.

“Ahhh.” I nodded. Noted. Quan hissed again. I leaned over and hissed even louder, letting my mouth stretch back to show teeth. His eyes widened as he backed up slowly.

“Did this bitch just hiss at me–––”

“Hsssssssh!” I let out again as Isis laughed. “Far from a bitch, Lil Catnip so don’t address me as such. I’m cool and chill but don’t get it twisted. I’m the wrong one to push.”

“I love her already.” Isis beamed. “We are definitely keeping her.”

“We are.” Souxie smiled. “Quan be nice. He’s upset because he was planning on using this room as his own.” Just as soon as she said it, we heard the low rumblings of the building as the walls lightly trembled. I gripped the edge of the bed and looked around as the girls stood, unfazed.

“They’re moving rooms around,” Isis said. “Old magic. It happens all the time in my building. When I came back, my two-bedroom dorm was made into one now that my roommate is gone.”

“They have you in a lot of writing classes,” Souxie cut in as she looked at my schedule while Isis hung my clothes up. “That’s unusual for a spiritual student. They should have made you an intellectual.”

“Well, I think this is great! We met our final member of our club!” Isis beamed excitedly before gasping. “Do you smoke?”

“Hell yeah.” I grinned.

“Drink?” Asha pressed.

“I’m particular but I do,” I popped with a twist of my lips. Isis giggled with excitement as she brought my clothes to her chest.

“Okay, okay…what about men…women…what’s your choice?”

“Strictly dickly. I don’t play that,” I said. “No offense to anyone else that does.”

“None taken,” Souxie said as she sat down on the floor, still watching my schedule change constantly.

“Y'all, I gotta go.” Maggie yawned. “I’m gonna walk Asha back to Legacy Row and then get my car from Namir. Breakfast tomorrow?”

“Class.” Isis frowned, folding another black pair of pants to place in the drawer. “Lunch, possibly?”

“Oak tree,” Souxie said, studying my schedule with curiosity. “It’s going to be a beautiful day tomorrow.”

No one said a word but we all found ourselves slowly leaning closer to Souxie to watch the black inky letters slowly type on the paper.

Celeste…Taylor… Fallen Spir …

Celeste Taylor. Fallen Spirit…

Oracle and prophetic tendencies not detected.

“What are they talking about? Prophetic? Like a prophet?” Asha muttered as I felt a furry tail curl against my ankle. I jumped at the sight of Quan before gritting my teeth again like a crazy woman.

“My bad,” he apologized, just barely above his breath. “I can’t help the shit. The tail does what it wants to do.”

“Uh huh,” I muttered, moving away to keep my distance. Of all the things I’d seen, this talking cat was the one thing I was having trouble adjusting to.

“They can’t figure out where to place you,” Souxie said as she looked up at me. “They normally don’t take this long…last time they did that…it was with Maggie.”

“Who are they ?” I asked.

“The system,” Souxie whispered dramatically.

Maggie’s phone started to vibrate just in time for her to gather her things.

“Asha, are you coming?” she asked with another yawn.

“I’ll stay with Isis. I don’t feel like doing that long ass walk.”

“Bet.”

“Oak tree tomorrow! Lunch time!” Isis called out.