Angel Starz - Eye Of The Cat

CHAPTER ONE

“So you reckon it’s gonna be okay then?” came Lucy’s sceptical question through the system. She seemed to rock on her heels slightly as I pondered my answer.
“Yeah, you’ll love it! There are plenty of great people here and the lesson timetable looks great.” At that moment I placed my left hand onto the communication machine in front of me and began to drum my fingers on it. “Did I mention it’s great?” I smile at my comment which earns me a grin from Lucy on the other side.
“It might have cropped up. Glad you’re having fun Sam” She says in a chirpy tone that suddenly switches as she glances at the floor. “I’m bummed I couldn’t be there today...” I roll my eyes at her and answer “Me too”
Glimpsing towards the clock behind me on the wall, I continue “Anyway, I’m gonna have to go now. Keep playing that level; you’ll be relieved when you finish it. Trust me” I add with a wink. Lucy sobers from her mild depression for a second and glares at me again. Being on the defensive side of the scowl I hold my hands up in mock innocence, still smiling however. I hold back a laugh before it gets the better of me.
“One problem. I can’t get past it. It’s impossible!” Lucy steps back, and puts her hands on her hips. I break. I laugh and answer back “I did it.” Receiving yet another frown sent straight through me from Lucy, who at this point was burning a hole in my skull, had resumed her earlier position closer to the machine stood against her bedroom wall. “Okay. Apart from you, it’s impossible for us mere mortals. Catch you later Sam.” Without another word, she ends their chat.
“See you Luce” Spoken to the blank violet screen. I sigh. I decide she’ll get through the level without my taunts. She doesn’t like it when I get too far ahead of her in The Game. It’s funny really, but she can’t seem to see it the way I do. As a matter of fact, she doesn’t like it when I laugh at her for being slow either... I say slow, but she’s creeping up on me, she’s about a level or two behind. I just-
“Do you wish to be late for your lesson?” I’m interrupted from my own wondering thoughts and brought back to reality. He was tall. Very tall, with delicate features and a formal posture. He must be of high power in the school, he looked at least 5 years older than me anyway. It showed by how his confidence literally seemed to ooze out from him, besides getting past the initial shock of his appearance and rather extreme choice of clothes. Was he possibly holding a huge candy cane? Really? I stutter slightly muttering my apologies for not quite understanding what he’d said while I’d come to notice the small hat atop of his head slanting to one side matching his ‘candy’ colour scheme of red and white wonderfully. “You are going to be late for your lesson Ms.Cole if you-““Cole?” Something snapped. “Naomas. My name is Samoan Naomas” A little harsher than I’d meant, but getting the message across bluntly. This school must have their data system mixed up, since the morning the teachers have called me by 'Ms.Cole' and it’s not amusing at all. I could have sworn I saw his eye twitch and shoulders slump slightly when I spoke... well barked...
“Yes” He regained his stance “Of course. My apologies Miss. Now please be on your way.” Glad to have been dismissed and off the hook, I almost escaped. If I’d have been thinking straight for the past few seconds I’d have realised I’d left my tag in the Machine. Damn him for noticing, damn him for smirking and damn me for forgetting. Damn the thing for needing a tag to communicate! I sigh. What happened to using a mobile phone to call someone? Trust me to choose timings when I always seem to get caught out using my tag to ring a friend rather than be using it for its real purpose. I’m always told you shouldn’t really use a tag for communication unless it’s extremely necessary. As for me, if it’s there, I will be tempted to use it... I can’t help getting side tracked every now and again playing the same level until everyone I know catches up to me. In the game you see, I’m up to Level 14 and Lucy can’t get past Level 11. So, I use my time either replaying levels, advancing further or getting involved in the social networking side of The Game, which like I said, is frowned upon greatly, but who can blame me?
I’ve met people all over the world who inside the Game have reached Levels i can’t even begin to imagine... I met a man once who had a record replays of 1’000’000 of Level 99. To be that far ahead puts you on the leader board of the Top Ranking, I met a woman not long ago who has literally ‘lived’ inside the LINK her whole life. How she managed, I don’t know. But I suppose it must have something to do with the fact you’re not yourself in the Game... I know that must sound rather inane, it being a virtual world and in any other ‘game’ you play you control an avatar or character you create, but this is different. The LINK was founded not 200 years ago by the very same duo who instituted Charter High; they devised The LINK as an alternative to all learning. We’ve been born into a world nowadays where children are given a tag for their 12th birthday and must train inside The Game to learn self defence. To gain experience through violence. To live to the extreme of hoping one day to be told that they are one of few who-
The tall slender man seemed intimidating. I suddenly realise he’s staring at me. Oh no, i’ve not said something indecent while I’ve been pondering have I?...
I only notice my tag is missing when I’m almost inside the adjacent classroom when he calls out behind me. “Aren’t you forgetting something...?” I feel myself freeze. I abruptly turn to face him; he stands there so perfectly, mockingly, I feel nothing but resentment, I almost snatch my precious tag from the slot turning away again and follow my feet into the classroom I was heading for. I suppose my explanation for The LINK will have to wait.

CHAPTER TWO

I once again had faded into the room. So sterile, the white wall was as hostile as the host. Holding me in like a prison. “As much as I want to help you, you’re not making this any easier for yourself, or any of us.” She says in a monochrome tone trying to keep hold of her calm posture. I’d approached her when a sudden wave of negativity had breach the grounds and spread around the school. The velvet sky had turned from a miraculous blue to a viscous grey in the time expanse of seconds. I’d been here no more than 2 hours and school life was already becoming a living nightmare. The teachers and older students seemed undisturbed by the instability happening around them. I’d asked her the question of what was happening... Simple enough right? What was so tough about it? And she says I’m not making it easy for myself. Easy for what? The snarky comments I could have come out with were forced to the back of my mind as I became serious enough to question her again, pleading this time. “I don’t need help. I just want to know what’s happening!” Again the drone like voice of the female professor sprinted around my ears.
“As much as I want to help you, I cannot answer your question without first exploring possible outbreaks on your behalf.” I smile in sarcasm and relent to taking a few steps back. Outbreaks? On my behalf? This is beyond a joke! She makes it sound if it’s my fault.
“So you mean you could tell me, but you don’t want to encase I don’t like what I hear?” I enquire sarcastically. On the brink of shouting, I relax my fists which had unconsciously tightened during this dead end exchange. But then the phrase she turns too yet again doesn’t surprise me...she takes a deep breath ”As much as I want to help you-“
“Dammit I don’t want help, I just want-“ I’m stopped short. The face of the woman changes like a light switch, in the blink of an eye. Gone in a flash. Literally. Replacing it are the eyes of the devil. From pale blue to being as red as red. I stare for what seemed like forever until, for the second time today, I am brought back to real life by the tedious pitch of my current companion. “You need help Ms.Cole, you are a danger to yourself and everyone around you. You need help.” What’s with the name calling today?! This school is supposed to be the best of the best and the staff can’t even get a single students name right. I consider fighting back for my cause, but I’m interrupted yet again from the woman as she instinctively reacts to what’s going on inside my head, almost as if she can read my thoughts. “You are wrong. You need help Samoan. You don’t understand anything.”
“How can you say that?! I’m not wrong. You’re not making any sense!” I admit to losing my temper once every now and again on rare occasions. But even a deaf person could tell I was fuming by now from the most likely over exaggerated hand gestures I was making. How thoughtless was this woman? Trying to make a point I raised my arms. “This is the whole point of me asking you what I-“
“As much as I want to help you, you must return to the school. The grounds are no longer safe.” From dramatic to drastic, I growl at her response. “Safe? From what?!”-From who? My thoughts echoed.
“You ask too many questions. Report to the Head Office. You need help.”
One minute she’s there. The next she’s not... Like thin air, she just... disappeared. Am I going mad? These people are sure making me out to be... The dark spreads like wildfire as the sky suddenly lights up as if a bomb had just exploded. To say I was scared would totally undermine what I was really feeling. You don’t want to know what’s going through my head right now. About nearly everything but the next sight I saw could possibly challenge to be one of the most beautiful but also deadliest I’d ever seen. A scarlet eclipse on a backdrop of flames. The distant horizon became one with the sky. The middle became a mesh of blood red swirls. I could make out however a sudden black figure, a burning silhouette moulding inside the madness. Man or woman, friend or foe... I never found out.

CHAPTER THREE

I jolted up.
For some reason, I woke up with one hell of a headache this morning. Probably because of that same damn dream again. I need to stop with the coffee after 9 at night. It’s always the same part where I wake up before I find out who the mysterious figure is. I contemplate going back to bed but realise Lucy will probably be round soon to escort me to school and even if I was to stay here I would have to face the repetition of the same dream I never wish to see again. I hate Tuesdays. But as if fate knows just what gets on my nerves this early in the morning, there’s a rushed banging sound coming from the hall... the crashing of a herd of elephants parading down the stairs. The cause behind the racket eventually pokes its blue eyes around the door frame. Cameron. My 13 year old sister. She’s blonde. Loud and very-
“Sam?” I almost imagine her little voice calling my name. Possibly squeaking..... Oh wait. “Samoan?!” She sounds serious, almost caring? Nah. This time my head drags itself up in curiosity. “Yeah” I answer half-heartedly. “You looked like you blanked out for a second then” I know what she’s saying; it just doesn’t register straight away. So I continue to stare at the rose standing in its pot on the windowsill a lot taller than myself. I let out a bit of a sigh and decide to turn around. Leaning on the countertop now behind me, I tilt my head to the side slightly. “Oh, no it’s just..." I contemplated "nothing....” I sigh.
Well I can’t really tell her can I? It’s not that I don’t think she’ll understand. It’s just I don’t want to worry her by saying I think there’s something wrong with me. Or at least that I suspect other people think that. “You seem sort of different today... Are you okay?” She inquires as she leans on the doorframe her arms crossed over her chest.
“Course I am” I answer in the most subtle tone I can muster. “Never been better” I add as I angle me head vaguely trying to look the least bit convincing. I think she almost buys into the illusionary figure I’m trying so hard to put across, when thankfully as if destined her phone vibrates from a space in her belt. She quickly reaches for it unclipping it from its position, bringing the handheld device up to eye level and flicking the screen turning it on. See, Cameron uses a mobile... Why don’t I? I shake my head slightly at the thought and decide I’ll save up for one or get in touch with our dad and see if he can scrape up a section of the millions in money he has to ‘afford’ to buy me a phone. Scrap that. We don’t talk anymore, and not even a phone will get me back on speaking terms with him again. He left this house shortly after Cameron was born and our mother had died, setting off a chain of events. He was offered a job opportunity a fair distance away; I was only told when I found a note saying he’d left me in charge of the house until he got back... I’m still waiting for the front door to open for him again. I was forced to raise my baby sister on my own for a few years; all the while he sat back in some comfy chair half way across the globe, care-free, rolling in money. Sure, he sent us packages every now and again with stashes of rations and cash to live off. Not that I can complain, the amount we we’re given the first time a package was delivered, I can remember crying a lot that day, not because of our fortune, but for my mother and finally coming to terms with the fact that I won’t ever actually live a normal life with a family. A real family. Happy. I’m sure the authorities wouldn’t be too content to find a 15 year old home alone with a toddler living off a millionaire’s money under the title of ‘dad’. Yet, the issue never arose. Letters addressed to him still come every Sunday, which only remind me of that very day I found that damned note and the destruction he has caused this family. His family. The people he swore to protect. By the time i’ve finished the ranting in my head I realise Cameron has already bounded off but not before telling me she was going out again.
“What?! Why? You’ve only just got back” I reason with her. Having been the motherly-figure for Cameron since I can remember I think certain instincts tend to kick in once in a while when Cameron doesn’t want to spend time with me and would rather be out with friends 24/7. She is my baby sister, and always will be, but most of the time, it really doesn’t feel like it. It’s almost as if she just takes me for granted or something. I suppose she has formed some sort of opinion of our dad over the years, but no doubt mine is stronger and involved a lot of sadistic vocab. As to prove my point of Cameron not giving a thought to my secret pain, she answers.
“And? You’re point being?” She suddenly receives a text message and begins tapping away feverously at the gadget. I really have to get one of those. I suppose at this point, the only thing I can do is sigh as Cameron turns on her heels and bounds off back out the door she entered from and back up the stairs to her lair. At the lowest of times, I turn my eyes to the floor and scan my boots and the red legwarmers surrounding them that travel up to my knees. My gaze shifts slightly and my eyes find another pair of observant orbs. Gold disks with black slithers parting the circles are the eyes of my precious cat Lucky. There’s not much of a history behind her apart from the fact that she was one of the first things I bought with our first batch of money with a little advice from my grandmother who has thankfully stood by me through from the start. At least not all of his family are bad people. Yes, she was his mother, and she thought it painstakingly terrible that he would leave his two children to fend for themselves while he cowered away and hid from troubles thus far to arise. I looked up to my grandmother, like my second mother, the mother I never really had. We took shifts with looking after Cameron until she was old enough for school she always came home with me. Our grandmother would visit every Wednesday and Thursday, which I was grateful for, as Cameron was just as much the little terror as she is today, the only trouble now is that she answers back and going to her room is no longer a punishment. Lucky patiently wonders over to my left foot and nudges it with her head like she’s trying to tell me something, she then bends her spine, rear in the air and pounces up to the counter behind me. She stretches. And then come’s the slight shove of her head on my arm. I know what she wants.
“You are one smart cat, you know that. What’s up, you hungry?” I smile as she looks at me again and meows as if to say ‘yes’. “I get the picture. You sure don’t have trouble letting people know you want attention” I stroke her and then dive into the cupboard just beneath the countertop. “The habit seems to run in the family” I add. I tear open a sachet of food for my cat and watch her as she inhales every last piece.

CHAPTER FOUR

“There aren’t many like you Samoan” Was the phrase that caught me off guard as I entered the Head Teachers Office where I'd been directed to when I appeared ‘lost’ in the school corridor. The school is massive. You’d know what I mean if you actually stepped foot inside.
I’d expected the office to be smaller, but here I was stood in what looked like a corridor in itself. The room had at least another 5 doors interconnecting other rooms which in my guess were no doubt offices for Charter High staff.
“What do you mea-” Well this is getting annoying. Being cut off before I have chance to question.
“Give it time and I’m sure you’ll figure it out on your own” So... The point to me being here is? I don’t want to query his authority by pushing the subject so I stand there and wait for him to acknowledge that I’m fighting a losing battle in my head...
Before I can stop myself... “Why can’t you just tell me” I don’t like being forward but being in the Head teachers presence has just about broken my last self defence for today, and I don’t feel like being the one that has to wait forever for answers that could well be given to me now without harm.
“Because” He turns to face me. His left eye is gold. That’s the first thing I notice about him. Discarding the fact that he has dark hair and pale skin... He has one gold eye, the other being a turquoise colour, it calms me slightly to know there is a little bit of familiarity in the colour as I briefly remember staring into Lucky’s eyes earlier today. The same shade. My shoulders slump as he continues. “You don’t know anything. You must understand the basics before you learn the truth.” Another of my life secrets... I get easily confused, I admit, but this guy must be talking in riddles or something because I find myself trying to suppress a smile of mockery. The feeling almost seems like déjà vu as I remember my dream from last night and how the teacher in the dream was also telling me anything other than what I wanted to know. He slants his head towards a corner of his room behind me and I glance over my shoulder to follow his gaze.
“Basics? You mean The LINK?” I say bringing my head back to looking into his face trying to anticipate where this conversation is going. The object in the corner was none other than a simple machine, one-in-millions that make up The LINK connection. He passes by me and moves to stand in front of the violet appliance and raises his left hand and ‘summons’ his tag. I blink. Once. Twice. Another few times. My reflexes must be a bit slow today because it looked as though The Head just.....Never mind.... I’ll just blame my senses and assume he pulled the tag out of a pocket so as to cause my head a little less chaos about such an effortless matter.
“Exactly” He answers all of a sudden as he places his tag into the machine, but he doesn’t enter The Game just yet as I interrupt “How-?” As if knowing I was about to butt in he persists without effort. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. You must play by the rules if you are to excel.”
“But-”
“No more questions. Tag please” Erm. What to say to that. He has his hand held out waiting for me to hand over my tag. I hesitate as I retrieve it from around my neck, I relinquish it. “You must learn to do this properly, my Daughter Wrune is very much like you, she possesses the same skill.” He says whilst examining my tag and comparing it with his own. The one I have has a small red gem in the shape of a star on the front of it, whilst his is just gold with an intricate looking pattern in the top corner which resembled an eye. I wonder if the pattern has anything to do with his gold eye...
“Skill?” I hesitate to ask, unsure if I actually want an answer.
“Yes. She was your age when she chose to actually pursue her fate.” My eyes widen at the mention of the ‘F’ word. This can’t be good. “Fate? I’m not sure I like the sound of that too much.”
I can hear the smile in his voice as he answers me. Reassuring me it isn’t as bad as it sounds. “It’s nothing really, it just involves a few adjustments to your everyday life and-“
“Whoa... Adjustments?” I ask a little too quickly for my own liking. I want to leave the room before I hear his answer, but my curiosity unfortunately gets the better of me... Again. “What sort of adjustments!?” Again he smirks as he speaks. He uses that specific tone that is beginning to make me feel revulsion towards him for no reason as his words reach my ears stating the damn obvious.
“You ask far too many questions!” It’s not the first time I’ve been told that. “My daughter will explain more to you in your next lesson I am sure, considering you will now be taught in a new area” I had been trailing my hand over an odd abstract looking object on his desk as he’d been talking up until this point, I snatched my hand away as my head shot up and caught my finger on the corner of the discovered sharp gold artefact. New Area?
“Great!” Is all I can come out with. “My first day and I’m already being told to-” The door was about 2 metres from me when he countered my movement with his words. “Your first day?” Now it was his turn to look and sound surprised. “You mean you haven’t been at the school before?” I shake my head and can almost feel my forehead crease with lines of worry. Two people have called me by another name today. And now the head Teacher is questioning me about whether or not this is my first year here at his school... Am I missing something? Is there a piece of this puzzle I haven’t found and placed yet? Well either I’m not hearing him properly and am taking his questioning the wrong way or he just isn’t catching on that I am a new student as quickly as he should. The latter appeals to me more but I blame myself as well for maybe looking into this more than I probably need to. “Your first day...” He repeats. “And you’re at the level you are now?”
“In The Game?” I answer. He nods “Yes, I play it at home” I slant my head a bit and feel a slight pain in my left hand. I look down and notice the small trail of blood beginning at the tip of one of my fingers. It hurts now that I’ve noticed it.
“Interesting” He says which causes me to look back at him straight in the eyes. Or rather keep my focus on his turquoise eye anyway. Admittedly, the difference in colour of the gold one scares me a bit and adds to the dramatic image I’ve mentally painted of my Head Teacher. Strict, and exact. He brings his hand that was still grasping my tag up to my face. “Thank you Samoan. You may leave now.”
And that was that. I take my exit and my tag before departing, leaving the ghost of a whisper of the lonely word “Lovely” in a sarcastic memoire of our conversation. I look back at him as he turns to walk back to the centre of his office.
Perhaps now my name will be remembered as well it was the day it was given, taking into account his confused expression now mirroring my own bewilderment.

CHAPTER FIVE – (Five Hours Later)

The dark red walls of Lucy’s room weren’t really complimenting my mood at the moment. And I knew she knew there was something wrong with me in the way I was blankly staring at a single spot of the carpet floor whilst sitting at the foot of her bed. She’d just nipped out of the room to speak with her mum, which gave me the chance to survey the rather intricate pattern on the white strip of wall where Lucy had refused to cover up her designs... She’s got into the hobby of drawing anywhere where there’s white space, for instance... Her wall. She’s before told her mother... or rather warned her that that specific part of her wall was for inspirational purposes. It’s a good thing Cameron has never been in Lucy’s room, I think I’d have killed her if she started stripping her bedroom walls. I get up idly and walk over to the feet wide blank wall, she’s written her full name Luciana May Culy in a beautiful font further the top which bleeds delicately down the wall into patterns of swirls and lines. Only now do I notice she’s back in the room and just watching me. I turn to her and smile; she smirks back and sits across from my previous position at her desk. I sit back on the edge of the bed. I contemplate telling her of my first day at school but then consider it might not be the best topic to bring up as it’s all been a bit of a muddle for me, and probably won’t go down well in conversation. However she looks at me with her grey eyes as If expecting me to start a banter... I suppose chance is against me at the moment.
“Okay” I begin. Lucy adjusts her position slightly to lean her crossed arms on the top of the chair. “I might be over-reacting here, but I had this dream last night about a teacher at my school that I’d never actually seen before telling me I needed help. I’ve been referred to as Ms.Cole twice, aswell as being told I can do things that other people can’t.” I can tell I’ve freaked her out with my sudden outburst. She’s just sat there looking at me like I’d just told her some shocking story. She simply cracks another smile and giggles behind her hand.
“What do you mean? Why would they call you that, It clearly says your name on your profile? And what sort of things?” I have the erge to slap the smirk from her face because of the absurdness of this situation, and coming to realisation that it really is stupid.
“I don’t really know, and It doesn’t really matter” I ponder a better answer just to change the topic of conversation but she’s persistent to carry it on much to my dismay.
“Obviously it does, It’s bothering you Sam, and if it bothers you, it bothers me.” So this is what it would have been like having a sister the same age as me. Not that I don’t consider Lucy a really close friend or practically a sister to me anyway, it’s just I don’t think Cameron and me have ever been as close as some siblings are, It all comes down to him. Our dad. He broke our family, and because of it me and Cameron didn’t have a parent to look up to for guidance, the closest we got was his mum. Our grandmother. The story’s been told. I hate him, and she came to pick up the pieces he had shattered. By this time Lucy had manoeuvred her chair right in front of where I was sitting and was now directly facing me with her hands clasped on her knees.
“I know. Am I making a big deal out of nothing here?” I question.
“I don’t know, I wasn’t there with you today Sam, or I might have been there to hear it all” I know she’s serious, but I can’t help feeling that I really am making a big deal out of this.
“Right. You know what, never mind, it’s probably just me. And there just confusing me with someone else” My expression is ultimately lighter when I free myself of that resolution, but drops again when Lucy continues.
“So that was it huh? Lovely” Couldn’t have said that better myself if I was in her shoes. But no, that’s not all of it. The real problem was the reason behind the name calling. The reason I was being referred to as a Mrs rather than Miss...
“Exactly what I thought” I say in response to the last word she had spoken. Lovely “You haven’t heard the best bit.” She tilts her head a bit as her eyebrows slant downwards in curiosity. “I ran into a student at the start of the day who called me Ms. Cole, I made it a priority to go and see someone about mishap with my name as soon as I could. I was directed to a teacher called Professor Draide where I told him. He dismissed it as an error like you said but not before he actually accused me of being married to a man I’d never met! And at my age! I’m 17 for-“
She wasn’t laughing... She was in hysterics. She was holding her stomach, wrapping both arms around herself. “Married!” Another fit of laughter. “He said you were married... Awesome!” Like the symbolic theatre masks of happy and sad. Like opposites, Lucy was obviously enjoying my discomfort.
“Luce. It’s not me though remember.” She wipes a stray tear from her eye after laughing so hard. Usually I’d have been laughing with her. But this wasn’t one of those times. “He said he’d change the details when he could and re-write mine and this other girls profiles entirely.” She sobers at this, and continues her earlier questioning.
“So you’ve nothing to worry about” Stating the obvious. I realise how immensely dense I must have seemed starting this.
Yeah, I guess you’re right..... but-“
It wasn’t a crackle we heard. But whatever sort of sound it was, its source was most definitely Lucy’s LINK machine. I turn to her, and meet her eyes. The same question lingering between us in the back of our minds. What the hell was that?
“What the-?” Lucy asks no-one or thing in particular. The question isn’t directed at me, as she can most likely tell I have no idea anyway from the oblivious look I gave her.
“Has it ever done that before?” We’ve both stood up and are turned watching the machine encase it decides to switch itself on or blow up with a seconds notice. I smile inwardly at my remark.
“Nope, this’d be the first time” Lucy begins to walk towards the violet box as it surprises us again. A few low siren echoes emit from it and then dead silence follows...
And then... It calls my name. Lucy spins slowly on her heels to face me. My gaze however finds the machine.
I’m not sure whether I was anxious, scared or terrified. I mean...what would you think if some 200 year old system suddenly spoke your name?.....

CHAPTER SIX

I’m aware Lucy’s still looking at me, silently screaming questions at me. Not that I’d honestly know how to answer them... Her machine just spoke my name out of the blue, how do I compete with that?
“Maybe it recognises me from earlier today” My voice sounds foreign to my own ears. I explain “The LINK is connected to the school system everywhere. It must remember me from my lesson” I begin to make sense to myself aswell as Lucy as she nods her head once gradually in understanding. The only reason I can think of, of why the LINK is ‘calling me’ is that I forgot something... Yeah, that sounds like me.
“Right” Is all she says. She takes the initiative to take her tag from around her neck and squeeze it in her hand. As been said before, my tag is different than others; I forgot to mention that mine is the only one in the area that has a star shaped gemstone in the corner. Except for Lucy. While mine is red, hers is blue. Quite a pair we are huh? She places her tag into the machine and it instantly stops making sounds of distress as if it was to go up in smoke. Lucy disappears and I wonder where she must have gone. Getting into the LINK you can choose your surroundings by just thinking of a place in a 5 mile radius while holding your tag in the machine before entering. Sounds simple right? It gets better. When you level up inside the Game you progress in abilities not only connected with you chosen element but simple tasks too. Like... exiting the LINK in a new area than where you started, or entering the LINK without using your tag at all. But you’ve got to get to at least level 20 to learn that sort of stuff, luckily for me I have less than 10 levels to go being at 14 already and only one more level until I find out my School Faction and Ability Type, but I wanted to wait for Lucy to get to the same Level before I get to the 15th.
I then ponder how great it would be to be able to transport yourself wherever and whenever you wanted without the use of a tag and just thinking of teleporting, then again I suppose it’d be just as good to be able to visit anywhere you wanted by entering the LINK and choosing absolutely any program ever made. I pursue Lucy and end up at school. So this is what’s fascinating her. Having missed the first day of school, no doubt Charter High is much more than she imagined. It isn’t your typical student college after all.
“Are you kidding?” Lucy says as she realises I’ve followed her. The School Foyer. I thought the same thing. It’s almost unbelievable. How any parent could dismiss this beautiful school to sign their children up for joining is unthinkable. The pair of circular silver stairways surround the walls of the entrance hall which ascend to the second level of classrooms. “This is Charter High?” She’s dumbfounded. I smile slightly as I join her at her side.
“Pretty much. But there are more people 9/5 as the school day goes on, and they all have a certain dress code asserted to themselves.” She turns to look at me wearing a weird expression... I must have confused her. I could have said ‘uniform’ but there’s no real uniform, just costumes. “Meaning, they look like...” I survey my surroundings attempting to pin point someone who could act as an example. I find one. “They look like that.” Lucy turns in the direction I point. The woman has ruby red hair and worn in the same sort of fashion that Lucy wears hers. Two high pigtails. The length is similar too, just below her waist. She’s wearing a two tone black and red outfit that hugs her figure. I’m feeling the suppression of not wanting to begin a conversation with her, she has the sort of aura that doesn’t emit a friendly quality at first appearance. The way her eyes slant and the look she’s giving a group of other girls... I’m suddenly relieved I’m not the one on the receiving end of her glare, and notice Lucy might be having the same thoughts as me on my assessment of the woman. She’s narrowed her eyes ever so slightly and she turns back to face me.
“You mean, like superhero sort of costumes?” The creases in her forehead decline as she begins to smirk at her own remark. I nod.
What Lucy doesn’t know is that it’s one of the first procedures here at Charter High to be suited up for combat in the LINK even before a class register is taken or lesson timetables are issued. I mentioned before about the School Faction and Ability Type sorting at Level 15... The costume process influences both of these. There is a locked program in The Game that splits everyone into several groups depending on different factors. Some year’s people are sorted by age, some by height, and some by experience. Some of the ideas are ridiculous. This year, a new rule has been set, that only those of Level 15 and higher can be given a place in a Faction. Only then will we find out the factor that separates us from the rest. There was a problem with the program today, this being the reason we only went through the costume routine after lunch. Very much like the woman I pointed out to Lucy earlier, my costume is red and black. I just hope the factor for this year’s choosing is not going to be colour associated. I’ll find out sooner or later though. Shortly after my costume was sorted I was called to the Head Teachers Office and was given the talk about how there aren’t many people like me, blah blah blah... You know the story from there.
“Everyone changes?” Lucy asks... I want to tell her we get given our costumes due to a specialist program that can see everything about you, ranging from secrets to lifestyle. But I don’t want to give any of the excitement away...
“Yeah” I answer simply. Biting my tongue, I hope she’s not going to ask me-
“And you?” Damn. I knew it wouldn’t be long until she wanted to know this.
“Yeah” My eyes dart to the top of the right-hand set of stairs avoiding Lucy’s gaze. “But let’s not get into that at the moment” I chance a look back at her and realise a tall figure stood behind us.
“Now I see what you mean Samoan” His sharp voice catches Lucy off guard and she spins around and looks up into the face of her to-be Head Teacher. I’d been watching Lucy’s response to his statement and hadn’t even comprehended he’d aimed it at me.
“Sorry?” I murmur shaking my head a bit to clear my thoughts.
“You spend all of your free time in here” I nod “And this is your friend. Lucy. No?” Lucy seems to have recovered quicker than me of being greeted by our Head Teacher and offers her hand to him. He humbly accepts and shakes it, bowing his head somewhat.
“Yep, that’s me” She says in a chirpy tone.
“It’s very nice to meet you Lucy; It makes my job twice as easy now I know I’ve already found two of you” Releasing Lucy’s hand she stumbles back and tilts her head.
“I’m sorry?” Again, her eyes narrow. She clasps her hands behind her back. I can tell this conversation is baffling her, apparently so can The Head.
“Never mind” You’ll learn.” And as simply as he had appeared he withdraws in an instant walking away from us at a steady pace. We exchange a glance.
“Well that was...” Lucy begins.
“Unexpected?” I finish. She nods.
She shrugs at me. I mimic her action and unintentionally turn to where the red haired woman once stood. She was no-where to be seen. People here come and go so quickly.
We’ll just have to wait and see what tomorrow has in store for us.

CHAPTER SEVEN (Three Hours Earlier)

My teacher knows magic.
When i showed up to my 3rd lesson, the students were all lined up against the wall as if waiting for a firing squad to mow them down. The classroom A18 wasn’t very large but considering the number of people in there, it was definitely big enough. They were all first years no doubt because every single one of them was wearing the same expression of astonishment at what the teacher was currently doing. It was pretty much pitch black in the room. The only sources of light were the 2 metre long pole light hanging about a foot above the tallest of the bunch of students head. The other being a violet glow emitting a few inches from the teachers hand as a small purple orb. Every person present was illuminated in some way, and it wasn’t until I did a double take that I realised there were no literal strings attached as I watched the teacher do what they were doing...
Magic. “As you can see here” She began. “These machines aren’t all they appear to be, it takes much energy and constant supervision to make sure they stay safe to use” Without notice she orb disappears, she claps once and the main lights in the room overpower the pole light. “And that would conclude our introduction. Get going with your assignments.”