Under the Mango Tree: 101 Tales (4)

SCHOOL DAZE

Challenge No. 71 - Powerful Prowess.

Write a scene or story that includes a character with a superpower.

-----

St Jude High School for Elves was no place for wimps as Dax soon found out. Even among elves, the brown elf was small. She wasn't aggressive either and the combination proved to be too attractive to the bullies of the school.

St Jude High School for Elves was one of the institutions established long ago by Santa. All had the same mandate, to educate, then train young elves to be available to work in Santa's workshop.

While Santa and all things Christmas were located at the North Pole, the three-year education of the elves followed by the mandatory two years of apprenticeship all took place at the South Pole.

Dax wanted to be Santa's Personal Assistant. It was her first year at St Jude and had turned out to be unbearable. She didn't dare reveal her heart's desire.

On career day she'd said she wanted to be in Santa's workshop. Which wasn't exactly a lie. The office of the S.P.A. was part of the workshop compound.

"You're too short to be in the workplace." Someone had said as the class laughed. Had that been all Dax would have been grateful if not happy. But it wasn't.

"Eeeeek!" She screamed when the toad jumped out of her desk.

"Eeeeek!" She screamed when she removed the covers and found a snake in her bed.

"Eeeeek!" She screamed when her hair turned purple after a wash.

Every time, the bullies laughed, the school laughed, the teachers did nothing and Dax cried.

The tiny elf withdrew into herself. She'd spend her spare time walking the grounds - no easy feat as they were at the South Pole.

One day at her locker, her pants fell.

"Hey, look, no pants Dax!"

She pulled her pants up, while as usual, the school laughed. Then she felt the shove and she barrelled into the locker.

"No Pants Dax lost her balance." The moniker was going to stick.

Something deep inside Dax began to bubble. Enough was enough. The time had come to defend herself. The air around her began to shimmer. She turned to face the gang that usually bullied her.

"Oooo. I'm so afraid of No Pants Dax." The ring leader hit her. "What you gonna do, No Pants Dax?"

With no plan in mind. Dax pointed. "Activate: switch!"

The students in the hallway watched as the tormentor changed from a burly boy to a dainty girl. It didn't happen in a flash either. It was a slow metamorphosis so he knew what was happening.

"Change me back!" He demanded, wailed, then cried.

"Change him back!" His gang threatened.

"Wanna join him?"

They stepped back hurriedly.

"Only you can change yourself back."

"How!"

"If you pass your exams and apprenticeship. You will be a boy again. If not..." the threat hung in the air.

"My mother is secretary to the Minister of Magic! They'll expel you for this!"

To her parents' horror and Dax's shame, she was expelled.

© 10 May 2022

===

More elf stories can be found at that online bookstore.

https://www.patreon.com/dawnnbooks for more short stories