Magic and Murder

-1-

As the school bell rang, I realized that I was tardy.

Oh well.

My familiar, Esme, trotted alongside me. "I can never understand goblins. You scramble to one class, getting there as early as you can, while just skipping another?" He bleated.

Esme shifted in and out of veiw, clearly nervous. You see, Esme was a shadow goat. They were a species made entirly of shadow, choosing a permanent form once they find their purpose. In his case, he had found it to be my familiar.

"That class was Curses and Defense. This class is History of Magic. See the diffrence?"

"The history books taste so good though."

I never understood Esme's never ending, iron stomach.

I peeked around the corner as we neared the entrance to the courtyard.

"Charlie..."

"Yes?"

"Don't do it again..."

"You know I will."

"Last time you climbed on the roof, I got in trouble too."

"I'm the only one who can hear you talk, so you can't tell anyone. Also there's no way to stop me."

He started to speak, but I stopped him by covering his mouth with my tail.

I picked him up, and him being the size of a large cat, his struggling did nothing as I climbed up a tree and lept onto the roof.

"Anyways, I wanted to check the solar panels. The power shortages lately, well, I don't think they're related to the solar panels, but it's best to check anyway."

"You and your conspiercy theories. Theres no secret in the school's shadow. You're overthinking it." Esme grumbled.

I walked up the the famous solar panels. They were the most powerful in the country, and after a careful inspection, I saw there was nothing wrong with it.

"Fine, you win. Let's head to class."

"Finally, you take my advice!"

"No, it's not that. It feels like... someone's watching me."

I didn't like the silence that followed.

I felt a wave of relief as I entered the school's side entrance, and I stepped in and released my breath.

The power outages had been happening more and more often. Something strange always happened during one, and I had begun to suspect something weird was happening. Something paranormal.

Last time, a lunch lady was pushed into the frying oil and half her face was burnt.

Another time, a student lost his backpack full of potions he had brewed, stolen right off his back.

Luckily nobody had been murdered.

Yes, there was a chance that I was overthinking all this, but it was still worth it to be cautious.

I didn't want to be the next victim.

I walked into the class, slamming the door behind me.

"Ms. Knox. I see you've finally decided to join us." Said the ever so pleasent (not) Mrs. Miller.

I sat down at my seat and drifted off as she scolded us about being tardy.

"You all are just a bunch of dolls that don't pay attention. One more tardy, Ms. Knox, and I'll assign you to cleaning duty."

"Ugh. Yes, Mrs. Miller."

Secretly I wanted that to happen so I could explore the restricted parts of the school without getting in trouble.

Sadly, Mrs. Miller was all bark and no bite. She never did what she said she would.

Esme trotted up beside me.

"I suppose now is when I say I told you so."

I ignored him and continued to stare off into space.

"Blah blah blah discuss blah blah project blah-" She droned on.

Wait. What did she say? My ears perked up.

I turned to the person sitting next to me.

He was a human boy with blond hair looking at me nervously.

I guess he knew about my reputation as a troublemaker.

"What are we doing?" I asked him.

He was cut off when everything went dark.

I had night vision, so this barely affected me as i rolled to the side, pulling the human with me.

"Wha-"

"Stay still!" I whispered to him.

Thankfully he obeyed.

I froze as I picked up a faint sliding sound. Slippery, and coming this way.

I cast a basic invisibility spell and closed my eyes, trying to brethe lightly.

The sound stopped for a second, then passed. I don't know how long I sat there with my eyes closed, holding the boy in place with my arm, trusting that the invisibility spell was working and hoping that the thing wasn't nearby.

He was following my example, and I was glad he trusted me. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't. Esme huddled in my lap, quivering.

The light flickered once, twice, then I heard the scream.

The lights flickered on and off constantly, and I saw a shadow slide past the doorway in a split second.

Then the lights came back on, and I held still until I was sure that, whatever it was, was gone.

I rushed out the doorway, leaving Esme and the boy behind, and ran up to the place where the scream had come from.

I stared in horror at the body that was at my feet.