Academy Supernatural

Chapter 4

The hall was dim when I entered, and there were actual torches on the walls, flickering across the space with an orange glow. I kept my head down, but couldn't resist letting my eyes wander around the weakly lit hallways, somewhat ogling at all that I saw. Despite its old-fashioned exterior, the inside of the mansion was actually quite nice and a bit more modernized that it had first appeared. Ignoring the literal torches on fire, the side tables were nicely polished to a shine with intricate designs etched into the legs and sides. The walls were decorated with a faded, floral pattern, yellowed with age, but not having lost its elegance just yet. The ceiling was even higher than the front door, finished with a mahogany wood that gave off a warm tone, filling the halls with a cozy, cabin-esque feeling. I tipped my head back as we walked, gazing about in wonder.

"This will be your area of studies, as well as your home now," the man was saying. "We have many staff members to keep the manor tidy, however, that is not to say you may leave messes in your wake. You will keep your room clean and orderly, and will not break anything."

I nodded, my eyebrows raised in skepticism. "Got it..." Strict rules. I guess in a place like this, that's to be expected though.

He lead me around the first floor, showing me the classrooms which were actually just really big studies with chairs and tables set up for desks. I had to say, this 'manor' had an impressive number of books. Each room had row upon row of bookshelves lined along every wall, most of which were packed entirely with old books, some not even in English. I found that out after pulling one off the shelf and getting scolded by the strange man. I didn't touch anymore books.

The man walked me outside on the back porch briefly, telling me a little about its origins and important history. There was a large lake at the back of the mansion, which sounded kind of cool, except for the fact that many residents of the manor had drowned on the lake. "The waters aren't safe," he told me, frowning at it. "It would be best if you stayed away from the edge." I watched it as he began to walk away. It didn't look dangerous. Well, besides maybe how morbidly green and unkept the water was. There was dead seaweed floating everywhere and if I looked close enough, some dead fish too. Ew. I shrugged it off and followed the man back inside.

After he was finished showing me the first floor, he began up the stairs. "The second floor is where you will spend your free time. There are many rooms with... entertainment for those of your age, as well as a dining hall." He held open a few doors to let me see a room with board games, one with a pool table, and another with some computers; apparently those didn't have any service so the only thing they were good for was already downloaded programs. What a waste. Then again, maybe I could get service... I was decent with computers. I mentally filed that away for later.

We were just passing another hallway on our way to the third level where the dorms were, when there was a crash from one of the other rooms. I turned quickly, frowning. "What was that?"

The man, who had been sporting an unpleasant scowl for most of the tour, narrowed his eyes further and gritted his teeth. "A nuisance," he grumbled. I followed him down the hall until we came to two doors at the end. The sounds of shouting and growls and more smashing could be heard from the other side. The man took no time in grabbing the door knobs and throwing the doors open with a bang. "What in the name of Sir Wilfrid Laurier is going on in here?" he snapped.

I peeked around him curiously and my eyes widened slightly. The room before us was in an utter state of chaos. There was no other way to describe it. The furniture had been torn and upended, the various desks and tables having been throw and broken against walls and other things. There were smashed lamps, chairs, mirrors. The books that probably should've been on the collapsing shelves were on the floor in several shredded pieces. That wasn't the only shocking thing though, oh no, that's when it got weird. There were teens, some older, some younger, all shouting and jumping with excitement. Somehow, four girls had managed to make it up onto the chandelier hanging from the ceiling and were shrieking at the top of their lungs, some younger boys were shouting various words of encouragement; and in the middle of it all, heaving and growling, were two very strong, very angry looking men.