It was like any other day for tomie, she woke up early even on a Saturday. As she was getting ready her mom had given her this letter she found in the mailbox. "A letter? Addressed to me? That's really odd" she said to her mother. The letter looked so old and mysterious. She opened it, eyes squinted in confusion. "Hello tomie, we welcome you to attend St. Charles boarding school for free. It is a once in a lifetime offer and you were the winner of the lucky draw! Classes start tomorrow so please arrive at 6 AM sharp! Sincerely your future principal Ms. Nightingale". Tomie ran upstairs to find her mother packing up tomies luggage case."What's the meaning of this mom, I don't want to go to a boarding school?" her eyes on the verge of tears. Her mother sighed "It's for your own good dear, I want you to grow up to be a very successful person so I entered your name into the lottery, I know it makes you sad now but you'll thank me later". Tomie wanted to cry and yell at her mother but she knew she was being forced to go to this school and leave her peaceful everyday life behind her.
They left at dawn the next morning and the drive took a couple hours, she couldn't keep herself from crying for most of the ride but tried to hide it. As they drove deeper into the woods her and her mother became more worried, an eerie feeling envoloping the area. Tall dead trees and thick forests loomed all around them on an old path leading up to this supposed school. Tomie eventually cried herself to sleep but woke up her mother rubbing her back in a loving way. She opened her eyes surprised to see her mother crying "who knows when I'll see you again but promise me you'll send me letters and never forget that I love you". Tomie hugged her mom quickly and simply said "I love you too mother". She got out of the car and grabbed her luggage, practically dragging her feet towards the fancy ornate gates of the school.
They mysteriously opened and tomie stepped forward, the gates shutting behind her making an eerie creaking noise. A strange woman with a bird-like mask was standing infront of the front doors staring at her "Ah, Tomie come here dear we've been waiting for you". Tomie was a little scared but the woman seemed very calming and charismatic, she led her inside were the doors slammed shut with a loud, deep thud.
