I’m having a bad day, and we haven’t even had lunch. It's detention time and I'm to serve it in the library with Penelope and Roman. Roman, I can tolerate. Penelope, on the other hand, is a total bitch, I mean witch.
Groaning, I enter the library to see Penelope standing beside the headmaster and Roman. My eyes meets Roman, I give him a smile in acknowledgement but I frown when he looks away. Honestly, I'm not even surprised at that. He's a jerk and I thought after last night that we were getting somewhere, that he's actually willing to be my friend but clearly I was wrong and I won't be wasting anymore of my thoughts on him
I sigh and shake my head. “Good morning, Headmaster.” I greet him and stand in front of them with my hands on my hips. The last place I want to be is here, so when I see Penelope glare at me, I just roll my eyes.
Since they are all here, it means they were waiting for me to arrive. I clap my hands and clear my throat. “How am I doing this?” I ask no one in particular.
The headmaster clears his throat and between the three of us. I'd like to think he can feel the tension in the air. “You three are working together,” He continues and before we can interrupt, he adds. “And yes, you three are working together on this together. You are to look for a raven, tortoise, and a peacock.”
“I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying, aren’t we clearing out and rearranging some haunted shelf?” I mean that's what I did the last time I got a detention.
Headmaster Wallace straightens his tie and stuffs his hands in his pocket. “That will be all. See you after the simulation." He says and heads out.
I spread my hands out and turn to the direction he goes. “The simulation? What the hell are you talking about?” I ask behind him.
He halts and turns his head slightly to my side. “It’s teamwork, Cami. Ask the others, work together." And with that he walks away.
What the actual fuck?
My mouth drops open as I watch him exit the library. I shake my head in disbelief and turn to my side. “Work together, he said.” I mutter under my breath. I cannot believe he expects me to work with Penelope, of all people. I wouldn’t have mind working with Roman, but he too has turned out to be a jerk. I swear they both fit each other.
“The headmaster said we should work together. Clearly he’s gone mad.” I raise my voice as I turn to Penelope and Roman, who don’t seem worried about the weird detention. “Because there is no way in hell that I’m working with you two asshol-” A dazzling light shines on me and I'm quick to cover my eyes.
I open my eyes when I notice the light's shimmer down and weird I feel a change in me.
“Well, this isn’t the library.” I comment as I look around the new environment.
I thought the change was in me, but it actually was a change in location. We are in some kind of mansion, a living room actually. I notice Roman sitting on the couch, comfortable, like what happened wasn’t weird.
“The Headmaster could have at least provided snacks since the kitchen is off limits." Penelope whines and jumps on the couch beside Roman.
The kitchen is off limits?
“What the hell is going on?” I'm freaking out and seconds away screaming. “Where the hell are we?” I mean Penelope and Roman don't even care that they are in some strange living room. How the fuck is this a detention?
“Finally, someone who speak my bloody language.” A familiar voice says behind me.
I turn around to see Nate leaning against the wall beside the large wall clock. He also looks like he has been there for hours, which makes sense because we didn't leave the library together and I didn't see him at breakfast. I checked for him. “You are here too. Wait, what are you doing here?”
He shrugs and gives me his designated smirk. “Well, I guess I should welcome you to the expérience hors du corps.” He says.
"To the who to the what, our new French class?”
“Expérience hors du corps,” He repeats like I should know what it means. “You’ve heard about it, right?”
I shake my head. "Never heard of that in my entire life."
Nate smirks like it's a good thing that I haven't heard about it. His gaze moves from my face to something behind me, his eyes widens as he recognizes whatever it is he saw.
“Hey fellas!" Sure, he recognized Roman and Penelope like he hasn't noticed them before. "Nice of you to grace me with your presence and join the party. What is the theme?”
I look back to see Penelope groan and Roman’s eyes are closed.
Oh, bloody hell.
****
I’m sitting on the floor opposite Nate. And I'll say he's taking full adventure of this position because he's sitting on a couch and keeps patting my head while asking if I have questions. Well, I have tons.
“Let’s start with the experion that French word shit, shall we?”
Everything is strange, but it seems normal to these people.
Nate reclines on the couch and crosses his legs on the other. “It’s expérience hors du corps, translated to English is Out Of Body Experience. Anyway, it's basically a magically constructed location that exists on the Astral Plane represented by a specific mind space usually depicted as a room. They are created with representational magic using objects to represent a soul. The person, which in this situation is us, can leave this place if we find our object and say the spell. There’s always a spell,” He explains and adds. “But in our case, we will say the spell together after finding what represents us. Easy peasy english queensy.” He tells me.
I shut my eyes and shake my head before opening it again. "That is no such thing as english queensy."
"And that's the point. Come on, Camsy ask real questions." He leans forward and drops his hand on my head to make a point.
"Lay off”–i push his hand away–“the nicknames and yes I have real questions like what do you mean by we work together?” I ask first.
He takes his former position and begins. “There is a spell that links us to this place and the object that represents us. We will anchor it and cast a spell that will break our link to this place and the object, and when that’s done, we are free to go back home... Safely." He adds.
It’s a lot to take in.
“What is an Astral Projection?”
He uncrosses his legs and leans forward. “You do not know what an astral projection means?"
I shrug. "Do you really think I'd be asking if I know?"
He groans and mutters. "Unbelievable." He tucks his lips inward and gives me a look before shaking his head. “An Astral Projection is a term used to esotericism to describe a willful out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of a soul or conscious called an Astral Body that is separated from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it throughout the universe which is what we are doing here,” he explains.
Wow, there is so much I do not know.
“Out of body experience?”
He chuckles. “You are one hell of a student, Cami girl. Don’t worry, I will take care of you.”
I laugh with my teeth only. I feel like punching his nose. “Less flirting and more explanation.”
“An OBE is an experience that typically involves a sensation of floating outside one’s body and in some cases, the feeling of perceiving one’s physical body as its from a place outside one’s body, any further questions milady,” He uses his index finger to hit the tip of my nose.
“Bottom line, we are trapped here till we find what represents us?” I ask, and he nods. “Useful. Please tell me you know the spell?”
He licks his bottom lips, letting me know he doesn’t know. “Oh, come on, Nate!”
“I do. Pen and I have found our totems. If you guys were looking for yours instead of chatting, maybe we’ll be figuring out a way to get out of here,” Roman voices sound harsh behind me .
“Come on, sweetheart. You have a raven to find. I have a cat to catch.” He says and offers me his hand.
I take it and he pulls me up on my feet. “Where are we anyway?” I ask as we walk past Roman and Penelope.
“The Headmaster's mansion, the guy is filthy rich, I mean look at this place.” He says as he leads me away from the audience
Or you could say filthy stupid. The guy is ancient; I mean the living room is full of antiques and it’s creepy. I only appreciate the art especially the way I can tell he loves art by just staring at the painting hung on the wall. The place isn't all bad but I don't know, there are two large sofas facing the enormous television mounted on the wall. A couch is facing a fireplace. The large chandelier looks like it’s going to drop on my head as I keep staring at it
“So... You guys do this all the time, I mean whenever you have a detention?” I ask, because I can’t seem to make any sense of anything.
He nods. “Pretty much, it was hell the first time, we had no one to tell us what was happening, we just followed the clues.” He explains.
I sigh. “Sounds like pure torture.” I whisper.
"Oh honey, you have no idea how pure this torture is." Penelope talks for the first time.