The Wilting Rose, Chapter 2, Part 2 - CWCA, Where Boredom Reins Supreme...

       Mistress Pennyfeather was a tall thin woman. Her white hair was tied into a bun held together with a butterfly clasp leaving only two strands of curled hair falling on either side of her face. Her eyes were a dark brown that was slightly fading due to cataracts. Her lips were pulled into a constant disapproving pout and her eyebrows always slanted inwards giving her a constant scowl as well. She was head mistress and she accepted no excuses If you were late by a second she would screech 'Detention!' before you could blink. Her voice was harsh and cold and she disliked everyone, no wonder she never got married. She tapped the microphone and spoke over the roar of the sea just beyond the cliff behind her. "Good morning students." she said, with a face like she was sucking a lemon.
       "Good morning Mistress Pennyfeather." we grumbled back at her.
       "Now that won't do." she said tartly "Good morning students." she repeated.
       "Good morning Mistress Pennyfeather." we chanted back, like the good little students we are.
       "Now, welcome back. I hope you had a nice holiday. I would like to say welcome back on this, fine" she said the word glancing at the sky " Winter Solstice." I know that you mortals have your big holidays in summer for the top half of the equator and winter for the bottom half, at least I think that's right - but who pays attention in HS (Human Studies) ? Certainly not me! Our big holidays are in the winter. Two months of relaxation! They don't even give us homework! "And as it is the Winter Solstice we must send our graduates to Raltazar to for fill their positions for the Arc Angel." she turned to the five girls and five boys standing behind her, on the edge of the cliff. She clapped her hands twice and spread them wide. Gold dust came from her hands, drifted around the graduates and became thick. When it blew away with the wind, they were gone. "And now to other important stuff. Madame Galeshaw has retired..." and the rest blurred. I paid very little attention and got up when everyone else did, got handed my timetable and went to my first class.
       My bag was fairly light because I didn't have any of my books but it did ring with bells. Every winter since I was four we had visited Earth for a one week holiday. Same place every year, did the same stuff. But if it's one thing about you mortals I adore - it's your voodoo dolls! You know the little ones you get on a key ring, made of wool with a bell on top. Well I got one of those each year and now I had thirteen. My latest one was 'Pin Head' and he looked like a skeleton with a bunch of pins in him. He was my second favourite. My favourite was the angel one. It had black hair, white wings, red dress and was crying. Her name was 'Scarlet'. I trudged over to Lodge Four for Latin class. We had the new teacher who had replaced Madame Galeshaw. Her name was Miss. Falton. "Hello." she said cheerfully and wrote the day's title on the board. Omnis diei vita. A translated it easily as Every day life. If it was one thing I'm good at, it's languages. I could speak our native Angita before I could walk, English, French and German before I was five. Latin, Ancient Greek and Spanish when I was seven. Everybody else sat there looking at muttering trying to figure it out while Miss sent the books floating out to us. I, personally, couldn't wait until The Chains were lifted. The Chains are when you are under sixteen so you can't use your powers but your powers can show, you can be good at something are a little will escape when you're angry or scared but all I'm good at is languages... You just have tolearn the theory and then have to practise in-job for two years under supervision, well, unless you were a Seeker. If you were a Seeker then you had no supervision, you were left to do what you saw fit. 
       I wrote my name on my book and waited. Miss. Falton called the register but stopped, as new teachers do, when they got to my name. "Oh." she said "I see we have a Latin named student in the class." Everyone turned, once again to me. "Can you say it then translate it for us?" she said, clearly trying to catch me out. 
       I sighed. "Fiducia Astrum Umbra. Trust Heaven's Shadow." I said in a voice that clearly stated that we'd been there, done that and got the T-shirt.
       "Very good." she said. "Are you fluent?" I felt like saying 'It's my name! Of course I know what it means!' but no. I like showing up the teachers. Even my peers enjoyed it. They could, now at least, understand most of what we were saying, after many times...
       "De cursus!" I said with mock horror. The class tried to conceal they're laughter, once more, at the look on our new teacher's face. It was shock mixed with jealousy. I doubt she ever met someone under sixteen who could string to Latin words together before. 
       "Bene, quod est bonum." she said, her lips becoming a pout.
       "Etiam, is iustus est." I replied smiling and leaning back. Miss. Falton was clearly marking me down as one to watch, I think she didn't like the fact I could speak Latin.
       Miss. continued to talk about Latin and how formal is different from casual and blah blah blah. 
       I gazed out of the window all through the lesson. I know! I'm a model student. I was looking at the sun dial in the main plaza, by the dorms. The shadow moved over onto the X meaning ten and the gong rang from Mistress Pennyfeather's office. I packed my bag and left before Miss. Falton could call me back. I was heading towards the HS department when I was cornered by Luca Salzar. Joy.




I dedicate this to Robin Snowscar as she is having the same kind of problem as me - only being able to comment on a select few blogs. So I know you can read this and just so you know, I'm still reading yours too! *hugs*




1)     Rabies Sceptrum , Nos Postulo Vos Haud Diutius Sanitas!    < This is my suggestion for the Straight Jackets moto! It means 'Madness Rules, We Need You No Longer Sanity!' 


2)     Otherwise I suggest this 'Furor Est Ars Sola Potest Ministros Domini' which means 'Insanity Is An Art That Only Minions Can Master'!
Will you vote on them? Please?


I've changed my picture again! *gasp*


From...





To...

 I think I like my new picture best...

Anyway, that's it for now! 


Lynxia x