Petra Price and the Last Dragon: Chapter 4
Chapter 4! I can't believe it's been a month now. There's been something good about getting something out of my brain. Whether it's any good or not, I don't know, but I'm glad to be doing it. This story is also posted here on FictionPress.com.
Description: Petra Price was perfectly ordinary, until a world of dormant magic was revealed to her and she became a witch. Taken away from the life she's always known, she's faced with new friends and a new power to be harnessed. Someone's life may be at stake!
Petra was feeling quite thoroughly stuffed, to the point that she hadn't yet stirred to remove herself from the small common area near her room and go to bed. Her room was just around a corner and down a hall, but something was keeping her awake.
She was enjoying the quiet and solitude after all the excitement of the day. The other girls had said goodnight and wandered off to bed some time ago. From the bit of exploring they'd done after dinner, Petra knew that Marnie's room was just next to her own. Across the hall from them were three other girls that seemed nice enough.
With a small amount of effort, Petra was able to detach herself from the armchair she had claimed as her own. If she put it off any longer she'd end up asleep without ever going to bed.
Her room was a cozy little dome that somehow managed to feel like home straight away. It seemed a little more homey or earthy than the school's grand halls and the rooms she'd glimpsed so far. It made Petra feel like she was some sort of animal that had burrowed into the ground and dug out a place to live.
As she drifted off to sleep, she hoped a good night's rest would prepare her for what would undoubtedly be another interesting day.
It was the next morning when Petra had finished getting ready for the day that she did her second bit of magic, though it was entirely accidental. She had simply been fixing her hair with help of the mirror in her room. An idle thought crossed her mind about how she'd like to grow her hair out a bit longer, then quite suddenly she'd done just that. She marveled at it for only a few moments before deciding she didn't want to be late over it. After tying a ribbon in her hair and trying to memorize the way to the dining hall, she emerged from her room.
Marnie was sat in the chair that divided the space between their two rooms, and she jumped up rather quickly when she saw Petra. Petra gave her a grin and received a smile in return that was a little less timid than any the other girl had offered the previous day.
“Morning!” Petra said on a chipper note, “Ready for breakfast?”
“I think I might still be full from last night, it was the desserts that did me in. I still can't figure out where they came from.”
Petra shrugged, “I think we might have to stop questioning things. We're in an underground school that we've been mysteriously summoned to for the purposes of learning magic. I don't know what could surprise me after that.”
They were soon in the stairwell. Though their floor was above those that the other students were occupying, the stairs still climbed higher. Petra couldn't help but wonder what she might find if she followed them upwards instead of going down to breakfast.
For all she knew, she might find nothing but empty rooms. She might also find something horrible or dangerous, as she wasn't fully aware of anything to do with her current situation.
She cast a quick glance in Marnie's direction as she started down the stairs. The other girl walked quietly by her side. That was the problem. If Petra had gone in the other direction, Marnie would have followed her instead of turning tail and running.
Marnie looked to a leader in a different way than Petra had up until just the day before. Petra let people take on the roles that would make them happy, or rather she tried to help them with their goals in such a way as to be unobtrusive. She would let herself be guided, she would fall into the background, because she thought that this supportive character was the one most able to assist her friends. Generally speaking, Petra wasn't trying to play a part. She'd always had a certain inclination to stray away from decision making. Finding a niche to fit herself into that would allow choices to fall into the hands of others had seemed natural.
Her sudden arrival at the abandoned house that played front for the school was the first time in a long while that she had been forced to look to herself for direction. Much to her surprise, it hadn't been so bad. Then she had found Budgerigar, a boy whom inspired whatever part of her that was nurturing.
When it had been Marnie's turn to happen on the scene, she had been all silence and doe eyes. The girl had a need for guidance, and for this guidance she had looked to Petra without any sort of vocalization. Petra felt that in Marnie's eyes, those precious few minutes before her own arrival gave Petra some kind of edge on her. As of yet, Petra couldn't fathom yet if that was true.
They didn't encounter anyone familiar as they marched down to the main floor. A couple of the other children were up ahead of them once they started on their way but Petra couldn't place them by their backs. Not everyone had introduced themselves to each other just yet. It seemed that Petra and Marnie were the very last to be straggling down from their rooms.
Petra found herself hoping that Hilton and Budgerigar were presently finding themselves to be in the company of one another. She was more aware than ever before of how very much things could change in a comparatively short amount of time, but she could remember keenly how Hilton had been miserable at times when last they'd been together. His father had just been forced to move for business reasons and he'd been having trouble making friends. He'd expressed the sentiment in such a funny way, she remembered. Something about having nobody to be fond of.
Petra wasn't paying very close attention to where they were going. She wasn't at all upset when Marnie reached out a hand to stop her from turning down the wrong corridor. She gave a grin and righted her direction promptly.
It was a bit of a surprise to near the dining hall and not hear the same cacophony that had inhabited the space the previous evening. Perhaps Miss Blake had managed to calm their young instructors, or maybe they'd gone off to prepare themselves for the day ahead.
In fact, the young boys that everyone had been sure to avoid at dinner had somehow aged ten or fifteen years overnight, or else they all had horribly similar looking older brothers. As Petra got herself some breakfast, she noticed a few sets of eyes that were having trouble keeping themselves away from the men who sat where boys had been just the day before. Petra was glad that whatever had happened to them had made an incredible change to their manners. They were all sitting around, talking at an acceptably quiet level and sipping tea.
Budgerigar and Hilton were waiting for them at a table.
Hilton gave a little gesture as Petra sat down, “Aren't you glad that didn't happen to any of us? I don't fancy waking up twice as old as I was when I went to sleep. None of them seem too torn up about it, though.”
“I've got a theory,” Petra told him, glancing around to include their friends, “Miss Blake said something about the school knowing we were coming, and how it acted accordingly. I had some time to think last night, and I thought maybe it drew them here like it attracted us to come, some kids that already knew magic or something. Now I think that maybe the school grew them somehow.”
“Quite right you are!” A voice cheerily sounded from behind Petra. She spun around and had to tilt her head back to look up at its owner. One of the teachers had left his seat among the others and presently sat down with Petra and her friends, careless of their having to move around a bit to make room.
“If your Miss Blake seemed a bit frazzled yesterday, I don't wonder at it. She had the lot of us to contend with and what a holy terror that must have been.”
The children at the table stared at him, unsure of what to say. He carried on without giving any indication of noticing their slight discomfort.
“Clifford Glover, that's me. Or I suppose that will be Mister Glover or Professor Glover to you, won't it? I think 'Mister' will have to do, as I don't think I've quite earned the right to be called a Professor. You know, seeing as I was conjured out of thin air only yesterday.”
Petra and the others introduced themselves, though Petra had to introduce Marnie when the other girl was overcome with a fit of shyness.
“Did the school give you your name?” Petra asked, unsure if it was an unbecoming thing to question someone about.
“Oh, something like that, I suppose,” Mister Glover replied. “The school here, it's not just any old building. It doesn't like to let on, but it's got some kind of brain power. It remembers all sorts of things, particularly those persons which have passed through its halls. Let's say I'm what the school imagines it would be like if two of its former pupils had a child. I can show them to you before first class if you'd like.”
“Oh, that would be lovely. That is, it would be nice to see anything of this place to get ourselves more acquainted with it. Right, everyone?” Petra gave a smile to her friends, including them in Mister Glover's invitation whether he had meant for them to come along or not.
Mister Glover rose, finishing off his tea, “Quickly, before Miss Blake sees us.”
He hurried out of the room without waiting for them. After a moment, the small group made a hasty exit with Petra in the lead. Luckily, the other newly adult teachers were still drawing quite a bit of attention and if anyone was bothered by their leaving nothing was said.
They were able to follow Mister Glover without much trouble, though he did speed along at a rather fast clip. At one point, Petra was almost sure she saw sunlight coming from around a corner as they hurried past the entrance of a corridor. Finally, a short flight of stairs brought them to a stop in front of a heavy looking door.
“I've not gone in here myself yet, and I don't know if whomever is in charge now wants it to be off limits to you students. To be honest, I didn't want to brave it alone and none of my peers seem terribly interested.”
“What's behind that door?” Budgerigar queried.
“This is the records room,” Mister Glover answered. He tried the door and it swung open surprisingly easy. It didn't even make a sound.
Lights came on to brilliantly illuminate the records room, and Petra received quite a fright. Beyond the door were rows and rows of people, standing as still as possible.
“Visual representations of every person to ever set foot in this school. Students, teachers, and everyone in between,” was Mister Glover's explanation.
Petra happened to step too close to one of them, a girl that looked to be about her age but seemed taller because of the platform she was standing on. Petra reached out and gripped Marnie's arm when the girl on the platform fixed her eyes on Petra's own. With a small quirk of her mouth, the other girl started to list off information about herself and her school grades. Petra backed away after a few moments and the room was once again quiet.
“He should be just about here somewhere. My father, for lack of a better term.” They had followed Mister Glover down several rows. Petra found the blank faces of the school's records rather unsettling. They looked so real, so alive, that you could just reach out and touch them.
When that thought passed through Petra's mind, she was tempted to do just that. She stopped and reached out to the nearest platform. She moved so slowly that the impression of the boy started to inform her of his grades and merits. She didn't know what to expect, perhaps it would feel like the cool stone of a sculpture or maybe her hand would simply pass through the boy since he wasn't really there.
For the shortest of moments, the very tips of Petra's fingers brushed the boy's cheek. She instantly pulled them back, for he had felt as real as any other person and that was somewhat disturbing. She didn't have long to meditate over it before she was drawn by an excited call from Mister Glover.
“Here he is!” The man called out. There was a bit of a commotion as they all moved to stand around him, though no one else had dawdled as Petra had.
Petra could plainly see Mister Glover's resemblance to the boy everyone had encircled, one Felton Glover. They had the same dark hair and the same nose.
Mister Glover seemed like he could use a moment alone, so they walked away from him as a group to explore the records room a little further. No one could say for sure if they'd ever get the opportunity to see the inside of this particular room ever again.
Eventually the displays of recorded students dwindled into empty space, but not before Petra saw that each of them as well as the other new students had already been immortalized.
Hilton was distracted by his duplicate, gazing up at it as if waiting for it to jump down and do something.
“That's just spooky,” he mumbled.
Petra was about to turn around and head back when she noticed a lone figure standing up against the wall at the end of the room. This platform was taller than the rest and somehow looked more ornate, as if it had been chosen to draw more attention than the rest.
It certainly worked on Petra. She was closing the space between herself and this last platform almost before she was aware of doing it. Just like all the others, the girl on the platform seemed to become animated when Petra neared.
The girl identified herself as Cecelia. Petra waited to hear the same school-related information she had heard from the other displays of former students, but no such diatribe was forthcoming. Petra waited. Cecelia blinked.
“Well alright then, if you're going to make me ask.” Cecelia gave a little pout before she continued, “Who might you be?”
“I'm Petra Price,” Petra replied after a stunned moment.
“Charmed, I'm sure. Now if it wouldn't be too much of a bother, could you see about getting me down from here?”
“Can't you just step down?” Petra tried. She was cautious enough to imagine that this girl might not be all she seemed, and didn't want to volunteer her services too readily.
“I seem to be boxed in,” was Cecelia's reply, “Is there perhaps a teacher you can get, or someone else? I don't think you'll have enough power by yourself to help me.”
“Oh, there's one here with me, I'll go get him!” Petra gave a reassuring smile and retraced her steps to first find the others and then Mister Glover.
“It's one of the displays, Mister Glover.”
“Yes, Miss Price, what about it?” Mister Glover's face was drawn away from his predecessor by her interruption.
“She wants to come down.”
Description: Petra Price was perfectly ordinary, until a world of dormant magic was revealed to her and she became a witch. Taken away from the life she's always known, she's faced with new friends and a new power to be harnessed. Someone's life may be at stake!
Petra was feeling quite thoroughly stuffed, to the point that she hadn't yet stirred to remove herself from the small common area near her room and go to bed. Her room was just around a corner and down a hall, but something was keeping her awake.
She was enjoying the quiet and solitude after all the excitement of the day. The other girls had said goodnight and wandered off to bed some time ago. From the bit of exploring they'd done after dinner, Petra knew that Marnie's room was just next to her own. Across the hall from them were three other girls that seemed nice enough.
With a small amount of effort, Petra was able to detach herself from the armchair she had claimed as her own. If she put it off any longer she'd end up asleep without ever going to bed.
Her room was a cozy little dome that somehow managed to feel like home straight away. It seemed a little more homey or earthy than the school's grand halls and the rooms she'd glimpsed so far. It made Petra feel like she was some sort of animal that had burrowed into the ground and dug out a place to live.
As she drifted off to sleep, she hoped a good night's rest would prepare her for what would undoubtedly be another interesting day.
It was the next morning when Petra had finished getting ready for the day that she did her second bit of magic, though it was entirely accidental. She had simply been fixing her hair with help of the mirror in her room. An idle thought crossed her mind about how she'd like to grow her hair out a bit longer, then quite suddenly she'd done just that. She marveled at it for only a few moments before deciding she didn't want to be late over it. After tying a ribbon in her hair and trying to memorize the way to the dining hall, she emerged from her room.
Marnie was sat in the chair that divided the space between their two rooms, and she jumped up rather quickly when she saw Petra. Petra gave her a grin and received a smile in return that was a little less timid than any the other girl had offered the previous day.
“Morning!” Petra said on a chipper note, “Ready for breakfast?”
“I think I might still be full from last night, it was the desserts that did me in. I still can't figure out where they came from.”
Petra shrugged, “I think we might have to stop questioning things. We're in an underground school that we've been mysteriously summoned to for the purposes of learning magic. I don't know what could surprise me after that.”
They were soon in the stairwell. Though their floor was above those that the other students were occupying, the stairs still climbed higher. Petra couldn't help but wonder what she might find if she followed them upwards instead of going down to breakfast.
For all she knew, she might find nothing but empty rooms. She might also find something horrible or dangerous, as she wasn't fully aware of anything to do with her current situation.
She cast a quick glance in Marnie's direction as she started down the stairs. The other girl walked quietly by her side. That was the problem. If Petra had gone in the other direction, Marnie would have followed her instead of turning tail and running.
Marnie looked to a leader in a different way than Petra had up until just the day before. Petra let people take on the roles that would make them happy, or rather she tried to help them with their goals in such a way as to be unobtrusive. She would let herself be guided, she would fall into the background, because she thought that this supportive character was the one most able to assist her friends. Generally speaking, Petra wasn't trying to play a part. She'd always had a certain inclination to stray away from decision making. Finding a niche to fit herself into that would allow choices to fall into the hands of others had seemed natural.
Her sudden arrival at the abandoned house that played front for the school was the first time in a long while that she had been forced to look to herself for direction. Much to her surprise, it hadn't been so bad. Then she had found Budgerigar, a boy whom inspired whatever part of her that was nurturing.
When it had been Marnie's turn to happen on the scene, she had been all silence and doe eyes. The girl had a need for guidance, and for this guidance she had looked to Petra without any sort of vocalization. Petra felt that in Marnie's eyes, those precious few minutes before her own arrival gave Petra some kind of edge on her. As of yet, Petra couldn't fathom yet if that was true.
They didn't encounter anyone familiar as they marched down to the main floor. A couple of the other children were up ahead of them once they started on their way but Petra couldn't place them by their backs. Not everyone had introduced themselves to each other just yet. It seemed that Petra and Marnie were the very last to be straggling down from their rooms.
Petra found herself hoping that Hilton and Budgerigar were presently finding themselves to be in the company of one another. She was more aware than ever before of how very much things could change in a comparatively short amount of time, but she could remember keenly how Hilton had been miserable at times when last they'd been together. His father had just been forced to move for business reasons and he'd been having trouble making friends. He'd expressed the sentiment in such a funny way, she remembered. Something about having nobody to be fond of.
Petra wasn't paying very close attention to where they were going. She wasn't at all upset when Marnie reached out a hand to stop her from turning down the wrong corridor. She gave a grin and righted her direction promptly.
It was a bit of a surprise to near the dining hall and not hear the same cacophony that had inhabited the space the previous evening. Perhaps Miss Blake had managed to calm their young instructors, or maybe they'd gone off to prepare themselves for the day ahead.
In fact, the young boys that everyone had been sure to avoid at dinner had somehow aged ten or fifteen years overnight, or else they all had horribly similar looking older brothers. As Petra got herself some breakfast, she noticed a few sets of eyes that were having trouble keeping themselves away from the men who sat where boys had been just the day before. Petra was glad that whatever had happened to them had made an incredible change to their manners. They were all sitting around, talking at an acceptably quiet level and sipping tea.
Budgerigar and Hilton were waiting for them at a table.
Hilton gave a little gesture as Petra sat down, “Aren't you glad that didn't happen to any of us? I don't fancy waking up twice as old as I was when I went to sleep. None of them seem too torn up about it, though.”
“I've got a theory,” Petra told him, glancing around to include their friends, “Miss Blake said something about the school knowing we were coming, and how it acted accordingly. I had some time to think last night, and I thought maybe it drew them here like it attracted us to come, some kids that already knew magic or something. Now I think that maybe the school grew them somehow.”
“Quite right you are!” A voice cheerily sounded from behind Petra. She spun around and had to tilt her head back to look up at its owner. One of the teachers had left his seat among the others and presently sat down with Petra and her friends, careless of their having to move around a bit to make room.
“If your Miss Blake seemed a bit frazzled yesterday, I don't wonder at it. She had the lot of us to contend with and what a holy terror that must have been.”
The children at the table stared at him, unsure of what to say. He carried on without giving any indication of noticing their slight discomfort.
“Clifford Glover, that's me. Or I suppose that will be Mister Glover or Professor Glover to you, won't it? I think 'Mister' will have to do, as I don't think I've quite earned the right to be called a Professor. You know, seeing as I was conjured out of thin air only yesterday.”
Petra and the others introduced themselves, though Petra had to introduce Marnie when the other girl was overcome with a fit of shyness.
“Did the school give you your name?” Petra asked, unsure if it was an unbecoming thing to question someone about.
“Oh, something like that, I suppose,” Mister Glover replied. “The school here, it's not just any old building. It doesn't like to let on, but it's got some kind of brain power. It remembers all sorts of things, particularly those persons which have passed through its halls. Let's say I'm what the school imagines it would be like if two of its former pupils had a child. I can show them to you before first class if you'd like.”
“Oh, that would be lovely. That is, it would be nice to see anything of this place to get ourselves more acquainted with it. Right, everyone?” Petra gave a smile to her friends, including them in Mister Glover's invitation whether he had meant for them to come along or not.
Mister Glover rose, finishing off his tea, “Quickly, before Miss Blake sees us.”
He hurried out of the room without waiting for them. After a moment, the small group made a hasty exit with Petra in the lead. Luckily, the other newly adult teachers were still drawing quite a bit of attention and if anyone was bothered by their leaving nothing was said.
They were able to follow Mister Glover without much trouble, though he did speed along at a rather fast clip. At one point, Petra was almost sure she saw sunlight coming from around a corner as they hurried past the entrance of a corridor. Finally, a short flight of stairs brought them to a stop in front of a heavy looking door.
“I've not gone in here myself yet, and I don't know if whomever is in charge now wants it to be off limits to you students. To be honest, I didn't want to brave it alone and none of my peers seem terribly interested.”
“What's behind that door?” Budgerigar queried.
“This is the records room,” Mister Glover answered. He tried the door and it swung open surprisingly easy. It didn't even make a sound.
Lights came on to brilliantly illuminate the records room, and Petra received quite a fright. Beyond the door were rows and rows of people, standing as still as possible.
“Visual representations of every person to ever set foot in this school. Students, teachers, and everyone in between,” was Mister Glover's explanation.
Petra happened to step too close to one of them, a girl that looked to be about her age but seemed taller because of the platform she was standing on. Petra reached out and gripped Marnie's arm when the girl on the platform fixed her eyes on Petra's own. With a small quirk of her mouth, the other girl started to list off information about herself and her school grades. Petra backed away after a few moments and the room was once again quiet.
“He should be just about here somewhere. My father, for lack of a better term.” They had followed Mister Glover down several rows. Petra found the blank faces of the school's records rather unsettling. They looked so real, so alive, that you could just reach out and touch them.
When that thought passed through Petra's mind, she was tempted to do just that. She stopped and reached out to the nearest platform. She moved so slowly that the impression of the boy started to inform her of his grades and merits. She didn't know what to expect, perhaps it would feel like the cool stone of a sculpture or maybe her hand would simply pass through the boy since he wasn't really there.
For the shortest of moments, the very tips of Petra's fingers brushed the boy's cheek. She instantly pulled them back, for he had felt as real as any other person and that was somewhat disturbing. She didn't have long to meditate over it before she was drawn by an excited call from Mister Glover.
“Here he is!” The man called out. There was a bit of a commotion as they all moved to stand around him, though no one else had dawdled as Petra had.
Petra could plainly see Mister Glover's resemblance to the boy everyone had encircled, one Felton Glover. They had the same dark hair and the same nose.
Mister Glover seemed like he could use a moment alone, so they walked away from him as a group to explore the records room a little further. No one could say for sure if they'd ever get the opportunity to see the inside of this particular room ever again.
Eventually the displays of recorded students dwindled into empty space, but not before Petra saw that each of them as well as the other new students had already been immortalized.
Hilton was distracted by his duplicate, gazing up at it as if waiting for it to jump down and do something.
“That's just spooky,” he mumbled.
Petra was about to turn around and head back when she noticed a lone figure standing up against the wall at the end of the room. This platform was taller than the rest and somehow looked more ornate, as if it had been chosen to draw more attention than the rest.
It certainly worked on Petra. She was closing the space between herself and this last platform almost before she was aware of doing it. Just like all the others, the girl on the platform seemed to become animated when Petra neared.
The girl identified herself as Cecelia. Petra waited to hear the same school-related information she had heard from the other displays of former students, but no such diatribe was forthcoming. Petra waited. Cecelia blinked.
“Well alright then, if you're going to make me ask.” Cecelia gave a little pout before she continued, “Who might you be?”
“I'm Petra Price,” Petra replied after a stunned moment.
“Charmed, I'm sure. Now if it wouldn't be too much of a bother, could you see about getting me down from here?”
“Can't you just step down?” Petra tried. She was cautious enough to imagine that this girl might not be all she seemed, and didn't want to volunteer her services too readily.
“I seem to be boxed in,” was Cecelia's reply, “Is there perhaps a teacher you can get, or someone else? I don't think you'll have enough power by yourself to help me.”
“Oh, there's one here with me, I'll go get him!” Petra gave a reassuring smile and retraced her steps to first find the others and then Mister Glover.
“It's one of the displays, Mister Glover.”
“Yes, Miss Price, what about it?” Mister Glover's face was drawn away from his predecessor by her interruption.
“She wants to come down.”