Academy for the Strange

Chapter 3: Strange World

            Fiona blinked, rubbed her eyes, but the creature was still there. More than that, it had raced over and kicked one of the other boys, laughing. That boy grinned, revealing pointed teeth, and then said something to the other creature.

            Her hands opened and closed rapidly as she felt the colour drain away from her. She was seeing things. She had to be seeing things. People didn’t just turn into strange creatures. It just didn’t happen.

            As if to mock her inner dilemma, the creature turned back into the boy who’d hit his head, like it hadn’t ever happened. Fiona swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. She was just tired. Or stressed. That was what it was. It was stress. After everything with her mom and then coming here, it made sense. Of course she’d need more time to adjust. She wasn’t going crazy, it was just a temporary thing, nothing to worry about.

            Fiona turned to look out of the breezeway, to reassure herself that the world hadn’t gone insane, and watched several students running past, obviously in the middle of PE class. It was normal. Completely normal.

            She heard the thudding of hooves before she saw the creature cantering by. The lower half of the body was that of a chestnut horse while the top half was that of a girl. Fiona choked as her eyes went wide. She distantly heard a sharp whistle and watched a man stride forward, a teacher by his age. “Human form only!” he shouted, pointing at the centaur. “I see you pulling that again, Ms. Fletcher, and you’re getting detention.”

            The girl hung her head, and a few moments later, the horse half of her was gone and she was back running on two legs. Fiona just stood and stared at the place where the girl had been, her mouth working. This wasn’t happening. She was just having a breakdown. Just a little mental breakdown. That’s why she was seeing things. And hearing things.

            “-ona. Fiona!”

            She turned as the sound of her name finally registered. Her face creased with concern, Meredith touched her arm. “Are you alright? You’re really pale.”

            Fiona swallowed hard. “I…The girl…I thought I saw-I thought she was part horse. I think-I think I need to lie down. I’m seeing things.”

            Meredith’s hand closed down around Fiona’s arm, her face going nearly as pale as Fiona’s, her eyes wide. “Fiona, are you human?”

            “Of course! What else would I…” She trailed off as she looked into Meredith’s pinched face.

            “This isn’t good,” her roommate said. “This is really really not good. We need to go to the principal’s office. Right now.”

            Meredith grabbed her wrist and began dragging her back the way they’d come, her face tight, her steps halfway to a jog. Her words were slow to fully register with Fiona, but when they did, she found herself struggling to find words. “Are…are you human?”

            “No. No one here is. I didn’t-I had no idea you weren’t-”

            “Wait, you’re not…but…what’s going on?”

            “I think you were enrolled accidentally,” Meredith said, as she turned them sharply around a corner. “And that’s why we need to see the principal as soon as we can. He’ll know what to do.”

            “But…but you’re not…you’re normal,” Fiona’s words were almost plaintive. This wasn’t what was supposed to have happened. Meredith was supposed to agree that she needed rest, not tell her that she really was seeing crazy things!