Sword & Fire

Chapter 1

(Five months later since the Prologue)

Present Day

Sword and Fire is a boarding school deep in the forest of Washington. A place where parents can forget about their children and return to their lives unaffected. All types of students attended the elite school: the future presidents of the nation, the rich and entitled, the princesses, the misfits, the unwanted, and most especially, the crazies. In other words, me.

Dad thought because he and mom attended there, I should too. He thinks I will straighten out and it would be good for me to get help. And help, I certainly needed. That much I agree with him. He pretends it's to help me and my own mental health, but we both know the real reason. He wants rid of me, and honestly, I want rid of him too. Ever since mom's death, mental health problems never left. Depression was my blanket, anxiety my friend and insomnia my enemy. Even sleep wasn't a comfort. Some people are able to sleep to escape, I don't even have the pleasure of that.

From what I learned about the school is that the studies are demanding. There is a wide range of classes to take, but they require all students to take their top four. English literature, history, algebra, and strangely mythology. I had taken it upon myself to take art as well, against my fathers wishes. With that being said, they also have a therapist on staff to meet with the troubled kids. I am required to talk to this therapist every week on Fridays.

All my thoughts fade away once the front gates to the school appear before my dad and I. The crest of the school was of two swords crossing while on fire. The school looks like a castle, with high ridges and grand windows. I could feel the haunting loom of the palace that stood before me. Though its beauty and size, the mask is easy to look through to tell this place is a prison. Parents toss their kids inside and throw away the key.

We pass the big iron gate and onto the front doors of the school. It looks so dead as there were no students and staff passing by. The doors looming before me were as tall as the redwood trees in the forest behind me. The crest of the school hangs from the arch above the doors as a symbol to welcome the new generation of students.

I leave the car and start to unload my things; only one bag and a single suitcase. My father was so off the whole journey here, we barely said any words, but why would he? He's throwing me away like trash. But, I thought I wanted to be away from him?

I don't know what I want anymore.

"So this is it."

"Yeah. Be good alright. Focus on your studies and get better."

"Yeah. Whatever." He nods his head before entering the car and leaving; without a second to spare. I stood there, not really shocked. My father was never one for heartfelt anything, but it still hurt. How could it not? He was supposed to be my father; someone I looked up too. The disappointment wore on my face for so long I sometimes would forget that it was there.

The great doors to the school opened with a loud creek. I have to admit that the building itself is beautiful. You can tell how much detail went into designing it, with staircases on either side of the entrance, overhead banisters that look down onto the main entrance and I assume halls that lead to hidden rooms and secrets. As I was admiring the building, suddenly I bump into something, causing my bag to drop along with all my stuff.

"I'm so sorry!" A girl about my age was on the floor, cleaning up my things and trying to stuff it back in my bag.

"Here. So sorry about that. I'm so clumsy at times."

She gathers my things and passes my bag back to me before looking at my face. When she met my eyes for the first time, she looked taken aback. A look of recognition went through her eyes just as fast as it left.