Ghost Academy 1: Summer Term, page 34
Jessica was the first one to catch her breath. “Thanks, Nicky. Daisy’s going to try anchoring with us today.”
“Great. I hope we have the same kind of success that we had with Emma.”
“Happy to hear you say so, beast man. I’ve been looking forward to this since Professor Hughes’s class.”
Professor Crawford ended a round of toe touches and clapped to get the class’s attention. “Gather around please. Today we’re going to practice the Snow Blind spell. Turn your eyes to the area near the door.”
The professor stood straight with her shoulders back. Her teased brown hair quivered as she posed. “Gather your Spirit Energy and visualize the coldest, darkest memory you can access.”
Professor Crawford opened her palms and raised them over her head. Once her arms were at full extension, she flipped her wrists and slowly lowered her hands.
A fifty foot space in front of the small group of students and ghost aides began to fill with a sheet of gray mist as the professor lowered her hands. Within moments, the indoor weather pattern intensified, and it was impossible to see the door. Tiny flakes of snow fell onto the rubber mats and tiles like powdered sugar.
It reminded Nick of driving through a storm crossing White Pass on his way to eastern Washington. He’d had to pull over when he could no longer see the taillights of the car ahead of him.
Half a minute later, Professor Crawford raised her hands to shoulder level and wiped her palms from left to right in a single movement. The soupy gray veil dissipated. The far wall and the doorway became clearly visible once again. “Mediums, anchor with your respective Shade and work that brain to visualize cold darkness.”
The other Mediums paired off with a Shade while Nick moved off to the side with Jessica and Daisy.
Once they were far enough away from the others, Nick made a small pile of rubber mats for Daisy and stood in front of it when he was satisfied.
Jessica approached Nick and barely had the opportunity to touch his hands before Nick’s S.E. was able to race out and pull her in for a sustained anchor.
Daisy’s eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped. “Damn, beast man. I’ve never heard of anchoring like that.”
Nick winced, forgetting that he wasn’t supposed to use instinctual anchoring in front of others.
He ignored Daisy’s remark and opened his hands, offering them to Daisy. “We should try it the normal way until the three of us can get the timing down.”
The Shade stepped in front of Nick, placed her hands on top of his, and shot him a wink. “Ready when you are.”
It took them three attempts to finally gel with Daisy, but the scrappy Shade was able to anchor with Jessica and Nick.
We did it, guys!
Congrats, Daisy.
Glad we could get on the same page so quickly. Now, do you two think we can try Professor Crawford’s Snow Blind spell?
Some of the other Mediums were already in the process of casting their own versions of the spell. Small pockets wispy thin gray clouds the size of basketballs and beach balls blossomed in front of these women.
Do you have something to visualize?
Yep.
Nick closed his eyes. While his memory of driving through a storm in the mountains was visually similar to the Snow Blind spell, it didn’t encompass the smell or feeling of the cold. He chose a different memory: the ice storm.
He was thirteen, and school was cancelled. Hell, most of western Washington was closed down because of the ice, so his grandparents told him to stay in the house. After showing his grandmother all of his homework from the previous day for the fourth time, Nick was allowed to fire up the Xbox 360 in his room.
Nick vividly remembered pressing the large button on the front of the console and watching the Mountain-Dew-green light come to life behind the plastic circle. He grabbed the remote and pressed the red power button, but nothing happened.
Did his room get darker? Wait, what happened to the Xbox’s power?
“Nicky, put on your winter coat, hat, and gloves, and get down here,” his grandfather yelled.
He sighed at the command in his grandfather’s voice and the realization that the power was out. He wouldn’t be playing BioShock 2 anytime soon.
A couple minutes later, he was in the darkened living room with his cold weather gear on and saw his grandparents sifting through camping supplies.
His grandfather set down a tank of propane next to a small camp stove and looked at him. “The ice is already bringing down tree limbs, so we’re going to need a lot of firewood. We’re going to move it in stages to avoid opening and closing the door too much.”
Nick followed his grandfather out the side door and was immediately slapped in the face by a freezing gust of wind. Snot froze in his nostrils as he penguin walked toward the woodpile along the back fence line.
Blowing ice, tiny flurries, a descending gray mass of clouds, and eye-watering cold made it impossible to see the pile.
He trudged after his grandfather, wondering if he’d freeze from his extremities inward or if his entire body could turn into a pillar of ice in a single moment. Finally, the woodpile came into view.
Nick visualized the numerous trips between the woodpile and the duplex’s deck. Focusing on the bone-chilling sensation and the near whiteout conditions, he opened his eyes and repeated Professor Crawford’s movements.
Instead of a thin misty ball growing in the air in front of him, a wall of slate descended from the ceiling. A fraction of a second later, this impenetrable gray soup of cloud mass dominated the entire wall in front of Nick. It spread to the adjacent wall and continued consuming the light in that area of the room.
When Nick’s Snow Blind spell had engorged to four times the size of Professor Crawford’s, small beads of ice crystals began falling. The lazy fall of these icy flakes were soon transformed by a whipping fury of wind, and all of the students were being pelted by snow and ice as it flew in sideways.
Shit!
Nick executed the same wiping hand gesture he’d seen the professor use. The precipitation ended, and the mass of gray clouds dispersed.
That was awesome, beast man!
“Thanks,” Nick said out loud, scanning the shocked faces looking back at him. “Sorry.”
In the small crowd, there was one student who wore an expression of annoyance rather than astonishment: Haeun.
“Big deal. You’re only able to create magic like that because you have two Shades anchored to you.” The angry woman turned to the other students like she was attempting to rally support. “Any of us could do shit like that if we were allowed to practice with two ghosts.”
Both Shades severed their anchors and appeared in front of Nick.
“I’d be happy to help you try it, but I don’t think it’d work,” Jessica said, looking bashfully back at Nick.
Nick had wanted to keep his S.E. number and his affinities a secret—at least for the time being—to avoid being the center of attention any more than he already was. Now, he was having second thoughts.
Maybe if he was more forthright with his classmates, Nick could avoid situations like this one. The question was how could he mention his abilities without it sounding like he was bragging.
“Professor Crawford, would you mind if I took Haeun with me to visit the Origin?” He turned to the angry woman and continued. “I think showing her my status will be the fastest way to clear up this issue.”
The professor stretched her tricep above her head and looked thoughtful. “Are you sure you want to do that, Nick?”
He stayed focused on Haeun. “Yeah. I want to show her why I’m supposed to be here.”
Haeun curled her lip up in a sneer. “I’m not going anywhere with you until I have a chance to anchor with two ghosts. You’ve been given all the advantages to jump ahead of the rest of us, and I think it’s fucking bullshit.”
“Fine,” Nick turned and walked back to the area of mats he’d piled up for Daisy. He piled a couple more bulky, black rectangles on top of the existing stack. When he was finished, he turned back to Haeun. “You coming or not?”
She stormed over with the other students cautiously following at a safe distance. “What the hell is this?”
“Safety. If you want to try dual anchoring with Jessica—”
“And Daisy. You’ve obviously been allowed access to a couple of the most powerful Shades on the campus. Those two are probably the easiest ghosts to anchor with because they’re actually trying instead of making their partner do all of the work.”
When she was done speaking, a woman with dark hair and downcast eyes appeared in front of Haeun. Tears were streaming down her face. The woman trembled in place for a moment and looked like she wanted to say something, but turned and stormed out of the room instead.
“That was extremely rude, Haeun,” Professor Crawford said, resting her hands on her hips. “After you’ve finished making an ass out of yourself and have accompanied Nick to the Origin, you’re going to track Felicity down and apologize profusely.”
Haeun rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She wore her usual athleisure outfit of yoga pants and a matching top. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, teach. No wonder the Dean’s resorting to all sorts of tricks to convince more Mediums to help you ghosts.”
As aggravated as the woman seemed, she walked into the spot near the mats that Nick had indicated and held her hands out. “I’m ready.”
Jessica turned to Nick. “We’ll make this quick.” She moved in front of Haeun and anchored with the female Medium.
Once the blonde Shade was anchored, Haeun opened her eyes and addressed the other students. “Easiest anchoring I’ve ever experienced. Jessica is obviously well suited to helping new Mediums.” She pointed at Nick. “Just remember, you agreed to this.”
Daisy strolled into position while Haeun was speaking to the other students. She cleared her throat to get the Medium’s attention. “Do you want Jessica to help you the same way she helps Nick when he anchors with another ghost?”
“Yes. I just want to be treated exactly the same way this…guy…has been since he walked in uninvited.”
The Shade in the tank top quirked her head to the side. “You heard her, Jessica. Make sure you do exactly the same thing.” Daisy placed her hands on top of Haeun’s.
A heartbeat later, Jessica was standing next to Daisy in front of the mats, and Haeun flew through the air and landed hard on the pile of rubber behind her.
“You cheated, Jessica! You’re doing something else to help Nick. I know you are.”
The blonde strolled over to Nick and squeezed his hand. “That’s precisely what I do with him.”
He squeezed back and mouthed a thank you to his blonde ghost girlfriend.
Jessica turned to Haeun. “By the way, none of us are going to help you practice until you’ve gone to the physical plant with Nick and apologized to Felicity.” Uncharacteristic anger crept into her voice.
Suddenly, all of the Shades were standing outside of their respective Medium partners. It was almost as if Jessica’s words had signaled them to sever their anchors at the same time.
All of the Shades in the room appeared to be biting back venomous words aimed at the Asian Medium.
“Fine, I’ll go to the stupid Origin, but I’m going to file a complaint with the Dean while I’m at the physical plant.” She stormed out of the room.
Nick brought Jessica in for a quick embrace. “You were badass,” he whispered in her ear.
“I’ve gotta look out for my fellow Shades.”
When they pulled away, Nick nodded at Daisy and Professor Crawford before leaving.
He was so sorry that Felicity was drawn into this, but Nick’s gut was telling him this was the right move. He probably should have nipped this in the bud on his first day.
A minute into his silent walk with a fuming Haeun, Nick decided to get her talking. “My stats will go a long way in explaining why I can anchor with two ghosts. After you see them, I’ll answer anything I can, but I want to know one thing: why are you always so angry?”
Haeun kept her eyes forward, but she scoffed. “Coming here is literally killing me. The same way it’s killing you and everyone else who’s stupid enough to become a Medium.”
“You’re right, being in Limbo is killing us, but you’re the only one who’s so angry about it. Why?”
Rage consumed the woman’s face. “I was tricked! I listened to the wrong person, and she fooled me.” Haeun clenched her fists and began pumping them as she strode like the world’s most indignant power walker. “Next thing you know, I have to jump through all these fucking hoops to satisfy the Dean and get her to approve my deal.”
“Deal?”
“Oh no, Mr. Honor Student, I’m not saying shit about my deal. It’s mine, and I’m keeping it mine.” She increased her pace and grumbled under her breath. “I wish I’d never met her.”
Rather than pursue it further, Nick decided to drop the subject. He still believed allowing Haeun to see his stats with her own eyes would help. It might not end all of her tirades, but knowing why he was on a different track than the other Mediums might get her to stop being so hostile toward the professors and ghosts she’d need to work with in the future.
Nick didn’t believe that Haeun would treat him any differently after this visit, but as long as her attitude toward others shifted for the better, he was fine with that.
They were passing the outside of Glacier Hall when a familiar voice started speaking. “Don’t worry, Erin, we’re in a safe zone. The Dean calls it a Medial Sanctuary, but all the ghosts and Mediums call a place like this a safe zone.”
“What a beautiful orange glow,” an unfamiliar voice said, clearly filled with awe and wonder.
“Right? It feels so warm. You can actually feel the protection.”
Those words sounded familiar.
Wait, she doesn’t have class today, and she’s supposed to be at home. Why is she here?
A pathway on the right opened, and Nick saw exactly who he expected to see—Lotus.
Haeun instantly stopped walking. The anger that resided in her face was let loose, and the woman’s entire body shook in a frenzy. “You bitch! You’ve found another one to trick.”
The enraged Medium grabbed the arm of the unsuspecting woman standing next to Lotus. “Run. Get out of here now. Don’t believe a fucking word of what this woman has told you.”
Lotus’s shocked eyes went to Nick, and she paled.
Haeun’s face was contorted with hatred as she glared at Lotus. “This scammer is going to steal a portion of your life—like she stole mine.”
Continue the adventure in Ghost Academy 2: Fall Term!
Author’s Notes
I hope you’ve enjoyed the beginning of Nick’s journey. Please rate and review. Receiving feedback means the world to me.
There are so many people I’d like to thank for their contributions. As always, Waifu, you’re up first. Thank you for the bits and bobs of Thurston and Lewis County knowledge, for being my brainstorming and rewriting partner, and for being my second set of eyes to catch all of the silly mistakes I inevitably overlook. I’m sure more of the story will involve the areas of King County where we first met. Love you, baby.
Shiver Dogg, thank you for introducing me to the magic that is Jack in the Box’s mayo onion sauce. I can’t begin to imagine how many nights ended with us waiting in a drive-thru line for bacon ultimate cheese burgers with extra sauce.
Kanegon, thanks for supplying some pictures from your recent travels back to Washington. They really helped me reconnect with the area, and there’s a little nod to one of your favorite dishes during the teriyaki lunch scene.
Chase Danger, thank you so much for the amazing cover image. You’re good at what you do, my man! (amazon.com/author/chasedanger)
Hadassah, you’re a wonderful editor and fantastic to work with. Thank you so much for all that you do to help me bring my stories to life in a coherent manner.
Lastly, thank you Marcus Sloss and all the folks at Royal Guard Publishing for continuing to provide me with opportunities to reach an audience with my writing.
If you’d like to read more, consider joining my Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/c/dlbacon) This is where I upload additional spicy scenes, both SFW and NSFW artwork, surveys, and drawings.
Also, check out my other series The Hero Rises.
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D.L. Bacon, Ghost Academy 1: Summer Term
