Bad Dreams

Headmistress Desiree stood in front of a full-body mirror, trying to ease her heart. She was in her office, and a phone sat ominously quiet behind her, promising to ring before long. To keep it out of her mind, she tried to focus on the woman looking back at her, 37 and beautiful in a lacy long dress. It was so purple it was almost black, and today she had paired it with a wide-brimmed hat of the same design. She would say she was stunning, though the look would be all but wasted on her alone. That damned phone would ring, and she couldn't leave the office until it did.

​She knew it would ring because she could feel the trouble brewing in the bowels of the mountain. Her powers couldn’t show her what that trouble was, but she felt it like a tremor turning into a quake. The phone call would enlighten her, and that terrified her more than what the tremor might mean.

​When it happened, the ring stabbed through the office's quiet. She approached the phone with the trepidation it demanded, and tried to swallow the fear in her throat.

​“This is Headmistress Desiree,” she announced.

​“Desiree,” a stony voice replied.

​Desiree needed no introduction. This was the Queen's attendant, Charlotte, the unfortunate bearer of bad news.

​“The Princess has been having bad dreams,” Charlotte said.

Having. Present tense.

That meant these weren’t dreams in passing.

No, these were recurring. Which meant everyone had waited for them to stop.

“I understand,” Desiree replied. “I'll summon the alumni as quickly as possible. I regret to inform the Queen, however, that they are scattered over the mountain.”

“And the Queen regrets to inform you that we need a new batch.” ​That was what she had feared the most.​

There were a lot of things that Desiree had to accept as the headmistress of the Royal Academy. She had to accept that she answered to the castle. She had to accept that the student body wouldn't love her. She had to accept that one day, she would be sending the girls back home or through a life-threatening trial. But she had never had to accept that she had to send them ill-prepared. Not until today.

“Desiree,” Charlotte called.

​She wondered how long she had stood there in silence. “I understand. I will start the graduation trial immediately.”

​“Remember, any amount will do.”

​The phone clicked as Charlotte hung up, and Desiree controlled herself not to slam it down. She had another call to make, after all.

​“Caroline,” She breathed as her vice picked up. “How many of our girls are ready for graduation?”

​She heard shuffling and typing. “Um, of all of the classes? Five.”

​Desiree breathed again. “Send them all to the gate.” She loathed those words, and hoped their estimations were wrong. Otherwise, only 7% would survive.

​The Gate sat beneath the school in a pearl-white room. 72 students were gathered inside it, uniforms pristine, expressions ranging from antsy to impatient. Desiree could see them all, none older than 18, making her painfully aware of what she was about to ask. Still, she had a duty, and that started with appearing before them.

​“Hello, girls. I’m certain you all are wondering why you’re here. While we normally break our classes into graduating groups, today we’re asking you to challenge the trial together.” Their expressions changed to attentive. “I will be honest with you, this trial is not a simple one. It will not just challenge your understanding of the curriculum, but your very life. This is not a trial for the faint of heart, nor for those who hope to make it home. That will be your one warning. Do not enter these gates if you feel unready. Those who remain will be returned home, and I promise that is better than going forward and losing your life.”

​She knew she was saying too much. The Queen would have had her immediately open the gate, but she didn't have to look these girls in the eyes. Desiree did, and indeed, she took the moment to scan her audience. Some of the attentive faces were now uncertain, whispering to their friends about what the trial might entail. Others were unshakeable in their confidence, pushing to the front of the crowd as if to say, “me first!” Desiree felt most sorry for the girls stuck in between, not sure if they should go forward but afraid of returning to the worlds they left behind. As their mistress, she wanted to talk to each of them, but the world would never give her the chance at the best of times.

​“If you want to bow out, take a step back.” She waited, but even the uncertain girls stayed where they were.

​Desiree stepped aside and let them take in the gate. It was an ornate thing of black and gold, with star-shaped accents sitting along the top. A shield-like mechanism held the gate shut, waiting for her word to wind and open. The girls stared at it with awe and trepidation. Darkness stretched onward on the other side, almost hungry for the lives she knew it’d take.

​“Once this gate closes, it will not reopen. Your only exit is through the labyrinth, the first part of this trial.” Just one more warning couldn’t hurt.

​Still, none of the girls backed down.

​“Then without further ado, let this graduation trial begin!” She raised one hand, and the gate began to move.

​ Despite their conviction, they all waited for it to open, and some still waited for the bolder girls to venture in first. Desiree watched them all go, like a mother bidding her children goodbye, and even felt her heartbreak at the sight of the youngest. She asked herself what type of woman she was to let any of this happen, but then… she felt a tremor again, warning her that it was a must. It straightened her back, steeled her resolve, and reminded her that 72 girls did not outweigh the life of the mountain… ​