When Darkness Calls
Western Dorm
The group of girls exited the clinic and walked along the paths behind
the school. Jenn, now dressed in a baggy long sleeved shirt and a long
dress that the Sophia had brought for her, silently watched the scenery
pass as they went along. For the most part everything seemed like the
way she remembered it. Although things looked the same something seemed
different. Like the fact that she didn't remember there being a West
wing to the school for instance or the little mall out back or even the
dorms. She tilted her head to the side... nope, that didn't seem right
either. Her head felt hazy and she rubbed her eyes.
"You alright Jenn?" Kimberly asked softly, there was concern in her
voice.
"My head feels weird." Jenn mumbled, "It all feels like I'm in some
weird dream."
"Yeah, so do I." Kim admitted shyly.
"Don't strain yourself." Kris said, "It will all come back to you."
Jenn gave the girl a curious look, "What about you?" She finally asked,
"How do you remember Kim as well?"
"Beats me." Kris shrugged, "It's not all clear to me either. I mean how
do either of us know Kimberly."
Jenn could not take her eyes off the west wing as it loomed overhead to
her left, tall walls of irregularly shaped red bricks stacked one on top
of another, windows framed with crudely carved grey stone arches and old
wooden shuttered and long vines of ivy stretching its way up the wall as
if it were reaching for the sky. Why could she not remember being here
before? She slowly turned to look at the eastern dorms in the distance
and her eyes widened. She quickly glanced around the area again as
apiece slipped into place. She remembered a picnic area that lay off to
the right of them and as her eyes scanned the area they fell upon the
same bench that Kris and her would sit and chat away the evenings and
there was the tree she loved to rest under on warm days. It was all the
same and yet it wasn't.
"Jennifer?" Kim asked gently, not wanting to startle her friend.
"I remember..." She continued to study her surroundings and then her
eyes fell on the small house down the path. She tilted her head and
squinted her eyes, "That house..." She stumbled forwards to get a better
look at it. It was a small two-floor building with white panelled walls
and green-framed windows and doors. A small patio took up the front of
the building with a small swing bench outside and a yard surrounded by a
small white picket fence. She was certain she knew that house from
somewhere; her eyes fell on Kris, "KRIS!!!" She called out excitedly.
"What is it?" Kris was startled by her friend's sudden outburst.
"That house!?!" Jennifer uttered, "You lived there... didn't you?" She
uncertainly pointed at the tiny house.
Kris stopped in her tracks, "You... remember?" Kris began to tremble
ever so slightly.
"I don't know." Jenn replied rubbing her head, "I just saw you in front
of that house and... it was like... you belonged there..." She whispered
still confused by her own muddled thoughts. She could feel tears
threatening to overcome her.
Kris took a deep breath, "I did live here..." She smiled looking back at
the building; "It is the Head Mistresses’ home. They let me stay there
for a time."
"Really?" Natalie eyed Kris closely, "I didn't think any kids lived here
with the Head Mistresses."
"I'm their niece after all." Kris stated, dodging Natalie's hunting
glare.
"Uh huh..." Natalie said, not fully accepting the girl's answer, "You
love being the little mystery don't you?"
"What about you?" Kris returned the girl's gaze, "You still haven't
explained how it is that you happened to be at the pool last night or
how Jenn knows you."
"That is my secret." Natalie crossed her arms behind her head and gazed
up at the sky.
"Now who is being the Mysterious one, Hmmmm?" Kris taunted the girl.
Kim giggled softly, "You two are cute together."
"Now don't be pairing us up." Natalie playfully warned the girl, "What
about you two?" Natalie give a sly grin, "I hear you two are getting
along rather well."
"Who told you that?" Jenn demanded, her eyes falling on Kris, "Kris?"
Kris raised her hands in defence, "I didn't tell her a thing." A smile
formed on her face, "However you have to admit she is right."
"I could tell just by the way you look at each other." Natalie stated,
"You are both easy to read."
"I am not!" Jenn protested, "Kris, am I really?" She partly pouted.
"I'm sorry again," Kris tried hard not to laugh at her friends pouting,
"Natalie is right again."
"You two are so mean." Jenn crossed her arms while Kris and Natalie
laughed.
"Well here we are." Kris announced as they approached the West Wing
Dorm. It was a four floor L-shaped Victorian building that looked very
much like the Western wing of the school, with a set of stone stairs
leading to a pair of glass doors framed in red oak and large picture
windows along the ground floor.
"We are living here?" Jenn asked in astonishment as she gazed up at the
massive structure, "It looks kind of deserted if you ask me."
"Don't let the outside fool you." Natalie leaped up the stairs, pulled
the door opened and bowed, "After you ladies." She said with a grin.
"Thank you." Jenn passed through the door closely followed by Kim.
"You are such a gentleman." Kris teased Natalie.
"I am not." Natalie half objected with a slight chuckle, letting the
door close behind her.
Inside the dorm had an open, airy feel to it, the walls were an pale off
yellow with deep red wood framing the large windows that covered two of
the walls. There was another set of oak double doors at the far end of
the room. To the left were groups of black leather couches set in three
circles around wooden coffee tables. One group closest to the door had a
stereo; the one furthest away had a TV while the middle one had a small
shelf of books and magazines. Several girls sat on the couches; a pair
of girls was curled up on one couch, listening to the stereo that was
softly playing "Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum. To the right two girls
stood near a set of two pool tables set on angles from the wall. There
was a stairwell leading to the second floor next to the entrance they
had just entered and at the far end was a small office with a long
sliding window on the side of it. Everything was silent as a number of
girls stopped what they were doing to look up at the newcomers.
An older teenaged girl peeked out of the window in the small office and
quickly came out of the room towards the group of new girls. She was
clad in worn jeans and a camouflage t-shirt, that cling tightly to her
frame. Her hair was in an extremely short military cut and a pair of
wire-rimmed glasses were perched upon her tiny nose, "You must be the
new recruits." She said with a broad grin, "I'm Jessica, the Dorm head,
it is nice to meet you all." She said glancing over the group, "Now
don't tell me, let me guess." Not waiting for any replies as she crossed
her arms behind her back and turned to face Kris and studied her
closely, "Hmmm... tall, curly blue hair, lady killer eyes. You must be
the Head Mistresses’ niece, Kris." She said with a smile.
"Yeah." Kris nodded, slightly amused by the girl's antics, "Nice to meet
you." She smiled.
"Same I'm sure." Jessica smiled brightly at Kris before moving to Jenn
and stopped as she gazed down at the girl and placed a hand on her chin
in thought, "You must be the one who created the Hen Club in the East
wing, Jennifer right?"
"Ummm..." Jenn blushed deeply, "Yeah... but how did you know that?"
"Slightly Asian with short black hair and an adorably cute blush."
Jessica leaned closely to Jenn's ear, "Plus I keep tabs on all the young
lesbians in the East wing. You never know when they well move the cute
ones out to our end." She ran a finger under Jenn's chin, making the
girl shiver and step back, which in turn caused Jessica to break out in
laughter.
"Is everyone here like you?" Jenn nervously asked, curiously looking
around at the other girls who were covering up their own snickers.
"You may find you are not as alone as you felt in the Eastern Dorms."
Jessica explained with a glimmer in her eye, "And we are very glad to
have you as part of our group." Jessica pulled herself away from Jenn to
look down at Kimberly, "Well, aren't you a little beauty. That red hair
and those eyes." She said, letting out a sigh of content, "Now, who
would want to hurt such an innocent lovely like yourself?" She asked,
reaching out to touch Kim's cheek so she could get a better look at the
girl's injuries only to have the girl back away and hide behind Natalie.
Natalie stepped between Jessica and Kim, "Leave her alone, Jessie."
Natalie snarled.
"Well if it isn't Natalie," Jessica crossed her arms in front of her,
"Why am I not surprised to see you all banged up? Where's your girl?"
Jessica asked cynically, while glancing around the room, "Or have you
replaced the boi for a girl?"[3] Jessica teased craftily.
"I said leave her alone." Natalie took a step closer to Jessica and Kim
hide behind Jenn, "She is off limits."
Jessica watched as Jenn wrapped her arm protectively around Kim, "I
seee..." She said knowingly, "She is already called for. Understood."
She patted Natalie on the shoulder, "She is off limits iffffff..." She
turned to face Jenn, "Jennifer says she is." She gave the girl a broad
grin.
Jenn glaced from Jessica, to Natalie then at the frightened look on
Kim's face and back to Jessica, "She is." Jenn said protectively.
"Okay then!" Jessica stood up straight and turned around, "Do we have
any doubles left?" She called out across the room.
Another girl walked over to the office and reached through the window to
grab a large book and flipped through it, "Hmmmm... We have one on the
second floor. Room 2-3." The girl stated.
"Good," Jessica beamed and turned back to Jenn, "I'll let you two share
the same room." She winked.
Jenn felt herself flush, "Ummm..." She stammered, "Where is Kris going
to live?"
"Oh?" Jessica glanced at Kris reflectively, "That is correct. The niece
was your second in the club, now wasn't she? I'll leave the choice up to
you." She turned and started across the room, "Let me show you around
the dorm. Please take your shoes off before entering. You'll receive
indoor shoes later."
The girls did as they were told as Jessica continued her introductions
to the dorm, "If you didn't already know we are all given a weekly
allowance. The amount depends on how well you do in school and if you
don't skip too often." She glanced at Natalie, "Like some of us." She
approached the office with the girls following close behind her and a
few other tag alongs, "Also, you will be expected to help out with the
chores from time to time. You'll find a schedule posted on the side of
the office wall." She tapped a bulletin board next to the door, "The
Cafeteria can be found through those door." She pointed at the double
doors at the end of the room, "We have three scheduled meals and you can
grab a snack from time to time, just make sure you mark down what you've
taken on the pad next to the fridge, so we know to get more. Breakfast
is at-"
"Jenn?" Kim pulled on Jenn's sleeve, "Can I..?" She whispered to
embarrassed to finish the question.
Jenn turned to face Kim, "Do you want to stay with me? I mean you could
always stay with Natalie."
"But..." Kim looked up at Natalie.
"You worried about her?" Jenn asked concerned, "She seems alright."
"But she has someone." Kim mumbled, "It is not like before."
Jenn thought she understood, "You don't want to be in the way." She
asked.
Kim shuffled in place, "Sort of..." Her eyes shifted around.
"Are you two with us?" Jessica called out from near the cafeteria doors.
Jenn took Kim's hand in hers, "Come on." She started towards the other
girls, "Jessica?"
"Yes?" She grinned almost as if she knew what was coming.
"Kim wants to stay with me." Jenn stated, avoiding Kris's disappointed
gaze.
"Is that so?" Jessica looked at the red head, "Do you want to stay with
Jenn?" She asked gently.
Kim nodded shyly, "Please..." Her voice was almost a whisper.
"Alright then." Jessica walked over to the office and opened the book on
the windowsill, "You two can have 2-3 and Natalie can have her old room.
So that only leaves... Kris..." Jessica flipped through the book then
suddenly closed it, "Kris can stay with me." She leaned on the
windowsill, beaming at the girl.
"Oh great." Kris placed a hand upon her head.
"I'm sorry Kris." Jenn apologized.
"No, it's alright," Kris said with a reassuring smile, "And I think it
is a good idea."
"Well shall we visit your rooms?" Jessica asked gleefully. The group
followed the girl on the rest of the tour.
*****
To be Continued...
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