A New Beginning (Crossedlake University Book 1) Read online

  A New Beginning

  Crossedlake University

  E. E. Thatcher

  Copyright © 2021 E. E. Thatcher

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher

  except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter One

  “I don’t understand.”

  I really didn’t. I got the words coming out of the strange woman’s mouth, but something just wasn’t clicking in my head.

  The elderly woman smiled sweetly, deepening her smile lines, and a pensive look filled her small brown eyes as she looked at the candy dish on my coffee table. After a moment, she looked me in the eye. The light hit them oddly, and I swear I saw them shift colors.

  “Magic is real. You have the capability to do magic. They have accepted you into a school that will teach you to do magic,” she replied, choosing her words carefully. She snatched a caramel from the candy bowl and unwrapped it quickly before popping it in her mouth and grinning at me.

  “I didn’t apply for any schools,” I said. Somehow the application being sent without my knowledge was stranger than the fact that this crazy woman is saying that magic is real.

  “We received your application, and it was accepted.”

  She introduced herself as Aldora Elowix, and Aldora pulled off the look. I’ll give her that. Both the crazy and the ‘magic is real’ look. The cloak she wore was frumpled. It looked like it had seen much better days, as did the matching wide-brimmed hat on her head, but the material looked expensive. The staff she had leaned precariously against my bookshelf was a nice touch. Her whole vibe was reminiscent of an elderly wizard locked in a tower for a hundred years, studying arcane scrolls. She was just missing the white beard.

  “How much money are you asking for?” I asked, cutting to the chase. This reeked of a scam, someone preying on impressionable college kids, promising them greatness at the low price of your bank account and social security number.

  “There is no cost,” she said around the caramel in her mouth.

  That’s a new one.

  “How does the school stay in business? Someone has to be paying somewhere?”

  “The students create items during their studies that the university sells.”

  Oh, so labor is the cost.

  “So, I’ll come to your school. You’ll ‘teach’ me and I’ll make things for you to sell.”

  “Yes.”

  “You realize how that sounds, right?”

  “I am not following you.”

  “If magic is real, why have I never heard of it before now?”

  Aldora’s eyes widened, and she asked, “You have never heard of magic?”

  I sighed, “Yes, I’ve heard of magic. I mean, I’ve never seen it. I don’t know anyone that can do magic.”

  “It’s not a common gift, the capability to do it. Besides, most people’s innate abilities do not unlock until they are in their twenties. Some exceptions, as with everything, but usually not.”

  Fine. I’ll play along with your game.

  “Okay, prove it.”

  “Prove what?” She asked, tilting her head.

  “That magic is real.”

  Aldora looked at me for a moment before rising to her feet with a groan. She appeared very frail and old. It made this more believable. I’ve never heard of someone her age scamming people, but I’m sure there’s a first time for everything. Then again, it was Sunday and what school official would work on a Sunday?

  She groped at her staff and it slipped out of her hands, clattering to the floor. The green gemstone on the end sparked briefly. Or did it? I think I imagined that part. She started to bend over, and another groan escaped her lips. I actually heard her back pop as she got to the halfway mark. Feeling a little bad for her, I leapt up and reached for the staff.

  “No, don’t,” she said in a panic.

  It was too late. My fingers had wrapped around the mahogany staff.

  “Drop it!” She shouted. “Let it go!”

  Alarmed at her newfound energy, I released the staff from my grip. Except it didn’t fall to the floor. It remained pressed against my hand. Instinctively, I wrapped my fingers back around it and the green gemstone sparked and flashed rapidly. My vision blurred and a burst of green and blue light enveloped me.

  The world around me exploded into a dizzying array of light and color as a freezing breeze swept around me. I could make out the faint outlines of my furniture and Aldora standing in front of me. Lines of golden light zig-zagged through the center of hundreds, thousands, millions of colorful circles. A loud rumbling filled my ears, drowning out all other sounds. My stomach did a flip, and I felt like I might throw up at any moment.

  What the hell is going on?

  The more I looked, the more circles of light I saw. It got to the point where everything became a haze of bright color and I slammed my eyes shut. I tried to drop the staff again, but it wouldn’t budge from my hands and I felt behind me for the couch I had been sitting on. I collapsed onto it, keeping my eyes firmly closed and trying to focus on my breathing and not puking. The light still burned brightly through my eyelids.

  A warm touch that contrasted the chill breeze still blowing across my body gripped my shoulder, and I felt the staff leave my hand. The light blasting against my eyelids faded into nothing, and I hesitantly opened my eyes. The outlines of the circles of light were still burned into my vision, and it took a moment for me to see clearly again.

  “What?” I asked, summing up every burning question in my head into one word.

  “Well, you wanted a demonstration,” Aldora chuckled, easing herself back onto the armchair. This time, she kept a tight grip on her staff. “Usually, I would have given you one that wasn’t quite so… vibrant.”

  “What?” I asked again, still the only word my mouth can form.

  “It was magic, dear,” she said, patting my leg gently. “Now, tomorrow is the first day of university. Will you be attending?”

  Hell no. That was way too much and if that’s what she calls ‘magic,’ I’d like to stay far away from it.

  “It’s not always like that,” Aldora said, seemingly reading my mind. “The first time you view the other plane is rough on everyone.”

  “Other plane?”

  “It is far too much to explain right now, but you’d learn about it in classes. In short, it’s where the magic comes from.”

  Millions of questions, more specific than ‘what,’ burned in my brain and I wanted to drill her on each and every one of them. I started to ask about the circles, but she cut me off and said, “I have to be leaving now. I have a couple more students to meet with today. Orientation s
tarts tomorrow at seven a.m. Be there early for your first day.”

  Aldora stood up with a grunt, this time assisted by her staff, and hobbled towards my door. My mind was still swirling with questions and I said, “Wait. Can’t you answer some questions first?”

  “No time, dear. We will explain everything at the university,” Aldora said calmly as she opened my door and stepped into the hallway. The door started to slowly close behind her.

  I jumped to my feet and bolted for the door, grabbing it just before it closed and flinging it back open.

  “Wait, you didn’t tell me the name of the university or where to go…” I stopped speaking when I realized I was alone in the hallway.

  Where is she? Did she just sprint off down the hallway? She could barely get out of the chair.

  I stared at the door across from mine as it rattled. The door cracked open several inches, the darkness inside sending a shiver down my spine. I watched in anticipation, waiting for I don’t know what. My experience with the other plane had put me on edge, and Aldora’s sudden disappearance didn’t help.

  The door across the hall slammed shut suddenly, and I almost jumped out of my skin. I jumped again when something pressed against my calf and I leapt back inside my apartment, ready to swing my door shut.

  “Mew,” a quiet voice whispered from the ground. I looked down and laughed.

  “Hi, Charlie,” I said to the black cat that roamed our apartment. He didn’t belong to anyone in particular; Charlie just weaved in and out of the apartments and we all kind of took care of him.

  “Mew,” Charlie replied, rubbing against my leg again. I reached down and gave him a good scratch behind the ears.

  “Do you want to come in?” I asked, stepping away from my door and giving him access.

  Charlie stuck his head into my doorway and looked around. His ears went into airplane mode and his pupils dilated. He sat down and stared creepily into my apartment, tail swishing slowly behind him. I watched, getting nervous again, as he continued to stare for several seconds.

  I jumped again when Charlie trilled loudly, sounding oddly like an affirmation, and his ears returned to normal. He rubbed against my leg one last time before taking off down the hallway. I watched his tail disappear around a corner before glancing into my apartment nervously. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to me, but they always said cats could sense things that humans can’t.

  I shuddered and stepped back into my apartment. The door thumped loudly against the frame; the sound seemed to reverberate in my apartment for far too long. I collapsed on my couch and pulled my feet onto it, suddenly feeling drained; the desire for a nap becoming far too strong.

  Softness and warmth enveloped me as I pulled the green afghan off the back of my couch and over me. I dozed off in seconds.

  ✽✽✽

  Quiet meows woke me suddenly. My eyes fluttered open, and I looked around the dim room. The light from the windows had changed from bright sunshine to the orange glow of a streetlight. Rapid scratching and more muffled meowing got me to my feet.

  Make up your mind, Charlie.

  This was nothing new. Charlie always begged to be let into people’s apartments every night. He rotated to a new one every night, wanting a quiet place to sleep. Guess tonight is my night.

  I opened the door and looked down, ready to usher Charlie inside and make us both some dinner. To my surprise, Charlie wasn’t alone. He had a chunky calico with him, their tails entwined. They both looked up at me expectantly, and I stepped to the side to let them in.

  “Sure, Charlie. Just bring all your friends over. It’s no problem,” I laughed. You give an inch and they take a mile.

  Both cats rubbed against my legs simultaneously, each of them purring loudly. I reached down and gave Charlie a scratch before I offered my hand to the calico. She butted her head against my hand and I gave her a scratch behind the ears, too. The bell on her collar tinkled loudly.

  I ran my fingers under her chin and scratched, getting a good look at her collar and the bell as she raised her head to give me better access for scritches. The bell had a charm behind it, a green circle with golden lines zig-zagging in the center. The charm glowed faintly as my hand neared it, and I turned it over in my hand to find words written on the back.

  The calico meowed at me, a hint of demand hidden in there, when I quit scratching her to read the tag.

  “Sorry,” I said, hastily returning my other hand to her chin.

  The words were tiny, but somehow I could read them clearly. The tag said:

  ‘This is Esmeralda. Please return her to Crossedlake University. She knows the way. The words of entry are Nal Lund Crel Zuran. We will see you soon and look forward to your attendance. Have a safe journey, Clara Cassidy.

  P.S. Do not let Esmeralda have any candy, she needs to lose weight.’

  I glanced at the bowl of candy on my coffee table, and Esmeralda followed my gaze. She trilled happily and pranced towards the table.

  I was uncertain what to think or believe right then. I could have just been dreaming.

  Ow.

  Nope, pinching myself did nothing. Crossedlake University. I’d heard of the town of Crossedlake. There are tons of stories and legends surrounding it, but everyone I know that’s visited said that it was just like any other small town. A main drag with a few stores, some houses, and lots of trees. Definitely not a school of any kind there.

  My phone buzzed on the coffee table, and I reached out to grab it, but stopped when I saw Esmeralda delicately pick up a piece of candy and place it on the table. She put a paw on both sides of the wrapper and used her teeth to ever-so-carefully unwrap it. She purred, and the caramel disappeared into her mouth. I watched as she chewed thoughtfully, staring at me. I swore she was smiling.

  How?

  “No, ma’am,” I said sternly, picking up the candy dish and putting it in the drawer. Esmeralda, now finished chewing, made a grumbling noise and leapt to the floor. She expertly opened the drawer and snatched another candy from inside.

  I debated on taking it from her but instead closed the drawer again. I bought the coffee table secondhand and the previous owners had children, so they had installed child-locks on it. Luckily, I had been too lazy to remove them. The latch snapped into place and the drawer was secured.

  Esmeralda side-eyed me the entire time I was locking the drawer.

  This is all far too bizarre.

  My phone buzzed again, and I snatched it up. E-mails from several stores, should have known. I dropped the phone on the table and went into the kitchen to make something for dinner. My stomach had ached slightly; I hadn’t eaten all day. Macaroni and cheese with some bacon sounded pretty good to me.

  Esmeralda and Charlie wrestled at my feet the entire time I made dinner. Once I finished, I opened a couple of cans of cat food I had on hand for Charlie, and placed a plate in front of each of them. They ate noisily while I contemplated life at the table.

  What should I do? Should I follow Esmeralda? What does that even mean? She knows the way. She seems content to just stay here and eat and hasn’t even tried to lead me anywhere.

  To answer my thoughts, Esmeralda jumped up on the table and meowed at me from a foot away. A little close to my food, but I was done anyway, so whatever, I guess. Charlie meowed from the floor.

  “Yes, Charlie, no cats are allowed on the table. I guess she doesn’t know that.”

  I got up to take my bowl to the sink; Esmeralda immediately leapt onto the floor and weaved between my legs, meowing incessantly as I dropped my bowl in the sink.

  “What? What do you want?” I asked with a giggle. Crouching down, I reached out to pet her, but she pulled her head away and took off toward my bedroom. She stopped in the doorway and looked back at me, meowing again.

  Charlie disappeared into the bedroom while Esmeralda continued to stare at me.

  She knows the way.

  I grabbed my phone and walked up to Esmeralda. She meowed again and ran into the bedro
om. Tension hung in the air, the anticipation of a grand adventure. I braced myself for whatever was to come and stepped into the dark room, flipping on the lights.

  The two cats had made themselves at home on my bed, curled up on each other and both already somehow asleep.

  So much for a grand adventure. None of this is real. That’s just a normal stray cat. There’s no way magic is real. I’ll wake up tomorrow and everything will be normal. There’s no doubt about that. That old lady was just trying to get money out of me, some kind of pyramid scheme, I’m sure. Then again, those lights I saw… There's no explanation for that.

  I looked down at my phone and checked the time.

  Damn, it’s already ten. I’ll just figure things out in the morning. They’re making the bed look cozy and it’s hard to resist.

  The weight of fatigue pressed heavily on me, even after my long nap. A nice, deep sleep in my soft bed sounded great right then.

  I grinned at the cats and stripped off my clothes, throwing on some pajama pants and an oversized tee, then climbed into bed beside them. Esmeralda raised her head up and watched me intently as I settled in; once I got situated under the covers, I swear she winked at me before putting her head back down.

  Such a strange cat. She must be Aldora’s. All part of the scheme… right? Right?

  I have some severe doubts about it being just a scam. The lights were unexplainable. Aldora disappearing was unexplainable. This cat is unexplainable.

  ✽✽✽

  I awoke to a heavy weight on my chest. Esmeralda was sitting on top of me, staring deeply into my freshly open eyes. Her mouth opened and sheer wonder overtook me.

  She actually is a magic cat, is she going to talk!?

  “Mrow.”

  Oh.

  “Good morning,” I said, stretching my arms out and bringing them back up to scratch her head. “You are very heavy.”

  Esmeralda’s ears tilted away from me, and I felt kind of bad. Not that she could understand me.

  “You’re beautiful, though,” I said quickly, giving her another scratch.