Wailmouth College

Also known as WMC, Wailmouth College is an independent, co-educational secondary boarding school for students of ages 13–17. Constructed in the early 1900s on Seagle Island, the college boasts 156 acres of student and teaching facilities, making it one of the largest boarding schools in the northern states.

Since its founding, Wailmouth has annually granted over $3 million in financial aid to approximately 27% of its students. Notable alumni include entrepreneurs John and Jane Doyle and the current Minister of Education, Din Athari. As of 2001, the school's acceptance rate is—

"WATCH OUT!"

The small red car swerved to the side of the road and came to a screeching halt. Everything that wasn't bound down in the car flew to the front, including the phone that was in Adima's hand a few moments ago.

"Evan? Evan! Are you okay?!"

Still dazed, the driver gave her a nod and stared through the windshield. By some miracle, he managed to avoid the shadowy blur in the middle of the road, and stop the car from crashing into the tree in front of them. He drew a sigh of relief.

"Fern? You good?"

Evan glanced into the rear mirror. A young girl was rubbing her forehead with a slight frown.

"Just bumped my head a little," the dark-haired teen muttered, "but I think the soup's spilled..."

"What?!" Adima fumed as she turned to see the mess that was the backseat. A tissue box rested awkwardly on Fern's lap. Her shower caddy, once filled to the brim, now laid bare among scattered toiletries. In a similar predicament, a small container swam in its own content in a transparent plastic bag by Fern's feet. She watched the younger girl lean down and prod at the soupy bag with a finger.

"I'll eat it out of the bag," Fern muttered, much to the disgust of the older girl. She sensed an icy glare from Adima's obsidian eyes and quickly changed her mind. "O-Or not."

The engine sputtered and came to a purr as Evan put the car on idle, hand brake pulled. He loosened his seatbelt and turned all the way back to scan the road behind them. It was empty.

"Hey, what was it you saw just now?"

"Some animal," Adima shrugged. "Probably a civet."

"A civet!" the boy chuckled while shaking his head. "Fern, are you sure this isn't some safari route? Because all we've seen for the past ten minutes are wild animals and not a single human being."

Evan was right; they were completely surrounded by tall, thin trees with no building in sight. When they arrived at the fork earlier, the makeshift sign on the left read "WMC" in big painted letters. It was the only reason they took the uneven dirt road in the first place. In hindsight, Evan thought it to be quite suspicious: a wooden plaque with the letters haphazardly painted on it, then nailed to a pole that was stuck into the ground.

If alarm bells weren't ringing before, they certainly were now.

"We can always turn back," Adima reassured, her anger dissipating at the realization. "Find another way in. Or we can just go straight home if you want, Fern. Evan has to drive 300 miles again but that means we can stop by that snack bar you liked so mu—"

"Look," Fern's voice cut her off, a finger pointing at something hanging from a tree branch, "just a few more minutes away."

Both the guardians turned to follow her finger. True to her words, a tattered banner for a previous school event hung neglected a few feet away from them. Most of the graphics were already illegible, save for the school's logo and letterings that read "100 yards" below it. Shrugging, Evan shifted back into gear and pushed the car forward. "Might as well cross the finish line."

None of them said anything for the next few minutes. It wasn't until the trees started thinning and a clearing appeared ahead that Adima broke the silence with a squeal.

"Oh thank God! I thought we were lost for good!"

As the red car traversed further across the clearing, the finial tips of a driveway gate began to emerge in the distance. Then they saw the pickets, the posts, and the huge metal logo of the college welded onto its frame. As soon as the car slowed to a stop, Fern jumped out and ran to the gate, where she could see the whole campus beyond the black iron rails.

Wailmouth College was laid out in an elliptical landscape with a multi-purpose field at its center. Despite their age, the buildings encircling the field maintained a sturdy posture against the terrain. An assembly space was built on each vertex of the ellipse where a few students were lounging, enjoying their lunches.

She peered to the side, expecting someone to step out of the security booth and yell at her for clinging to the gate. But no one was there.

"I swear I called in this morning, told them we were coming," Evan drummed his fingers. He rolled his window down, in case they needed to identify him first.

"Well it is the day before start of term," Adima exhaled. "Maybe they're a little occupied."

Just then, a stout figure came running towards them at an unbelievable speed. It was a man, carrying a jangling bunch of keys in one hand and an envelope in the other. He hurriedly unlocked the gate and ushered Fern inside before signaling Evan to drive in, then closed the gate behind them again.

"Good heavens, I didn't know you'd be coming from back here!" the man chortled, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to dab his sweat away. "You must be Farryn."

The girl was about to ask for his name when the man turned away to greet Adima, who just exited the vehicle while fixing her clothes. "And you must be the beneficent Mrs. Mackenzie!"

Flustered, the young woman quickly corrected him as she reached out to receive his handshake. "A-Actually Mrs. Mackenzie can't make it today. I'm Adima, her representative."

"A pleasure nonetheless! Zaim Athari, WMC Senator. And before you ask: yes, Din is my cousin; and no, this position wasn't handed to me on a silver platter. Fought my way up like everyone else!"

Mr. Athari moved to Evan without waiting for a response and introduced himself in the same manner; almost word for word. Fern wondered what annoying questions he'd gotten that drove him to include a disclaimer in his opening statement.

"So I must ask..." he addressed us as a whole after introductions were over, "did you happen to see anything strange coming here?"

Evan scratched his nape. "Uh... the signage was a li'l strange, I'll admit—"

"And the road was pretty unkempt for a main entrance," Adima added.

"Ah yes well—that's the back alley," Mr. Athari laughed nervously. "I'm sorry about the confusion. You see, the alley used to be private access. It fell into disrepair, so only supplies and deliveries use that road now."

As the Senator shepherded his three guests around the campus, he continued to ramble about the college.

"Wailmouth is actually in the middle of an old rubber plantation," Fern heard him say. "They ceased operations a few years ago and it's been untouched since. Without anyone to manage it, the place has gone completely wild. Good news for the animals, I suppose. But as you've seen, the overgrowth already claimed one of our driveways."

The group eventually arrived in front of a hall: the Dining Hall, as written on the sign above the double doors. The savory smell of potato fritters and fried chicken on freshly-steamed rice wafted out the doors, making Fern's stomach grumble in protest. She gulped. The potato fritters were just by the door. If she grabbed it fast enough, maybe no one would notice—

"Farryn!" Mr. Athari suddenly called out. "I'm sorry we can't give you the full tour today, but one of our sophomores has kindly agreed to take you around once you're all settled in. Is that all right with you?"

Fern nodded, putting on a wry smile.

"So let's get you settled in! The girls' dorm is on the left, and I believe the warden will escort you to your room. She should be in her office—first door on the left." He then gestured to Evan. "Come with me, son. I'll show you how to get the car here and where the main entrance is while we're at it."

Evan flashed a thumbs-up to the two girls and left to follow the Senator. With Fern in tow, Adima headed into the building and knocked on the first door she saw. There was a shuffling of feet before the door was opened slightly, and a pair of eyes peered from the crack.

"Farryn, I assume?" the woman behind the door rasped.

"Yes, um. Mr. Athari said—"

"Follow me."

The warden slinked out the door and led them through a long, winding corridor. Behind her, the two girls broke into a small run to keep up with her as they took in the view of the girls' dormitory.

The walls of the building were a pale blue, and the ornate windows looked down on them like huge glass eyes. Fern listened to the warden while she pointed at many things in quick succession. There were three blocks in total, she noted, with the corridor connecting them in between. Every block had three floors, two wings, and one warden unit.

And as it turned out, her room was on the furthest block, on one end of the middle floor, right beside the warden's unit.

"The other students are out on a program, so I trust you not to wander," the warden stated, unlocking the door to room 318. "This is your key. You'll be joining your fellow first-years in this room. Do you have your things with you?"

"Oh, my colleague will bring the car around in a—"

"Good. You can use the rear gate for today; it's just below your room. If you need anything else, I'll be in the office."

The woman turned on her heels to head back, then paused. Her hooded eyes fell on Fern.

"And welcome to Wailmouth, Miss Farryn."

The girls watched her leave, quick as she came. Adima mouthed an exaggerated wow and they shared hushed giggles between each other.

Not long after, the familiar sputter of a car engine came around the bend by the rear gate. The girls turned up just in time to see Evan—with Zaim Athari climbing out of the passenger seat—unloading luggage onto the pavement.

The next hour was spent on hauling luggages up the stairs, organizing the closet, making the bed, decorating the desk, and hiding snacks in nooks and crannies. By the time they were done, it was already in the late hours of the afternoon, and both the girls had collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion.

Adima rolled onto her stomach and pulled out a photograph from her back pocket. "Here," she placed it on Fern's chest. "To remind you of home."

Fern wasn't spared a chance to look at the photo before she was pulled into a tight hug. They stay embraced for a moment, and Fern felt warm drops on her neck.

"I really wish Mrs. Mackenzie could see you off today," Adima croaked. She was trying hard to hide the tremor in her voice. "You're her favorite, you know? She's going to be so heartbroken."

The younger girl remained silent. She didn't have the heart to tell her sister that she was actually relieved the guardian wasn't here. Mrs. Mackenzie wouldn't have agreed to her enroling into a boarding school, let alone sending her off like this. The woman would've dragged her back like her life depended on it.

As much as she loved the family, the house, Fern didn't want to stay forever. She had to look for her own truth, and Wailmouth would help her do just that.

Adima finally loosened her hug, wiping her tears away with the heel of her hand. "Don't tell Evan I cried."

***

Fern hated farewells. They're corny, redundant, yet dreadfully overwhelming every time. The emotions, if left alone, could fester into something pesky...

No. She's tried for years to get into the school, and the last thing she'd do was to let early-onset homesickness ruin this chance.

Twilight was fast approaching, which meant the students would be back soon. She looked around the room. Four beds, including her own. The noirette grabbed the bag of spilled wonton soup that she had been warming by the window. She carefully poured it into three empty bowls, two wontons each, and waited.

And waited.

Until she fell asleep.

Night had fallen when the door to 318 was opened again, this time by a girl who wore her wavy blonde hair in two low tails. Behind her another girl stood in wait, her dark grey locks falling over her shoulders like wisps of smoke. When they discovered Fern on her neatly-laid bed, the first thing they did was to give her a Wailmouth-worthy welcome.

They stood at attention by her bed, breathed in deep, and broke into Wailmouth's infamously loud anthem.

O youths of the nation!
Make haste in education
For knowledge is as fickle as can be

In dire times the country be
Your services necessary
Our unison will sooner set us free!

Jolted awake by the sudden singing, Fern opened her eyes to see two girls holding in their laughs as they try to finish the song. But they burst out laughing the second they saw how bewildered she became.

"Gosh I'm so sorry!" the twin-tailed girl spoke apologetically in between heaves. She patted her chest and exhaled. "We weren't trying to give you a scare. I'm Sofya, and the one in the fancy pants is Zuri."

"I-I'm Fern," she smiled sheepishly, "and it's okay. I'm used to pranks."

"So you're our new roomie!" The taller of the two, Zuri, tossed her bag onto her bed. "Coming back to a sleeping girl and three bowls of soup on the table... I thought we stepped into a fairy tale."

Fern's eyes widened. "Right! I forgot— There's wonton soup on the table. It's probably a little cold now but please help yourselves. My sister made it."

Zuri turned to Sofya, her eyes glinting in excitement. "I'm not one to turn down an honest-to-God home-cooked meal. Thanks, Fern!"

"Come eat with us, baby bear," Sofya gestured at the third bowl as she and Zuri took their seats at the table.

"Oh that's for... whoever's sleeping on that bed." Fern nodded towards the bed opposite hers. It wasn't made, but there were packets of chips and gummies strewn all over the mattress. A few bottles of care products were there too, though they all seemed used.

"No one's sleeping there. Well Yue did, but she went back home."

"What happened to her?"

"Hated orientation and said she's 'not cut out to be a boarder,'" Zuri airquoted.

"With good reason!" Sofya snapped, her spoon flailing in the air. "You know she got hazed, right? That one senior was rough on her for the whole week."

Pulling up a chair beside Sofya, Fern picked up her bowl and slowly swirled the soup inside. "How was it, the orientation week?"

Sofya's head perked at the question. There was a sudden shift in her demeanor, and a small smile was playing on her lips. The other two turned to her, puzzled at her silence. Fern then caught Zuri rolling her eyes.

"Depends on which senior you were under. Little Miss Hopeless here got to spend time with her eye candy! Meanwhile I'm stuck with Bug-Eyed Betty and the huge stick up her ar—"

Knock.

All three heads turned towards the door. None of them moved to answer it. A singular knock was out of the ordinary, anyway. What kind of person would only knock once, unless by accident?

Room 318 held their breaths, expecting a second knock that never came. Instead, the door swung open forcefully to reveal three figures in their doorway. They stood with their noses in the air, arms either folded or akimbo.

Confused, Fern looked to her roommates for an explanation, but all she saw was hardened expressions. She noticed that Sofya's gaze was already lowered, but Zuri couldn't take her eyes off of their uninvited guests, especially the one in the middle.

The older girl was almost a head shorter than any of her colleagues or the first-years, but an air of superiority hung heavy around her small stature. Her bulging eyes moved from Zuri, which squinted in recognition; then to Sofya, and settled on Fern. The grin that appeared on her face afterwards was anything but welcoming.

"Thought you could skip out on frosh week and get away now, did you?"

Speak of the devil, and she doth appear.