Anatta

I looked up at the night sky and I saw the most beautiful sight. The stars were shining bright and the moon was full and a wonderful orange color. A meteor shower was going on and a lot of us were watching.



My teacher told us to keep watch of the animals. They know magic’s pull. It makes them go a little hyper. Its energy gives them that. Magic. They can feel it.



I felt no reason to watch animals. I didn’t need to. I can feel them. They are my energy and power. I am unique of our Circle. I get nature. And the pull of the vampyre’s madness. I crave blood. No one else does. I am a witch with vampyre madness. Usually, only humans get it. That’s what makes me unique.



“Anatta,” screamed my teacher.



I jerked me head away from the wonderful sight of the sky and out of my own babbling thoughts.

“Yes, Denaley?”

“Pay attention. I was asking if you know what shower this is.”

I looked up again, and remembering the date, I said: “The Geminid Shower.”

Looking satisfied, Denaley moved to another student. I continued watching this meteor shower. I never want this to end!

Melody

I watched her watch the sky. She is so strange. The only one who wants blood. I’ve tasted it. It’s disgusting. She loves it. Ugh.

Her head moved. She turned in my direction. She’s looking at me. Can she feel my stare? I’m not so very important in our class. She probably doesn’t know my name. I’m practically invisible. She whispers to a little rabbit in her lap.

That’s another strange thing about her. She can call any animal to her and they listen. The same with the weather and a lot of other things. She has only been here for a few weeks, but she’s already a maiden in training. She is the only one here doing it. I didn’t know someone so young can be so powerful.

The rabbit is bouncing towards me. I don’t know how, but it feels normal.

“Hello, rabbit,” I said as I petted it.

Its nose twitched and lay down on my lap. The rabbit was soon asleep.

Anatta

That girl, whose name I think is Melody, was staring at me again. I wouldn’t have known if the rabbit hadn’t told me. Her name is Silver, Sil for short. She told me Melody was staring at me.

“Anatta, what is the name of the constellation to the north of the shower?”

I looked to the right and saw The Phoenix. I gave my answer.

She moved to another girl and I went back to my own thoughts.

Melody

She is a smart girl. I never knew anyone so smart. I wish I were her. She has intelligence and power that every one of the teachers loves. I guess everyone wants to be her.

Denaley

All the girls love Anatta. She’s only been around for a few weeks, and already is very popular.

“Denaley?”

I said, “Yes?”

“When can we go home? I’m tired and hungry.”

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement with her, Cyan.

“I guess we can go now. The shower is ending anyway.

Anatta

I hate that we have to leave now. I am with my power. Nature, the beautiful power.

“Anatta, let’s go! Denaley said we can get steak!”

“Fine, I’m coming.”

I could care less for steak. I want to be with Nature.

Denaley

Next time, I’ll let Anatta choose. She doesn’t seem to be happy with this. She is the jewel of our Circle and she needn’t be sad. That makes her not shine with perfect luster.

“Denaley, when is the boy’s Circle coming over?”

“It’s always the third week of every month. Next Monday, Sheila.”

She walked away satisfied. I hate that all they think about is the boy’s Circle. Well, not Anatta. She could care less. She just needs something. But, what is it?

Anatta

Again, Sheila is worrying over the other Circle. The boy’s Circle.

Why can’t they see that other’s that get in the way are not important? Boys just get in the way, all those emotions, all that confusion. It just gets in the way. Am I wrong for thinking that?

Melody

The bunny’s ears perked up. It looked at me and its nose twitched again.

“Go ahead, if you need to leave.”

It listened. I followed it and smiled as I saw it was going to Anatta. She picked it up.

“Hello, Sil, as well as Melody.”

I stared in complete and utter happiness.

“I know your name, only because you’re cool with me. Though, if you liked me so much, you should have spoken to me from the beginning. It would have been much nicer.”

I nodded.

“You don’t speak much, do you?”

I shook my head and said “No.”

“Well, I believe we’ll be good friends.”

She hooked her arm in mine and we walked off.

Anatta

I made a new friend. Melody is cool, it’s just she needs to get out of that protective shell of hers. I’m going to ask if I can join in her room. She’s the only one in that big room anyway. I’m alone too. So I asked her and she nodded her head vigorously. I smiled as we walked to the castle that is our home.



Later, I asked Denaley formally and she approved. I walked to her room, which was two rooms away from mine. I told her and she started shaking and crying.



“Are you okay?”



She nodded and said, “I’m just happy. Are you going to need help moving out?”



“Sure, go ahead.”

Melody



We walked to her room and got her bed and stuff. She wants to be my roommate? I’m so happy, I could cry.



“Please don’t. I don’t feel like crying myself.”



I looked at her and gasped.



“I can read minds. Didn’t you know that?”



“Did you do that with the teachers?”



“No, their minds are protected from me and Ailita.”



“She can too?”



“Yeah. We talk to each other at night even though she’s like four rooms away. We get bored at night because we are both insomniacs.”



“Do you two have any more in common?”



“No. Her power is for music, not Nature. You don’t know yours yet, do you?”



I shook my head.



“Well, I guess I can help you figure it out.”



We spent the rest of the time rearranging and talking about magick. Then the bell rang for dinner and we had to go. We talked arm in arm the whole way.

Willa



When the two girls walked in, I knew something I never knew before: This is going to be the best experience of my life. The first night living here and I see people with burning auras. Theirs were the hottest.



“Willa, you must put all your things away. We just got a room emptied today. You can have that one if there are no potential roommates for you, my young Prophetess.”



“I see two coming in. Their light is so bright; I think I will go introduce myself.”



I walked away from Denaley and towards the two girls sitting down. They were giggling and talking animatedly. Well, the shorter one was. The taller one was giggling and nodding. They stopped when they saw me.



“Hello, my name is Willa. I am new to this Circle and I wish to be your roommate.”



They looked at each other and their lights changed. They looked back at me and the shorter one nodded and said “Yes.”



“Thank you. May I sit with you?”



The taller nodded and I sat. Their colors changed again, almost to the one that was there before I went to them.

Melody



There is a girl here. She says her name is Willa. Anatta told me with her mind that Willa is a Prophetess and can see our auras. I don’t really remember what that stuff means, but that sounds like a good thing. She said that she can help in our search for my power.



“What are your names?”



“I thought you would know, seeing as you are what you are.”



“What is it that you mean?”



Anatta looked at me for help.



“I think she means that you are a Prophetess.”



“Oh.”



Willa looked down and said “I do not know that information.”



“Well, I’m Anatta and this is Melody. I’m a Reader and one of Nature.”



“Well, if you’re a Reader, then you should have known I didn’t know.”



“I wanted to see if you could tell.”



“Okay.”



I watched them have their conversation and listened to what Anatta was telling me mentally.



She likes us. She wants to be friends. She wants to know why you don’t know your power.



“I know magick, but only the basics. I have not yet learned my power.”



She looked at me confused and asked “Are you also a Reader?”



“No, she isn’t. I can tell others what I want without speaking.”



“Then you are more than a Reader. What is that called again?”



I got up and said “Excuse me” and left.

Willa



“She’s shy, isn’t she?”



Anatta, the shorter one, nodded.



“Are you trying to Read me?”



She nodded again, but continued eating.



“What Circle did you come from, Willa?”



That surprised me because that’s all I’ve been thinking of.



“I thought you’d already figured it out. What do you mean?”



She looked at me for the first time since Melody left. “I can’t seem to Read you right now.”



“Oh,” I said. “I came from the Circle Starlight in Chicago.”



“Wow, someone’s family’s got money.”



I looked down at my food. “Actually, I don’t have a family. They were the closest Circle to me and they took me in on full scholarship.”



“Oh, I’m sorry.” She took my hand. “But it’s good they took you in.”



I looked back at her and smiled.

Anatta



I didn’t realize she could Block me without knowing. She must know she’s doing it, unless she has a natural, yet shady Block.



“You have a family, don’t you?”



Her question took me aback. I didn’t know that people would wonder about me. I am someone people believe would worry about others.



“Nope, neither do I. I guess I have one now, with you and Melody. I’m her new roommate, along with you. She’s never had a roommate before and neither have I. Now that we are with her, I hope she gets out of her shell.”



“I hope so too. She seems nice.”



More than you know.

Melody



I don’t see why people must know what my power is. How do they know that even I don’t know? It makes no sense that they can sense it and I can’t.



“Hello, Melody.”



I jumped. I was standing in the corner of our Spells class. I didn’t even hear Cyan come up behind me.



“Hello, Cyan. What is it you need?”



“Nothing. Do you want any company?”



“I guess; if you’re cool with hanging out with me.”



She sat down and I saw that she was crying before she came in here.



“Are you okay?”



She looked at me and nodded, and then she shook her head.



“Denaley just told me that I was needed in the office. When I went there, my mom was there and so was this new girl. They told me my friend is about to get hurt and she won’t listen to them.”



“Oh, then maybe you should talk to your friend.”


“I tried, but she thinks I’m silly. She doesn’t believe in magick. She’s wrong. I still love her, though.”



“Well, you’re a big person. I want to have a friend. I have one now in Anatta. I can help, I think.”



“You still don’t know your power, do you?”



I looked down at my feet. “No. And I’ve been here for a year now.”



“I’ll help you if you can help me.”



I looked back at her and smiled. “Okay. Let’s do it.”



She smiled and she got her little bag of herbs and crystals out and we got to work.

Denaley



Willa and Ms. Carmen were so upset. Willa said that she was asleep and she got a vision through the eyes of a stranger. The only thing she recognized was the name of the place she was at. But, though she knew the place, she’d never been there.



“My daughter’s friend is going to die?”



Willa nodded sullenly. “She will if she doesn’t listen to us.”


“What is it you suppose we do,” I asked. “We have long tried to help humans that are close to our students. Few have worked. Not many are very open-minded about magick.”



“I think I have an idea.”

Anatta



I looked at Willa. The few thoughts I was getting from her were of a memory of an hour ago.



“Willa, come with me.”



I got up and she followed me. We walked outside to the herbs garden and I picked up the cup and crusher on the table. I sat down on the ground and motioned for her to do the same.



As she was sitting down, she asked “Why are we here?”



I put my finger to my lips and whispered “I need complete silence when I’m out here doing my thing.”



She nodded and I chose rosemary, sage, mint and daisies. I put the herbs in a teabag and put the daisies in the cup and started crushing them to get the oil.

`

I got up and got a cup of water and heated the mixture and gave the tea to Willa.



“Drink,” I finally said when she did nothing. “It will help clear your mind of cluttered thoughts.”



She drank and she started to drift off.