August sighed. It would be just his luck to be invited the School for Good and Evil the same year as his half-sister, Evelyn. He squirmed in his vine harness, trying to ignore her pinches. Unfortunately, his stepmother had insisted they share August's ticket for the Flowerground. The blue caterpillar conductor continuously eyed them suspiciously, and bluebirds singing ballads as they delivered gluten-free muffins steered clear of the preening Evelyn, which meant August had to sacrifice his own pastry to keep Evelyn's mouth shut.
They finally reached the school after listening to a sultry melody played by fire-red salamanders, punctuated by Evelyn's loud chewing. The Flowerground deposited them safely outside the school gates.
"Goodbye," said August gruffly, secretly pleased that he no longer had to deal with his plucky half-sister. The School for Good's crystalline gates swung open for him, then clanged shut in Evelyn's milky face. She gawped, then twisted her expression into an angry scowl, and stormed off to the School for Evil.
Before August the silvery water rippled, pocked by occasional profusions of flowers. Fairies fluttered and zipped by his ears as they guided him into the shimmering glass towers of Good. Impulsively, August looked over to the rotted black of Evil. Skeletal birds known as stymphs dropped wide-eyed children into gooey sludge. Evelyn looked pleased to be clean, until a large splash sent mud over her new pinafore.
August allowed himself a few chuckles as he entered the foyer of the School for Good. Glass stairways, stamped with tower names, circled away. Across the room spelled EVER, ornately carved into the walls.
In the center of the room was a tall glass obelisk, framed portraits shining proudly atop its surface. Portraits gilded with gold showed grinning students, plaques identifying them as storybook heroes. Silver portraits recognized helpers, those who aided heroes to achieve Happily Ever After. Below them, huddled on the bottom of the obelisk in shame, were rusted pictures, simply stamped as failed.
August shivered in his tattered green coat. What happened to failed students?