After the light ended I looked around and saw I was in a classroom. I thought it was Math. Olivia was on one side of me and an endowed kid, Charlie was on the other side. "What happened?" I asked.

"You were hypnotized," said Charlie.

"Oh, well I never want to be hypnotized again," I said warily, "Plus I'm wiped."

"It takes a few days to wear off," said Charlie, "I've been hypnotized too."

"Great," I said sarcastically. "So the answer is..." the teacher asked, "Olivia?"

"The answer is... 167," she replied. "Good. By the way there is no talking to each other in my class Olivia," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "No sorry sir," Olivia replied with a smile on her face. The rest of class whirled by in that manner. "Well, I'll see you guys at break," called Charlie as we filled out of class. "Yea see you," called Olivia, as we made our way to the purple cafeteria.

"Uh-oh!" I said fearfully. "What?" Olivia asked with urgency. "Manfred is in drama too. Right?" I said. "Sorry, but yes he is." she replied. I groaned. When we took our seats, Manfred's "friend" Asa, joined our table. "What so you want?" snapped Olivia. "This is the only free seat in the whole cafeteria," Asa said cheekily. I glared at him, then looked down at my food, "Is this what we always have to eat?"

"Yup, disgusting isn't it," replied Olivia. "Look Liv, I don't feel very hungry I'll be waiting outside," I told her in a rush. "Don't worry I'm right behind you," she called as she threw out her food.

When we got outside Olivia told me, "Oh we totally forgot! You have to meet Tancred! Come on!" "Who's Tancred?" I asked confused. Olivia stopped right in her tracks, "What do you mean 'who's Tancred'? You were talking to him yesterday, remember when he gave you the note?" I must have looked more confused because she dragged me to where the two boys were standing. It was over by the ruin.

"Hey guys," Olivia called. "Hi Olivia. Hey Kate." I was still really confused. "Um, Hi?" I tried. "So Kate, this is-" started Tancred, but I cut him off, "Who the heck are you?" "Yea, very funny," said Tancred. "No Tanc, she honestly doesn't know who you are or who Sander is," said Olivia. I shot her a grateful smile.

"Olivia, we met her just yesterday," Lysander put in, "It can't be that hard to forget us. Anyway Tancred is her neighbor, she should know."

"Look, guys. She was hypnotized," Olivia finally managed to get out.

"Oh, well that changes things," said Tancred awkwardly. "Wait a minute!" I exclaimed. I had just taken a trip down memory lane. It sort of came back to me: we were in the King's Room, I received a note, I said yes, and that's where it ended.

"Oh," I said very quietly. Only Lysander heard me, "What is it?" "I think I sort of remember. I remember saying yes and... Oh crap. I have detention," I said.

"You got detention on your first day? What did you do?" asked Lysander. "I was only jogging," I said. "Oh. The Bloor's must really hate you," Tancred put in, "do they know your endowment?"

"No, I don't think so," I said thoughtfully.

"Don't let them; they'll provoke you until you do. Just watch your back," Lysander warned. I nodded still trying to remember something. I remembered the tree very vividly; I just couldn't remember where I had seen it before.

"So as I was saying earlier, this is-" Tancred started, but was once again interrupted by the bell. "Ugh!" he exclaimed and stormed off with an angry breeze whipping around him. As we went into the hall, I ducked behind Manfred to avoid further trouble. The day went on until it was once again night. That night I puzzled over where I had seen that tree. For hours I wondered until late in the night when I finally fell asleep.


The rest of the week passed in a blur until Saturday came. As I stood in the hall and watched as all the kids file out I noticed Manfred go into the music arch. I fought a battle between curiosity and fear of getting in trouble again. My curiosity won out.

I snuck after him doing my best to be quiet. When he got to the music tower he went into the Bloor's section of the castle. I waited until he shut the doors and then chose to continue. When I entered, I found myself in a dimly lit corridor with a musty carpet that made no noise when I walked on it. I saw a door off to the right and peered in.

What I saw was appalling. A sunken old man sat in a wheelchair by the fire. He appeared to be talking to a man in the room. As my eyes adjusted to the fire light I saw it was Manfred. "So, the girl is the one," the man in the wheelchair was talking to Manfred. "What girl?" Manfred asked.

"The Kate girl, the girl," the man in the wheelchair wheezed, "She really is the one."

Manfred looked confused so the old man explained, "She thinks she knows her endowments! But, how much does she know?" A look of comprehension came across Manfred's face. The old man crackled and Manfred joined in. I backed away slowly my head in turmoil. What was all this crap about "the one"?

Being confused as I was, I backed right into a piece of armor. "Crap!" I said aloud as the armor tumbled apart. Manfred looked out into the hall and saw the armor then me. "Ugh," he cried outraged. He made a grab for me, but I was too quick. I dodged it then started to build up momentum. Finally I reached a good enough speed and flew past Manfred.

This time he lunged for my feet and I tripped and fell. I stumbled a few feet then got up again. This time Manfred used a different technique. When he grabbed my arms they felt like they were on fire.

He brought me to the room with the old man. It was sweltering. I started panting. Manfred let go of me and I looked at my arms. Where Manfred put his arms on me it was red and blistered and stung like heck. I put my right hand on my left arm and used my healing ability to heal it, only it didn't heal. Frantic I tried the same thing with my other arm.

No luck. The old man turned to me and crackled again. When he was finished he grinned a toothless smile and said, "Manfred take her to the ruin. Let her get a taste of what trouble makers do when they cause trouble!"

Manfred grabbed me by the arms again and the pain increased more. I winced and he merely smiled. He took a blind fold out of his pocket and tied it around my eyes. He dragged me around the castle until we got out into the field. I knew we were entering the ruin when I smelled the musty smell and it was dead quiet, not one leaf stirred.

He dragged me down one stairway, up another until I gave up trying to memorize the route. After half an hour he stopped and bent down to tie my hands. I unclenched my teeth, for the pain on my arms subsided, as I heard Manfred walk away.

, I thought,