Miss Butts stood impatiently outside the door, Jade and Gloria behind her. She had had enough of Susan's strangeness, and wanted her out of the school for good. She was a danger to the students, and Miss Butts knew that if she didn't stop that freak, all the pupils would soon be dead. It wasn't her just being paranoid; she knew that for a fact. It had already begun to happen.
A few months ago, one of the new girls, Rosie Bellbottom, had been killed by Susan's "evil", as Miss Butts called it. Miss Butts was in her office, eating her lunch, when she heard a terrified scream from the cafeteria. She darted down there, to find Rosie lying dead on one of the tables, and Susan standing over her, scythe in hand. That had been proof enough for Miss Butts, who wanted that girl destroyed. She banged again, determined to put that child's life to an end.
"Get here now!!" She ordered her student, but heard no answer. She continued to axe down the door, and heard a satisfying smash as it tore open. She burst in, axe at the ready, to find an empty room. Almost bursting with rage, Miss Butts stormed back outside, knowing that if she really wanted to destroy the granddaughter of Death, there was only one place to go.
Imp stared at the space they were in, feeling slightly nervous. They were standing in a simple area of nothingness, and he felt nothing underneath him. Looking down, he saw why; the floor was not really floor, but plain atmosphere, if you could even call it that. He was surprised to see that Susan was completely calm, but decided not to ask questions. Instead, he just held her hand tightly, making sure that nothing could happen to her. She smiled at him, and led him to a great oak door, floating in the black empty space around them. Opening it, Imp expected to see more space in front of him, but to his amazement the door led to a huge hall. Massive stairways rose from the marble floor, and a chandelier hung above them, the candles glinting like a cluster of diamonds over the large room. Imp decided that he couldn't wait anymore, and turned to Susan.
"Where are we?" He asked, dreading the answer. Susan stopped to look at him, and seemed to understand his unease.
"In my grandfather's home," she said, verifying his worries. "But don't worry," she added hastily. "He's actually kind of sweet, in a weird, freaked-out sense. And don't worry, contrary to popular belief he doesn't go around killing everyone that enters the house." Imp shrugged, reluctantly giving in to her persuasion, and followed Susan up the stairs to a large set of doors. She opened them slowly, and a small skeleton scuttled up to her. Imp looked down at it in surprise.
"Uh, I didn't know he was so small," he said slowly, and Susan laughed.
"That's not him, that's the Death of Rats." She knelt down to look at him. "Where's my grandfather?" She asked, and the Death of Rats looked up, its tiny eyes glowing a slight blue.
SQUEAK, it replied, pointing its little scythe in the direction of a large bookcase. Death was on a ladder, pulling a book down from the highest shelf. He climbed slowly down, and stood there for a moment, observing the book.
SO, YOU FINALLY MADE IT, SUSAN, he said, without turning around. He knocked some dust off the cover of the book, then turned around. Imp backed away slightly as Death move closer to them, but Susan stayed where she was. I ASSUME YOU CAME HERE TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING TO YOU, Death continued, and Susan nodded.
"I know someone's after me," she said calmly, and Death handed her a book.
THIS IS THE LIFE OF YOUR HEADMISTRESS, MISS BUTTS, he explained, as Susan stared at the cover. I'VE BEEN KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE WAY IT'S TURNING OUT, AND I THINK YOU'LL BE SURPRISED WITH THE ROUTE IT'S TAKING. Susan opened the book, and flicked through to the last finished chapter. She watched as the words formed on the page, then read a few paragraphs back. She came to a section on the previous page, and read it aloud.
"'She rushed back to her dorm, terrified by the sight of Susan Sto Helit holding the scythe above the corpse of Rosie. At that moment, she vowed to herself that she would hunt down her murderous pupil, at all costs.'" Susan slammed the book quickly, her face pale with shock. Imp stared at her, and Death took the book out of his stunned granddaughter's hands. She snapped back to reality, and looked up at Death then at Imp.
"What...did that book mean?" Imp asked her, not quite believing what he had heard.
"I can explain," she said quickly, her eyes filling with tears. "It's not what it seems honest. You see, Rosie was a very popular girl, too popular for her own good. One of the other girls, Tammy, was jealous of this, and since her father was in the assassins' guild she knew a few skills, and...I found her in the cafeteria, stabbing Rosie to death. Since I had a scythe, I could do the 'duty', and I wanted to try and give Rosie another chance at life, but she just wanted to die in peace, so I freed her soul for her. That was what Miss Butts saw, but I guess she took it the wrong way. Ever since then, the whole school has hated me. I always knew they would try something like this..." Susan stopped, unable to contain herself anymore, and rushed out of the room. Imp ran after her, and followed the sound of her footsteps into the garden. She knelt on the black grass, tears streaming down her cheeks. Imp walked slowly up to her, and knelt beside her, putting his arm around her. Susan looked up at him, trying to stop her sobs.
"I just want to be normal," she said, her tears falling onto the soft grass underneath her. "The people who used to be my friends now want me dead, and I can't cope anymore. Every day I wake up, and I know that I can't ever be normal. Other people wake up and wonder what's going to happen that day; I wake up and remember everything that will happen that day. You have no idea how hard it is to cope with that sort of thing." Imp gently pulled Susan closer to him, and held her, understanding her now better than ever before. He knew that she needed him, and knew that he had to protect her. He had to stop Miss Butts, but first he had to find her.
"I have an idea," he said, and Susan looked up at him, wiping away tears. "Where is Miss Butts likely to be?"
A few months ago, one of the new girls, Rosie Bellbottom, had been killed by Susan's "evil", as Miss Butts called it. Miss Butts was in her office, eating her lunch, when she heard a terrified scream from the cafeteria. She darted down there, to find Rosie lying dead on one of the tables, and Susan standing over her, scythe in hand. That had been proof enough for Miss Butts, who wanted that girl destroyed. She banged again, determined to put that child's life to an end.
"Get here now!!" She ordered her student, but heard no answer. She continued to axe down the door, and heard a satisfying smash as it tore open. She burst in, axe at the ready, to find an empty room. Almost bursting with rage, Miss Butts stormed back outside, knowing that if she really wanted to destroy the granddaughter of Death, there was only one place to go.
Imp stared at the space they were in, feeling slightly nervous. They were standing in a simple area of nothingness, and he felt nothing underneath him. Looking down, he saw why; the floor was not really floor, but plain atmosphere, if you could even call it that. He was surprised to see that Susan was completely calm, but decided not to ask questions. Instead, he just held her hand tightly, making sure that nothing could happen to her. She smiled at him, and led him to a great oak door, floating in the black empty space around them. Opening it, Imp expected to see more space in front of him, but to his amazement the door led to a huge hall. Massive stairways rose from the marble floor, and a chandelier hung above them, the candles glinting like a cluster of diamonds over the large room. Imp decided that he couldn't wait anymore, and turned to Susan.
"Where are we?" He asked, dreading the answer. Susan stopped to look at him, and seemed to understand his unease.
"In my grandfather's home," she said, verifying his worries. "But don't worry," she added hastily. "He's actually kind of sweet, in a weird, freaked-out sense. And don't worry, contrary to popular belief he doesn't go around killing everyone that enters the house." Imp shrugged, reluctantly giving in to her persuasion, and followed Susan up the stairs to a large set of doors. She opened them slowly, and a small skeleton scuttled up to her. Imp looked down at it in surprise.
"Uh, I didn't know he was so small," he said slowly, and Susan laughed.
"That's not him, that's the Death of Rats." She knelt down to look at him. "Where's my grandfather?" She asked, and the Death of Rats looked up, its tiny eyes glowing a slight blue.
SQUEAK, it replied, pointing its little scythe in the direction of a large bookcase. Death was on a ladder, pulling a book down from the highest shelf. He climbed slowly down, and stood there for a moment, observing the book.
SO, YOU FINALLY MADE IT, SUSAN, he said, without turning around. He knocked some dust off the cover of the book, then turned around. Imp backed away slightly as Death move closer to them, but Susan stayed where she was. I ASSUME YOU CAME HERE TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING TO YOU, Death continued, and Susan nodded.
"I know someone's after me," she said calmly, and Death handed her a book.
THIS IS THE LIFE OF YOUR HEADMISTRESS, MISS BUTTS, he explained, as Susan stared at the cover. I'VE BEEN KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE WAY IT'S TURNING OUT, AND I THINK YOU'LL BE SURPRISED WITH THE ROUTE IT'S TAKING. Susan opened the book, and flicked through to the last finished chapter. She watched as the words formed on the page, then read a few paragraphs back. She came to a section on the previous page, and read it aloud.
"'She rushed back to her dorm, terrified by the sight of Susan Sto Helit holding the scythe above the corpse of Rosie. At that moment, she vowed to herself that she would hunt down her murderous pupil, at all costs.'" Susan slammed the book quickly, her face pale with shock. Imp stared at her, and Death took the book out of his stunned granddaughter's hands. She snapped back to reality, and looked up at Death then at Imp.
"What...did that book mean?" Imp asked her, not quite believing what he had heard.
"I can explain," she said quickly, her eyes filling with tears. "It's not what it seems honest. You see, Rosie was a very popular girl, too popular for her own good. One of the other girls, Tammy, was jealous of this, and since her father was in the assassins' guild she knew a few skills, and...I found her in the cafeteria, stabbing Rosie to death. Since I had a scythe, I could do the 'duty', and I wanted to try and give Rosie another chance at life, but she just wanted to die in peace, so I freed her soul for her. That was what Miss Butts saw, but I guess she took it the wrong way. Ever since then, the whole school has hated me. I always knew they would try something like this..." Susan stopped, unable to contain herself anymore, and rushed out of the room. Imp ran after her, and followed the sound of her footsteps into the garden. She knelt on the black grass, tears streaming down her cheeks. Imp walked slowly up to her, and knelt beside her, putting his arm around her. Susan looked up at him, trying to stop her sobs.
"I just want to be normal," she said, her tears falling onto the soft grass underneath her. "The people who used to be my friends now want me dead, and I can't cope anymore. Every day I wake up, and I know that I can't ever be normal. Other people wake up and wonder what's going to happen that day; I wake up and remember everything that will happen that day. You have no idea how hard it is to cope with that sort of thing." Imp gently pulled Susan closer to him, and held her, understanding her now better than ever before. He knew that she needed him, and knew that he had to protect her. He had to stop Miss Butts, but first he had to find her.
"I have an idea," he said, and Susan looked up at him, wiping away tears. "Where is Miss Butts likely to be?"