Any glimmering of hope that Avalon might have had about life at Pre-Nocti was vanquished within the first week. Avalon learned very quickly that she was not like the other kids. While her first few days were unpleasant, her social fate was sealed one afternoon when she emerged from class to find some of her classmates torturing a kitten.
Several of the older students were leading the rest, poking and prodding the poor cat with their wands.
"Crucio!" one of them cried, laughing merrily.
In Avalon's head, a battle was going on. She could hear her mother, laughing as she killed Amanda Black. Camarese would expect her daughter to join in. But part of Avalon, a little corner which she had kept to herself for as long as she could remember wanted to start anew at this school and be the person her mother would never allow her to be.
"Look at it's fur!" One of the older boys laughed sadistically, as he sent a volt of electricity into the animal. His eyes gleamed with a pleasure Avalon could never understand although she had seen it all of her life.
The cat mewed pathetically and flopped limply onto the pavement. At that point something inside Avalon snapped.
To the shock of the boys, she pushed her way to the center of the circle and pulled the kitten into the safety of her arms. "Leave her alone!" she shouted defensively.
The boys laughed and after a moment, one stepped forward. He was the largest of the group and the toughest. She would soon learn his name was Terry.
"And what are you gonna do little girl?" He asked mockingly as he stepped forward in a
threatening manner, stroking his well trimmed hair cockily.
Avalon stumbled backward out of necessity. Terry was invading her personal space and it was instinct that made her back up. She held the kitten closer to her body protectively.
"Well maybe we can use you instead," he laughed and beckoned his cronies to move in.
At that point they forgot their wands and resorted to physical violence. Avalon walked away half-an-hour later with a bloody noise and a lot of bruises, but she still had the kitten in tow. Her roommate teased her endlessly about the cat, but Avalon insisted on keeping it.
Throughout her time at Pre-Nocti, the kitten proved to be her only friend. She named her Silver and was with her almost constantly.
Avalon had always been a thin girl but she grew absolutely skinny after the first year at Pre-Nocti. She always saved half of her meals for Silver so she never really had enough to eat.
Classes too, were miserable for Avalon. She picked up the magic easily enough, but it seemed that the majority of students were out to make her life miserable. Terry in particular had it in for her. There seemed to be no barriers in his mind about whether it was wrong to hit a girl.
Avalon suffered weekly beatings and was often subject to various curses inflicted by various older students. Camarese would be appalled at how ragged her daughter looked. Black eyes, supernaturally inspired boils and other maladies often marred her once perfect appearance.
She found fairly quickly that at Pre-Nocti teachers did not care about what other students did to her. The staff and students operated under the philosophy that the strong survive. The weak were of no consequence. It was not that Avalon was not talented, she just did not want to use her talents in the same ways as the other students, and was alienated because of it.
Somehow Avalon made it through her first year at Pre-Nocti, but the prospect of returning to as Camarese did not make her feel any better.
She brought Silver with her, hoping her mother would not object.
On the train ride home Avalon sat with her cat, the other kids ignored her. Only Terry ventured over to her seat to deliver a few threats, that she only ignored.
When she arrived at the station, her mother greeted her warmly, but once they were back at the Manor, she was scolded for her shabby appearance. Avalon had almost forgotten how badly she looked. Camarese was cold and aloof towards her daughter.
"I did not bring you up to be a dirty little vagrant!" She chastised icily.
To Avalon's relief, her mother did not ask about her cat. Avalon could endure the rest of Camarese's cruelty, as long as she still had Silver for company.
A week into her summer, Avalon was brought to watch the nightly torture sessions. She had learned to endure them without expression long ago, but it still turned her stomach. When her mother would finally let her leave, Avalon would go into her room and hold Silver close, crying into her pillow.
When the summer ended, Avalon was almost happy. At least at Pre-Nocti she could distance herself from the rest of the students, her mother knew her too well to allow any distance. At school she was not expected to always be perfect, or to hold her head high throughout the pain. At school she could settle for being the weak one, she didn't have to prove herself ruthless. Camarese was a different story, she could never accept imperfection from her daughter, and to her, weakness was the ultimate form of imperfection.
Many children, were they in Avalon's position would respond by developing a cruel streak, as did most of the children at Pre-Nocti, where the teachers encouraged conflict. It was Avalon's cat Silver which kept her from going down that path. As long as she had Silver, she had a responsibility over the cat's life. She had something to take care of and to love through all the hard times. Silver kept her sane.
Back at school, Terry was in his final year at the academy and was determined to make it worth his while. He was constantly coming up with new ways to torment Avalon, but she always managed to hold her head up in pride. Camarese had assured that Avalon would never admit defeat. It was Avalon's pride that enraged Terry so very much.
However much he tormented her, she would just accept it, never resorting to violence or shame. Sometimes she would cry, but never ostentatiously, just out of pain. Avalon knew that her mother would hate her for the way she just accepted their torment. Camarese had taught her to withstand pain, but inadvertently she had made her daughter passive.
Avalon survived by doting on Silver, he was the only good thing in her life.
Graduation came, and Terry received his admission slip to Nocti Academy. He was not ready to leave, for he still had unfinished business. Terry could never move on without accomplishing what he had failed to do the past two years. He wanted to break Avalon.
The thin pretty little girl with the straight dark hair and pale skin was his greatest adversary, for all that he did to her had little or no effect. It was on the last afternoon at Pre-Nocti, that Avalon's roommate Charlotte came to him.
Avalon returned to her dorm after the night's meal, as usual, hiding a bit of food in her robes. She had to smuggle food in for Silver as pets were not allowed in Pre-Nocti.
She opened the door to her room quickly, happy to finally be with Silver. Avalon opened the dish of food and set it on the floor. Oddly enough her cat did not come running like she usually did.
"Silver," Avalon called.
She found her a moment later, hanging from the rafters of her canopy bed by a string tied about her tail. A note was attached to the string, it read: "Dearest Avalon, I thought I would leave you something to remember me by, Terry."
That was the moment that Avalon broke. That was the moment that she closed her heart to love. The only thing she had ever cared about had just been taken away from her, and she no longer wanted to live.
The next morning Avalon boarded the train and that afternoon she greeted Camarese. This time she had taken time to do her hair and magically erase her bruises. She didn't want more confrontation. She would submit to her mother's wishes.
Several of the older students were leading the rest, poking and prodding the poor cat with their wands.
"Crucio!" one of them cried, laughing merrily.
In Avalon's head, a battle was going on. She could hear her mother, laughing as she killed Amanda Black. Camarese would expect her daughter to join in. But part of Avalon, a little corner which she had kept to herself for as long as she could remember wanted to start anew at this school and be the person her mother would never allow her to be.
"Look at it's fur!" One of the older boys laughed sadistically, as he sent a volt of electricity into the animal. His eyes gleamed with a pleasure Avalon could never understand although she had seen it all of her life.
The cat mewed pathetically and flopped limply onto the pavement. At that point something inside Avalon snapped.
To the shock of the boys, she pushed her way to the center of the circle and pulled the kitten into the safety of her arms. "Leave her alone!" she shouted defensively.
The boys laughed and after a moment, one stepped forward. He was the largest of the group and the toughest. She would soon learn his name was Terry.
"And what are you gonna do little girl?" He asked mockingly as he stepped forward in a
threatening manner, stroking his well trimmed hair cockily.
Avalon stumbled backward out of necessity. Terry was invading her personal space and it was instinct that made her back up. She held the kitten closer to her body protectively.
"Well maybe we can use you instead," he laughed and beckoned his cronies to move in.
At that point they forgot their wands and resorted to physical violence. Avalon walked away half-an-hour later with a bloody noise and a lot of bruises, but she still had the kitten in tow. Her roommate teased her endlessly about the cat, but Avalon insisted on keeping it.
Throughout her time at Pre-Nocti, the kitten proved to be her only friend. She named her Silver and was with her almost constantly.
Avalon had always been a thin girl but she grew absolutely skinny after the first year at Pre-Nocti. She always saved half of her meals for Silver so she never really had enough to eat.
Classes too, were miserable for Avalon. She picked up the magic easily enough, but it seemed that the majority of students were out to make her life miserable. Terry in particular had it in for her. There seemed to be no barriers in his mind about whether it was wrong to hit a girl.
Avalon suffered weekly beatings and was often subject to various curses inflicted by various older students. Camarese would be appalled at how ragged her daughter looked. Black eyes, supernaturally inspired boils and other maladies often marred her once perfect appearance.
She found fairly quickly that at Pre-Nocti teachers did not care about what other students did to her. The staff and students operated under the philosophy that the strong survive. The weak were of no consequence. It was not that Avalon was not talented, she just did not want to use her talents in the same ways as the other students, and was alienated because of it.
Somehow Avalon made it through her first year at Pre-Nocti, but the prospect of returning to as Camarese did not make her feel any better.
She brought Silver with her, hoping her mother would not object.
On the train ride home Avalon sat with her cat, the other kids ignored her. Only Terry ventured over to her seat to deliver a few threats, that she only ignored.
When she arrived at the station, her mother greeted her warmly, but once they were back at the Manor, she was scolded for her shabby appearance. Avalon had almost forgotten how badly she looked. Camarese was cold and aloof towards her daughter.
"I did not bring you up to be a dirty little vagrant!" She chastised icily.
To Avalon's relief, her mother did not ask about her cat. Avalon could endure the rest of Camarese's cruelty, as long as she still had Silver for company.
A week into her summer, Avalon was brought to watch the nightly torture sessions. She had learned to endure them without expression long ago, but it still turned her stomach. When her mother would finally let her leave, Avalon would go into her room and hold Silver close, crying into her pillow.
When the summer ended, Avalon was almost happy. At least at Pre-Nocti she could distance herself from the rest of the students, her mother knew her too well to allow any distance. At school she was not expected to always be perfect, or to hold her head high throughout the pain. At school she could settle for being the weak one, she didn't have to prove herself ruthless. Camarese was a different story, she could never accept imperfection from her daughter, and to her, weakness was the ultimate form of imperfection.
Many children, were they in Avalon's position would respond by developing a cruel streak, as did most of the children at Pre-Nocti, where the teachers encouraged conflict. It was Avalon's cat Silver which kept her from going down that path. As long as she had Silver, she had a responsibility over the cat's life. She had something to take care of and to love through all the hard times. Silver kept her sane.
Back at school, Terry was in his final year at the academy and was determined to make it worth his while. He was constantly coming up with new ways to torment Avalon, but she always managed to hold her head up in pride. Camarese had assured that Avalon would never admit defeat. It was Avalon's pride that enraged Terry so very much.
However much he tormented her, she would just accept it, never resorting to violence or shame. Sometimes she would cry, but never ostentatiously, just out of pain. Avalon knew that her mother would hate her for the way she just accepted their torment. Camarese had taught her to withstand pain, but inadvertently she had made her daughter passive.
Avalon survived by doting on Silver, he was the only good thing in her life.
Graduation came, and Terry received his admission slip to Nocti Academy. He was not ready to leave, for he still had unfinished business. Terry could never move on without accomplishing what he had failed to do the past two years. He wanted to break Avalon.
The thin pretty little girl with the straight dark hair and pale skin was his greatest adversary, for all that he did to her had little or no effect. It was on the last afternoon at Pre-Nocti, that Avalon's roommate Charlotte came to him.
Avalon returned to her dorm after the night's meal, as usual, hiding a bit of food in her robes. She had to smuggle food in for Silver as pets were not allowed in Pre-Nocti.
She opened the door to her room quickly, happy to finally be with Silver. Avalon opened the dish of food and set it on the floor. Oddly enough her cat did not come running like she usually did.
"Silver," Avalon called.
She found her a moment later, hanging from the rafters of her canopy bed by a string tied about her tail. A note was attached to the string, it read: "Dearest Avalon, I thought I would leave you something to remember me by, Terry."
That was the moment that Avalon broke. That was the moment that she closed her heart to love. The only thing she had ever cared about had just been taken away from her, and she no longer wanted to live.
The next morning Avalon boarded the train and that afternoon she greeted Camarese. This time she had taken time to do her hair and magically erase her bruises. She didn't want more confrontation. She would submit to her mother's wishes.