November 4, 2019
Nina awoke from her nightmare, instinctively wiping lava off her arms—except there wasn't any. There were no remnants of this dream in the real world. Nina sighed with relief at this.
"Are you okay?" said Erin. "You started flapping around like crazy."
Erin seemed just fine this morning, already up and getting ready for the day ahead. Nina, on the other hand, was recovering from yet another traumatic nightmare.
"This dream had lava in it," said Nina, incredibly annoyed by her dreams finding new ways to kill her.
"I don't know how you do it," said Erin. "If I had a dream where I died every night, I would lose it."
"I know, right," sassed Nina.
She tossed and turned in bed, trying to find a more relaxing spot but to no avail: this particular nightmare had shaken her in a way the others hadn't yet. The idea of her friends perishing because of her mistakes started becoming a real possibility in her mind that haunted her.
"You can borrow my fizzy bath bomb from the top drawer," said Erin, trying her best to calm Nina down. "And we can have sweets at lunch."
"Thanks, Erin," said Nina. "You know just what to say to make me feel better."
"Ew," said Erin. "We're having such a girl moment. We're not girls; we're gangsters."
"Better to have a girl moment than a stupid boy moment," chuckled Nina, grabbing a towel and some bath bombs that Erin offered.
In the girls' lavatories, Nina took a fizzy bath to calm her nerves while Erin finished dressing up for the day back at the dorm room.
The two girls regrouped in the hallway and made their way to the dining hall, eventually meeting up with Jason and Chris who were already seated together.
The students and faculty of Ilvermorny were having breakfast merrily. A warm, multihued glow was cast through the stained glass window at the head of the dining hall where the professors dined together at a long table.
"Has anyone ever noticed that the professors' table looks like The Last Supper?" asked Chris.
Oddly enough, it did resemble the painting. This made Nina, Erin and Jason laugh at Chris. Although Chris was an intellectual Horned Serpent, he had a habit of saying strange things.
"Anyway," said Nina. "Now that we're all here together, let me tell y'all about the dream."
Nina and Erin took their seats across from Jason and Chris, huddled away from the ears of their classmates.
"What crazy ride was it this time?" asked Jason.
"It was a log flume ride," said Nina. "And you were all there. You all fought to get in the front."
"That sounds like us," said Erin.
"Then, the boat went down and I saw a temple," said Nina. "It looked Greek or something. Then we entered it and these animals attacked us. Then a scary gorgon lady's face jumped out at us and we dropped into a lava pit."
"These rides keep getting more creative," said Chris. "I'm kind of sad I can't ride them."
Nina and Erin both frowned at him.
"If you knew what it was like, you wouldn't be thinking that," said Nina. "Do you know what it's like to feel burning hot lava seer your skin?"
"There's this thing called thinking before you speak," said Erin. "You should try it some time."
"Whatever," said Chris.
Wang Mei-Ling—a petite, fourth-year Thunderbird with fair skin and hair so black that it shone blue—approached the table.
"Come on, guys," said Mei-Ling to her friends Nina and Erin. "We're gonna be late for Transfiguration!"
"Keep your panties on, girl," said Erin, making Mei-Ling giggle. "Let's go, Nina Bonina."
"Let's," said Nina, waving Jason and Chris goodbye.
The Transfiguration class was adorned with absurd paintings of people and objects in the process of morphing into other things. Nina, Erin and Mei-Ling sat together, chatting away like chirpy birds.
The chatter came to a stop as the professor walked into the room and made himself at home at the head of the class. This was Professor Gaetano Sabbatini: an excitable, middle-aged Italian American. He walked up to the podium to commence his lecture.
"The Melofors Jinx," said Professor Sabbatini with his thick, Staten Island accent. "It's the jinx that encases a target's head in a pumpkin.
"Isn't this a little outdated at this point?" asked Nina. "Halloween was last Thursday."
"I had this lesson planned for Halloween but, y'know, plans change," said Professor Sabbatini. "As I was saying, this spell has more practical uses in the real world than it seems. Alright, everybody, line up one by one on either side of the room."
The students obediently followed the instructions, splitting up into small groups and lining up to face each other. The pairs of students took turns casting the spell on their partners.
"Melofors!" said Nina.
A pumpkin formed over Mei-Ling's head. The pumpkin was so heavy for Mei-Ling that she would have tipped over had Erin not caught her.
"I just don't see how this is going to be useful to us," said Nina.
"I completely agree," said Mei-Ling, her voice muffled by the pumpkin. "Could you change me back?"
Professor Sabbatini cast a spell from behind them and Mei-Ling's head reverted to normal. She blew her nose and pumpkin seeds fell out.
"Gross," said Nina and Erin, squirming together.
That afternoon, the campus grounds were covered in autumn leaves, falling in shades of yellow, brown, and red. Nina, Jason, Chris and Erin walked through the courtyard, crunching leaves under their shoes with every step. Naturally, Nina was leading them while Chris was nestling his pet cat, Sagwa, in his arms.
"It's just a little farther," said Nina. "I think you're gonna enjoy this."
Her friends saw that they were getting closer and closer to the snake wood tree that started their whole journey.
"Nina," said Chris. "Where are you taking us?"
Nina led them to a shady little spot underneath the large tree. The greenery and the little hills made this spot breezy and calm. However, this was offset by the eerie, snake-like tree.
"Ta-da!" said Nina, gesturing towards a Slytherin picnic blanket on the ground.
"I'm not dealing with anymore ghosts," said Erin, shaking her head. "I contacted Yemaya out of solidarity for an African sister, but I ended up nearly drowning. I am not doing it again."
"Come on," said Nina. "I just wanted to have a nice little picnic and this snakewood tree goes perfectly with my Slytherin blanket."
Jason, Chris and Erin were apprehensive and kept their distance from the tree.
"I brought some Latin-American food," said Nina, holding up the picnic basket.
"We're in!" said Jason and Erin in unison.
They dug into some Latin cuisine, including foods like sorullitos, plátanos maduros, and tostones. There was a shaker of Goya Adobo in the basket because Nina liked a lot of seasoning on her food. Sagwa purred excitedly, hopping off Chris' lap.
"I made it myself," said Nina. "With some help from Chris… and his mom… and his grandma."
"Did you do anything yourself?" said Erin.
"I seasoned the food," said Nina shaking up the bottle of Adobo excitedly. She bit into the piping-hot alcapurria she was holding.
"These are so good!" said Jason in between bites. "I want more. They're called… sorullitos, right?"
"Yeah," giggled Nina. "Hold up—you're liking this food a little too much. Are you sure you're not Latino?"
"I'm just Korean-Australian," chuckled Jason, blushing. He fed some bacalaíto to Sagwa, who showed her appreciation by snuggling up to Jason's leg.
"I see a little bit of Filipino in you," said Chris. "In my mind, they count."
Chris and Nina cackled at their little in-jokes. In moments like these, they could relax without the pressure of their responsibilities on their minds.
"Oh my god," said Erin, eating some mofongo. "Chris' mama really did make this 'cause… I've tasted your food before and this… um…"
"At least I try!" said Nina, making her friends laugh.
Off in the distance was Keahu, hiding behind a bush. He spectated the Sacred Quartet inquisitively.
"They look so normal," said Keahu. "But they don't fool me."
"What're you doing there?" asked Samiya.
"You're blowing my cover," said Keahu. "Come on."
Samiya begrudgingly joined him in the bush. Its leaves were cool to the touch and slightly damp.
"You're spying on Chris and his other friends?" said Samiya.
"They're not just any regular friends," said Keahu. "They're hiding something and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it."
"Maybe you're just being paranoid," said Samiya.
"That's what they want us to think," said Keahu. "Haven't the Harry Potter biopics taught you anything? It's always the students you would least expect."
"Oh, they have food," said Samiya, coming out from behind the bush and towards Nina's picnic blanket.
"Good idea, Samiya," said Keahu. "Infiltrate their conversation and come back with intel."
"You're crazy," said Samiya in return. "I'm gonna go hang out with them."
After Samiya joined the four students, they spent this uncharacteristically calm afternoon enjoying food and good conversation about the latest TV shows they've been watching on Netflix and the latest YouTube drama.
Later that night, the dining hall tables had desserts all the way up and down the tables. Nina was eating with Erin and Mei-Ling for dinner.
Nina piled sweets onto her plate like she was collecting trading cards. Parfait, réligieuse, Mont Blanc, and chocolate ice cream cake all had a spot on her plate.
"We don't wanna be too full, girl," quipped Erin. "We ate too much earlier today already, and we've got that ghoulie ghoulie to fight later."
"You have a what to fight?" asked Mei-Ling.
Nina shot Erin a disapproving look.
"You know," said Erin, stuttering. "Like… uh… diarrhea!"
Mei-Ling giggled uncontrollably. Nina gave Erin a knowing look, indicating it was a nice save.
"I just can't help myself with all this food," retorted Nina, trying to divert the conversation back on track. "I love ice cream cake!"
"Excuse me," said a male, third-year Thunderbird. "Could you please not talk about diarrhea? Some of us are eating here."
"And some of us are talking here," retorted Erin.
"You have literally the entire cafeteria to sit," said Mei-Ling, defending her friends. "So go somewhere else, boy."
"Fine," said the Thunderbird boy, rolling his eyes.
He picked up his plate and took his seat at the far end of the table with some other students.
"Why are the boys here so annoying?" said Nina.
"Where are they not?" said Mei-Ling.
The girls laughed to themselves.
Midnight was the Witching Hour and once the clock reached it, the four students got up out of bed and sneaked through the halls. They went to the same spot as before and Jason tapped the wall in just the right order. The wall parted, revealing a hub. It was a room where the walls were so far away they were impossible to see past the darkness. There was a red bridge leading to a circular platform with seven pads spread out evenly.
Merlin was floating next to the first pad.
"Good evening children," said Merlin.
"Merlin," said Erin. "I've got a question for you."
"Fire away," said Merlin.
"What do you do when we're not here?" said Erin.
"You don't think I stay here all day, do you?" said Merlin.
Chris started blushing. That's exactly what he thought but hearing it said out loud made it seem silly.
"I go around the school," said Merlin. "Entertaining myself anyway I can. It's lonely and boring being a ghost."
"Will we become ghosts when we die?" said Chris.
"Probably not," said Merlin. "Don't worry about it too much."
The four students shrugged at one another. Then, they all walked over and stood on the fifth pad from the left.
"We're already so close to the end," said Nina. "Let's power through the homestretch and get these cards back!"
Before anyone could respond, they were already descending through the pad.
Their feet landed on mushy mud. The sensation was very unpleasant.
"Ew," said Chris. "It's like a pigsty here."
"There's a reason for that," said Jason, pointing up ahead.
They were standing on the mythical island of Aeaea, surrounded by bright blue water. In front of them was a giant herd of pigs, roaming the dirt ground for food and pushing each other for more space. It was unbelievably crowded.
"They're so cute!" said Erin, petting and hugging the pig closest to her.
"What the hell is going on?" said Nina.
A sobbing, middle-aged woman dressed in tattered rags searched through the crowd of pigs. It seemed like she was looking for a specific one. Nina approached her.
"Excuse me," said Nina. "Can we help you with anything?"
"I don't think you can," said the woman in rags. "I'm trying to look for my family. My father, my brother, my husband, my sons—they're all here, but I don't know where they are."
"What do you mean?" said Nina.
"That evil witch turned the men in my family into pigs," she said. "Every pig you see here used to be a man."
As the realization dawned on them, Erin got up and wiped herself frantically.
"I hope you liked it, you little pervert!" said Erin to the pig who just looked onwards blankly.
"This witch you're talking about," said Jason. "Where is she?"
"She lives over there," said the woman.
She pointed to a temple resting on the mountain. It was a palatial residency of breathtaking beauty made for a queen.
"I guess that's where we're headed," said Jason.
The four students started on their trek, climbing up the mountain as best they could.
"We should have brought our brooms for this one," whined Chris.
"We just gotta power through it," said Jason.
After quite some time, they finally reached the temple. Once again, they were astounded by its sheer size and its majestic beauty. It was strange to think there was a witch inside victimizing innocent humans.
"Let's go in," said Erin.
She led the way, opening the large, marble doors. As they stepped inside, they felt a strange sense of humidity. Off in the distance, they could hear all kinds of animal noises coming from things like lions, pigs, and snakes.
"Don't forget to cast a protective charm if we have to," said Nina.
As they made their way through the temple, however, they noticed this wasn't necessary. All of the animals maintained their distance. Still, the four students kept themselves on guard for any possible threats until they reached the throne room where they found a stunning woman with long black hair, light-brown skin, and a lavender toga.
"Who are you?" asked Nina.
"I am Circe," responded the woman. "The real question is who are you and why are you here?"
"We've heard you've been transfiguring men into animals," said Erin. "Isn't that against the rules here?"
Circe stepped down from her throne, petting a lion on the way down. It was strange seeing such a fearsome beast melt under the touch of Circe as if it were a mere pussycat.
"There are no rules in Greece," said Circe, approaching Jason. "My… what a handsome young man you are."
Jason turned red in the face. Chris instantly frowned, nudging Jason so he would snap out of it.
"This isn't the time to flirt, Jason," said Chris, brandishing his wand directly in Circe's face. "Verdimillious!"
The incantation caused green sparks to shoot out of Chris' wand, burning parts of Circe's cheeks and forehead.
"How dare you?!" bellowed Circe. "Begone, swine!"
She began reciting a spell in a language the four students could not understand. She waved her hands in a meticulous formation until a blinding, red light flashed inside the room. Nina and Erin allowed their eyes to adjust to the room to see that there were now two pigs where Jason and Chris once stood.
Circe then turned her attention towards the girls. They panicked.
"What would Jason do?" said Nina. "Melofors!"
Circe's head became encased in a pumpkin.
"Is that what Jason would do?" said Erin.
"No," said Nina. "But it gives us more time to think."
Circe struggled to remove the pumpkin off her head with her hands.
"What would Chris do?" said Erin. "He would run the fuck out of here!"
Erin took one of the pigs and they sprinted away as fast as they could while Circe made the pumpkin vanish with a wave of her hand. She wiped pumpkin juice off her forehead and gave chase. Nina and Erin ran out of the temple past the livestock, and up the mountain to the edge of the mouth of the volcano. There was nowhere else to go and Circe was quickly closing the distance.
"Maybe we should've run the other way," said Erin.
Erin let the pig down here, and Circe caught up to them.
"I got rid of those boys for you," said Circe. "Isn't that what you wanted? All I did was turn them into the pigs that they really are. I'm doing it for us girls!"
"That's just an excuse," said Nina. "You're just releasing your frustration on random people. If you were really passionate about equality, you would change their minds, not their species."
"If you like boys so much," said Circe. "Then go ahead and join them."
Circe began casting a spell when the little pig charged at her. She fell over into the volcano and screamed the whole way down.
"Good job, little piggy," said Erin, petting him.
In the middle of petting him, the pig turned back into Jason.
"And that is what Jason would do," he said, getting up from the ground.
From the volcano, a small card shot up and placed itself in Jason's hand. It was Circe's Famous Wizard Card.
"Let's go find Chris," he said, putting the card in his back pocket.
They hiked down the mountain and returned to the former herd of wild pigs. It was now a herd of men and boys all covered in mud. The woman from before seemed to have found her family. Behind the little family reunion was Chris drenched head to toe in mud.
"Can we just go, already?" said Chris, agitated. "The mud is starting to crust."
They felt their bodies become weightless and float upwards. They ascended through the pad and found themselves back in the hub. Merlin was waiting for them.
"Another mission accomplished, I assume?" said Merlin.
"Yup," said Nina, pulling some mud out of her hair.
"Who was it this time?" said Merlin.
"Circe," said Jason.
Merlin chuckled at this name.
"That lady was a real fighter," said Merlin. "Her ways may have been extreme, but her message was spot on."
"Yeah, you're right," said Nina. "If that's all, then let's get cleaned up before we start tracking mud."
They wandered to the lavatories and unbeknownst to them hiding behind a corner in the hall was Keahu watching them go. Now, he knew for a fact that they were doing something suspicious.
They washed up before heading to bed, leaving the night's events in the past. Newly cleaned from a bath to wash away the mud, Nina was extra relaxed this evening and slipped into unconsciousness almost immediately.
When Nina opened her eyes, she was in a teal topless vehicle. She looked around and saw that she was in a big white science facility. There was a black tunnel right in front of her. Up to her left, there was a man in a lab coat standing behind a glass balcony. He had a microphone and a switchboard in front of him.
"Ready when you are, subject #3," said the scientist. "Just give us the okay."
"I don't think I'm ready for this," said Nina.
"Okay," said the scientist.
He pushed the start button anyway. The vehicle went through the black tunnel and warped through hyperspace. It looked like a giant dome of binary, neon green 1's and 0's circling around her. Then, Nina felt the vehicle slow, and the scenery changed.
She ended up in a little town where there were Greek-style stone houses, kids playing outside, and mothers washing clothes. Then she happened upon two men oil wrestling inside of a colosseum aggressively as a crowd was gathered, cheering on the two wrestlers.
Suddenly, an invasion of foreigners occured. The invaders kidnapped innocent people, fought the warriors of this land, and burned the whole city to the ground.
Nina's vehicle drove towards a temple. The fire from outside traveled to the inside. It was blazing and the temple was turning into ruins right before Nina's eyes. The fire damage made it crumble to the floor. A large fiery pillar became detached and landed right on top Nina, crushing her.