Gavaldon was a Village surrounded by thick, mysterious woods. A collection of bright lakeside cottages with waves lapping against their stone walls and sun-drenched turrets gleaming toward the gloomy forest edges. The sounds of hammering echoed through the narrow lanes of the village as fathers reinforced doors and windows, preparing for what was to come. In the bustling town square, the crooked clock tower loomed ominously, its hands ticking down to an event everyone in Gavaldon dreaded.
The air was thick with tension and an unspoken fear that gripped every villager. Mothers hurriedly stuffed scarecrows with straw, placing them strategically around their homes as if these makeshift guardians could protect their children. Boys and girls sat hunched on porches, their noses buried in storybooks, eyes wide and frenzied. They scoured each page as if their lives depended on it, and for all anyone knew, they did. The whispers were on everyone's lips: "The School Master is coming."
Every four years, on the eleventh night of the eleventh month, a mysterious figure known as the School Master would come to Gavaldon and take two children away—one destined for the School for Good and the other for the School for Evil. This tradition, if it could be called that, had persisted for over two centuries. Some years, it was two boys taken, some years, two girls. Sometimes, it was one of each, and their ages varied wildly, from as young as twelve to as old as sixteen. The selection process was as fickle and unpredictable as the magic that surrounded it.
The village had long since abandoned any hope of rescuing those abducted. In the early days, desperate to save their children, the villagers had stormed the forest, only to be repelled by violent storms, floods, and even falling trees. When they finally braved the treacherous path through the woods, they found themselves not in some hidden town but back in Gavaldon, as if the forest itself had bent reality to its will. The woods had made it clear: the children would not be returned. Thus, the villagers had chosen instead to fight, each cycle preparing as best they could.
By the time the sun set, the children were locked away in their homes, peeking through shuttered windows as their fathers, mothers, and grandparents stood guard around the village's perimeter. They carried torches, forming a ring of fire meant to ward off the School Master. Allegra, however, found the entire spectacle ridiculous. Her mother, Callis, often laughed at the villagers' futile attempts to stop a force far beyond their understanding. Callis, known by many as a witch, was a unique individual, often mocked by the villagers for her strange ways and cryptic sayings. But Allegra was used to her mother's oddities and the villagers' scorn.
Unlike the other children, Allegra wasn't frightened of the School Master or the schools he represented. She was too preoccupied with other matters, primarily her best friend, Leonora. With her striking purple eyes and quiet demeanour, Leonora was a constant source of fascination and affection for Allegra. She had always felt a deep connection to Leonora, one that transcended the typical bounds of friendship. Leonora's presence was a comfort, a constant in a world full of uncertainties.
However, Leonora's interactions with the village's young men were less pleasant. Allegra often watched with a growing sense of frustration as boys like the Fletcher boy persistently sought Leonora's attention. His relentless advances were a nuisance, and the pressure from the village elders to find a suitable match for Leonora was mounting. It seemed everyone had an opinion on who Leonora should marry, all eager to see her settled with a "respectable" husband. Allegra, however, was resolute in her desire to protect Leonora from such advances. She couldn't stand the thought of Leonora being forced into a life she didn't want, with someone who didn't truly know her.
Allegra's feelings toward Leonora were complicated. While she cherished their friendship, she also harboured deeper, unspoken emotions. Leonora, with her striking purple eyes and quiet demeanour, was a constant source of fascination and affection for Allegra. These feelings were a confusing mix of protectiveness, admiration, and something more profound that Allegra struggled to name. It was in these quiet moments of reflection, when the village was abuzz with fear and anticipation of the School Master's arrival, that Allegra felt the weight of her emotions most acutely. The thought of losing Leonora to some suitor or, worse, to the School Master filled her with dread.
As the eleventh night approached, the tension in the village reached a fever pitch. The fear of the unknown loomed large over everyone, and the possibility of losing more children to the schools added a sombre tone to the villagers' preparations. But amidst the chaos, Allegra remained steadfast.
On the eve of that night, Allegra and Leonora lay in Leonora's cosy attic room, she rested her head on Leonora's chest as the girl carded her hands through Allegra's dark brown hair. In the calm seclusion Allegra voiced her frustration. "The Fletcher boy has been staring at you again," she noted with a hint of disdain. Leonora cringed, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. "Your mother asked me to help you find someone. To encourage you to say yes to him," Allegra continued, her tone irked.
"And will you?" Leonora asked, her voice soft and hesitant as her hands froze in their ministrations.
"No way. I would never let him have you, Leo," Allegra replied fiercely, sitting up a little, turning to face the other girl, hovering over her slightly. Leonora sighed in relief but remained tense. "I don't want to lose you," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "Not to the School Master, not to some village boy, not to anyone."
Leonora reached out and took Allegra's hand, her touch warm and reassuring. "I don't want to lose you either." The pressure was getting to her, and the weight of her parent's expectations loomed large. "They are getting more insistent," she confessed. "My father isn't even going to bother boarding up my window. He's so sure the schoolmaster won't want a boring girl like myself for his school."
Allegra's eyes flashed with determination. "He should. I would take you." It was at that moment that an idea popped into her head, Allegra's eyes shining with mischief. "Say, what if I did? What if I took you all for myself tonight? Make the town think that he had kidnapped you?" Her voice was teasing, but there was an edge to her words, a seriousness that Leonora couldn't ignore.
"Stop being stupid," Leonora muttered, though there was a hint of a smile on her lips as she reached one of her hands to gently caress Allegra's cheek, before running her hand through her hair once more. Allegra, however, was not deterred. She leaned in closer, pinning Leonora's hands beside her head, and whispered, "I would, you know. If you'd let me have you." The room grew still, the air thick with tension. Allegra's hair fell forward, creating a veil around them, shielding them from the world outside.
Leonora trembled beneath her, her breath quickening. "Stop playing with me, Ally," she pleaded, her voice barely audible. Allegra hovered a mere inch from Leonora's face, her gaze locked onto those mesmerizing purple eyes. The intensity of the moment seemed to stretch on forever, a charged silence enveloping them.
Finally, Allegra sighed, breaking the spell. She gently released Leonora's hands and moved to lie beside her on the bed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, Leo. But your father's wrong. You're definitely kidnapping material," she quipped, trying to lighten the mood. Leonora looked away, her hand clutching at her chest as she stared out the window.
As the night wore on, Allegra's protectiveness grew. "On a serious note, if you won't let me kidnap you and hide you away to keep for myself, then I'm staying here tonight," she declared. Her voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. "Mother doesn't seem to think there's any risk of me going missing. Apparently, since she wasn't good enough to go to the damn school, I surely won't be either. Constantly rambling on about how she needs to be ready and save up for when Aggie will be taken in a few years. Like she already knows. She's only three! How does that make any sense?! So I'm going to stay with you to keep you safe."
Leonora shook her head, a sad smile on her lips. "You're wasting your time. Nothing is going to take me out of this dreadful village. No matter how much I wish for it," she said, her voice tinged with resignation. Allegra turned on her side, watching Leonora's profile as she continued to gaze longingly out of the window.
Frowning, Allegra reached out and took Leonora's hand, drawing her attention. "If that's what you want, Leo, I'll do it. I'll find a way out of here and take you with me," she promised, her voice filled with determination. Leonora's eyes softened, a glimmer of hope shining through her melancholy.
"Promise?" Leonora asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Promise," Allegra replied, pulling her closest friend into a tight embrace. They held each other close, the warmth of their bodies a comforting contrast to the chill that seemed to pervade the room. As Allegra gently stroked Leonora's back, the latter slowly drifted off to sleep, lulled by the steady rhythm of Allegra's breathing. She would do anything for Leonora. She was, after all, the most important person in Allegra's world.
The night was still, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. The village was awake, tension evident in the air as everyone waited with trepidation for the arrival of the School Master. In the dead of night, Leonora stirred, rousing Allegra from her slumber. She had been resting her head on Leonora's shoulder, an arm draped protectively over her. Groggily, she hugged Leonora closer, nuzzling her nose into the crook of her neck.
"Are you sniffing me?" Leonora murmured, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Maybe. You do smell amazing," Allegra chuckled softly. But her laughter quickly faded as she noticed Leonora tense up. "What's wrong?" she asked, concern etching her features.
"There's something outside," Leonora whispered, her voice trembling. Allegra frowned, dismissing the thought. "Probably some of the villagers out hunting the School Master. Don't worry. Ignore it," she said, trying to reassure her friend. But Leonora was already sitting up, her eyes wide with fear.
"I'll have a look," she insisted, her voice firm. Allegra, still groggy, reluctantly got up as well. She grabbed a frying pan from the kitchen, the closest thing to a weapon she could find on the way. With Leonora clinging to her shirt, Allegra cautiously stepped out of the cottage, her heart pounding in her chest.
The night was eerily quiet, save for the soft rustling of leaves. As they crept closer to the edge of the woods, they were startled by the sight of several village men, chasing after a suspicious shadow. Insisting that it had the Fletcher boy; he had gone missing earlier that evening. The villagers were in a frenzy, desperate to find the boy before something terrible happened.
"Curiosity killed the cat, you know," Allegra muttered under her breath, her grip on the frying pan tightening. But Leonora was undeterred, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Alright, but if we're staying out here, it's to head back to my place on Graves Hill, got it?" Allegra insisted. Leonora nodded, and they started to make their way toward the graveyard, following a familiar beaten path. The path was usually quiet, a serene route they often took to escape the confines of the village. But tonight, it felt different. The red moonlight bathed the forest in a disturbingly bloody hue, casting long, ominous shadows.
As they walked, Allegra couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. She tightened her grip on Leonora's hand, her eyes darting around the shadowy woods. "Why do you want to leave Gavaldon so desperately?" she asked, trying to distract herself from the unsettling atmosphere.
Leonora remained silent, her eyes fixed ahead. "Please, Leo. Help me understand. You know I would do anything for you, right?" Allegra pleaded, her voice softening.
Leonora's resolve crumbled. "I CAN'T BE MYSELF HERE, ALLY," she shouted suddenly, her voice echoing through the trees. She stopped walking and turned to face Allegra, her eyes filled with frustration and desperation. "I can't be myself in this village. It's suffocating. I have to pretend to be someone I'm not, day after day. Everyone here expects me to be this perfect, boring little girl, and I'm not. I'm not!"
Allegra's heart ached at the sight of her friend in such distress. She reached out and took both of Leonora's hands in hers, looking into her eyes with unwavering support. "You can always be yourself with me, Leo. I like it when you're more relaxed, when you drop the mask and let go. There's so much more to you than what this village sees and I hate that you hide yourself away so much." She spoke softly but firmly, her words carrying a weight of sincerity that made Leonora's eyes glisten with unshed tears.
Leonora looked up at Allegra, a slight, hopeful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Do you mean that?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
"Of course, I do," Allegra replied, gently squeezing her hands. "When you destroyed Mr. Fleming's pumpkin patch last week in a fit of rage, you looked so free. So alive. I love seeing you like that, Leo. I want you to be happy."
Leonora chuckled softly, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I guess I do feel a bit alive when I can let go. But here, I can't. Not really. This place... it's like a cage," she said, her voice growing firmer with each word.
Allegra nodded, understanding the depth of Leonora's words. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to say. "Then let's leave. Together. We can go beyond the forest, find a new place, a place where we can both be ourselves. We can live in the forest if we have to, explore what's out there. No one knows what's beyond these woods, but I know there's more out there than this pathetic little town. There might even be another village, one that accepts us for who we are."
Leonora's eyes widened in surprise, then softened with a mixture of fear and hope. She looked at Allegra, searching her face for any sign of doubt. But Allegra's gaze was steady, her expression resolute. "If you'll let me," she added, her voice gentle but filled with conviction.
For a moment, they stood in silence, the weight of the decision pressing down on them. Leonora trembled slightly, not from the cold but from the sheer enormity of the choice before her. She felt the pull of Allegra's sincerity, the promise of freedom and acceptance that lay just beyond the borders of their small world. Finally, she nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "Please, take me away from here," she said, her eyes pleading.
"Gladly," Allegra replied, but before she could move, a deep voice echoing her words through the clearing. The word was repeated, but not by Allegra. The two girls whipped around, eyes widening in terror as a shadowy figure emerged from the trees. Glowing blue eyes pierced through the blood-red darkness, illuminating the shadowed, hunched form that floated silently toward them. It was the School Master, or at least, what part of him they could perceive—a ghostly, twisted apparition that had long haunted the village with its eerie presence. Spiriting away two children every four years, without fail.
Leonora gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Allegra immediately stepped in front of her, her heart pounding in her chest. "You won't take her from me!" she shouted, her voice trembling with fear and anger. The School Master's eyes seemed to widen in surprise before narrowing with determination. In an instant, the spectral figure launched itself toward them. Allegra flinched, bracing for impact, but felt nothing.
When she opened her eyes, Leonora was gone. The realization hit her like a sledgehammer to the chest. She spun around frantically, searching the clearing, but all that remained were faint drag marks leading deeper into the forest. Panic surged through her veins as she sprinted forward, her eyes locked on the trail. "Leonora!" she screamed, her voice cracking with desperation. She tore through the underbrush, branches scratching at her skin as she used her bare hands to push them out of her way, thorns tearing at her clothes. Blood trickled from countless cuts, but she felt none of it. Her only focus was on the disappearing trail, the last remnants of Leonora's presence.
As Allegra plunged deeper into the forest, the trees seemed to close in around her, their gnarled branches like skeletal fingers reaching out to stop her. She fought her way through, ignoring the searing pain in her limbs, the blood dripping from her wounds. She pushed forward, fuelled by a single-minded desperation to save Leonora. But the forest seemed to conspire against her. The path grew narrower, the undergrowth thicker and more treacherous. The moonlight barely penetrated the dense canopy, casting everything in a ghostly, red-tinged gloom.
Suddenly, Allegra stumbled over a particularly thick root, her foot caught in a snarl of vines. She pitched forward, her hands reaching out instinctively to break her fall. But the ground came up too fast. Her face struck a gnarly low-hanging branch, and stars exploded behind her eyes. Pain flared in her temple and lip, a blinding, searing agony that made her cry out. She tried to get up, but her legs were tangled in the vines, the forest itself seeming to hold her down. She clawed at the ground, desperate to keep moving, to follow the faint trail that led to Leonora. But her body betrayed her, her vision blurring as a wave of dizziness washed over her.
The last thing she remembered was the sound of her own voice, weak and hoarse, whispering Leonora's name into the suffocating darkness. Then, everything went black.
It wasn't until the next morning that she managed to stumble her way out of the forest in an exhausted and broken haze, where she was found by two of the village men who were still patrolling the edge of the forest. One of them let out a guttural horrified scream at the sight of her. The left side of her face too covered in blood to open her eye. Her blood had coagulated as she lay there in the forest unconscious, bleeding from her temple and left upper lip. Her entire body was covered in scrapes and bruises, her hair a wild tangled mess. Broken twigs and other debris from the forest floor clung to her all over. She was hardly recognisable. She swayed there for a moment before collapsing once more.
Allegra woke to the sound of murmured voices and the soft rustling of leaves. Her head throbbed painfully, a dull, persistent ache that pulsed behind her eyes. She tried to move, but every muscle in her body protested, stiff and sore. Slowly, she forced her eyes open, blinking against the harsh daylight. She was lying on the edge of the forest, just outside the village. The familiar shapes of the village houses loomed in the distance, and the air was filled with the smell of fresh earth and wood smoke.
Villagers gathered around her, their faces a mix of concern and curiosity. She struggled to sit up, her head swimming with the effort. A hand reached out to steady her, and she looked up to see the village doctor, his expression stern but kind.
"You gave us quite a scare," he said, his voice low and soothing. "You've been missing for an entire day. We thought..." He trailed off, his eyes scanning her face. "You're lucky to be alive. You lost a lot of blood. But you're back now, safe and sound."
Allegra barely registered his words, her mind racing with memories of the forest, the shadowy figure, and Leonora. She tried to speak, but her throat was dry and raw. The doctor handed her a cup of water, and she drank greedily, the cool liquid soothing her parched mouth.
"Leonora," she croaked, her voice barely a whisper. "Where's Leonora?"
The villagers exchanged uneasy glances. The doctor sighed, his expression darkening. "We haven't found her," he said gently. "There was no sign of her in the forest. We searched all night and all day for her and the Fletcher boy, but... nothing."
Allegra felt a cold dread settle in her chest. She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "No, she was there. The schoolmaster... he took her," she insisted, her voice growing more frantic. "We have to find her!"
But the doctor only shook his head. "Allegra, you know as well as anyone that those taken by the schoolmaster never return."
Allegra opened her mouth to argue, but the words caught in her throat. She looked around at the villagers, their faces a blur through her tears. All eyes were downcast. A lump caught in her throat, her chest constricting with the realisation that Leonora was truly forever gone.
As the days turned into weeks, the village moved on. They spoke of the incident in hushed tones, a tragic tale to be whispered about behind closed doors. Two more souls taken. Yet as Allegra looked on, she could see the relief in people's faces. Glad that it hadn't been their children who were taken. Only Leonora's family and the Fletchers showed how horribly tragic the truth really was. Allegra was left to recover in silence, the wounds on her body healing faster than the ones in her heart. But they would never heal completely. Small scars littered her body, her hands littered with a myriad of scars. Her face though, was the worst. Where her face used to be a thing of beauty. Youth. Unblemished. It now stood as a stark reminder of that fateful night. Her face now supported a large scar over her left eyebrow and worse yet, her upper left lip had been torn to shreds. It now sat, warped into a twisted sneer that made kids scream and make up stories as she passed.
The villagers avoided her, their eyes filled with pity and fear. They whispered about the ghostly figures in the woods, the strange events that had unfolded that night. But no one spoke to Allegra directly, and no one mentioned Leonora's name. The village kids eventually worsening the stories and accusations of her family being a coven of witches. Her mother certainly didn't make it easier, falling into the stereotype by concocting potions and tonics to help the villagers with their ailments.
Allegra spent her days wandering the edge of the woods, staring into the shadows. Flashes of old memories of another world she would see in her dreams making her wonder. Was that where Leonora was now? Was she alright? But the forest remained silent, its secrets locked away in the dark. She would often sit at the edge of the clearing where they had last stood together, her eyes scanning the treeline for those eerie blue eyes shrouded in shadows. The memory of Leonora's face, her voice pleading to be taken away, haunted her every waking moment. The promise she had made felt like a chain around her heart, pulling her deeper into despair with each passing day.