This short story is brought to you by Prompt Night on Discord.
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Prompt Kudos to Gianna Robbin
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Raven shifted uncomfortably in the chair as she slid her silky black hair over to the left shoulder. A few curls bounced loose with the movement, but she ignored them as she attempted to switch her focus towards the front of the room. Their lessons ran unusually long today, causing her to grow impatient.
Leaning her head into her hand, she watched as Professor Evanora discussed ways to use ginger. The alternative medical class had proven helpful earlier on in the year when they discussed hangover cures and homeopathic ways to cure minor ailments, but some of the more recent courses seemed to have lost their flair. Checking the time, Raven rolled her crimson eyes. If the professor didn’t stop talking soon, they would miss their entire lunch hour. Her patience wore thin as she tapped her black french tipped nails on the edge of her desk.
“Are we inconveniencing you, Miss Addington?”
Raven made eye contact with Professor Evanora before sitting straight. “Not at all, professor. I simply noticed the time, is all.” Professor Evanora raised an eyebrow in response to her sarcasm. “Is that so?” Raven nodded. “Well, I’m sorry to inform you, Miss Addington, but we’re not on your time frame. The class proceeds until I have finished.” Professor Evanora turned around and scrawled an assignment on the board with a piece of chalk. “Fifteen extra pages of reading tonight, since Miss Addington has far too much time on her hands.”
The class groaned. Raven rolled her eyes and shoved her books into her brown, leather saddle bag. It barely filled the main compartment, but she loved the oversized item. She retrieved a small vile from the front, side pocket, and opened the bottle. Pouring the liquid over her wrist, she drew a symbol within it and muttered:
“A curse to make you suffer, without a lengthy pause,
And just a pinch of anger, for all the pain you cause.
Mess with me, and my own time, I’ll sacrifice and take what’s mine,
Don’t be a bitch, or you will see, a harsher outcome, so let it be.”
Raven bit her inner cheek and waited for her mouth to fill with blood before licking the symbol on her wrist. She watched as the scarlet fluid mixed with the clear liquid and smiled a wicked grin. She crossed her arms and waited for the lunch bell to signal the next class. “Ah, yes, you all may go. I trust that you’ll enjoy the readings tonight. Thank you again, Miss Addington, for your continued support in education.”
Raven raised her left eyebrow with a polite smile. Never skipping a beat, she stood and added, “Of course, Professor Evanora. Anything to make you feel as though you’re successful in this classroom.” She could hear the responses of the rest of her classmates, watched Professor Evanora’s face fall, and confidently exited the room. She smirked as she made her way through the hallway knowing full well that they’d call her to the headmaster’s office. ‘It’s worth it,” she thought as she reached her history class.
Sure enough, Raven found herself in Headmaster Myrick’s office. He paged for her halfway through the hour, and she was excused from class to discuss the incident. Her mood did not falter as he reprimanded her behavior. Instead, she planned the many ways she would get revenge with Professor Evanora. The headmaster let her off with a warning, but she found that she couldn’t care how he handled the situation. She would do it all over again if given the opportunity.
When the day finished, Raven found Castalia walking towards the door. “Cas, wait up!” She turned and grinned when she saw Raven. “Hey girl, heard you got into some trouble today with Professor Evanora.” Raven rolled her eyes. “Eh, it’s nothing I couldn’t handle.”
They shared a giggle before exiting the building. “Good. Glad to hear it.” The girls headed toward the river, enjoying the sunlight. “Are we meeting with the others today?” It was a typical question for this time of day, but Raven wasn’t quite sure. “Have you reached out to Kyna or Amethyst? I haven’t seen or heard anything from either one all day.”
Castalia shook her head no. “Nope, I believe they skipped today.” Raven nodded. “Sounds like them. I’ll give them a call.” She reached for her cell and dialed the number for Amethyst. It rang a few times then Amethyst’s voicemail picked up.
“Hey, it’s your girl, Amethyst. I can’t come to the phone right now but leave a message, and I’ll send love like I always do!”
Raven waited for the beep then shrugged at Castalia. “Am, it’s Raven. I’m calling to see if we’re meeting this afternoon? Text me when you get this. Bye!”
“I wouldn’t bother calling Kyna. They’re probably out at a party or something. These two need a leash.” Castalia performed the charade of a leash connecting with a collar and yanked it backward for added effect, causing Raven to laugh. “Well, we can head back to the shrine, if you want?”
“I can’t. Dad’s being a pill and wants me home by four. If not, they will ground me for a month. Supposedly, they have some news to tell us.” Raven released a sigh and hugged her friend. “Well, if you must. I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow then.” Castalia nodded. “Of course! You still have to tell me what happened with Professor Evanora.”
Raven smiled. “Well, it’s only the beginning. I have a plan that will make her wish she never crossed me.” Castalia shook her head in a sympathetic but approving way. “Audentes fortuna iuvat.” Raven pointed to the sky with a grin and answered, “Acta non verba.” Then they waved and parted ways.
Raven noticed that her parents were already gone when she arrived home. Her father had a business trip that she’d known about for weeks but her mother should have been at the house. Irritated, she slammed the door and headed to her room.
She set her saddle bag on its stand and opened her notebook full of spells. Taking a few seconds to write her curse from earlier in the day, she let the anger scatter. Lighting five candles, she drew a pentagram on the ground in chalk before setting her black metal chair in the center.
Raven staged the candles in each of the points before changing from her school uniform into a satin, lacey black dress that she’d fabricated for such a moment as this. The main bodice was an almost see-through, diamond-shaped corset, beaded with different gems, shells, and diamonds she’d collected over the years. It used to have sleeves, but she removed them and added a cape that draped over the length of her body, plus some.
The flames from the candles cast an eerie glow over her flesh as it peered through the various openings in the gown. She savored the power she felt as she entered her haven. Her curly locks cascaded over her shoulders as she inhaled and reached for her pendant, holding it to the moon up above. Her gaze wandered through the skylight as she began her chant.
Haven of Chaos 