Putting up the Barrier

Emma

"Emma, can I speak with you?" The professor asked. Emma turned to him, acting clueless.

"Sure professor, what is it?" Emma asked, slinging her bag over a shoulder as she straightened her skirt.

"I have been quite disappointed with your last test and few quiz scores…" He said, "Look." He pulled out a few papers. "You were doing splendidly at the beginning… but now." There were two C's, then a couple of D's… "You're just able to pass this class at this point. Emma, if you continue to decrease this way, you might not pass."

"I'm sorry, it's… it's just been really hard for me to understand recently… I've been trying…" It wasn't hard to fake sadness. It almost physically hurt to see the big red C's and D's on her papers.

"I know you're trying, your homework papers have so many erased lines, but you usually get the answers somewhat right." He sighed. "Look, I think you have the basics, you just need to have a little help. Don't be upset that I'm suggesting this but… why don't we try tutoring?"

Emma tried to conceal a smile, "No I'm not opposed. I really want to do better!"

"Well… Sean started tutoring about a week and a half ago. He probably still has spots open. I will let you both know tomorrow when you're supposed to meet for tutoring. That's all. Just ah… keep trying Emma." The professor said.

Emma inhaled a deep breath. Well, she'd gotten what she wanted. She and Sean would have a whole tutoring session together. She hoped it would happen frequently. And if she listened and improved quickly, it would give him a good reputation and it might help them to grow closer if he felt like she was really listening…

She smiled as she walked towards her next class, waving to a few other students along the way. Her social studies class was next. She had never truly hated any class, but this one changed that. They were studying modern history of the continent which included the barrier and the rounding up of the villains. Emma hated this class with a passion.

"Good morning," their teacher chirped brightly as they filed in. "I have a very exciting day planned today! So we have all been working very hard I see. Your projects were very good. I was very proud. So…" she paused, her smile grating on Emma's nerves already. "I have exclusive footage from the time of the barrier that I was able to get approved just yesterday."

The other students began to talk to one another, the teacher smiling at the news she'd brought. Emma's stomach dropped. Footage? She glanced around nervously. There was no way they would show footage here. The people rounded up and thrown into the island had been done so brutally. It would ruin the image of their precious rulers and perfect princes. She sent a quick text to Gisa. "Footage of the Barrier's establishment being shown." She slid her phone back into her pocket.

"Some of this is pretty violent. There are a few scenes that you can look away from or put your head down for." She said, still pleasant as ever. Something felt wrong. Someone flicked off the lights, and she hit play on the computer. The projector reflected a poor quality video of the island being formed. The yellowish dome sweeping over the island made a distant humming as it closed. It flipped through a few scenes of battles between the two sides. Emma felt sick as Gaston appeared on the screen fighting against the mob around him. He held up for only so long, at least twenty on one. Then the horrific part started.

A student screamed as someone hidden in armour socked him in the jaw. Gaston was held by many others, completely unable to move. The man in armour continued to beat him, before he was thrown to the ground, bleeding profusely, coughing something up onto the muddy grass. When his eyes finally closed, they threw his body into a wagon.

Emma looked at the teacher, who was staring at her without smiling. Emma's skin began to crawl from the way the teacher's eyes seemed to look without seeing. The video flipped to another scene of a deemed villain being beaten for no reason. This wasn't right. She was either dreaming or...

Emma tried to walk towards the door. "Where are you going Emma?"

"The… the bathroom." Emma said, wincing as someone on screen screamed.

"No you're not." The teacher whispered. "Sit back down dear." But her voice was anything but endearing. Emma tried to say something, but the teacher let a slight blue fire flare in her hands hidden from the other students. "Don't make me ask again." Powers. Ice filled her veins. Their teacher didn't have any magical abilities.

Emma walked back to her seat as calmly as she could. Green fire shredded through the king's armies. The video that was degrading the continent's image. This…

The loudspeakers crackled on, declaring a lockdown. Emma's heart pounded. What was going on? Students began to panic, when the screen flashed to Audenzitios. Her scepter gone, her face bleeding, fire was scorching the ground around her, her eyes glowing. Emma shook as she watched the woman who raised her, raze battlefields and shoot down soldier after soldier until a barrage of iron tipped arrows shredded her flesh. And her inhuman screaming… Then the children in her classroom's phones all began to light up.

"It's the video!" someone whispered frantically.

Someone over the loudspeaker was calmly directing everyone as to what they should do.

Emma tried to keep herself calm, the voices of the students slowly hushed as they did what they were told.. Where was Gisa? She needed to think. Where was Gisa's class?

She peeked up to see the teacher slinking out the door as students were trying to shut off the movie and tip over tables and find anything they could to hide behind. Emma slid out of the classroom after her. Finding Gisa… Gisa had English. She stepped down the vacant stairs as quietly as she could. The teacher was a few paces in front of her, heading in the direction of the English building also, connected by the long hallway. The voice over the speaker finished and went quiet leaving the school empty and eerily still. All the classroom doors were shut as she passed them by.

Just needed to get around to Gisa's class. But as Emma walked into the main hall, Gisa had found her, or rather, she had found the teacher. Gisa and Jamison were both there. Emma stood in the shadows. But her eyes widened as Ron appeared at the top of the stairs.

Suddenly her head pounded, and she fell to her knees gasping with pain, in the light of the chandelier of the grand entrance. She thought she heard Gisa call her name. The little creature in her head hissed. "Time is ticking .Time is ticking." It began to pull the air from her lungs, freezing the blood in her veins. She couldn't scream as her body was suddenly locked up. Tears fell from her eyes. Her ears were ringing.

Gisa and that teacher were the only ones standing. "Let them go! Make it stop!" she screamed. Emma watched the teacher advance on Gisa. Even though they were both quite short, the teacher was domineering. Her smile was freakishly calm.

"Make me." she smiled. Her eyes were no longer bright blue and cheerful. The pupil grew until her entire eyes glittered black. Her hair turned from blonde to black strings hanging from a mostly bald skull, her body growing ashen, large spikes began to stick out of her spine. Her pointed yellow teeth glittered.

Emma couldn't breathe. Her vision was spotted. One of Audenzitios's goons. Shape shifting… One of the many who escaped the barrier. Gisa jumped back as the beast cackled. One of Audenzitios's inside sources...

"Use your magic Gisa. Blast me. Try." Its tongue flicked out from its jet black mouth.

Ron let out a cry as he tumbled down the stairs, unable to stop it. The beast laughed. And with that, Gisa's eyes glowed. "Let them go."