Runebay Island

Chapter 1 The Arrival

The letter came exactly one week after Gran’s death, the letter that would change my life forever. It was two weeks ago, they gave me enough time to see to Gran’s scattered ashes and were going to come get me if I didn’t come to them. What else did I have planned? Gran was my last living relative. I pulled out the letter and re-read it:

Dearest Zoe Edwards,

Our deepest condolences on your loss. We were informed that Nissa Edwards has passed on and have been made aware of your existence. We know this has come at the worst moment for you, but we cannot allow you to run around without a guardian and protector.

This may come as a shock to you, but you are not alone in this world. Your guardian was a powerful caster and kept you secret all these years, for what reason we do not know. But we will correct that mistake here and now. If you do not arrive by ferry in exactly two weeks from receiving this letter, we will come and escort you to the island, Runebay. There is a ticket included in this letter. It will depart February 16, 2025 at the stroke of midnight from Seattle, WA. There will be an attendant waiting for your arrival.

We will set you up with lodging, food and everything you will need to start classes the following day. You will be starting in your Senior year, but the staff and I will diligently get you caught up in no time.

Sincerely with our greatest sympathies,

Headmistress Crane

To say the least, the letter intrigued me. For starters Gran was a powerful caster? What was that supposed to mean? And the whole stockery, if you don’t show we will hunt you down and find you! Reminds me of that iconic spy movie. With the deep voiced man, that threatens the bad guys. And thirdly, what school puts you up willingly not knowing your money situation, or do they?

As it was I was living in an empty house with neighbors checking in on me and with a CPS lady who had already made several attempts to find me. I have had to sleep in my car a few times to avoid her and the police. I had three weeks until my eighteenth birthday, three weeks to harbor up somewhere and stay out of the system. Somehow, with no money and no job. My boss was kind enough to give me the heads up that they were looking for me and forwarded me my severance pay to help keep me fed for a little while.

“Tickets! Tickets!” A man came out of the boat’s interior building making his way around the crowds punching holes into golden tickets that look like mine from afar. He was lanky, with long black hair to his mid back, with pale skin and the brightest blue eyes I have ever seen. They almost glowed, they stood out like sapphires even with his pale skin. He made his way towards where I stood on the upper deck. “Ticket.” He called out to me as he approached.

“Sure, got it right here.” I said softly, pulling it out of my pocket. He grunted, punched it, then gave it a second glance before slowly handing it back to me. “Zoe Edwards,” I nodded looking at my ticket. There was a punch hole in the shape of vampire fangs. What? That was odd but seriously cute, I wonder where I could get me one. Don’t know what I would use it for other than make little confetti for letters to Abby. Abby and I always had our little fantasy novels about vampires, werewolves, and witches. Much to Gran’s serious disapproval. I looked up to find the guy was completely gone, none of the other passengers were waiting for their tickets to be punched either. What the hell? Where did long haired go?

“We will be hitting the fog in ten minutes.” A female voice called over the intercom. The chill dark air surrounded me and I huddled in my jacket even further. It did strike me as odd that a ferry traveled at midnight, the near vacant lot was screaming “danger, turn away.” but as i sat in reverse, ready to do just that, it was like something whispered for me not to. Maybe it was my empty stomach, growling, as I hadn’t eaten all day. But I put the car back in drive and lined up behind the five cars there. By the end of the stroke of twelve there were ten of us cars and about twenty people with bikes or standing around waiting to board. The ferry was just large enough for one more car it seemed, and I was slightly afraid we might exceed the weight limit. Ferry rides always frightened me growing up, something about open water, and almost drowning as a child. Water and I are not friends.

After boarding and setting off, everyone exited their cars. I had decided to spend my last 20$ on something to eat, who knew how long this trip was going to be and when they would decide to feed me. The person behind the counter was kind, young, and had been just as pale as the ticket man. She made me nachos and a hot dog upon my order, and when I went to pay her, she said it was part of the service. Eating as quickly as I could before they changed their mind I now found myself waiting on deck looking for an island I had never heard of. Maybe this was all some big joke, and I was on one of those punked TV shows. Who knows, but I am determined to see this through. It’s this, or an orphanage.

It took three hours to hear the fog horns and see the light of Runebay’s lighthouse. The fog that had come in over an hour ago was thick enough to touch and everyone was called indoors. No one sat next to me but several people shot me glances, and whispered amongst themselves. I could pick up a few things like “She must be new,” to “she looks like she’s almost 18, an exchange student maybe?” the person that asked that, got a reprimand and the person they were talking to said, “You dope, there are no other schools out here. She would have to be from another state or country and I highly doubt that anyone in their right mind would come to Washington of all the states in the USA just on a whim this late in the game.” I hid a smile at the small banters going on around me about lil ol me. Let them wonder, let them theorize. But it was interesting to know that this was the only school in the state.

“Return to your cars, we will be arriving in five minutes,” the lady announced over the intercom. “Those that arrived by bike or walking will be allowed off first.”

I uncurled myself from my seat putting on my jacket and marched along with the others to the bodiless voice urging command. It was colder down here and wet, the mist from the dark water spraying and splashing on deck. Unsettling me even further, so can’t wait to get off this boat. I quickly got in my car, just as the lady spoke over the intercom again. “Do not turn on your car or put it in drive until the staff tells you to.”

When the boat docked it shook the whole boat, not sure it was supposed to be so rough or well my sea legs hoped it hadn’t been. The ticket guy appeared at my window and rapped at my window. I let out a startled scream that had people looking my way. With a grimace on my face I rolled down the window and he leaned down.

“You are to follow the row of cars at all times. They will be going directly to the school.” his voice was laced with something, a warning I think. I nodded and as they were all turning on their cars due to another attendee signaling them to do so at the front of the line. “We will be watching.” The man said so quietly I almost didn’t hear him, and even then wasn’t sure I quite heard him. But when I turned to ask him what he meant he was gone. That little trick was getting old to say the least.

One after one they let us off and I found myself wanting to pull over and kiss the ground, I was so happy to be off the damn boat. My stomach wasn’t doing the flippy floppies anymore either. But I followed the distancing cars at a faster pace not realizing I had slowed down until the person behind me in a jeep honked his horn a few times to get me to snap out of it.

The fog, that had been so thick I thought it would be near blinding to drive in, broke the moment we were out of the parking lot for this side of the ferry. We were surrounded by a forest, thick and luxurious with ferns and towering trees and bushes. The road was gravel, they must have to pay up the ass for keeping it maintained, I found myself thinking. The ten of us were going thirty-five almost out of respect for the gravel road. I was going slow to watch the surrounding forest, so far I had seen a pack of wolves in the distance, and heard them howling. They were giant from what I could tell, they weren’t too close to the road but just within eyesight.

We came to a stop at a giant gate with walls and bars for fencing, towering over the cars, and the first person who got out to talk into some kind of intercom at its side I was guessing. The gates began to open and the person got back in their car and off we went again. There was thick forest on this side too for a few miles, then there was clear open grassland for a few more. Then the mansion came into view, because we didn’t have castles out in western USA, it was gigantic and beautiful! There were no other words for it. I was going to get lost in it from the moment I stepped into it. I just hoped that the grandeur of the building made them pay no less expense on the inside. It would suck to have to spend all my time on the outside of something splendid and not get to enjoy what should be a magnificent inside.

The front was a large loop around a fountain of an angel fighting a demon, water spouting out of what would be wounds. Surrounded by a beautiful garden full of lush roses that were a multitude of colors. The line of cars wrapped around the statue and its flowers. The gravel crunching underfoot as everyone got out. And almost in unison the sound of car doors shutting. I stared up at the mansion ahead of me and nearly wept in joy. It was so gorgeous. This? This is where I would be holding out for the next several months? Wonder what the catch was.

“Welcome home to our students, and welcome to your new home to our newest student Zoe Edwards.” A feminine and severe voice came from the front steps. Almost appearing out of nowhere was a woman dressed in a green Victorian style dress with black embroidery down the bodice and on the sleeves. She had a very strict look to her, a no nonsense attitude. Others were looking at me and whispering at her announcement. I shrugged it off and started unloading my car. “We have people that do that.” The woman announced from right next to me.

For the second time this night I let out a startled scream that had people laughing at me. ‘Great Zo, way to make a good impression,’ I chided myself. I put one of my duffle bags upright against the back of the car bumper. “Uh, yea sure, okay.” I held out my hand to the woman. “I am Zoe Edwards, and you are?” The woman looked down at my hand as if it offended her, then slowly she raised hers and shook mine. Her skin was scalding, maybe she was afraid of getting me sick instead of me somehow offending the woman in the short time I even knew her.

“I am headmistress Crane.”