Chapter 1
“FUCK!” I shot up straight, eyes wide and heart pounding as the alarm screamed at me to wake up. I whipped my head to look at the time before scrambling out from under my quilt onto the splintering hardwood floor. I quickly stumbled to my dresser, wincing at the state of my hair as my silver eyes caught a glimpse of the tangled black bird’s nest in the foggy mirror.
Ripping the drawer of my dresser open, I blindly yanked clothes to throw on. I pulled a pair of tight, ripped navy jeans up my legs and looped a black belt around my waist, shrugged on a plain black tank top, tugged a pair of black combat boots on, and slipped on my black zip up hoodie. Giving myself a minute to take a breath, I risked a glance towards the clock, groaning when I saw that I had only five minutes to get downstairs before Marie would drag my ass from my room.
Cracking my neck, I angrily snatched my hair brush from its place on my dresser. Holding the brush as I would a knife, I glowered at the thick knot hanging off my head, before painfully yanking it through my hair, swearing in pain as I did so. Once finished, I looped my now frizzy, waist length hair into a low ponytail as I scrambled to the bathroom to brush my teeth at a lightning speed before racing down the stairs and into the communal kitchen. Once in the white and stainless steel room, I snatched a bagel and smeared it with cream cheese. My eyes darted to the clock hanging above the stove as I bit into my meger breakfast, when the sound of stiletto heels started to come into earshot, making my heart sink.
“Ah fuck,” I muttered, taking a second bite of my meal as the sound of heels got closer. “Good morning, Marie.” I grumbled with a mouth full of food, pinching my eyes shut as the sound of heels stopped, and I swallowed the food in my mouth.
“Raven.” She spat at me as I turned, slowly, to face her.
“Si?” I asked, my face not showing the fear I felt inside as I took another bite of my bagel.
“You were supposed to help me teach those trigger happy belligerent morons last night,” She hissed, snatching my food from my hands. “Where were you?”
“Well you see, Marie,” I grunted as I jumped at her, trying to snatch my meal back, stumbling as I failed, “I was out late celebrating my fifteenth birthday with the few dumbass friends I have.” My split knuckles screamed in pain as I molded my hands into fists. “It would have felt amazing to receive a “Happy Birthday” from my mother,” I spat the word at my egg donor before continuing my rant. “At least my brother cares enough about me to at least say those words to me.”
I reached up to grab the bagel from Marie’s hand when her other arm shot from her side, her hand roughly grabbing my right wrist. In a flash, she twisted my arm, pinning it behind my back, throwing me down on the closest stainless steel table in the room.
“Listen to me, you little cunt,” She hissed in my ear, pushing my twisted arm up. I whimpered in pain. “Just be happy I let you live when you were born. You will do what I say, when I say it. You are nothing to me. Your age means nothing to me. The fact you are my daughter means nothing to me. I fucking own you. Do you understand that?”
“Fuck you.” I bit out as my face contorted in pain as she pushed my arm up higher.
“Do you understand me?” She snarled as she began to push my twisted arm even higher up my back, tears starting to form in my eyes.
“Shit, yes!” I conceited. “Yes, I understand.”
“Good.” With that, she released my arm, setting the bagel next to my head. Slowly, I straightened myself and wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my hoodie. “Now when you finish eating, meet me in Code Black.”
“Yes Marie.” I whispered as she left the room and the clicking of her heels started to fade. Wordlessly, I threw the remaining bagel in the trash, my appetite gone. The shame I felt turned to rage as I glared at the counter.
“MOTHERFUCKER!” I screeched as I suddenly flipped the table over, allowing a single tear to roll down my face. I stared at the table for a minute before turning to walk out the door, reaching back into my memory to remember a time before my mother had changed. Before she was a monster.
Once I entered the hall I took a breath, tightened my ponytail, and headed to the Code Black class gym. I straightened my back, tugged my hoodie back in place as I strode down the long hall. The closer I got to the door the more my mindset changed. I felt a smirk slide onto my face. My gait sped up, gaining confidence.
I finally reached the door, took a breath, and twisted the knob. My smirk grew as the door opened. I stepped into the room and made my way to an African American girl and a blonde boy. Sneaking up behind them and wrapped my arms around their necks.
“Hello my bitchinatos!” I shouted in their ears, giggling as they jumped.
“Jesus, Fallon!” My blonde friend, Nathan, glared at me as he flung my arm from around his neck, I hid a wince as he did so. The girl, Kat, chuckled at him.
“Oh come on, Nate,” She smiled at me, wrapping an arm around my neck. “Lighten up.”
“I’m still mad at both of you.” He plopped on the ground. “We could’ve gotten busted yesterday.”
“Dude, it was my birthday.” I unwrapped myself from Kat, and sat next to Nate. “I really appreciate it, it really did mean a lot.”
He rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah whatever. It was just a close call.” I swung my body and rested my legs across his lap. “I just don’t want all of us to end up dead.”
“What you mean is that even though Raven can disable the trackers for a few hours, we pulled a close one that could have resulted in the deaths of all three of us?” Kat interjected, joining us on the ground.
“Well, I mean only two of us would be dead,” I mutter bitterly. “Marie needs me alive.”
“Raven, in a way, all three of us would be dead.” Kat mentioned as I rested my head on her shoulder. “Us being dead, your only link to the outside world, and practically alone with your monster of a mother and that kid brother of yours.”
“Zay isn’t that much younger than me. We’re only like a year apart.” I chuckled back, knowing that my friend was right. I would practically be alone, and in a way, dead.
“I know that.” Kat rolled her eyes. “I’ve known you and Zay since you were both in diapers.” I rolled my eyes in return.
“Kat you were in diapers too, ya know.” I gave her a look. “You were two.”
“I keep forgetting how long you two have known each other.” Nate broke into the conversation. “I’ve only known the two of you for five years.”
“And yet, you are part of our little family in this hell hole.” I chuckled. Nate cracked a smile.
“Yeah, I am.” The three of us enjoyed a moment of peace before we heard the door creak open. I closed my eyes, letting out a sigh.
“Well,” I grunted as I heaved myself up and moved away, “time to take my place as teacher today. See you guys when we’re all done.” I’m more like a training dummy than a teacher. I thought bitterly as I made my way towards Marie.
I felt her eyes on me as I pushed my way through the black clothed students, not bothering to apologize. There is no point apologizing in this place, The Academy, right outta hell, or rather it is hell. As the name implies, The Academy is a school, but not one that is general education based. It’s a school full of killers in training. Assassins. To put it simply, The Academy is a school that turns children into assassins. Marie is the headmistress of this pit of depression, forcing my brother and me to live with her after our father disappeared.
I stepped next to Marie, crossing my arms over my chest. I could feel her hatred for me radiating from her body. For some reason my mother grew to have more hatred for me than she did for my brother, I never knew why, but I think that it had to do with how much I looked like my father; from his skin tone, to the features I inherited from him; though, they are more feminine on me.
“Well students, now that my assistant,” she hissed the word, “is here. We can actually do our lesson for today.” I rolled my eyes as she continued to talk, already knowing what I’m going to be teaching, or help teaching anyway.
As Marie talked, I unconsciously cracked my knuckles and scanned the crowd before looking at the scoreboard, frowning as I saw Nate’s name near the bottom. Most of these assholes would move to the next class and train alongside me, but not all of them. At the very, very least, one person will not move onto the next class. In each class, the person at the bottom of the board is killed by the top student in the class. It’s sickening, but it’s life here in this hellhole. You get used to it.
I sighed, waiting for Marie to finish her speech. To be honest I was bored as all hell. My skill level is much higher than what these morons were being taught. All they were learning to do is properly sneak up on victims.
I began cleaning my growing nails, frowning at the clicks they made when knocking into each other. I would need to cut them soon. I jumped as a blind fold was placed over my eyes and Marie’s voice filtered back into my ears. Here we go again. I thought as I let out a sigh.
“-may seem simple as she obviously can’t see,” I hated how professional she sounded, how conceited she sounded when instructing the students in front of her, “You have to remember, she has been trained her whole life, and in reality, every victim you kill will not go down without a fight. Raven can see with more than just her eyes, she can still harm you if she hears you or even senses you. The objective is to get to and incapacitate her without her getting to you first. Understood?” She snipped as the echoing sound of the lights being turned off was heard.
Despite my eyes already being covered, I closed them, took a deep breath, and stood completely still, listening to the space around me. Listening for any little sound. Feeling for any little gust of wind made from fabric rushing past me. Sniffing for the slightest hint of nervous sweat to waft too close to my nose.
There. My head whipped towards the sound of a boot squeaking against the floor. My left arm shot out, fingers wrapping around coarse fabric. I yanked the person towards me, hearing them stumble. I smirked as their sweat flung onto my lips. I brought my fist to their face, hearing a sharp crunch as their nose broke. I dropped them, hearing them whimper on the floor.
My own knuckles screamed in pain as they reopened from the night before. My teeth grit against each other as my right knee buckled from a well aimed kick to the back of the knee.
I need to stay focused. I waited for their next move. It came quickly, the only thing that warned me of the fist flying towards the back of my head was the slight woosh of the air around them as they thrusted their fist forward. My ear rang as their fist connected as I made the attempt to duck.
“Shit!” I hissed as I grasped the arm, pulling the arm forward as I recovered my footing. The person landed with a hard thump on the ground. After the first two, the people just kept coming. It was an easy enough win.
I ripped the blind fold from my eyes, and looked at my mother with faux disappointment plastered on my face, “Really Marie? This is the best you can do? This is the next generation of your elite students? Pathetic.”
I strode from the room, my busted knuckles crying in pain, blood flowing from them like tears. I found my friends slumped over against a wall.
“Sorry guys,” I whispered, looking at them.
“S’all right, Rae,” Kat smiled through the pain, “we knew what we were in for.”
“Yeah,” Nate put in, “don’t worry about it. We’ll be fine. Go wrap up your hands.” I nodded as I began to once again leave the room.
Shutting the door behind me, I took a breath and headed to the bathroom. I avoided the girl in the mirror, and looked into the chipped sink. I watched for a few seconds as the red drops slipped from my knuckles, staining the splotchy white sink. I watched as the blood ran towards the drain and fled down it. Emotionlessly, I turned on the water and stuck my knuckles under the stream.
Wincing, I grimaced as the water washed out the bacteria. I dried my hands before reaching to the shelf under the sink and pulled out the first aid kit, placing it on the counter. I wrapped a large bandage around my knuckles, pulling it tight.
I glanced at the girl in the mirror for a second, hating her as her silver-grey eyes glared back at me. My one ear rang from where the fist had connected. My knees ached from where they were kicked in, there was a bruise forming on my lower jaw, dark bags had formed under my eyes, my eyes themselves were rimmed with red from the tears I had tried to hold back that were now dripping from my face, and my arm burned from how Marie held it behind my back. My stark black hair was already streaked with grey from the stress I was put under.
Would things have turned out this way if dad was still here? I chewed on the inside of my cheek, thinking of it. Thinking of my father and where he could be.
“Rae?” I turned my head to look at my younger brother.
“What’s up Zay?” I could hear the slight exhaustion in my voice as I watched my younger brother. He took a step towards me.
“You doing ok?” I smiled at his concern. Bending down, I placed the first aid kit back in its place before turning back to my brother,
“I’m fine, Z.” I walked up to him, reached up and ruffled his already messy hair. “I’m always fine. Don’t worry about me, ok?”
Without waiting for an answer, I walked past him and headed to the rickety staircase back up to my room. I needed to be alone.
