Naytnal - The awakening (english version) E-Book

Elias J. Connor

• Herausgeber: FINN Books Edition FireFly
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Kitty is 16 years old and a student at a boarding school in the mountains of Colorado. Her life is rather dreary and boring and she feels very alone. Only her roommate and best friend Jojo offers her support in this situation. When Kitty and Jojo suddenly land in a strange, magical world one evening, the shy young Kitty gradually becomes a combative, self-confident magician. In the mysterious world of Naytnal, she and Jojo must take up the fight against the evil that threatens to destroy the world. The new fantasy series NAYTNAL is a seven-part series about Kitty and Jojo in the fantastic world of the Star of Realms, as Naytnal is also called. This is the first volume in the series.

Leseprobe

Elias J. Connor

Naytnal - The awakening (english version)

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Dedication

Chapter 1 - Pursued by demons

Chapter 2 - The call of darkness

Chapter 3 - The mysterious scientist

Chapter 4 - Forbidden magic

Chapter 5 - Where am I?

Chapter 6 - Ion

Chapter 7 - Unlimited power above the clouds

Chapter 8 - Xaya and L'ea

Chapter 9 - The war between Nyromo and Palalee

Chapter 10 - The key of power

Chapter 11 - Final battle

Chapter 12 - The dream that isn't one

About the Author Elias J. Connor

Impressum

Dedication

For Jana.

My princess. Inspiration. Muse.

Thank you for coming into my life.

Chapter 1 - Pursued by demons

She pressed her trembling body tightly against the rock face. Her breathing was rapid, her eyes were filled with tears. Her lips trembled like it was minus 10 degrees.

The screams she heard were loud and clear. But she fervently hoped they wouldn't find her here. She put a hand in front of her face. If she didn't see them, maybe they couldn't see them. But apparently it didn't work.

The girl, maybe 16 years old, pushed even harder against the wall as the screams grew louder and clearer. The dark roar echoed through the night.

She somehow knew she shouldn't have run away. She should have faced them, stood her ground against them. But she had no more strength. For too long she fled from them, for too long she hid from them. And now they were about to catch her and then push her through the forbidden window. She couldn't imagine where she would end up. She didn't want that either.

"Leave me alone," the girl whispered tonelessly.

Another scream. Louder than usual this time.

With the last of her strength, the girl pressed herself firmly against the rock face of the gorge she must be in. Suddenly the wall gave way. An opening appeared out of nowhere and the girl was swallowed by the rocks.

The screams stopped. It got darker than night. The girl could no longer see. Only her breathing could be heard.

In the second that followed, the girl groped into emptiness. The rock face seemed to have disappeared. But it was still pitch dark and she didn't know where she was.

Her breathing slowed down as she felt that she could feel safe.

"Where am I?" she whispered softly.

Suddenly there was a rumble. It sounded like someone was pushing a chair or a table back and forth. She then heard something shatter - probably glass.

Less than two seconds later a small light came on, probably the light of a torch. The girl turned around, startled.

She was in a small cave. It was damp and cold in here. The drops falling from the ceiling of the room conjured up stone patterns. Narrow and elongated, they formed and hung down from the ceiling. Below the structures she saw other patterns, almost mirror-inverted from the ones on the ceiling.

"I knew it," she suddenly heard a voice.

The girl turned abruptly to where the voice came from. Then she saw a stranger standing next to her, holding a torch. The young man was maybe 18 years old. With an awed look he looked at the girl.

"I knew you were coming," he said.

The girl looked into his eyes in surprise.

"Where am I?" She wanted to know. "Who are you?"

"There'll be time for that later, Kitty Linnore," said the young man. "First of all, it's important that you're here."

"But I don't even know where I am," Kitty clarified. "What's going on here anyway?"

The young man made no move to answer Kitty. He took her by the hand and led her to a corner of the cave where a table with two chairs sat.

"Sit down," he invited her.

Kitty did as he said, not without taking her eyes off him.

"You ran away from them," the man stated.

"To who?" Kitty said thoughtfully.

"Never let them find you," the stranger explained. "Only when you are ready can you fight them."

"But I don't want to fight," Kitty complained. "Who am I supposed to fight? Who are those persecuting me and why are they persecuting me?”

The young man shook his head.

"All in good time, Kitty Linnore," he said quietly.

And in the next second it was pitch black again. Kitty heard only her own regular breathing, calm and gentle, echoing around the room.

"The demons are looking for you," she thought she could still hear the stranger's voice.

But then it got dead quiet.

Suddenly it was like being carried up and floating. Several feet off the ground, she seemed to be gliding in the air. Kitty seemed to call out, but her words went unheard. Kitty sensed she was mute.

Light shone in Kitty's eyes. She started seeing pictures. These images floated past her like a film. She wasn't where she thought she was for a long time. She must have ended up somewhere else, somewhere in a desert, somewhere in a steppe, far and lonely. Wind swept over her body. Kitty was powerless. She couldn't move, couldn't scream or do anything. Her eyes followed the images she saw as if fascinated.

A dry bush detached itself from the sandy soil and was swept by the wind across the long, lonely road. The man looked after him. Then he took another sip from his water bottle and then put it back in his brown backpack, which he then slung over his shoulder again. Some clouds appeared on the horizon, which could probably indicate a typical, short summer thunderstorm. The man stopped and looked at her. Then he took a deep breath, scratched his beard and kept going. A nice day for hiking, he thought to himself.

A little later a sign was heard rattling. An old highway sign with the inscription "Welcome to Desert End - next stop 55 miles." So there had to be a small town nearby where the man could perhaps spend the night, because he would certainly be 55 miles to the next stop today can't do it anymore. The setting sun was looming over the peaks of Monument Valley on the horizon, and the wind was picking up. The man looked around for houses. He didn't see any, but there was a small dirt track off the country road that probably led to an inn or motel. Exactly what he needed right now - a simple, nice room with a creaky, squeaky bed and a shower. Maybe a small TV in the room so he could catch the latest news before he went to sleep.

Before the man wanted to inspect the dirt road, he sat down on a bench by the side of the road to review all the impressions of the day. He could hear thunder on the horizon. Aha, the approaching thunderstorm is already in full swing back there, he reflected. He took a map out of his pocket, and a felt-tip pen as well. Then he drew on the map the path he managed today.

There was no telling how long the wanderer had been walking, but by the looks of it, it had been days. His clothes were dusty and dirty. His hair appeared greasy and his headband, which featured the American flag, was soaked with sweat from the heat here in the Arizona desert. What madman walks across the desert? But maybe he was on the road with a motorbike and had a breakdown. But because the gas stations, let alone towns around here, are often hundreds of miles apart, one had to consider a multi-day trek to the nearest dump if one didn't want to wait endless days.

Another thunder that sounded much closer this time. The storm seemed to be coming at great speed. One should be a cloud, the man thought to himself. The sky suddenly darkened abruptly, several flashes of lightning. The man remained seated anyway.

As if spellbound, he looked up at the sky. The clouds suddenly began to circulate. They turned, and faster and faster. A tornado? On a day like this? Another loud thunder. A power line appeared to have been hit nearby; the sound was unmistakable. The clouds now formed a vortex, immensely large, getting closer and closer. Trees were thrown through the air, a car flew through the air.

But instead of ducking for cover, the man just sat there, staring at the sky, frozen, always in the same direction. Suddenly something very strange flew out of the hurricane. It was big, very big. It had wings and had a strange green sheen to it. Its wings beat slowly, almost calmly, as if gliding. The wind couldn't seem to harm the strange creature at all. It looked dangerous. And creepy. But it was also somehow a fantastic creature, admirable and almost majestic. So the creature landed suddenly. It landed right in front of the man's eyes.

It reared up in front of him. It looked down at the man with its huge eyes in its head, which looked like those of an ugly snake. It then drooped its wings and exhaled a puff of smoke from its two enormous nostrils. The creature seemed to be some kind of dragon, a cross between a dinosaur and a lizard. His legs were thin, almost small in contrast to his majestic body. The strange creature then lowered its neck until it looked the man squarely in the eyes.

"Make your wish!" It spoke in a deep, fervent sounding voice

"Who are you? What are you?” the man said mechanically, but not trembling with fear. He seemed apathetic, like a puppet without strings.

"Make your wish!" the being repeated fervently. His voice sounded somehow distorted, tinny and echoing at the same time. Much louder than the wind. And strange, oddly strange. "Make your wish! I, Thunderbird, have come from the far reaches of space to offer you world domination. I am almighty Exchange your soul with me and you will receive limitless power, mine limitless power. You become the emperor, the absolute ruler of your planet. make your wish!”

The man still stood there, frozen to a pillar of salt. He seemed almost incapacitated, like a stationary machine with no oil. No doubt the alien entity Thunderbird must have hypnotized the man to a degree no one had ever been hypnotized before, and the force, the power with which Thunderbird did so must have been immense like never before power has never been anywhere in the world. The man had no chance but to give the answer he needed to give.

"I wish to swap my soul for yours," the man spoke slowly.

"Very well," Thunderbird roared. "So be it!"

Then he craned his neck in the air. A plume of crimson fire shot out of its large mouth, and it bared its teeth as it blew it out. Then suddenly the hurricane swallowed up the kite and the man, and shortly after that the clouds, the whole storm, disappeared as quickly as it arose.

There was now a mysterious calm on the edge of this long, endless highway.

Chapter 2 - The call of darkness

The snow fell softly on the yard. Fog spread across the valley. It seemed slowly to be swallowing up the mountains surrounding the valley. And it was dark. Even at 5 p.m. The yard was already all white, and icicles hung from the eaves of the huge gray concrete block. Some as big as several stories.

It was very quiet in the yard. A few people were lugging wooden crates around. They didn't seem quite sure what to do with it. Others played basketball. Still others struggled to shovel the snow from the yard. And again and again you saw mysterious women dressed in black and white walking around, and every now and then you could hear them shouting an incomprehensible sentence.

Light shone from almost every window in the vast, never-ending gray complex of buildings. Most of the residents were probably now preparing for dinner. A mobile could be seen turning behind a window. Upon closer inspection, one person seemed to be nudging it over and over again.

Lantyan - the elite boarding school in the American Rocky Mountains. One of the most famous houses in America. Only selected children and young people, mostly from rich families, land here to enjoy what is called a very special upbringing. In truth, however, everyday life here is rather dreary, and the students have a lot to do and work with, and they hardly have any free time for their own interests. Even the older boarding school students, who repeatedly demanded more free time and less work at meetings, never got through to the harsh regime of the boarding school with their wishes. For better or for worse, most of them accepted their fate.

There was a lot of hustle and bustle in the hallway. Some children yelled, screamed, laughed and were then admonished by the educators. A girl in a red dress, about 17 years old, ran into a smaller boy and then complained to him about what he was doing there. Then she ran into a room and slammed the door.

"Kitty?" she called. "Kitty!"

She turned on the light because the room was very dark.

"Kitty, are you sleeping?" the girl called.

Another girl with shoulder-length, blond hair, about 16 years old, was sitting at the window and kept pushing a mobile made of glass fragments that was hanging in front of it, spreading the light reflected from outside into the room and throwing soft plays of light on the room wall. She seemed lost in thought. She hummed a tune softly. It always seemed to be the same melody, always in the same sequence of notes.

"Hello! Earth to Kitty. Turn on brain sensors,” quipped the one girl who just frantically opened the door. "Gosh, there's food in half an hour and you're not even dressed."

"What?" Kitty started. Then she turned and fastened the belt of the robe she was wearing. "Oh... hey, Jojo."

Jojo took the brush from Kitty's bedside table and combed her wavy brown hair. "I can?"

"Is your brush gone again?"

"Without a trace. You know that."

"Why do you keep losing your things?" Kitty complained. Jojo looked at her helplessly and then continued. Kitty then came down from the windowsill and went to the closet. She opened it and looked for a pair of matching pants. When she thought she couldn't find any, she closed the closet again.

"Hey, do you want to go to dinner in your bathrobe? We're allowed to sit with the boys today...", Jojo laughed.

"You and the boys always. I'm getting bored with that junk anyway,” Kitty replied. Jojo then grabbed a small perfume bottle and put some of it on his neck. Then she put a small chain around her.

"Tell me, don't you think you're exaggerating something?" Kitty asked, shaking her head.

"Do I look good?" Jojo asked without expecting an answer. "Come on, go. We have to go soon.”

Kitty laughed briefly at Jojo, then shrugged off her bathrobe and changed into jeans and a matching sweater. On the sweater was a picture of a huge dragon flying over a city, breathing fire.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jojo marveled slightly grumpily.

"I wear what I want. Also, I like dragons,” Kitty replied.

"But you look like a kid in it."

"I am not a child."

"Baby, baby, baby..." Jojo sang teasingly. Kitty then hit her on the head.

"Man, kitty. You're 16. Behave like that too”, Jojo countered.

It was pretty full in the dining room now. The students assigned for the day shared the food. Numerous educators stood like guards all over the room. It only happened once a month, but it still happened that boys and girls were allowed to have dinner together in mixed groups. Boys and girls used to eat at separate times here on Lantyan. However, after a recent meeting, a group of students managed to get through to having a "mixed dinner" once a month. Today was one of those days that Jojo had been looking forward to for a long time. Full of expectation she entered the large dining room, behind her Kitty walked amazed and shy.

"Don't push!" yelled a woman dressed in what appeared to be a nun's costume.

"Everyone go to their places! And silent!” yelled an older man in a suit.

The dining room was huge. To his left was a long counter with food on it—or rather, what they called food here. At the back was a large wall with pictures of the founders of the boarding school. The ceiling of the dining room was high, at least forty to fifty feet. The hall was furnished with several large tables for 10 to 12 people, and many small tables for groups of four and six. Between the tables there were long aisles where the children jostled to get a good seat. The floor was freshly waxed. It was made of gray tiles that sometimes caused some children to slip. On the right were large windows, barred like in a prison. The light was glaring. Several simple spotlights monotonously illuminated the tables.

"Here," one girl called, waving to another girl. A little boy fell down, got up and fell again. A teacher roughly picked him up and pushed him in front of her.

"Jordan," a child was heard shouting.

"Larissa," called another. "Where are you?"

Jojo briefly surveyed the situation. Then she spotted a table where two boys were sitting who she thought were cute. There were still two places left.

"Come on, Kitty," she said frantically, tugging at her friend's arm. "Over there." Jojo pulled so fast that Kitty bumped into someone. Jojo stopped and turned to Kitty. Kitty turned to the person who just bumped into her.

"Mr. Templeton..." she said quietly.

Templeton was the director of the boarding school. He was always smartly dressed. The older students always warned the younger ones not to get too close to him. It is said that he has an allergy to children. In his large uniform, appearing dapper in his deep blue suit, he stood in front of Kitty. His face was grumpy. He had gray hair and incredibly thick eyebrows that looked like horsehair. He looked grimly at Kitty. He seemed to be shaking and his face turned turkey red.

"Out of my eyes!" he yelled at Kitty in warning. Kitty took a step back.

"Come on Kitty. The seats are still available,” her friend Jojo said softly. The two girls then trudged to the boys at the table, where the food was already waiting. A disgusting looking light brown goo, probably something with potatoes.

"Disgusting goo," Kitty moaned, and had to take a nudge from Jojo in the side.

"Hi," Jojo greeted the two boys with an almost exaggerated smile. One was dark blond, tall, well built. He looked a bit like actor Brad Pitt and appeared to be about 17 or 18 years old. The second boy was dark haired, wore glasses and was on the small side, maybe around 15 years old. Kitty knew right away that Jojo would hit on the tall handsome boy. The two girls sat down at the table and began to eat.

"Isn't that cute?", Jojo asked her friend and looked at the dark blond boy.

"Well... I'm no expert, but you might want to talk to him," Kitty whispered back.

"I already did," Jojo replied, annoyed.

"Hi," Kitty mocked her ironically. The boys whispered too. Whenever Jojo's and the dark blonde's eyes met, Jojo always tried to smile at him, in her almost artificial way. Kitty shook her head and exhaled deeply, deciding to get things done now.

"Tell me, what's your name?" she finally asked.

"I'm Jeremy," said the Brad Pitt blend. He smiled at Kitty. "And you?"

"My name is Kitty Linnore," Kitty answered him calmly. "This is my friend Jojo."

"Hello, Jojo," Jeremy said. Jojo nodded briefly. She suddenly blushed with embarrassment, so she could easily pass for a fire alarm. She couldn't get a word out.

"I'm Jesse," the smaller boy finally said. "What level are you in?"

"Eleventh. How about you?” Kitty held up the fork, which briefly touched her hair. Skillfully she wiped the fork with the napkin and then continued eating.

"Me in the eighth. Jeremy in the twelfth step.”

"Wow..." Jojo exclaimed.

"Works absolutely great, doesn't it?" Kitty joked to her friend.

"Shut up," Jojo replied soured.

"Kitty Linnore... Where have I heard that name before? I know you look familiar.” Jeremy said to Kitty.

"No art," made Jojo. “Your mom is a researcher. A well-known astronomer.”

"She's an anthropologist," Kitty said quietly, bowing her head.

"Like Leonie Linnore? The famous dinosaur hunter?” Jeremy asked. Kitty nodded.

"Man, crazy. I've read all her books. I think it's great what she's doing. Hard to believe I'm sitting here with Leonie Linnore's daughter. I had no idea that you... tell me, what are you doing here in Lantyan? Aren't you traveling with your mom?"

"What for?" Kitty replied grumpily.

"This is absolutely insane. I didn't even know that Leonie Linnore had a daughter. She never wrote anything about it in her books..."

"She's so busy!" Kitty yelled. She stood up with a jerk and dropped her fork into the food, so that some of the goo messed up the table. Kitty ran out in a hurry, even before an educator could rush up.

"What's wrong with her?" Jeremy asked.

"Nothing. Don't take it personally,” Jojo replied.

As soon as she got to her room, Kitty threw herself onto the bed. She hid her head in her pillow and cried softly to herself. She cried almost motionless. A little later the door to the room opened.

"Hey, Kitty, everything okay?" Jojo asked. She turned on the light, which Kitty must have forgotten. Jojo sat down on the bed with Kitty. The breeze made the mobile spin. Some glass fragments from the mobile reflected the light and threw small moving dots on the wall. Jojo put his hand tenderly on Kitty's shoulder. Then she brushed through her hair and pushed it aside so she might get a glimpse of her face. Kitty then turned around. Jojo saw her teary eyes.

"Sorry I screwed up about the boys," Kitty said quietly.

"Not so bad," she reassured Jojo. "What was the matter with you all of a sudden?"

"Don't know," Kitty breathed. She sat up and took off her sweater, which she threw on the floor. Then she got up and took off her jeans. Kitty's skin was fair but shone dull dark in the dim light of the room. Then, after putting on her nightgown, she lay back in her bed.

"It was because of your mom, wasn't it?" Jojo wanted to know. Kitty didn't answer.

Jojo then put on her nightgown and then put her clothes in the closet.

Jojo also put Kitty's clothes, which were still on the ground, in the closet. Then she was about to lie down in her bed when Kitty turned to her.

"Can you sleep with me tonight?" Kitty asked.

"Sure," Jojo replied. Then she got into bed with Kitty and hugged her. "You do not have to be sad."

"She doesn't even want to know who I am," Kitty whispered.

"Why shouldn't she want that?" Jojo asked.

"She was never here. She never visits me,” Kitty cried. "Why not? Why not?"

"Maybe she has too much to do...", Jojo tried to comfort.

"She doesn't want me," Kitty said desperately.

“She definitely wants you, Kitty. She will definitely come visit you soon.”

"But I don't even know what she looks like anymore. All I have is an old photo.”

Kitty took a photo from her bedside table and gave it to Jojo. There was a man, a beautiful woman, and a little girl no more than three or four years old. The girl was wearing nothing but swimming trunks, the man was wearing a T-shirt, and the woman was wearing a thin, multicolored beach dress. In the background you could see a sea.

"That was just before I got here," Kitty said while wiping the tears from her eyes. "Right before my dad died." She paused for a long time. Jojo stared at the picture.

"I don't remember who brought me here, Jojo," Kitty finally said. "I just can't remember. Sometimes I think I've always been here.”

"Your mom is very beautiful." Jojo said softly.

"Do you think she forgot me? Just forget?"

"Oh Kitty. your mom loves you I'm sure of that. She'll definitely come for you one day. I'm sure she hasn't forgotten you. Look, I don't even have parents..."

"But you have an aunt who often visits you. And you always go there during the holidays.”

"Yes, yes... but it's dull there. And she's as strict as the people here."

Jojo then put the photo back in Kitty's bedside table and switched off the light. Then she put her arm around Kitty again and snuggled up to her.

"I'm glad I have you," Kitty whispered as she turned to face the wall.

"Sleep now. It will definitely look better tomorrow”, Jojo said quietly while gently stroking her friend's long hair. It was very comforting for Kitty to feel the closeness of her best and only friend, especially at this moment when she was so sad. Jojo fell asleep soon after. Kitty could feel her even breathing against her neck. She stared thoughtfully at the wall, hoping to fall asleep soon.

The next morning, Kitty was woken up by a loud bang at the door. From the hallway outside you could already hear children screaming, and in between the warning, loud voices of the educators. Kitty stretched while Jojo seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

Again there was a loud knock on the door. "Stand up! If you're not out in ten minutes, you'll be grounded for a week,” Kitty heard a deep male voice call out. Oh no, not Templeton again. This man was unbearable. And he was known for always carrying out his threats. When he announced grounding, that meant grounding and nothing else. It was like prison. Kitty has been through this a number of times, and it was always he who grounded her.

"Quick, Jojo!" Kitty nudged her friend, who then yawned and opened her eyes. Less than two seconds later she was in bed while Kitty was already getting dressed.

"Did Templeton have a wake-up call again today?" Jojo wanted to know.

"He likes to pull us out of our feathers so roughly."

Jojo rummaged around frantically in her closet.

"Where are my shoes? I can't find my shoes, kitty," she said.

"Under the bed." Frantically, Kitty dug out her brush and combed her hair. There were still five minutes left. Kitty ran to the bathroom to wash up. In view of the time that was passing, a cat wash had to suffice, she could take a shower later. Jojo frantically dug out her shoes and put them on. Then she ran to the bathroom and brushed her teeth.

"How long?" she asked, her mouth still full of toothpaste. Kitty looked at the clock. "Three minutes." Kitty quickly laced up her belt, then it was her turn to brush her teeth. Just a minute. Why did Templeton always have to wake the kids so late? No wonder they often didn't show up for class on time.

Exactly ten minutes after being woken up, Kitty and Jojo were standing in the main hallway of the girls' dorm. Templeton, standing in full regalia at the end of the hall, checked his watch, then looked at Kitty and Jojo. "Well, you just about made it. You're lucky," he grumbled. Then he went to the stairwell. Two other girls also ran to the stairwell as if struck by lightning, and then Kitty and Jojo ran as well.

Of course, on Lantyan, not only did boys and girls have separate sleeping floors, the floors with the classrooms were also in a different area for boys than for girls. The boys' classrooms were on the fourth and fifth floors on the right, while the girls' classrooms were on the first two floors on the left. Thankfully, Kitty and Jojo's room wasn't too far from their classroom on the first floor.

Breakfast was never served on Lantyan before the first two periods of school. During the long break, the children had the opportunity to get something to eat from a small shop on the ground floor – a sandwich or a bowl of dry muesli. The first two hours were therefore always the most unpleasant school hours of the whole day. Especially in Kitty's and Jojo's class, because they had history with Mrs. Greyhound.

Mrs. Greyhound looked exactly like her name - tall, grey-haired and fat like one of the well-known Greyhound buses. She always wore a far too tight nun's costume, which threatened to rip open at any moment. A pair of thick square glasses perched on her raptor-like nose. If there were an epitome of ugliness, it would easily be Mrs. Greyhound. She was also grumpy and ugly. She was one of the strictest teachers on Lantyan.

Kitty and Jojo just managed to sit down before Mrs. Greyhound finally entered the classroom.

"I assume you're all prepared for today's lesson," she began before she even got to the desk. The students frantically rummaged around in their school bags and then pulled out a book and a notebook.

"Ashford, Lynn?" she called out. She never announced that she would check attendance, since she generally did it every time. "Present," Lynn Ashford replied. It was just as usual that the children always had to answer “present”. "Boyce, Benjamine?" "Present." "Benedict, Samantha?" "Present."

"I didn't study," Jojo whispered to Kitty.

"You should have done better." Kitty placed her book and notebook on the woodworm-eaten school desk.

"I just didn't have time." Jojo hunched his shoulders and tried to look as innocent as possible.

"Frey, Harriet?" "Present."

"Do you think she'll take a test?" Jojo asked. Kitty whispered.

"Goose, Josephine?" called Mrs. Greyhound. Jojo stared into space. "Goose, Josephine?" Mrs. Greyhound said even louder. Jojo took a deep breath. "Present," she replied disapprovingly.

Jojo didn't like her full name, and on a number of occasions she risked being locked up in her room by pointing out to Mrs. Greyhound that her name was Jojo and not Josephine.

"Holstein, Daniela?" "Present." Almost always all the girls were present, and if not, the girl in question was always confined to room or was ill and Mrs. Greyhound had already received word of this from the infirmary. It was actually pointless to check attendance every time. The teachers always knew where the students were.

"Are you feeling better today?" Jojo asked Kitty. Jojo was just thinking about last night when Kitty was so mad because of her mom.

"I do not know. I'm still miserable.” Kitty pushed her long, blond hair back from her face and let out a sigh.

"What do you think about playing something outside this afternoon?" Jojo wanted to cheer Kitty up. Kitty smiled and nodded. At least she still had Jojo. Her best friend.

"We could maybe play baseball with the boys if they let us."

"Linnore, Kitty!" Mrs. Greyhound called loudly. "No gossip here."

Mrs. Greyhound continued her list to the end. "Now take a blank sheet of paper," she said afterwards. “You will now write an essay on the Reagan era. I'll give you an hour for that. Then the essays are collected. And off."

"An unprepared test..." a girl cursed softly.

Mrs. Greyhound put her alarm clock on the table and turned it. The class started writing at the same time. It was so quiet that only the ticking of the clock echoed through the medium-sized classroom. Mrs. Greyhound never needed many words. She was also never a friend of many words in her teaching method. Most of the time, she let the class do some paperwork while she read a book—but never lost sight of a single student.

Kitty kept writing and writing as if the thoughts were just coming to her. Jojo let her pen circle slowly over her blank sheet. After a few minutes, she nudged Kitty under the table. Kitty looked briefly, then went back to her work.

Barely a minute later, Jojo nudged her friend's knee again.

"Psst," Kitty made inaudibly quiet.

"Hey..." Jojo whispered. "What have you got?" Jojo made sure that Mrs. Greyhound had buried her head deep in her book and hoped to be able to copy at least the most important dates from Kitty. Because of course Jojo hadn't had time to study because she was looking forward to yesterday's dinner with the boys.

"Shut up!" Kitty admonished in a whisper. "If they catch us, it's our turn." Kitty continued to write, but put her paper down so that Jojo could get a glimpse. Apparently not good enough, because a short time later Jojo nudged Kitty a third time. Kitty looked gravely at her friend - and at that very moment Mrs. Greyhound looked up from her book.

"Linnore!" she snorted. "You will hand in your work immediately."

"But..." Kitty was breathing frantically.

"Right away, I said." Mrs. Greyhound was adamant. "And you're grounded for a day. See you tomorrow morning."

Reluctantly, Kitty took her paper and placed it on Mrs. Greyhound's table.

“It's not fair, Mrs. Greyhound. It wasn't Kitty. I have...", Jojo tried to rush to help her, but the teacher seemed to know better.

“And you are silent, Josephine. Otherwise you will be sentenced to work today.”

Everyone knew what that meant. The children were sentenced to various activities such as carrying boxes or cleaning up basements for the entire afternoon until late in the evening, mostly as punishment for petty misdeeds. If they were lucky, all they had to do was sort through files in the school office, which was less of a hassle.

That's how it was here from the very beginning of the existence of the Lantyan boarding school. For over 100 years, and it hadn't changed until today - just before Christmas 2021.

Jojo looked helplessly at Kitty as she walked past her. Kitty looked at her and then walked out of the room without a word. Sure, maybe she was mad at Jojo, but she would never tell on her friend. And she knew that Jojo wanted to help her but couldn't.

It was long dark when Jojo came into the room. Kitty was back on the windowsill, playing with the mobile. She hummed the same tune she hummed last night.

"Hey, Jojo." When Kitty saw Jojo, she hopped off the windowsill, obviously relieved. "Where have you been so long?"

"Penal service," Jojo said curtly. "I had to clean up the office. All day.”

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. But the greyhound is too stupid.” Jojo sat down next to Kitty on the bed and put an arm around her. "And how was your day?"

"Extremely exciting." Kitty laughed. "Hanging out, studying, playing with the mobile... oh, glad you're finally here."

Kitty and Jojo were playing another game of cards. When they were done and Kitty was about to put the cards in the nightstand drawer, her mom's photo caught her eye again. She looked at it sadly.

"Do you think that wishes sometimes come true?", she then asked Jojo quietly.

"Yes, definitely." Jojo noticed Kitty's sad mood and wanted to improve her mood at all costs.

"I want so badly to have her with me."

Kitty put the photo back on the bedside table and then got into bed.

"You've got me anyway, as long as your mom doesn't come here." Jojo pulled down the blanket from Kitty. "Come on, slide a bit, then I'll sleep with you again." Jojo then slipped into bed with Kitty.

"I always have to think about her. I'd love to know what she's doing right now."

"Maybe she's busy digging at the moment.

---ENDE DER LESEPROBE---