AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But it doesn’t.
Nothing does anymore.
I study Dr. Moncrieff’s face carefully.
He tries to contain it. He tries to remain objective.
But I see it.
I see the flicker that crosses his face.
A smile.
* * *
Freya can’t sit still. We’re learning about vectors and all she can do is shoot me nervous looks whenever she thinks I can’t see her, her big blue eyes turned on me like she’s about to burst into tears.
“What?” I ask in a low voice, startling her.
I have no time for anyone these days.
It’s like I entered the forest and came out stronger.
Maybe Dr. Moncrieff was right about the effects of the ritual.
She quickly glances down at her notes.
“It’s just,” she whispers hastily. “I feel bad. Kind of. About what happened to you.”
Freya says this with such faux sincerity that I want to burst out laughing. I almost do, scoffing lightly as I turn the page of my textbook.
I just don’t care anymore.
I feel confident in a way I haven’t at all in Lochkelvin.
All these wacko rich people begging to know what I saw in the forest.
Suddenly being nice to me.
Pretending we’re friends.
“I’m telling you. Maybe we should hang out more.”
“Why? So you can see if the future’s bright for your daddy’s company?”
Dr. Moncrieff’s words have allowed me to make sense of the ritual — of everyone’s expectations of it.
I could say literally anything about what I saw and they’d believe me.
They have no reason not to.
That’s when I realize, with Freya quivering in anticipation beside me, that I could have fun with this. I could play around with it.
Because unlike before, I have power now.
The things I saw in the forest have, ironically, given me power.
Maybe not the kind of power the ritual advertises to the rich — and how does that ad go, anyway?
