A Whateley Academy Story

Imp 7: Imp-ervious to Reason

By Morpheus

Part 2

New Jersey, Monday morning, Nov 12^th 2007

New Jersey. The Garden State. Home of Tony Soprano, the Jersey Shore, the Toxic Avenger, and Fiddleback. In other words, the place was a complete dump. Then again, the Sopranos are pretty cool, so Jersey couldn’t be all bad.

Fiddleback’s lair didn’t look like much from the outside. It looked like a normal commercial building, though without any real windows. There was a sign out front that said, ‘RECLUSE VIOLIN MANUFACTURING’.

“At least it’s not a warehouse,” I commented. Some villains could be so unimaginative when it came to lairs. Any villain with real taste knows to use a nice comfy condo.

I carefully made my way around the building, keeping my distance as I did so and avoiding the cameras. The Shielders were nearby, along with Ryan, all waiting on my signal. They couldn’t do their jobs and play hero until I’d done mine.

“Just like any other heist,” I mused to myself. “Only with less time for planning.”

A Whateley Academy Story

Imp 7: Imp-ervious to Reason

By Morpheus

Part 1

The Village, Friday evening, Nov 9^th 2007

I stood back and stared intently at the scene in front of me, scowling deeply as I did so. Drops of crimson were splattered all over, and I could see a lifeless face staring back from the shadows. It was like some kind of nightmare come to life.

“Drat, drat, and double drat,” I exclaimed in frustration.

A moment later, I raised my weapon, which was still coated in the crimson liquid. Maybe I’d gotten a little carried away this time. With a sigh, I set my paint brush down and stepped back to look over the painting from better view.

The painting that I was working on was NOT coming together the way I wanted. It was a simple landscape piece, showing a field of red flowers, below a cloudy sky. Of course, I’d also added a few hidden items into the picture, the way I always did. A small red devil was hidden among the flowers, a cute little devil that would have been right at home, sitting on someone’s shoulder. And then, I’d also hidden a cute little cherub among the clouds. From a distance, it didn’t look bad, but it still wasn’t right. ‘Not bad’ just wasn’t good enough.

After a little consideration, I began to get some ideas of how I could save this painting. I’d add a couple splashes of other colors in order to break up the sea of crimson, and then I’d have to tweak the shading a bit.

“That should work,” I mused.

A Whateley Academy Tale

To Seal Our Happiness

Parents' Day 2007

by

E. E. Nalley

Part Two

You're in the car on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off
At fourteen, there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out
Someday and call your own shots
But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she's getting older too
And don't lose the way that you dance around in your p.j.s getting ready for school
Taylor Swift, Never Grow Up

October, 27^th, 2007
Room 316, Whitman Cottage, Whateley Academy

“It's good to know things never change,” Shelly announced as she came back into the room and shut the door behind her. Outside, the hallway was a riot of people coming and going, parents greeting children and the din of a hundred different conversations.

“I guess everyday is Parent's day for you,” Maggie Finson agreed as she looked up at her roommate from her desk. Shelly shrugged.

“It wouldn't be so bad if getting in trouble with the Headmistress and my Mom weren't the same thing,” Carson complained, even though she was smiling. “When do your folks...?”

“Oh, they're not coming,” Maggie told her as she turned back to her laptop and the story she was writing.

“Tough break,” Shelly said by way of apology. “Ironically, my mom is gonna be so busy with everybody else's parents, I always cut her a wide swath today. You want to go into Berlin? We could catch a movie...?” Maggie shook her head.

A Whateley Academy Tale

To Seal Our Happiness

Parents' Day 2007

by

E. E. Nalley

So go ahead and ask her
For happy ever after
'Cause nobody knows what's coming
So why not take a chance on loving?
Chris Rice, Lemonade

Prologue

October 26th, 2007
The Nalley Residence, 2170 Kellogg Creek Rd, Kennesaw, GA

“Hurry, baby, you know how bad the traffic is on a Friday!”

Gene Nalley grunted an answer to his wife as he rummaged through his side of the closet for his go bag. The old and well-worn flyer's kit bag his father had used in Vietnam, his 'AWOL' bag as he referred to it, as it was just the right size for everything one would need for an overnight or even weekend get away; with or without leave as the saying went. Several bad experiences had taught him to always take a carry on bag with all of his toiletries and several changes of clothes when traveling and the AWOL bag was just the right size for it. His wife had reorganized the closet, again, it wasn't where he'd left it. He pushed his small collection of suits out of the way and he found it stuffed into a back corner, covering his favorite pair of work boots that had also gone missing a couple of months ago.

Muttering about how it was better to have a wife who cleaned too much rather than too little, he pulled the bag out and with it came an envelope that had been in the boot. Frowning, he reached down and picked it up, finding Daddy, written on it in his daughters pinched, precise handwriting. It was not sealed, and inside was a slip of folded paper he removed and opened, finding it dated August, 24th, the day Elaine had left to go back to school.

A Whateley Academy Tale

Amongst the Shadows

by

E. E. Nalley

You took your time with the call
I took no time with the fall
You gave me nothing at all
But still, you're in my way

I beg, and borrow and steal
At first sight and it's real
I didn't know I would feel it
But it's in my way

Carly Rae Jepsen, Call me, Maybe?

October 11th, 2007
Room 210, Poe Cottage

When Tansy woke up it was night and a look at her Rolex showed it was also after curfew. “Aw, shit,” she muttered and made to get up, but she was hopelessly entwined with Elaine in her bed and there was no way she would be able to rise without waking her. Tansy looked at the girl in her arms, from the soft Irish sun kissed face to the wayward strains of her crimson hair, Elaine looked like such an angel it made her heart melt.

Yes, Mustang opined in her mind. This is what love feels like.

“Tell me we can make this work, Mustang,” she whispered, one hand gently caressing her lover's cheek, feeling her mind so effortlessly it would have worried her if she didn't enjoy it so much. She saw Elaine's dream of a mid summer's picnic, a little gaggle of children playing, red head, brunette, blonde, without care of who was whose mother as she and Tansy lay against the man who had fathered them. “Tell me this dream is our future.”

I am not a prophet, the spirit replied in a lazy voice. But if I had any sway with the Creator I would use it to make it so.