Twisted Wonderland: The New Student

"This is…" Xinyi gasped as she looked at the building and land around her. It was mostly a graveyard, with tombstones decorating the grounds left and right. A stone and iron fence surrounded it all, as well as dead black trees and dull grass. The stone pathway was cracked and worn, nature slowly reclaiming it.

The old dorm itself was rundown and disheveled. No light came from the windows, some even cracked and boarded. The roof was in disrepair and the lining was falling off. Though it did bear remnants of a great and ancient beauty, it had long since had a resident, and so it has succumbed to the ravages of time.

"Right, right. Please, come inside." Crowley said, fully aware of the disappearance of the building. He tried his best to hide it but it was evident that he was a bit worried. The girl said nothing, just followed him through the old rusty door.

The first room they entered after the hall looked to be the lounge. The light that illuminated the walls was dull. Furniture was strewn across the room, chairs across the floor, tables upside down, and most of the paintings on the wall were either crooked or on the floor. Most fabrics were stained or ripped, whether it be a piece of furniture, a rug, or a curtain. There was a fireplace and mantle as well as a large window looking out into the endless landscape. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, gathered from time.

"Staying here will at least keep you out of the rain." the headmaster stated, dusting off a pillow. He looked at the girl who was looking everywhere around her. Though she did not speak, her eyes were filled with wonder, pure genuine curiosity egged into her features. Crowley could only smile as he placed a hand on to get her attention. "I'm going back to do more research. Make yourself at home," he said reassuringly, turning to leave. He stopped just as he was to exit the room, looking her in the eye. "Don't go wandering around the school! Goodbye." she waved to him as he left, only turning back to the room when she heard the door shut.

"I guess I should start cleaning…" she muttered out loud, but a small smile adorned her face. Xinyi was not unhappy with the work, if anything it gave her something to do while she was here. Taking a breath she took up a blanket and shook it in the air, bits of dust falling from the fabric. "The white dust looks like snow…" she marveled as she watched it fall.

For a while, all the girl did was clean the old run-down manor. She started with a bedroom finding clean sheets and pillows. She swept the floors and dusted the shelves, for the most part making the room sleepable. Her attention turned back to the lounge, trying to make it more homely and bright. She only stopped her work when she heard a patering, making her attention turn to the window.

Outside had become darker, barely anything was visible. A sudden shock went through the sky and frightened the girl, a clash following soon after. "It's raining…" she whimpered, placing a hand on the window, calming a bit. She closed her eyes listening to the steady storm, as if nature was telling her to relax.

"Hyiii! It's coming down!" a sudden voice shocked Xinyi out of her thoughts causing her to turn around the room. A gray creature was in front of her, making her jump. Her eyes were wide and her hand instinctively went to her chest as a means of protection.

The small cat creature only laughed when he saw the girl's face. "You've got this stupid look on your face like a spider being attacked with a water gun!" he continued to laugh as he bounced around the room, getting on top of a table to look the human in the eye. "I'll have no trouble sneaking back into the school. Come on, come on. If you think getting thrown out is gonna make me give up on getting in, you've got another thing coming!" his voice was filled with confidence as he smiled up at the poor girl.

Xinyi only cocked her head, confused by his words. "Why do you want to get into this school?"

Grim looked at her with a bright smile, glad she asked such a question. "It's simple," he said, dancing around a bit. "I'm a genius who is destined to be a great magician! I've been waiting for the Ebony Carriage to come pick me up. But...but…"

He trailed off, his mood becoming sower for a moment. "Hmph! The Dark Mirror just doesn't have an eye for this. So that's why I came here on my own." he brightened up a bit, his cyan eyes filling with determination. "Not letting me in would be a loss for the world. Humans just don't get it."

Before Xinyi could come, a small spray of clear liquid fell on the small beings' ears causing them to scream. "Nyaa! So cold! The roof is leaking!" He scampered around trying to dry them, but only more water came. "It keeps coming! My adorable ear fire is gonna go out at this rate!"

Xinyi looked up, confused. "Where is it falling from?" she whispered out loud, not finding the place of entry of the liquid. She held her head in confusion "We have to find a bucket." she muttered standing up to start looking, more water coming down.

Grim scoffed at her remark. "Magic should fix this leak up real quick." he stopped before grinning. "...What? You can't use magic? Pfft! You're useless!" he started to crackle on the floor.

"Then help me!" Xinyi exclaimed as she started to panic, not liking the endless water. But her voice held no straight and reached unyielding ears.

"Huh? Help you?" Grim stated in a marking tone. "No way! I'm just a regular monster staying in a rainy place. You better get a can of tuna ready before I do any work." he cackled at the girls' failed attempts.

"Whoa...there's a bunch of leaks," she muttered looking around the ceiling. "Gotta find a bucket." she began rushing around in hopes of stopping the invading water, Grim doing nothing to help.

After a while, Xinyi finally got everything under control in the lounge area. With that she went up to the bedroom, hoping it was not in the same state. She was alone in one of the dorm's many hallways, Grim refusing to come with her.

A sudden sound made her stop in her tracks looking around. "Did something make a noise just now?" she questioned out loud, a chill going down her spine. "Uh...I don't like this feeling...:" Her body began to shake a bit, looking every which way.

A sudden mischievous laughter caused her to nearly jump out of her skin. "We haven't had a gusset in so long…" a voice said, making her jump away.

"I've been itching for some action." another said coming from the girl's left.

The last voice only laughed and with that, they revealed themselves to the frightened student. There were three of them, white translucent figures, of different shapes and sizes.

"Ghoooosts!" Xinyi screamed, backing away from the beings.

"What are you Freaking out…" Grim yells coming from behind her. Once he saw the figures he instantly started to panic. "Gyaaaah! G-g-g-ghooooosts!"

"The people living here got scared of us and left." the smallest one said with an eerie smile.

"We've been looking for more ghost pals. How about you guys?" The largest one came closer.

Xinyi stepped back, trying to get away. "I'm gonna be killed!" She whimpered, tuning to Grim. "Help me!"

"Uuuu...eeee…" the small raccoon creature stuttered, before shaking himself. "Grim the Great Magician isn't scared of some ghosts!" he yelled, coming forward and breathing fire.

Unfortunately the translucent begins to shift and the fire hits the walls. "Where were you aiming?" the skinniest of the ghosts smirked standing to the side of the flames.

The biggest one snickered, coming closer to the gray cat. "Over here! Heeheehee!"

"Shoot! Stop disappearing!" Grim growled, taking another breath and blowing.

"You'll burn the place down like this," Xinyi exclaimed, running to put out the fire. She then looked back at Grim and realized something. "Are you closing your eyes when you breathe fire?"

"Shut up! Don't try… give me orders!" he growled at the girl, glaring at her.

Xinyi bit her lip, trying to think how to help. "I-I'll give you a can of tuna if you win!" she yelled hoping that would work.

Grim froze in shock before erupting in excitement. "Wah…!? Mmmmm. I-I'm a genius. I won't let one…" The Ghosts suddenly appear behind them laughing, startling the two. "Bunch of cowards ganging up on us!" Grim growled, glaring at the entities.

Xinyi looked at Grim again, taking a deep breath. "F-for a limited time, I-I'll give you one more can!" she said, in a calm voice. "P-please t-take care not to burn the one getting your prize."

Grim looked up at her with a watering mouth before shaking his head and focusing on the opponents. "Hey, you! Tell me where the ghosts are!" he demanded as he aimed.

"L-leave it to me!" Xinyi said, looking over at the beings around her."On your left!" 

The flame hit the skinny one causing them to wither back in fear. "Hot!" they screamed as the blue flames liked them.

Grim looked at the thing in surprise before cheering. "I hit it! Alright, let's chase them all outta here!" he yelled with Xinyi smiling at him. At one point the girl had to grab the monster and place him on her shoulder, as he was too scared to move from his spot. Eventually, they were able to back the ghosts away.

When I was four or five years old, my grandfather showed me how to build things, paint, saw. Through years of fixing bikes, repairing lawn mowers. I learned how things work.

Author Tony Fadell