Chapter Text
“Ugh my head.”
I palmed my forehead, hoping the tension would relieve some of the pain. I was lying in a bed of some sorts, with beige sheets and pillows. It was not the most comfortable, but surely sufficed.
I remained laying down but pushed myself upwards slightly, hoping to get a better view of my surroundings. Whatever happened made all of my muscles too sore to properly move.
There was a white curtain surrounding my bed, held up by a polished metal pole. Movement could be seen from behind the curtain. Someone was walking directly across it, pushing it in with their arm.
Then the arm found the entrance, pushing open the curtain fully. “Well, look who has come back to the land of the living.” It’s the boy from last night, does that mean that I didn’t experience some sick dream?
He was no longer wearing his hood or dark clothing, instead replacing it with a school uniform. Which consisted of a white button down, tan blazer embroidered with “Nevermore”, and black slacks.
The boy next to him added, “looks like she survived her first encounter with the Lady in White”. He wore the same uniform as the other except he had the collar popped up to hide his mouth. As he spoke, he shrugged his shoulders upwards to remain extra hidden.
“How did I survive? I thought for sure I was dead.” Maybe the boy from last night quickly brought me to a hospital for an antidote? Though this looks more like a school’s nurse’s office than a hospital.
They both burst out laughing. The boy from last night clenching his stomach as if he heard the best joke in existence, tears slightly forming. Even the other held a soft chuckle.
The first boy stopped to state, “Mon amie, you are dead.”
“What?” I tried to lift myself off the bed, to protest, but the pain in my muscles forced me back down.
The boy explained as if it were common knowledge, “We’re all dead. Can’t you remember how you died?’
“You mean the Lady in White poisoning me?”
The boy shook his hands slightly, "No, no not that. Your past life. You really don’t remember?”
I shook my head, was I supposed to remember?
“She’s got amnesia,” the other boy added.
“Well tis’ a shame, it will go away soon. Normally those that died with head injuries need a day or two.” The boy shrugged.
“Oh! It seems we never got properly acquainted last night.” He held his hand out towards me, “Bonjour, my name is Duke. And my shy friend over there is Pluto.” I shook his hand hesitantly. Neither of them seemed evil, especially not next to my murderer, I should try to trust them.
“I don’t suppose we can get out of here.” Pluto looked away as he spoke, his face almost entirely covered by his clothing and hair.
“Well yes of course.” Duke replied. “Mon amie, can you stand?”
“I think so,” the pain had subsided by now but was still slightly there. I winced making my way upwards, having to grapple my waist for support.
Duke looked over satisfied. He clapped his hands together, “Very well, onto the secret hideout.”
I limped out of the nurse’s office, pausing to lean against the door frame. The boys understood and waited briefly for me. I took a moment to observe my surroundings.
It looked like a high school, rows of lockers filled the walls and classes were noted with tiny, numbered signs. The hallways were crowded with students wearing the same uniforms as Duke and Pluto.
Great, the afterlife is just high school, what a twisted reality.
At first, we walked slowly through the never-ending corridors, the halls seeming to last a little too long to be normal. Soon my muscles became agreeable, and we picked up the pace to a brisk walk. Down, left, right, inside, outside. All to be led to a building.
Duke and Pluto slowed down once we reached it. It looked gigantic, two stories tall with a raised semi-circle dome. Oh and, it was made strictly of glass, minus the roof.
Walking inside only made it feel grander. Hundreds of students lined up in a snaking path, all leading to some buffet area, filled with foods from seemingly everywhere.
The first floor was filled with circular tables that looked to fit around five people each. The upper floor seemed to host larger rectangular tables and of course a loft looking down at the main area.
Pluto waved over at a group of two girls sitting at an empty round table, shyly smiling at them. He carried a bit more pep in his step as he rushed over to them. Duke leisurely walked over with me raising his hand in acknowledgment.
I sat down in between Duke and Pluto observing the girls on the other side of me. One had long red hair with winged eyeliner and a cheery smile, the other, curly hair in a pixie cut with a permanent smirk on her face.
“You mean to tell me, your ‘secret hideout’ is the school cafeteria?” I raised my hands in air quotes.
“Listen, mon amie, we had a real secret hideout just…” Duke started.
The pixie haired girl finished rolling her eyes, “it’s just that, that preppy, two-sided Lady in White and her posse block the entrance now.” The term “Lady in White” held the same significance as a curse, a forbidden evil.
“Is the Lady in White really that… bad?” I replied. Something about the whole thing felt strange. Movie villains only really existed in movies, not real life.
“Hon, the Lady in White puts Satan in the running for his money. Didn’t she kill you yesterday? Do you need any more proof?” The pixie haired girl pushed her finger on the table to annunciate her point.
“How did you-?”
“Duke told us yesterday, said some new kid immediately got killed by the Lady in White.” The other girl finally talked, “I’m Eulalie, by the way, my friend over here is Berenice” she smiled politely, reaching over the table to shake my hand.
Berenice replied with a cutesy wave, “Hey babe.”
Duke suddenly flung his arm around my shoulder, “Lenore you are one of us now, a Misfit. We will not accept the afterlife without a fight.” The others nodded in agreement.
“Now,” he unraveled himself from me, lifting his finger, “first order of business…”
“First order of business is someone getting a uniform.” A stern voice interrupted, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.
The others looked up in shock and slightly terror. I turned my head to see the cause of their reactions. “Lady in White?” She furrowed her eyebrows, looking down at me with pure disgust.
“You’d be wise not to call me by that.” The grip on my shoulder strengthened.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.” I placed my hands up in defeat, slightly lifting my shoulders.
“Annabel Lee.” She scoffed, “I suppose you can not be blamed for your terrible influences.” She gave a death glare to everyone sitting at the table.
I looked around my friends, Duke and Berenice stood up slightly, their eyebrows furrowed. Pluto and Eulalie respectively held each back to prevent further mishaps.
Annabel removed her hand from my shoulder, turning around and sighing. “Do try to remember. It’s important to know the name of your Student Council President.” She placed her hands together behind her back.
“Yes, your elegance.” I teased. I lifted myself out of my seat.
She snapped her head back, looking at me with widened eyes before huffing. “Oh stop. Do as you're told.”
She glanced at me a second longer before calling out, “Prospero, help me escort Lenore to the fitting room. Let’s try not to waste the rest of free time on such a thing.”
“Yes Annabel.” A man came from behind bowing slightly, tall and properly groomed down to the most minute detail. Nothing about him could be labeled as unclean or messy. He had broad shoulders and short white leather gloves on both of his hands.
“Come now,” Annabel stated, I looked back at my friend group, all filled with sympathetic glances. Duke mouthed “good luck” and I was sent on my way.
I let Annabel and the man named Prospero lead me out of the cafeteria and into the main building again. Neither of them said a word, all too focused on their presumably school duties.
“Here,” Annabel Lee finally broke the silence, glancing inside of a room with the door slightly ajar. “Go talk to the girl inside, she will give you a uniform your size.”
I took a step closer to the door, ready to go inside, but an arm stretched to block the entrance.
“Although I must say,” Prospero ejected, “we ought to give you detention. No matter how new to the school you are, school uniforms are always a must.”
He paused, crossing his arms in front of him, giving his best commanding look. “Surely you know that from your past life.”
I admitted truthfully, “I don’t remember much from my life, only bits and pieces of certain things. Like I’m not even sure my name is Lenore. Or like anything for that matter.”
“It is,” Annabel quickly responded and Prospero raised an eyebrow at her skeptically, “I looked over your file last night after the incident.”
“I see.” Prospero responded, “Well President, what should Lenore’s punishment be?”
“Just a warning,” she rolled her eyes, “I suppose amnesia is a good enough excuse.” She pouted slightly observing her nails.
“Well, you are in a good mood today, Annabel.” Prospero smirked.
“I suppose I am,” she turned back to me, “now pet, hurry on and get a uniform. This is the only warning you will receive.”
I gave up on verbally responding and pushed open the door more. I checked if they were still behind me, but they were already down the hall.
“You must be Lenore!” I jumped back to look at the bubbly ginger talking. She grinned, shaking my hand frantically, “I’m Morella, Duke told me all about you.”
“You mean how I immediately died?” I placed my hand behind my neck, awkwardly.
“Well let’s not sweat the details,” she chuckled and held up a tan uniform, observing it against me. “This your size?” She brought the hanger closer to me, showing me the inside of the button down.
I pulled the tag and observed the sizing, “yeah looks like it. How did you know?”
“Oh!” she looked away, “I didn’t, Annabel suspected as much.”
“She did?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Oh yes, she seems quite fond of you actually.”
“Are you sure we are talking about the same Annabel?”
“Oh stop,” she placed the hanger with the outfit in my hand. “She’s not all evil,” my thoughts interjected: just mostly evil, “now go get changed. Class is starting soon.” She patted my shoulder before exiting the room.
I went into the dressing room and tugged on my button down, blazer, and slacks. I turned to myself in the mirror, adjusting my collar slightly. I ran my finger against the embroidered “Nevermore” logo. I guess this was my life now or afterlife?
Whatever it was, my uniform fit perfectly.