Chatterbox: Inkwell

So, it's not fully finished yet, but I hope you like all 1,892 words of it so far!

It was a normal day in Pine Hill City.  I was in Junior High School, and it was the last week of school.  My name is Astrid Silmore.  We were at P.E., when all of a sudden, BAM!  The ceiling caved in and 12 silver flashes streaked across the sky.  I and 4 of my friends , Cat, Freya, Eliza, and Hermione, started levitating into the flashes.  “HELP!” we all screamed.  Magenta clouds enveloped us, and soon, we blacked out. 

 We woke up in a ship prison with  a person outside, pacing and talking to herself.  She looked at us, turned into a bird, and flew in.  We all screamed as she turned back into a human, and covered our mouths.  “Sorry about that.  It was rude.”  said the woman.  “I’m Lily.”  “HOW DARE YOU TAKE US FROM OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS?!  WHERE EVEN ARE WE?!”  I exclaimed.  She explained that we are deep in space, near a planet similar to Earth, called Persephone.  “We took you because we overheard you 5 talking about how you thought witches and shapeshifters and other ‘mythical’ creatures were real, though you were 12, so we decided  you should go to our school for young witches and shapeshifters.”  “So you mean we’re all-” Cat said.  “Shapeshifters and witches, yes.” Lily replied.  “No surprise there, Hermione.” I said jokingly.  

The ship docked on Persephone and I realized out loud “What about our parents, won't they be worried?”  Lily told us that 4 years A.K.A. one semester here is 1 hour on Earth.  We got into the school, and went to our room, room 73B, where there were 3 bunk beds, and there was a girl on the top of one.  She looked up at us, and said “Hi.  You must be my new roommates.  I’m Silvie.”  “You’re Silvie? The one that disappeared last year?” Freya asked.  “Yup.” Silvie replied. 

 “GIRLS!  IT’S TIME FOR DINNER!”  Lily called from the loud speakers.  Silvie found and saved us 6 spots and got us the food “MMMM” we all said at the scent of lasagna.  Silvie explained that we get a budget to get clothing and two pets, a dog, cat, dragon, unicorn, or griffin.  We all went up to bed and I claimed the top bunk.  

The next day I got 3 sundresses, 10 pairs of pants and shorts, 1 long sleeve dress, 3 bathing suits, 10 short and long sleeve shirts, 15 pairs of socks and underwear, feminine products, and 3 skirts. (I got a stuffed griffin too.)  We went to the shelter and I adopted a baby griffin and an Alaskan Shepherd puppy.  Cat got a unicorn and a griffin, Freya got a unicorn and a cat, Eliza got a cat and a dog, and Hermione got two cats.  We each had a little money left over, so we went to the best ice cream place in the galaxy.

  Afterwards, we got food and supplies for the pets.  We finally got to the school, and I fed my pets, went down to the mess hall, and fell asleep almost immediately.  “Astrid!  Astrid!  Wake up!  You overslept!  I pulled on a shirt, flyaway, some leggings and a skirt. I fed my pets, and dashed downstairs.  I scarfed down my breakfast, and ran to meet my friends at the first class, how to shapeshift into any animal you want.  I tried to shapeshift into a wolf, and did it on my first try.  I was able to exit the class since I was the first to get it right.

  I ran to the forest right outside of campus.  I had found a secret pathway that leads to the river, so I splashed around and played for a while.  My friends joined me, but after that, a small, starved, injured, tired wolf showed up.  She looked different than normal wolves, so instead of howling, I asked her, “Who are you?”  “I’m Everest, a student from last semester,” she replied.  “I was coming out of my first shapeshifting class, and ran into the woods like you, I came to the river, drank some fresh, cold water, and night fell.  I must have sleep-walked, because next thing I know, I’m in the heart of the forest.  Today, I heard you 5 splashing around, and I followed the sound and found you guys,” She said.  “We could bring you back to campus, and get you some food,”  Freya suggested.  “What’s your room number?”  Cat asked at the same time as Hermione and Eliza.  “Room 73B,” Everest said.  “NO WAY!  US TOO!” We all shouted.  “Is there any chance that Silvie is still there?”  “Ya, why?” I asked.  “She is the most advanced witch and shapeshifter there…and she’s my sister.”  Our mouths gaped open.  We turned into owls, and flew back to our rooms.

Silvie was waiting there, with a “tisk, tisk” look on her face.  “Hoo's your friend?” she asked.  We all turned back, and Silvies eyes filled with tears, as she ran to hug Everest.  “What happened to you?!  I’m going to get some bandages, antiseptic, and something to clean those wounds.”  Silvie came back, and Everest explained everything to her.  We went to the mess hall, and Everest devoured her lentils and lamb chops in less than 5 minutes.  We headed up to bed, and it turns out that Silvie had kept her entire wardrobe.  We got in pajamas and everyone fell asleep rather quickly, everyone but me.  I stayed awake until around midnight thinking if there were more students that got lost in the woods.

  I woke, again, fed my pets, went downstairs, and fell asleep at breakfast.  “I’M UP” I screamed as I got a face full of eggs.  “Okay, let’s head down to witchcraft.  Lesson 1: Transformations of Inanimate Objects.”  Hermione read out loud.  “Hermione, if you start acting like Harry Potter Hermione, I swear….”  “OOkay, let’s go before...we’re late.”  Freya said, pushing us apart.  To no one's surprise, Hermione got it right first.  She turned a pair of glasses into a pair of wine glasses.  Freya got it second, I got it third, Eliza got it fourth, and Cat got it last.  We had only two things for homework.  Shapeshift into at least one mystical creature, and turn a pen into a quill.  I, being obsessed with mermaids, turned into one.  But I did it in the full bath tub before my friends got home.  I hid my tail when they got home, and they thought I had drowned.  When they tapped my back, I pulled out my tail, and screamed, “PRANKED YA!”  “Oh my gosh Astrid!” Silvie scolded.  “Ya, ya I scared you.  Can you please get my bikini top, wearing a wet shirt is sooooooo uncomfortable.”  They brought my top, I changed, and they brought me down to the river.  

They waded into the river, plopped me in, and turned into mermaids as well.  We swam up, and down the river until sunset.  It was exuberating!  We could breathe underwater, and swim super fast!  When the sun started to set, we sat on some rocks, and since I had bought 5 pens, we turned them into quills, all on the first try.  “I guess being mermaids makes our magic stronger.”  Everest said.  And she was right, when you are in mermaid form you magic is two times more powerful.  We grabbed our quills, turned into griffins, and flew back home.  When we got home, we bathed, got in pajamas, went down to the mess hall, and a ginormous eagle flew in, and it was Lily.

“Students, since the holidays are coming up, we will be taking a special trip to Dog Musher Mountain, where you will learn how to use magical transportation, such as teleportation, flying dragons, and other flying beings, dog mushing, and giant dog riding.”  “Oh my gosh!  I used to fantasize about riding giant dogs with wooden saddles!”  I exclaimed.  We went to bed, but stayed up talking about what we were going to do.  The next morning was the start of Christmas, and Channukkah.  I woke up, and there was a menorah in the window, and a christmas tree with twenty-one presents under the tree.  “Guys get up.” I whispered.  No response.  I turned into a wolf pup, and licked each and every one of them, transformed back, and let everyone see for themselves.  “Oh.  My.  GOSH!” Freya yelled at the sight.  We opened our gifts, I got a wooden saddle, two regular saddles, and a Tebetin Mastiff Chekeslovakian Vlcak mix puppy that grows very fast.  “I’m gonna name you Moose.”  I said in tears.  The others got exactly what they wanted, too.  We threw on our clothes, went downstairs, ate breakfast quickly, and lily, who shapeshifted into a phoenix to keep us warm.

  We all hopped on, I, bearing Moose, and soon we were in the sky.  I don’t remember the rest, because Moose and I fell asleep on the ride.  “Astrid, we’re here.”  Silvie gently said, and so did Moose, in the form of a lick on the cheek.  I slowly got off, and fed Moose some dried fish.  We split up, and agreed to meet at town square. I went with moose and another girl named Artemis went to the Giant Dog Riding Plaza.  Moose was already big enough to ride, and Artemis’ dog was also big enough.  We entered and a woman who had a big, warm smile on her face.  “Hi girls.  I’m Diana.  Are you here for the dog riding lessons?”  She asked.  “Yup.”  I said with Moose two inches taller than me already.  I fed him some more, but this time, I fed him half the bag.

   Diana went to the saddle wall, and grabbed two wooden saddles.  “I already have one.”  Artemis and I said at the same time.  I smiled at her.  Diana taught us how to fasten the saddle on our dogs, and how to mount and ride our dogs.  I caught on quickly, and so did Artemis.  Her dog’s name was Rahnis.  Soon, we left Diana’s shop, and went separate ways.  We exchanged room numbers, and went separate ways, but I still told her where we were meeting up.

 I found my friends, but I was still riding Moose, so it gave them quite a fright.  “So, where are we going next?” I said, after they calmed down.  “I’m thinking of going to that Mystic Minto shop down the street.”  Silvie pointed it out.  It was small, but as we got closer, an amazing smell filled our nostrils.  I’m guessing that wondrous smell is minto?” Eliza asked.  “Yesserie,” Everest said.  

We Walked in and ordered seven minto specials.  “MMM”  Cat said, as she took a sip.  “So, where do you want to go next?”  Everest asked, as we finished our drinks.  “Maybe we can go dogsledding.  Moose is really strong,”  I suggested.  “Or maybe just with huskies and malamutes?  Some of us don’t wanna die,”  Silvie remarked.  “I agree with Silvie. But I am not walking all the way back,”  Freya said  “We can ride there on him!” I exclaimed. 

We exited the shop, and I bought some more dried fish.  “RUFF!” Moose boomed excitedly.  I came back with a backpack filled with dried fish.  “Here you go, boy.”  I said as I tossed him some of it.