Spellbound
Chapter 6

The following morning one bleary eyed Nathaniel poured himself out of bed, had some breakfast then headed off to school in the village like he usually did only this time Pen was waiting for him at the school gate...with a huge smile on her face when she saw him ramble up the hill towards her.

Even before he was in within speaking distance to her she started nodding her head as if to say ‘did you get your letter like me?’. When Nathaniel stood next to her Pen pulled him aside to allow other younger students in through the gate and they talked before they went to their classroom...in hushed tones. Pen spoke first....( as if you could stop her)

“Did you get your letter Nat?”

“Yep...it was delivered air mail by one fanged thirsty talking bat at midnight” said Nathaniel laughing as he spoke to Pen.

“So did I...and isn’t Nibbles just the cutest bat you have ever seen?” squealed Pen in excitement.

“She is adorable Pen” said Nathaniel smiling now because Pen’s merriment was so infectious.

“Now....remember what I said yesterday about Mr Morkas and let’s see if he is different today now that he knows we have our letters from Azadarin ok?” said Pen switching from great delight to abject seriousness in the wink of a blink.

“Ok then Pen...you watch my back and I will watch yours...let's go in the bell is about to sound” said Nathaniel opening the old school gate for Pen and he heard her say as she walked past him...

“Such a gentleman” and he smiled and blushed at the same time...and this was duly noted by Pen as she walked with him into class.

They both sat next to each other and for the first time in his life Nathaniel would rather have been some where else with Pen than in a stuffy old classroom. He was noticing things about her more with each meeting, study session in the library or just talking to her on the village street.

Pen smelt like peaches today. Nathaniel got this urge to sit closer to her just to take in the aroma but that is not a polite thing to do so he held back a bit but sat next to her all the same...just not that close...but close enough. Her hair is almost black, only showing hints of deepest brown when she concentrated on her work that she was doing in class. Her eyes were a pale blue, but so watery you’d almost expect to see them on someone albino.

Her laugh was so infectious Mr Morkas punished her for even a giggle rather than have the whole class snickering into their studies. Her voice is deeper than girls usually have, not boyish, but a semi-octave lower than is usual. Nathaniel was starting to think that he liked her a little too much, but so much as to call it a crush. It’s just that when she’s near he felt her gravitational pull and he could not help but spin into her orbit.

After the class role was called and each student responded to their name called out by Mr Morkas with a ‘present’ it was down to the business of learning. Every so often Pen would look at Nathaniel fastidiously scribbling notes into his school book and she would smile for reasons even she couldn’t understand...but they felt nice.

Nathaniel would look up at Pen and see the sunlight from the window they sat next to shimmer in her hair and by all accounts he was mesmerised by her beauty as if for the first time...and this felt nice as well to him. Pen could write and talk at the same time which was something Nathaniel couldn’t do but he listened as Pen said to him in a whisper......

“On the count of three....let’s both look up and straight at Mr Morkas ok...ready...1...2...3”

When both Nathaniel and Penelope looked up at the time in the same direction and met the gaze of Mr Morkas they were shocked. He was looking directly at them with a hatred in his face and eyes that made both Nathaniel and Penelope put their heads straight down and continue working on the project he had set for the class. Nathaniel whispered to Pen....

“You were right Pen...he has his knickers in a twist about something and it involves both of us...let’s keep our heads down for the rest of the day ok?” said Nathaniel while trying to write and talk at the same time with some difficulty.

“Ok Nat...let’s do that” and both students didn’t lift their heads up for the rest of the day unless it was to pay attention too what was being said by Mr Morkas or the notes and homework he set for the entire classroom by drawing on the blackboard at the front of the class.

The rest of the afternoon dragged on insufferably and at last when the school bell rang both Nat and Pen were the first to stand and make for the classroom door. As they did Mr Morkas approached both of them and put his hands on both of their shoulders and said quietly...

“Any news I should know you two?”

“In regards to what Sir?” asked Nathaniel as gently and quietly as he could so as not to raise suspicion from other classmates leaving the classroom.

“In regards to the arrival of a certain letter?” said Mr Morkas, his eyes narrowing as he inspected the body language of both of his students intently.

“Nope...not a word Sir...I would have told you if there was” and Nathaniel smiled at Mr Morkas which completely through him off his interrogation of the two of them and he took his hands off their shoulders and they said goodbye and all but ran to escape the school and it grounds in a state of fright.

Once they were far enough away from the school and nowhere near the library as well they both spoke at once but it was Nathaniel who relinquished his voice and let Pen speak while he listened on intently.....

“See Nat...I told you he was creepy and that he was watching us...what about the questions as we left today...this will only make him press harder if he knows other students got their letters and we just blatantly lied to his face...do you see my point Nat?” said Pen talking at a speed Nathaniel had never heard before so he really had to pay attention.

“Yes Pen when we both looked up..he moved back just a little as if he was surprised that we did it together at the same time, he now knows there is a bond there between us because of our shared curiosity about him and the hatred he now has for us both...I’m guessing he knew we were lying about the letters as other students may have told him about theirs...but you are right I can see a teacher filled with hatred now...where as before all I saw was a teacher who liked hard working students like the both of us” said Nathaniel sitting down next to Pen and catching a whiff of scent from her hair that smelt like peaches as the breeze picked up.

Both students sat there in mute silence watching the comings and goings in the village in a state of shock at their teacher. They both couldn’t believe how much hatred they saw in his face because before he was all smiles and extremely complimentary about their grades and performance in class.

Now it was completely different.

Nathaniel and Penelope had read the same books separately but they were the same books that spoke about hatred so they knew how to identify it. Hate colours the soul. It spreads throughout the entire body and its systems, shutting down all other feelings, and becoming central to the life and the intent of the person. The object of the hatred may or may not be present, but the imagined words and hostile actions against the hated one can dominate at times. One turns his/her attention to other matters, and may for a time be driven in other directions, but then the wave of ill thoughts return with a vengeance.

Once again the soul is colored completely, and all the negative energy that one can muster is thrown into the imagined ill will racing wildly around the mind. Hatred becomes a sickness of the mind, and of the heart. For where hatred has claimed possession, there is no room for love. Left unchecked, hate can completely poison the soul and in the case of Mr Morkas now Nathaniel and Pen figured out very quickly that he was a damaged man just by how he stared at them both. It was evil, so irritated and resentful.

Nathaniel and Penelope sat there in silence contemplating the days events before leaving to go to their respective homes. They both had a lot to think about. The Letter, their feelings for each other and ill will that seemed to seethe through Mr Morkas. Perhaps they would learn more when they sat this test and perhaps Azadarin knew more than what he was letting on. But for now it was home for dinner and some much needed sleep on behalf of all parties concerned.