Josephine’s First Day at School

It was Josephine’s first day at preschool. Her mother, Theodora Marlin, stood back, watching as her daughter met other children in a group setting for the first time. They were at The Marlin Institute, a private school for supernatural’s, veiled from the human world and nestled on a different plane of existence. The Marlins were the most ancient family in the world, not only founding the school but ensuring it was protected by powerful wards. Humans could neither see nor enter.

So why were there two human girls there?

Theo, no longer the Bearer but still carrying the memories of her reign, felt a sharp pang of confusion. She knew every family, whether vessels for gods, young Sirens, or even the ghouls who had hopped through portals during her time. Yet these two girls were a mystery to her.

One of them had an odour about her—a foul scent that confused Theo’s senses.

“Judy?” Theodora asked, turning to the teacher beside her. “Who are they, and how did they pass the enrolment requirements? More importantly, how did they get past all the wards?”

Judy followed Theo’s gaze, her brow furrowing. “That’s Penelope,” she said, “apparently, she was allowed to enrol... though I’m not sure why. Maybe there’s something about her future? Some destiny she’s meant for?”

“Maybe,” Theo replied, sceptical. “But I usually pick up a scent when they’ve got a supernatural future, and I’m getting nothing from her.”

Before Judy could respond, her attention shifted. “Oh, look,” she pointed towards the playground.

Josephine had made her way over to Penelope, who was being picked on by another girl—the one with the strange odour, and Penelope was in tears.

“What about her? The one with the black, frizzy hair?” Theo asked, her instincts kicking in.

Judy frowned. “That one’s... different. I don’t know anything about her or her family. Her name’s Katherine. She’s... troubling.”

Theo nodded. “She certainly seems like a troublemaker.”

The two women stood quietly, watching the scene unfold between the three little girls.

“Stop it,” Josephine said, stepping in between them as Katherine tugged at Penelope’s long red hair. Josephine swatted Katherine’s hand away, and Katherine, undeterred, grabbed a fistful of Josephine’s strawberry-blonde curls in retaliation.

“Hey!” Josephine exclaimed, pulling back. “It’s bad manners to pull someone’s hair. How do you like it?” She grabbed a handful of Katherine’s thick, frizzy hair and gave it a firm yank.

Katherine burst into tears, storming away to sulk in a corner.

Theo took a step forward, but Judy gently placed a hand on her arm. “Let’s see how this plays out.”

Josephine, meanwhile, turned to Penelope and gave her a comforting hug. “What’s your name?” she asked, wiping away the other girl’s tears.

“Penelope,” the girl said with a shy smile. “What’s yours?”

“Jo.”

It was a touching moment, but Katherine was still crying, her anger growing more intense with each sob. Theodora watched closely as her daughter led Penelope by the hand and approached the angry girl. Jo took Katherine’s hand.

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” Jo said softly, “but you were hurting Penelope.”

Katherine scowled. “She looks like a pony.”

Jo didn’t let go of her hand. “We want to be your friends, if you want us to be?”

Katherine’s tears slowed as she clenched her small fists and looked at them both, wiping away her frustration. “You want to be my friend?” she asked, her voice small.

“Yes, don’t we, Pony?” Jo asked, the nickname slipping out. But Penelope smiled wide, completely unfazed.

“I like Pony,” Penelope said cheerfully, taking control of the name.

Jo grinned. “See? We all like Pony, don’t we?” Then, she realised she didn’t know the other girl’s name. “What’s your name?” she asked.

“Katherine,” the girl muttered, still half-pouting.

“Well, Katherine,” Jo said, hugging her warmly. “My name’s Jo.”

Pony, eager to join in, wrapped her arms around them both. From where Theodora and Judy stood, they could hear the exchange, and Theodora couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride for her little girl, resolving conflict at such a young age.

As they pulled away from the hug, Jo said thoughtfully, “I think I’ll call you Kaz. I have an Aunty Kaz, and she’s very pretty, with lots of friends. And now, you’re our friend too, right, Pony?”

“Yes, we’ll all be friends,” Pony said, taking Kaz by the hand. Jo grabbed the other, and the three of them ran off to the playground, giggling and laughing together.

“Well,” Theodora said, watching the scene, “that was... interesting. Who’s Kaz again? What’s her family name?”

“Silverman. Beyond that—and what I suspect is poor hygiene—”

“You can smell it too?” Theo interjected, her nose wrinkling slightly.

“The moment she walked in. And without a parent, I might add,” Judy replied. “But what is it, Theo? What’s that smell?”

“I’m not sure,” Theo admitted, her voice low. “But there’s something... otherworldly about her. I’ll ask around. But keep an eye on her. That rage she felt heightened the odour, and it’s not natural for a child to emanate that kind of anger.”

Theo watched her daughter playing with her new friends, the three girls running about without a care in the world. She waved goodbye to Judy and the other parents, her mind now focused on the strange girl with the frizzy black hair. She began to wonder if Katherine might be from the underworld. But if she is, how had she slipped through the school’s enrolment?

Climbing into her Jeep—Jezz, as her friends called it, short for Jezebel—Theo couldn’t help but mutter to herself, Questions to ask, answers to find.

And with that, she drove away, a thousand thoughts swirling in her mind.