Chapter 1 - Not The Best Start

My car finally pulls up to the school of my dreams, Tourmaline Academy University of the Arts. (T.A.U.A)

Discovered just off the west coast of Tanzanite Woods, the beautiful architecture and academic achievement collect a lot of enrollment from all over the globe.

It's normally very packed when it's time to enroll.

I can't even believe that I got in.

I parked my car in the parking lot and got out looking at the masterpiece.

I walk towards the main hall, but instead of seeing a bunch of tour guides along with their freshmen, I'm encountered with yellow caution tape.

It is wrapped all around the front area where the police and a huge amount of people are standing and gossiping loudly about the situation.

"What's going on?" I thought.

Being the little investigator that I am, I started to push through the crowd to get to the front.

When I got there, there were two people inside the barrier that the tape created.

Both of them looked like detectives as one had a notebook and the other had an absurd thinking face.

On the floor was a pool of blood that took the shape of a person?

I looked around to see if I can ask someone to tell me what's going on.

An elderly-looking lady steps out of a car with a couple of bodyguards.

She walks towards the front of the crowd and all of a sudden, everything was now pin-drop silent.

The only thing that could be heard was her ten-inch high heels clicking on the wooden floors.

I looked around at the silent students, shocked at how much respect the elderly woman had.

"Most of you know me and the rules that follow. However, the freshmen don't so I'll introduce myself," The woman began.

"My name is Alice Ingred the chancellor for this school," She introduced.

"You will refer to me as either Ms. Ingred or Chancellor Ingred. Nothing more or less," Her voice boomed.

"As I've said before most of you know this Academy's rules,"

"One of the most important rules in my Academy is that there shouldn't be any kind of public gathering around authorities like the police unless you are permitted to do so." She ordered.

"Now leave immediately and I want all of that gossip to disperse now."

"As for the freshmen go over there on that grass field and wait for your tour guides,"

"The situation here is being handled. WELCOME TO TOURMALINE ACADEMY UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS!" She finished.

That woman had some lungs to speak to at least a hundred people clearly, with no mic.

I headed over towards the field but I was still intrigued by the crime scene at the main hall.

My attention was solely divided between the Chancellor and the Police.

I wonder what exactly happened?

Why is there blood and so much too?

Why didn't I get informed about this before Fresher's day?

Why is there-

"Why, hello there!" Someone cheered from behind me.

I twirl around instantly to be met with ocean green eyes, tall dark curly hair, chocolate skin, and a huge pearly white smile.

"H-hello?" I replied.

"I'm Madeline Frost your tour guide, nice to meet you," She greeted sticking her arm out for me to shake.

"Hi, I'm Bryer Camlotte, nice to meet you too," I greeted.

"Welcome to T.A.U.A, one of the best universities in our country,"

As I look around the field I realized that there weren't more than twenty students.

Weird.

"Um, If it's one the best why aren't there more students?" I inquired.

"That's because of what's been happening recently, follow me," She directed.

We walk together off of the lawn and into our first building.

"This right here is the Alkanzer library, the biggest on our campus that was built after a huge shoot-out a century ago to stop the violence at schools as libraries were highly respected." She informed.

"Um, I'm sorry, your tour is lovely and all but can you explain to me what you meant by 'because of what's been happening recently?' " I asked.

"Haha, your quite the curious cat aren't you? very well, come closer" she instructed.

I did so almost immediately eager to get some answers to once and for all calm my interested mind.

"Well, there have been four murders since the start of last month-"

"What!?" I questioned loudly.

"Shhh! Keep it down will ya! Anyways as I've said, there have been some murders all by the same person and all the students are from the Music or Dance major." She whispered.

"The same person?"

"Yes, they call him the silencer." She replied

I burst out laughing at the ridiculous yet ironic name.

"You're not gonna be laughing when I tell you why they call him that" she warned.

"You're right I'm sorry, wait! was that why the police were over there?" I pointed.

"No, they're here for a charity case."

"Really? why?"

"That was sarcasm you fool, of course, they're here because of him. They named him the silencer because-"

"How do you know for sure that it's a guy?" I said cutting her off.

"Because one of the students saw a male's back as he exited the building when he killed someone before this one, but they haven't caught him as he disappeared," She explained.

"Oh, well why didn't he-"

"Oh my god let me talk!, damn, I'll explain everything while I give you the tour come on, follow me." she interrupted.

I couldn't blame her for getting annoyed, I have a habit of doing that.

"Over there is the King's eye ruin," she said pointing at the land with a burnt and demolished building.

"It was where the head of staff used to meet but it got burned down in a fire, twelve people died and ten came out alive, it's strictly forbidden," She warned.

"The silencer got his name because of the unique calling card that he leaves behind for the police. He stitches his victim's mouths shut. He also carves his death count on the victim's chest with a knife," She whispered.

"What the hell! what kind of a person does that?" I asked.

"Only a borderline psycho, no one knows why he targetted the dance and music majors, they have the best dormmates in the school," She started.

"The first person he killed was one of my best friends, Carl Smith," she sobbed.

"I'm so sorry," I comforted.

"No worries, it's been a month, I should get over it," she sniffled.

"Over here is the Music Major - you know about the different sectors right?" She asked.

"Um, no, sorry," I answered.

"That's ok I'll tell you them, there are two sectors, Visual and the Performing sector," She started.

"These sectors are broken down into eight majors, four for visual and the same for performing,"

"Under the Visual sector, there are Drawing and painting, Architecture, photography, and sculpting,"

"The performing sector has, Dance, music, theatre, and writing," She explained.

"The silencer case has no leads and no witnesses, except for the girl that saw his back, and get this, after she told the police about what she saw, she died due to an overdose the next day!" She said.

"Talk about an odd coincidence," I replied.

"Coincidence I think not, I think that the silencer silenced her too." She giggled.

"Why are you giggling?" I asked.

"It's so ironic, his name I mean, I'm sorry I know that was inappropriate," she stated.

"I get it, wait, woah! what's over there?" I examined.

"Oh, that's No man's land it caught fire as well, people say it was a wildfire as the sun was quite hot that time of year." She asserted.

"Is that why it looks so, so dead?" I asked.

"Yeah, after the fire the greenery failed to flourish, people say that it's cursed, it's also forbidden as there were some wild animal sightings," She clarified.

"Over there is the Dance Major." She directed.

"You do know about the dorms right?" She inquired.

"I don't know anything, to be honest," I replied.

"Haha, your quite the sharp tool,"

"For each major, they're three dorms named randomly I believe" She stuttered.

"You're in the writing major right?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"What do you specialize in, you know like poetry, fiction, speeches, plays-"

"Journalism and broadcast," I interjected.

"Sweet!, you're in my dorm, Dorm Mu." She cheered.

"Dorm what now?" I laughed.

"I know, I know, it sounds like what cows say but it's certainly better than the name dorm Lambda if you ask me." She chuckled.

"Haha, these names are ridiculous!"I laughed doubling over.

"I know right as I said before they're quite....random." she grinned.

"Ohk back to the tour."
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Thank you for reading 💝
#silencer #live #life
© Gabrielle Collins