Tamera sat silently in the futuristic-looking helicopter, the engine humming lightly and the blades chopping through the air as they flew. She hadn't spoken a word since she'd left her house that morning. Even as she looked around at the others, she didn't dare say a word. It wasn't like anyone was speaking, though. She could tell that some of them were nervous, some confused, and some maybe even excited. Tamera, however, was still numb; she didn't feel anything. After all, she was only in it for the money. From the looks of the Ad, she knew that she would be paid to attend the school. Hell, she didn't even believe that magic was real, but she knew that money was, and that was all that mattered. Tamera worked day and night as an English teacher, helping adults and, sometimes, their children learn the new language; the majority of the students she taught were immigrants from Spain and Mexico.
She was paid a fair amount of money for the work she did, but it just wasn't enough. She'd attended college, of course, but was now drowning in debt. Also, living in a musty old apartment, struggling to pay the bills, and having to send money to her mother every month all while killing pests every day was definitely starting to take its toll on her. She needed more money. Finally, snapping out of her trance, Tamera grew aware of someone speaking; it was a woman. Whatever she was saying was barely audible, but Tamera strained to listen.
"Magic is real. Magic is real. Gonna be a wizard. Magic is real. Wingardium Leviosa, Hocus Pocus. Magic is real."
Folding her arms across her chest, Tamera let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. The girl was clearly crazy. Wingardium Leviosa? Girl, this ain't Harry Potter. Get it together. Of course, she didn't say this aloud. Even when the girl said some crazy shit about a "weird sex island battle royal." She tuned everything out once again, until a man in an expensive looking suit entered the picture. Another couple of agents began passing around papers, which asked for signatures. Reading over it, Tamera saw that it included being paid while in the program, what benefits they had access to, the risk of injury and death, and notification of what can get someone kicked out of the program which included murder, too much damage to Maniacles property, and GPA falling too low. Tamera was a smart girl, so she knew that she wouldn't have any issues with her GPA. She wasn't a murderer, either. The only thing that really caught her eye was the risk of injury and death.
Death? Tamera thought for a few moments before shrugging her shoulders and signing the paper. Pretty soon, the helicopter was landing, and it was time for them to explore the city. "Welcome to Malficus City," the man in the suit, now known as Matt, said, "found on Malficus Island. Somewhere West of Northern California. The academy is at the other end of the city. Hope you're all in the mood for some sight seeing."
Tamera's eyes widened as she looked around, her jaw dropping momentarily. They'd landed on the roof of a large, tall building; she could see everything from up there. Having grown up in New York, Tamera was used to living in the city, but not a city like this one. As they continued their journey, she saw things that she'd never thought possible. There were people everywhere, some wearing witch or wizard hats, some lighting their cigarettes with flames on the tip of their fingers. They even passed two men who were throwing punches at each other, moving faster than light. It was impossible for a normal human being to move at these speeds. Tamera only paused and watched them for a minute before moving on. As Matt led them on campus, Tamera rubbed her hands together, her palms sweaty. She was a bit nervous, but of course, didn't let it show. Pretty soon, they were entering a building, and making their way towards a lady at a desk.
A schedule was passed to her, and Tamera frowned as she looked it over. Everything on the schedule was tolerable, everything except for having to be there by eight o'clock in the morning. She just silently stared at the paper, listening to some of the others complain. Hey, this is what you signed up for, she thought. She folded the paper into a neat square as Matt led them to the dorms, telling them that they'd be separated by gender.
"Alright, so this is where I will leave you guys. If you have any questions you can go back to the front desk. Most of what you need to know is on that sheet I gave you. I need to get back to my office." With that, Matt walked off, leaving them to do their own thing. Tamera, not at all tired, headed to the room anyways, room 123, putting her things away and plopping down on one of the beds and laying on her back. "What now?" she spoke to an empty room.
