Chapter 4 Enzi Mumbi: Ghosts & Water

Enzi Mumbi

Ghosts & Water

8/24/508

“ENZI!” my instructor yelled. 

I stood in the corner of my classroom attempting to control a ball of water hovering in my hands. The classroom was large with tan walls covered in green moss. Several other students stood in various places around the room with their own ball of water. 

I groaned. Instructor Marinus Adler is yelling at me to fix my posture. As usual. What do I expect?

“Yes?” I asked tentatively. “Let me guess. My posture is wrong again?”

“Enzi, it’s a problem that every time I call you out you know exactly what is wrong.”

“Honestly, I think it’s a good thing. If I didn’t know what was wrong then you’d have to explain it to me every time,” I said. 

I may have added a little too much snark to that. Instructor Marinus was giving me The Look. Capital T capital L. 

I sighed and straightened my back. He sighed and went over to badger another student. I began to work on weaving the water into a design like I was supposed to. I wondered what design to make. Then I had a brilliant idea. A swirling rose began to take shape but the water kept darting out of my reach. I was slowly getting more and more frustrated by the second. 

I’ve never had this problem before. What is going on? A student yelped as my water hit her square in the face. I didn’t even look at her. The water took on the shape of a blade and began to slice away at the wall. Chunks of the black stone wall kept flying through the air as the blade hacked away. A large piece of moss that was supposed to soften the blow when you got thrown into the wall hit the back of my head. 

I thought the moss was supposed to protect you. Not injure you. I thought angrily. 

I kept trying to get control. It wouldn’t listen. I couldn’t get control of some damn water. 

I was hopeless. 

Then the water took the shape of a whip and hit me and I went flying across the room. I smacked into the wall and pain flared up in my side. I hit the ground and moaned. Well, the moss clearly doesn’t work. I grumbled. I shakily stood up holding my side and looked around the room. 

Everything was in chaos. The water had split into several different whips. There were at least fifteen. Some were holding other students in the class. I saw a kid bleeding in the corner while trying to shield themselves with stone. Most of the whips were destroying the room. The walls were a torn up mess. Instructor Marinus was fighting valiantly. And failing miserably. 

Before my eyes the three whips that were attacking him tripled. The water snapped around, but didn’t quite move like water typically did. It almost moved too smoothly and quickly. 

My mind immediately flitted to what my master was going to say about this. When she asks how I die this is the answer she’ll get. “Your apprentice was in their water weaving class and they lost control of the water and it went crazy and killed everyone in the class. We fully blame them and expect you to fix everything. Thank you Irene.” 

I glared around the room. Then I saw it. That flicker.

The ghost was back.