The Soul Connection Chapter 2: Odder Meetings

 Chapter 2: Odder Meetings

 Mr Quinlan: Welcome to the main hall of our academy. In this room, our academy holds the history of the students, faculty and the building. Here you'll find the trophies, yearbooks and various statues of past students and founders. Please don't hesitate to take a look. 

Justin: Will do. 

   Mr Quinlan: After this, we'll visit some of the classrooms and check the facilities for you all. Tomorrow you'll begin class as usual. Sadly for Daniel, none of today will be of much importance to him. 

Daniel: It's interesting to learn about the history all over again. It's not like I'm missing anything. 

Mr Quinlan: A positive attitude is always welcome. 

Finn: You aren't taking favourites, are you Mr Quinlan? 

Mr Quinlan: Of course not, Mr Goodwin. 

Finn: It's Finn. Thanks. 

Justin: I'm assuming we will be assigned rooms later on, right? Since they're only Finn and I for the boys in this first year class, I assume we're sharing a room. 

Mr Quinlan: You assumed right, Mr Hawkin. April and Melanie will share a room too. Daniel is already rooming with...Jared, right? Viola is rooming with...I believe it's Anna.

Daniel: That's correct, sir.  

 Melanie: I guess we'll be spending a lot of time together, roomie. 

April: Sounds fun! I can already tell you're a great person. 

Melanie: You too, SimTube star and international name April Landon. 

April: I'm just normal student April here.

 Mr Quinlan: For now, that's correct. You're all just normal students-

Justin: That's comforting. 

Mr Quinlan: I hadn't finished. For now you're normal, but here at Bravleia Academy you're aiming for more than the normal. You're chosen to attend here as I was chosen to teach here; you're all something special and your attendance here will benefit your future immensely. Let's take a look at two prime examples. 

Finn: Examples. Woopy doo da. 

*April slaps his shoulder* 

Finn: Hey!  

Mr Quinlan: This here is one of the past students of the academy, a man named Irving Thornton. Irving, among others, was in charge of a revolutionary change known to us as the Order of the Last Known. The Order, or T.O.L.K for short, proved to the council of faculty that a change in leadership was needed, and soon the headmaster at the time, a strict and lawful man named Thomas Thatcher, was caught frolicking around the last known location of a bandit. In his place, however only for a few years, was the first ever headmistress. Her name was Lady Marsha Wills. While Lady Wills only ran the academy for a short few years, she became one of our history's most successful leaders until she was overthrown by Irving Thornton himself. 

Mr Quinlan: If you glance to your right, you'll see the statue of a more recent graduate of the academy; Miss Elizabeth Lancaster. Don't let the older clothes fool you as Elizabeth had always been fond of the history. Some of the retired staff recall days when they were students with her in this academy, remembering her significant achievements and her lasting affect on Bravleia. Graduating the top of her class, Elizabeth had a high future ahead of her, however an accident a few years later ended her life. Many sources suggests her soul roams these halls; searching for her purpose in the afterlife. This statue was built only a day before her passing.  

Daniel: Quite fascinating. 

Melanie: I wish Miss Elizabeth would have lived. 

Finn: She would have died anyway. 

April: Finn! No. 

 Mr Quinlan: It's okay, I know not everyone enjoys the history of this academy. I would like that you don't discuss her death any longer.

Justin: Oh look, it's the academy. It looks so dreary.

Mr Quinlan: It sure is, and you can thank whoever took the photograph for the intriguing time they chose to take it.

 Finn: Who are these people? They look so uptight. 

Melanie: I'm surprised you know that word. 

Finn: Oh shut up.

 Mr Quinlan: Good to see you're taking interest. This woman right here is Naomi Haristay, another woman involved in the accident that killed Miss Elizabeth. While Naomi was not as intelligent- or at least she did not show it- she prevented the worst possible outcome from the event. She prevented the release of a large pool of souls, or at least that is what the history books say. 

Daniel: A large pool of souls? What does that mean? 

Mr Quinlan: It means that somewhere on this property a large grave site holds a large collection of souls. Presuming the story is all true. 

April: Nobody knows where the site is? 

 Mr Quinlan: Nobody knows, or nobody has decided to tell. Naomi disappeared a few years ago. *turning to the other painting* This man is another one from the accident. His name is Edward Myde, and he barely escaped that night. He's now living in a nursing home with dementia, and he hasn't spoken about that night. Ever. 

Melanie: Isn't that handy? 

Mr Quinlan: Let's just keep moving on.

 Daniel: (under his breath) Maybe I should do some research on that. 

Finn: Maybe you should, dude. 

April: I'm into looking for some clues. 

Mr Quinlan: Please, these are only rumours. There's no evidence to suggest there even is a large pool of souls. It's only hidden messages from the past. Many past students have searched, but never found. 

 Justin: Sounds like they were looking in the wrong place. 

Mr Quinlan: Or there is no large pool. If any one of the past students involved in the event were still sane or alive and in contact, then maybe we could find evidence. For now, the only possible sources are somewhere out there. Missing. 

Justin: How many were involved in the event?

 Mr Quinlan: If you wish to discuss this further, we can talk about it in my class. We're continuing this tour. Let's continue to the next room. I think we're done in here. 

Mr Quinlan: This way please. If we don't dilly-dally we'll be finished soon. 

 Melanie: Hey, wait a sec. I found something. 

Mr Quinlan: What is it? 

 Melanie: Behind this statue. There's something behind here. 

Mr Quinlan: The records of the short-lived football team. While the team successfully won a few matches, ultimately it was the death of three students that cancelled the team, and I am not kidding. 

April: That's seriously horrible.

 Melanie: Not the stupid team. Underneath the plaque there's a note. 

Finn: That piece of paper? 

Melanie: Yes, that piece of paper. What else would it be? 

Finn: Hmm, I don't know. A piece of paper? 

Melanie: I'm reading it. 

 Finn: You do that. 

April: Why are you on the floor?

Finn: This tour got boring fast. I thought that I'd have a nap- if Mr Sir doesn't mind. 

Mr Quinlan: Get up. Please.

*there's a knock on the door* 

 Daniel: Who's there? 

 *another knock* 

Daniel: Of course I'm standing closest to the door when someone attacks. 

Mr Quinlan: Nobody's attacking. However, it's rare someone knocks on that door. 

???: Hello? 

*Daniel spins around as she opens the door* 

Daniel: Viola! Can it be? 

Viola: I'm wonder-struck how I healed so quickly, but here I am! 

Daniel: God am I happy to see you. 

Viola: As am I, Danny.

 April: So this is the famous Viola Dalton. It's a pleasure to meet you. 

Viola: Uh, am I talking to the April Landon? I think I should be in awe of you. 

Finn: My boy Dan did well for himself. 

Viola: Daniel, who is this boy calling you his 'boy'? 

Daniel: That's Finn Goodwin. Beside him is April Landon, then Melanie Hale and Justin Hawkin. You know Mr Quinlan of course. 

Viola: Indeed I do. Thanks for the catch up, Danny. I'm sorry I missed your arrivals this morning. I was struggling to remove myself from my bed. 

April: Isn't that us all?  

 Victoria: Look at her, waltzing in here like she owns the place. 

Viola: How much of the tour do you have left? 

Daniel: We were about to hear some note. 

Victoria: I wouldn't mind this tour though. Maybe scare a few creeps. 

 Sean: You're a charmer. 

 Viola: Note? You have a note or you found a note? 

Victoria: You would be too if you've been dead for all these lonely years. What is it now, 3000? 

 Melanie: I found a note behind this statue head thing. Some man named Irving.

Sean: I believe it is 2016. 

*she appears* 

 Dorothy: You think your life is hard? Think again. I've been dead for as long as I can imagine. I've seen modern technology or whatever, I've seen these tall buildings and I've seen the evolution of lots of intriguing sights; but I've been dead since the 18th century. I've been dead three centuries at least. Tell me about charming. 

Victoria: We get it, farmer's wife, you're old. 

Dorothy: My name is Dorothy! Dorothy Danthorne. 

 Viola: Read the note! Read the note! 

Finn: Someone's cute when they're excited. 

Daniel: Back off, dude.  

Mr Quinlan: Melanie, please read the note.  

 *Melanie takes the note from her pocket.* 

 Viola: Read it. 

Victoria: So no word from Mute boy down there? 

Dorothy: Nothing since he got here.

Sean: Every now and then he'll open his mouth to talk. 

Derrick: ....

Victoria: Then nothing.  

 Melanie: Okay, here we go...
*she pauses* 
Finn: Come on then. 
April: Don't rush her, Finn. 

Melanie: Okay, uh, this note is kinda hard to read. 
Justin: Let me have a look. 
Melanie: No, hold on...Oh my god. You have got to read this. 
Finn: Let me see!
 

 Viola: Daniel, can we talk for a moment in the dorm rooms? 
Daniel: Of course, Vi. 

Viola: I want to talk about the accident. 
Daniel: Of course. We can ditch the tour; we know our way around here. 
Viola: Then let's go, Danny.
 

Melanie: All of you calm down. I'll read the note out loud. Here we go. If you know where to look, seek out for me. Don't hide out in a book, maybe it'll be your destiny. Sounds kinda fishy. 
Mr Quinlan: We've read the note, now let's move on. 
Justin: Fine.
 

 Viola: It's really quite important, Daniel. I don't think this tour is all that important. 
Daniel: I get it. We're going to my dorm room, right? 
Viola: If you don't mind.  

----

Viola: Danny?
Daniel: Yeah, Vi. What's up? 
Viola: I don't know. I just wanted to hear your voice. It's been tough coping with the accident aftermath. You know I've been cramped in my dorm room for so long. 
Daniel: Yeah. 

Daniel: I'm sorry I've been awful distant with you lately. It's been hard to visit you with Anna constantly shutting me out. Where is she anyway? 
Viola: I don't know. I haven't seen her since last semester. 
Daniel: That's strange. I saw her yesterday. 

Viola: I don't know, we're not on the friendliest terms. She's still angry with me for telling her the honest truth about her boyfriend. I can't believe she slept with that douche. 
Daniel: Vi-
Viola: Sorry. I dragged you here to talk about the accident, not Anna. Where were we?

Daniel: We were talking about how you hated surrounding yourself with the loneliness. 
Viola: Right. I wanted to discuss the actual accident. I don't think you fully understand what happened, and I want to clear things up. I lied to so many people that I never saw the face of the man driving that truck, but I did. I saw him. 
Daniel: Can you remember what he looked like, Viola? 

 Viola: Uh, I...I can't remember him. I can't remember what he looks like anymore. 
Daniel: I'm sure you'll be able to soon.
Viola: Able to what, Danny? 
Daniel: Remember what he looks like. That's what I meant.   

 Viola: I hope so. He hurt me, Daniel. He hurt me. 
Daniel: I know. I'm here now. 
Viola: I can't believe how fast I recovered today. 
Daniel: I have no idea how that happened.   

 Derrick: (appearing)....
Dorothy: What's he doing? 
Victoria: Nobody can see him.  

*he disappears. The floor creaks.*  

 Daniel: What was that? 
Viola: I don't know. Things have been...strange lately. 
Daniel: Strange? As in you recovering so quickly? 
Viola: Yeah... 

 Viola: I constantly feel like everyone is watching me. I don't know, it's foolish. 
Daniel: There aren't cameras in here, if that's what you're asking. 
Viola: I'm serious, Danny.  

 Viola: How would you feel if you were hit by a car? You wouldn't be okay for a while. I'm not instantly myself again, Daniel. You'll have to bear with me.
Daniel: I am and I will. 
Viola: Thank you. I am thankful for that. 

*they kiss*  

  Daniel: I'm here for anything you need, Vi. If you feel down, you can find me and talk to me. I'm your boyfriend, I should be there to support you whenever I can.

Viola: Thank you, Danny. 

 

Daniel: How about we rejoin the others? I'm sure the tour should be done with soon. 
Viola: Can we just stay here? I'm not in much of a mood to see anyone but you right now. 
Daniel:  Can't argue with that. 
 

 Viola: Oh shut up. 
Daniel: You know you like it. 
Viola: I don't, actually. 

Daniel: I'm glad you're okay, Viola. 
Viola: I've missed the feeling of walking. You learn to miss so much when you're stuck in your bed for so long. I missed walking, of all things. 
Daniel: I wouldn't miss walking. I'd miss being forced to walk.  
Viola: Of course you would.  
 

 Daniel: I'm happy you're still here. 
Viola: You too. Even if you haven't experienced what happened to me, you've supported me through this all. Now I want to find the man that did this. 
Daniel: I don't care who he is, I'm just glad he didn't kill you. 

 Viola: You don't care who he is? He attacked me with his car, Daniel! He hurt me! He should be in prison, or even worse, dead. He should be dead! 
Daniel: Calm down, Viola. Are you-
Viola: Don't even ask if I'm on my period, Daniel. I can be mad if I want to be mad, especially if the topic of conversation is the man who nearly killed me!  

 Daniel: Why'd you assume I'd bring up your period? I know you and I know what you're like. I know you get angry; I just wanted to know if you're sure it's a male. 
Viola: That's your question right now? That's what you wanted to know! 
Daniel: Maybe it can help!  

Viola: Maybe you could help! Maybe you could stop acting like the man responsible for this accident is nothing but a witness. He hurt me, Danny. 
 Daniel: I know-
Viola: You act like I just jumped in front of that car. I didn't-
 

Daniel: You've told me the story over and over again and I know you didn't just jump in front of the vehicle. It was his fault, yes, but you are also to blame. It was your fault for not looking his way. 

Viola: He sped up. I saw him and I had a chance to walk across. He hurt me. On purpose. 

Daniel: Why would someone speed up to hit you?   

 Viola: Don't ask me, ask him! 

Viola: I could see how much space there was between the two of us, and I could tell there was enough room for me to walk peacefully across the road. He sped up and he purposefully hit me because he wanted me dead. 
Daniel: Nobody would want you dead, Vi-
Viola: He did! He does, no doubt. I'm being targeted and they're watching me right now.

Daniel: Nobody is targeting you and you aren't being watched by anyone-

Victoria: You're wrong there, Danny boy. 

Daniel: That's a crazy idea-

Viola: You think I'm crazy? That's lovely.    

 Viola: I don't need your help. I would have liked it, but now I see that you don't believe in justice. I want to go for a walk. Alone. 
Daniel: Viola-
 Viola: Yes? 
Daniel: I...I'll talk to you tomorrow. 
Viola: Goodbye, Daniel. 
*she leaves*  
  

Daniel: I messed up.

-----

 Melanie: Okay, here we go. Uh...This one? That one! 
Justin: I know it's none of my business, but what are you doing? 
Melanie: What does it look like? I'm following a lead. 

Melanie: Is this usually how these things work? I just pull out a book and voila! 
*nothing happens* 
Melanie: Drat. May as well read it for clues. 
 

Finn: Didn't the note tell you to not read a book? I think you'd believe it. 
Melanie: Trust me, it's a riddle. I am smart.
Finn: As you wish. Continue reading.
 

 Melanie: I will, thank you Finn. 
Finn: Let me know when you find something please. 
Melanie: Oh, sure. I haven't even started looking and you're interested. 
Finn: No, I just want you to speak to me. 

Melanie: Okay, reading, reading. I'll let you know Finn. 

Finn: Brilliant. I'm not going anywhere. 

Mr Quinlan: We should be. I've got to say, this is the longest we've ever spent in this room. Unless you count building.  

Melanie: I think I have a lead here.  

 

 Finn: You really think something is behind these bookcases? 
Melanie: Uh huh. 

 Mr Quinlan: It's unlikely. Most of these walls back onto another room. I think that might be a classroom of some kind. 
Finn: You think or you know?
Mr Quinlan: Don't argue with me, Mr Goodwin.

 April: Any luck there? 
Melanie: I wish I could help out, I really do. 
April: You're helping. You found that note. 

 Melanie: Anyone could have found that note. I just saw it; I didn't solve the case. 

April: You're smarter than you think. 

Melanie: I'm just an emotional teenage girl. I make mistakes and my parents only agreed to send me here because they thought it would help me. They couldn't stand me. 

April: I'm sure they love you.  

 Melanie: I'm sure they did once. Not anymore. Not since...
April: It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. 
Melanie: It's not that. I'm sure Daniel said he'd be back by now. 
 

 April: I'm sure him and Viola are just talking for longer. 
Melanie: I suppose you could be right. Well, this tour has been quite fun. I should return this useless book. 
April: Don't say that. 
 

 Mr Quinlan: How about we find the dorm rooms you'll be sleeping in? Sounds like a plan. We'll begin classes tomorrow, so no sleeping in. 
Justin: You said 'sleeping in' twice. 
Mr Quinlan: Thank you, Justin.

 Finn: I'd love to sleep. This day has been so tiresome. 

Mr Quinlan: Well, that concludes the tour. Sadly, we never got to see some of the other rooms, but I'm sure they don't apply to you much. Let's go. 

Finn: Let's go.  

------ 

Next time on The Soul Connection: 

  Daniel finds himself alone in the woods after his argument with Viola. It gives him the perfect moment to calm down. The day of classes begin and one students finds a lead that could threaten to destroy the peace.