Hearts Academy Ch. 03

Disclaimer and Notes: Disclaimer and Notes: Hearts Academy is an dark horror/mystery story focusing on the reluctant feminization of a young artist. There are many themes such that cause it to be disturbing for those who cannot handle terror or dread well.

This is a sequel to The Rose Diaries. While the characters are brand new, it does reference events and characters from the previous book. However, you can get along perfectly fine without reading the first book. You'll just miss out on a bit of foreshadowing and context.

I hope you do enjoy this chapter if you decide to continue reading. If you do enjoy this chapter, please leave a comment/feedback and let me know!

Thank you.

*****

CHAPTER 5:

Dana had no trouble on his second day. No one came to his door, no one called for him. When he left to eat his meals, there was no one there. On his third day, he explored further into the academy. The beautiful ancient walls hid many modern amenities. He had found yet another pool located outdoors. He had found a gymnasium complete with a spectator booth looking from above. Surprisingly, he was able to spend his time watching television and playing a few video games in the lounge at the bottom of their dorms. On the fourth floor located near the front of the academy was a room with wonderfully welcoming door and not a single soul in sight. Inside that room was nothing but a large square window overlooking the fields by the village.

But to Dana it was full of possibility.

He spent days rearranging the forgotten room to his liking. He searched for a chair that he would feel comfortable in and settled for a beautiful seafoam green chaise lounge that he had found in a room several doors down. A small bookcase located near the art studio provided him a place to keep his reference material. Hilariously, he even found a desk located in the closet in the very room he had claimed. There was something of an odd peace as he plotted the hours away. In his mind, he could picture it clearly. A beautiful drawing room just for him. A place he could call his own here.

The entire time that he spent flitting around the academy, the more time it began to feel familiar and home. He had perhaps walked around the entire grounds over the course of a few weeks drawing in the sublime beauty that the countryside and the architecture afforded it. There was grand hallways arranged with grand portraiture, furniture, and even the few decorative suits of armor that gave the academy its storybook feel. Rooms that contained untold volumes of knowledge, works of beauty and art that hung prominently on every wall. Hearts Academy was a place of pure artistic substance. It was a place that the Muses surely called home. He could have every single meal delivered to any room in the house if he went to the dining hall and left an order ticket. He had never seen the chef nor the people who cooked his food. But he was able to communicate completely through the small little notes that they and he left each other.

He did not like that they would refer to him as "Miss Dana Morgan" or "Miss Morgan" on the notes but he did not care enough to complain. His true gripes came from actually acquiring his furniture.

Dana was not the strongest man nor the weakest. The chair was hard to delicately move but that bookcase was something else. In the early afternoon when everyone would be eating lunch, he planned to plunder it and as he stood in the empty classroom grunting with effort as he attempted his herculean task. He couldn't help but to hear a small laugh from behind.

He spun quickly on his heels, so quick in fact, that he fell in the process causing more laughter to echo through the room. Standing in the doorway with a bright white smile was Miss Lillian Woods. She was as radiant and beautiful as ever shedding the black suit he had seen her in before for a far simpler ensemble. There was something sweetly innocent in the way she looked at her with her bright emerald eyes. Something that immediately told him that she meant him absolutely no harm.

"Hello, Dana." She took a step further into the lecture hall and placed a hand on her hip. "Would you like some help?"

"Wouldn't hurt." He sighed sitting up quickly to spare himself from future embarrassment. He could feel the waves of exertion washing over him in dull hot waves. Sweat that began to form on his forehead ever so slightly.

"Well usually we say yes or no but I'll take that answer." She smiled as she approached him quickly. "What are you doing in here anyway?"

"I found a study," He caught his breath and wiped more sweat away from his forehead with his forearm. "on the fourth floor of the left wing. I wanted to furnish it."

"Aren't all the rooms pre-furnished?" She cocked an eyebrow. "Who gave you permission to do this?"

"No one." He sighed. "Am I in trouble?"

"Only if someone cares." She grinned. "So, I guess not."

"Yeah exactly." He nodded leveraging his fingers under a slight groove in the small shelf to lift it once again. With a little bit of exertion, he pulled the bottom up and slightly off the floor before Miss Woods quickly and nearly effortlessly followed suit.

"Whoa! You're strong."

"I may be a bit in shape." She flashed him another smile. "Sometimes it pays to work on something other than your mind here."

"Fine, I'll hit the gym." He groaned. "Just help me bring this upstairs."

"You got it, Dana."

~~

He collapsed in his little study as soon as they placed the bookshelf down. He was out of breath and his cotton t-shirt began to stick to his sweat covered chest. He pulled at it futilely as he attempted to steady his beating heart and fix his breathing.

"You really need to work out, Dana." Miss Woods laughed as she leaned against a wall. "Nice place though."

"Thank," He panted as he held up an open palm to her. "thank you."

"Do you need some water?"

"I'll be fine." He groaned pulling himself off of the floor.

"You look like you might faint. Are you sure?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Fine. I'll be fine."

"Alright." She shrugged as she sat on the floor. "You know it's been quite a long time since we met last."

"Sorry."

"It's alright. I just need to mention that I am your art professor here. It looks bad if you don't come see me

at least once a month." She shook her head.

"Sorry." He apologized once more. He didn't know that he had needed to do that. No one in Hearts had ever told him anything like that before.

"No, don't worry about it. It's been less than a month so it's not big deal. I just figured I'd warn you before you have any of the other teachers breathing down your neck about it."

"I like to study on my own, Miss Woods."

"I understand but that doesn't really excuse you from meeting with me at least for five minutes. Tell me what's on your mind, new projects or ideas, and then you can go about doing whatever. If you don't let me in on that at least then I'll be blindsided when someone comes to ask me for your progress or if I know what you are up to."

"I thought this school is about freedom, Miss Woods."

"Freedom is never truly free, Dana. Remember that." He cocked an eyebrow at her statement as he racked his mind for the solution to her unconventional riddle.

"That doesn't make sense. Freedom is by definition free."

"You're confusing terms with reality. But don't worry I'll keep as light as a touch as you need. I'm not really a hands-on type of teacher anyway."

"Still, that doesn't-"

"Dana!" She groaned loudly cutting him off mid-sentence. "Don't worry about the meaning. Just go with it."

"A-Alright." He nodded. He didn't mean to agree but he knew from the tone in her voice to the look in her eyes that she was not going to drop it unless he did.

"May I ask you something, Dana?"

"Sure." He nodded once more.

"Why did you ask me for help instead of asking your roommates? Or even the other girls I saw you with. I'm sure they'd be happy to help."

"I," He sighed shaking his head. "I didn't want to."

"Oh, come on Dana, there's got to be more to it than that."

"Why do you care, Miss Woods? Did it matter who I came for?" He spat at her. He wasn't sure what about the line of questioning annoyed him so but it was like she was rooting around under his skin for answers.

"Wow." She shook her head. "I'll leave it alone then."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"I get it. Away from home for the first time, strange surroundings, and I'm just asking you all these questions."

"That's not it."

"It's not?"

"No." He sighed again. "It's not."

"Is there something you want to say to me, Dana?"

"Yeah," He nodded. "What is this place?"

"It's a school. More specifically, a private institution-"

"No, I get that. It sure looks like a school."

"Because it is? I don't follow your logic here."

"Where are all the students? The teachers? Shouldn't I have class?"

"Do you want class? Because I can-"

"No!" He groaned loudly. "Miss Woods please."

"Look, I know that the school has in its books about twenty-something students. The older students get to come and go. Sometimes, they seek other learning experiences out across the entirety of the globe. As for teachers? There's really no need for more than a handful here since the school runs on a very independent teaching regiment. But that's not your real issue is it?"

"What?"

"Dana, I grew up with fourteen siblings in one of the most dysfunctional families in existence. I know how to read people. I know when people are hiding things from me."

"I'm not!" He didn't know where her doubts had come from. He wasn't hiding anything from Miss Woods at the moment. Perhaps a bit of suspicion of Hearts Academy but nothing towards her.

"Dana." Her tone was not unlike an annoyed parent.

"What? Miss Woods, I'm serious, I have no idea what you're talking about. It just feels lonely here with all this free space."

"Dana, you just told me you like to be on your own."

"Fine!" He groaned. "It's the sex." He murmured in a voice barely above a whisper.

"The what?"

"The sex." He glanced around quickly in case there was anyone else listening in to their conversation. He felt so odd discussing it with his art teacher.

"The sex? What sex? Dana if someone is forcing you to-"

"No! It's just," He gulped. "There's so much of it."

"Between the students?"

"Yes."

"And that bothers you?" Miss Woods crossed her arms against her chest with a look of pure disbelief.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It's weird."

"Dana, I like you but I'm not about to have the birds and the bees chat with you."

"Not like that." He groaned. "My roommates just seem to revolve around it. It's like everyone is so fucking horny all the time."

"It's not that unusual. There's no scheduling, a bunch of teenagers, and no supervision. I'd be more disturbed if no one was fucking here."

"I went on a date, Miss Woods."

"Congrats! How'd it go?"

"Well it was going really good until she whipped out her dick in the dining hall and told me to blow her."

"Oh." Was all she could respond. "I see."

"Then my roommates were having a damn orgy. So, it's a little weird."

"So, your issue is lack of space?"

"No!" He groaned again. "Wait, actually yes but no."

"Dana." Miss Woods chuckled. "Work with me here."

"If I tell you something, will you promise not to repeat it?"

"My lips are sealed."

"Miss Woods," He shot another quick glance towards the door and back. "I'm gay."

"Oh wow." Was all she could say. He could see the shock written across her face as she struggled to keep her jaw from dropping completely at his confession.

"Please don't tell anyone."

"I mean I won't. But now I'm just super curious. You had a date the other night but there aren't any other boys here right now. So, what was up with that?"

"It's hard to explain." He sighed lying completely flat against the ground.

"Try me."

"I like beautiful things. Pretty girls, pretty boys, pretty people. But I can really only see myself with a man romantically. I'm sorry if that's too much information, Miss Woods. I'm not even sure why I'm telling you."

"It's okay," He heard her move until he she was standing over him. "I get it. I mean, I'm bisexual."

"You are?" He asked quietly.

"Growing up, Dana, I had a lot of trouble with men. All of them just wanted to use me for my body and it would destroy me a little bit more inside each time. I've never told the person I love how I feel about them. I've always been attracted to girls and they used me too but with far more horrific effects. But not even my closest friends know I'm bi. So, I guess we share something in common."

"I guess we do. I'm sorry that your love life has been so rough?"

"Who said anything about love, Dana?" She smirked.

"But I-"

"I'm glad you told me. That's pretty big, y'know."

"Thanks for sharing too."

"Hearts may seem odd but sharing this stuff? It's in the spirit of the place. It's supposed to help you open your mind to the possibilities of this world. It may be a bit odd, but I can assure you that it might surprise you."

"Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure."

"When did you find out you were bi?"

"Hmm," She slowly lowered herself to the ground with pensive glitter in her eyes. Dana watched her be absorbed in her own thoughts for just a quick moment before she shook her head. "Not until I was twenty."

"So, you just discovered it?"

"Dana my life has been," He watched her entire body freeze for a moment. In an instant, the calm and loving Miss Woods vanished. He couldn't help but to watch as a small flicker of fear, of regret, and of pain appeared on her face before disappearing as quickly as it came. "Complicated."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I don't like to speak about it."

"I didn't mean to make you upset."

"I'm not upset at you." She smiled sadly. "I just have a lot of memories I'd rather not revisit."

"I understand." He nodded. "Thank you for speaking so candidly with me, Miss Woods."

"Of course."

"I should get some lunch."

"Probably." She shrugged. "I should get back to my studio." She stood up quickly before wiping the small amount of dust from her pants. As she strut towards the door, he couldn't help but feel a pain in his heart.

"Wait." He called out suddenly as he shook his head. Why the fuck did he have to be so honest with himself?

"Yeah?" She stopped in her tracks not bothering to turn around.

"I lied." He finally spoke.

"I know you did, Dana." She chuckled. "But it was a very good lie."

"How did you know?" He sighed.

"If you were gay, you wouldn't be here."

"What?"

"Catch!" He saw her turn just in time as she tossed something rather small his way. He snatched it out of the air as it flew past him with ease. His hand wrapping around a slender and strangely hard object.

It was a pen or rather a golden capped pen bearing the inscription "LIW" below the clip in small script. He picked it up and twirled it in his fingers.

"Never know when you need a backup." She shrugged. "Have a finished piece for me by next week and bring it to my studio. I need to evaluate your ability."

"Thanks?" He shrugged. "Hey Miss Woods, you know every student here right?"

"Yes."

"I think one of them has my sketchbook. Her name is Sherri St. Laurent and-"

"Stay away from Sherri." She hissed suddenly.

"But my book..." He muttered.

"Promise me!" She spun quickly to look at him. He could see the fire in her eyes, the way she clenched her fists at her side.

"I promise." He nodded.

"Good." She said quietly. "Goodbye, Dana."

He slowly rose back to his feet before stretching out his weary limbs. Before he could call back to her, she was already gone. It was nearly midday and he was already so exhausted. He very much needed to get back into shape. There was a gym here wasn't there?

He twirled the pen in his hands again before tossing it up into the air. He watched it spin through the air the gentle light of the afternoon sun glittering across its surface. It fell back into his palm with a quiet smack and he cradled it slightly. There was an odd amount of heft to a simple pen. Was it made of solid gold? Was the letters Miss Woods name? After all, her name was Lillian Woods. He didn't normally use such fancy implements. But he wasn't one to deny something as sweet as a gift. Dana shrugged as he pulled the cap free from the pen.

Or he would have if was not completely fixed to it. He felt no give, no pull, just absolute resistance at his attempts. Even when he attempted once more, he was met with even more resistance. He turned the pen over in his hands and pulled once more. With one great jerk, his hands slipped his hands becoming caught on the clip and he heard something truly peculiar. A small and quiet click. Then something even stranger caught his eye.

It no longer read LIW. Instead, it now read MIW.

He turned the clip once and watched as the inscription changed letters once again. It wasn't an inscription after all. The pen had a three-letter combination lock.

"What?" He muttered to himself as he turned it several times watching the first letter change again and again. He pushed the clip up and watched as now the second letter began to change. Finally, he tried the cap once again but instead of pulling, he pushed down on it. From the bottom of the pen a bright blue light shone down on to the floor and then quickly disappeared as he released the cap once again. Was it some sort of flashlight? But why in the world was it locked? Why had she given it to him?

"What?" He repeated. He cradled the pen in his hands before stuffing it in his pockets.

Just what the fuck was up with Miss Woods?

~~~

The rest of his study came together in no time at all. He did not dare to rely on anyone's help to set up the rest of the furniture. When he fell, he stood back up. When he was tired, he came on going. Eventually the study that he had so often dreamt about had become a reality. Lazy afternoon, dreamy nights, and silent morning filled his life for the first time in a long time. He didn't worry about intruders coming about. His mother was not waiting outside his door to yell at him for some odd reason. He was free to enjoy what he did best.

He was free to create and so he did.

The very first thing that Dana Morgan did with his finished studio was to take stock in his surroundings. Using the window as his portal to the outside world, he sketched the landscape before him. He could not have asked for a more picturesque view. In the afternoons when it was bathed in the summer sun, the fields and meadows were of the perfect grassy green. In the mornings when the landscape was still covered in the beautiful glistening dew, he felt himself overjoyed to watch the morning's first ray reflect them back to his eyes. In the evenings he was awestruck at the silence and peace that Hearts Academy had surrounded itself with. The nearby village was darkened, and in the remoteness, he could see something he had rarely ever seen.

He could see the stars, all of them in their luminescent wonder spread out before him. He lost track of how many pages of stars that he drew. How many paintings of the darkened fields that he made. The night sky captivated him like nothing else could. Something so simple, so expected, and yet so simply honest and true. A sight that had become so rare in the modern days that it brought a tear to his eye and joy to his heart with ever new glimpse. Often Dana spent his evening in the study just staring up into the sky. Taking stock in the view without ever lifting his brush. He felt himself at peace, at rest, and as if all of his stress had simply melted away.