THE VOID

By Mandana Boroojeni

Tala, a timid young woman is pulled out of her small, safe and comfortable life and thrown into an unknown land that will brutally test her senses in every way possible. She has to force herself to go far beyond her belief in her abilities, in order to survive. The story mirrors the author's life, drasti

• Language: English
• Publisher: Excel Book Writing
• Release date: Jan 9, 2024
• ISBN: 9798869117946

Book preview

THE VOID

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THE VOID

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Mandana Booroojeni

Copyright © 2023 Mandana Booroojeni

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Contents

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1

Tala dropped the big bag on the floor as she entered her apartment and locked the door behind her. The bag was an assortment of blue and brown denim patches, and the threads were showing where the handles were attached to the bag. The color had become muted and grayish but still had some life left in it. She took off her shoes and looked at them, flat brown, thick soles. They were very comfortable, plus she had paid more than what she usually pays for any clothing item. She put them neatly by the door and went directly to the bathroom to wash.

It had been one of those days. The kids were very mean and rude today, but then again, what could she expect from a bunch of wealthy, spoiled teenage kids. 16 years ago, when she started working at Mendelton High as a math teacher, she would come home outraged at their rudeness, crying and heartbroken. Now she was almost used to it.

Almost...

The bathroom was small and outdated but clean. It was her favorite place in the apartment, where she would take a hot shower, wash off the cold and careless world outside, and relax in her small cocoon. But today was one of those days. The kids got to her. They were making fun of her slow accent and her simple clothes. They whispered gramma, or Amish, every time she turned to the board. And the giggles... Especially from Hanna and her two mindless friends. They would instigate the whole ordeal. She had tried to talk with Mr. Andrew, the principal, but each time he would try to convince her that the whole idea was a misunderstanding. Well, it wasn't surprising. Hanna's father was the president of the agricultural board running the corn farms in the whole state.

Seven years ago, when 21-year-old Tala Foster applied for a job as a math teacher at Mendelton High, she was ready to embrace the world with open arms and open heart. She was ready to do her share in shaping those young minds. During her first year of teaching there, she took the student's defiance, lack of respect, and the staff's indifference, with patience and optimism. She told herself they were testing her, and even though she did not agree with their methods, she was hoping that they would soon see her as an asset for the school and would come to value her efforts and accept her. But as time went by, she realized that the kids were just not interested and had no aspirations because they didn't need to. Mendelton High was a private school. The parents were wealthy enough to provide whatever their children needed. And, of course, their kids would inherit their wealth at some point down the line. They were just there to get their diplomas and head to a college before getting a job at their parents' companies. The sooner she gave up on her childish hope and accepted the reality, the less personal their indifference would feel.

She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror: pale cheeks, almost transparent, no make-up (not natural and waste of money in her opinion), her long hair fashioned in 2 thick braids, same style since she remembered. Her clothes were simple and... Old...ish!? She never fussed over her appearance as long as everything was neat, clean, and comfortable. The bags under her eyes made her look older than her real age. She was out of shape.

Who are you? What happened to ME?

She didn't know this woman in the mirror, looking back at her with empty eyes. She hated her. She hated those kids at school who laughed at her every day. She hated the thought of their jokes being true...

2

The end of school bell rang, and in a minute, hundreds of students filled the corridors of Mendelton High, buzzing and moving in a chaotic Harmony of honeybees. Hanna and her two fan friends were among them. They were called the Mean Queens, and they liked it that way, or more likely, Hanna did. Hanna had always had a mean streak in her. But only recently, after her nose job, she became more popular and could truly enjoy her power of manipulation. She looked down at all the kids at her school. Even her fan friends were beneath her, but she needed some friends who would always agree with her. The need was definitely inherited from her mother. Mrs. Emma Wilson truly believed the whole city was beneath her and her family.

Let's go to Chinos. I need a coffee.

She was very angry after getting the result of her math exam. She hated math and was never good at it. But failure was not an option for her. Her mother had once told her: Remember you are a Wilson. YOU WILL GRADUATE ON TIME AND WITH GOOD GRADES, even if you have to cheat. Just get it done, for God's sake! And so that's what she did. Most of the time the teachers wouldn’t notice, or maybe they looked the other way. But Ms. Foster was not like other teachers.

Chinos was a small coffee shop in the downtown area, and it was a hub for young and trendy. They found a small table by the door.

Stupid bitch!

Hanna spat.

I know she did it on purpose. I cannot fail math. It's impossible. I mean, maybe a B minus, but F??? No way.

Coral shook her head in agreement while sipping on her chai latte.

Half an hour later, they were walking around and darting in and out of different boutiques with small bags of new items that would interest them for a few days before tossed away.

Hey, look here. What kind of store is this? It's so..... small and..... OLD. An antique shop, maybe? said Jenni with an equal mix of disgust and curiosity.

Probably one of those dusty places full of rabbit paws, snakes, and animal fetuses in some oil or something. Said Hanna, interested.

Let's go in,

said Coral with a sneaky smile.

Maybe we can find a spell for Mrs. Foster.

Yea, maybe something to make her DIE.

Said Hanna, and the 3 of them went inside giggling.

It was a very small store, a hole in the wall actually, but no rabbit paws. It was mostly old (or old-looking) jewelry and knick-knacks. The owner was a thin guy in his forties with a triangular jaw that made him look like a mouse. The girls were not really interested in any of those items, and disappointed for not finding it creepy. Coral and Hanna were looking at a pair of gaudy earrings when they heard Jenny and the store owner talking about something. She called her friends with a sense of excitement and urgency in her voice:

Hey, come look at this. It's perfect.

The girls left the earrings and walked lazily towards the back corner, where she and the store owner continued their conversation. As they got closer, they could hear the growing intensity and caution in the guy's voice as Jenny looked at an object in her hand. What are you looking at? Asked Hanna. Before Jenny could get her excitement under control and answer, the store owner hurried to a response:

Nothing of use for you young ladies. On the other hand, I have some really interesting pieces of jewelry for you.

He started to fumble with a small locked display cabinet behind him and out of the customers' reach. Hanna looked at Jenny and the guy with annoyance.

Well? What is it?

Jenni opened her hands, and they saw a small box, bluish gray, with words reading in silver: Shadow Horse. Underneath in smaller letters, it read: Bath Salt. As the two girls looked at each other and then at Jenny with confused faces, she turned the box over and started reading out loud:

This ancient blend of secret ingredients was used thousands of years ago in the Middle East by royalties for relaxation and replenishing the body and soul. Direction: Dissolve one crystal in a bathtub filled with worm water and soak the body for 30 minutes.

Coral did a small curtsy and said:

a bath fit for Queen Jenny.

Jenny looked at them with a mysterious smile and said:

More like Queen Foster!

Oh, now you want to reward her for destroying my summer?! Why don't we sign her up for a massage session to go with her bath!?

Hanna was really losing her patience with the whole thing.

Jenny still kept her smile, but sensing her performance was taking too long and she was losing her audience, she hurried to read the rest of the directions on the back of the box:

CAUTION: do not use more than one crystal at a time. Overuse of this product will result in severe hallucination and, in some cases, coma.

There was a moment of Eerie silence, which made Jenny feel victorious and relieved at the same time. She opened the box slowly and showed them the little see-through sashe with a small hand full of simple white crystals. As the girls started to imagine the possibilities, and amusement crept on their faces, the owner, who was listening with unease, started babbling about the amazing history behind some of his jewelry and reached out with both hands towards them. One hand was trying to divert their attention with a few pieces of jewelry, and the other hand was trying to grab the box from Jenny's hands. Jenny held the box tight and pulled back swiftly.

It was too late. The girls were fixated on the box.

We'll take this. How much is it?

Hannah said,  her hands fumbling in her handbag, searching for her wallet. The owner tried one last time:

Are you sure you don't want one of my unique jewelry pieces? I am sure they will bring a smile to everyone's face!

The beautifully manicured hand was stretched towards him with a credit card. His eyes traveled from the hand holding the card to meet a pair of cold, determined eyes. He fell silent and processed the card. As the girls were leaving the store, he warned them:

Make sure to follow the instructions carefully!

3

Hanna said with authority:

I will keep this for now and think of a plan. You guys come over tomorrow after school, and we will talk about it.

The other two agreed, and the girls continued their shopping for another hour. After that, they all got into Hanna's car and were dropped off at their houses before Hanna drove home, thinking about her perfect plot.

The next day after school was over, all three girls got into Hanna's blue Mercedes, and 30 minutes later, they were spreading comfortably on Hanna's bed, their books and bags carelessly scattered on the dark brown hardwood floor.

So, did you come up with any ideas?

Asked Jennie with excitement. Coral said:

Stop being so childish, Jannie. That's why we are here. We have to talk about it and come up with a plan.

Hanna sat up and leaned on her pink, plush pillow, and with a sense of superiority, said:

Actually, I already have a plan.

She turned to the left side of the bed and opened the top drawer of her pink and white nightstand. From there, she pulled out a fancy pink and gold box imprinted with an expensive brand name. Inside were the same dusty blue crystals in a small, transparent pouch. The other two girls looked at it and then at Hanna with Inquisition.

Well, we couldn't give it to her like that with the name and instructions. She wouldn't use it. Besides, if she wanted, she could've found us. It's not like they have this in every store!

Hanna paused for a minute and then continued:

So I found one of my mom's old bath salt packages and used the box to make it look fancy, and Wala...

Jennie clapped her hands with the happiness of a 6-year-old child who was being presented with a brand-new toy. But Coral didn't seem convinced.

What if your mom looks for it and cannot find it?

Don't worry. She has tens of them. Every time she goes shopping, she buys a few new fragrances. I'm sure she wouldn't notice.

So... How are we gonna give it to her? I mean, even if we manage to give it to her, how are we gonna make her use it?

Hanna sniffed with annoyance:

Coral, please don't talk like that.

Coral stopped for a second, confused:

What? Don't talk like what?

Really? Gonna, not gonna... You sound like those people in the getto who can't even speak proper English.

Coral's face turned red. She hated that Hanna corrected almost everything she said or did. In reality, she didn't like Hanna at all, but she liked the benefits of hanging around Hanna. And sometimes, the privileges stemming from Hanna's family wealth trickled down her way too. Also, she knew Mrs. Wilson was very strict about the way Hanna talked, walked, looked, or anything else related to her. She wanted Hanna to fit in a much higher society and thus open the door for her too. She was worried that socializing with the other kids in their town would have a negative effect on her.

Hanna was looking at her inquisitively.

Sorry, I meant, how are we going to make her use it?

Well, I haven't gotten that far yet. That's why you are here, so that we can brainstorm.

Their little minds started plotting...

4

The alarm clock startled Tala.  She hit the snooze button. Last night was a long night. Trying to focus on preparing the next assignment for the class, but her mind kept flying back to her childhood. This wasn't happening often. She wouldn't allow it when she could. It was too