Blue flames shot past me and almost instantly engulfed the girl who had spoken. Her hair burnt. Skin melted. She screeched in agony as Isabella screamed in anger. Flame after flame barraged the girl, and she crumpled, collapsing down out of the chair and smoldering on the floor.

All hell broke loose.

The teacher turned and cackled insanely. “Wah cha ha haha ha ha ha he he he he he he!” Chalk was thrown will laser intensity and embedded itself deeply into the wall near my head – that wouldn’t hurt like hell had it hit! Tables were suddenly upturned as dozens of goblin and student corpses leaped to their feet and dementedly cackled all at once. The cacophony of weird laughter was almost maddening as they stood, began to clap their hands together, and sway back and forth almost as if dancing.

“Ha hah ha ha ha” from one. “Ho ho ho ho ho” from another. “Tee hee hee hee hee” and “Wah HA HA HAH HA” from the two closest to me. Each had their own insane laughter, and it echoed off the walls and blended together in a way that made the mind go blank and the stomach turn ill and flip violently.

And then the teacher herself slowly began to caterwaul like a dying cat in heat, before she suddenly stopped and began dancing like a puppet on strings. And singing! Or trying to sing!

“Fire’s burning, Fire’s Burning.

“Draw nearer. Draw nearer.

“In the gloaming, in the gloaming,

“Come sing and be merry.”

A girl scout campfire song? Here? Now?

“She’s a burning. She’s a burning.

“Come and see. Come and See.

In the classroom, in the classroom,

Bring the marshmallows to me.”

Those certainly weren’t any sort of scout lyrics! The singing… dancing…. What the hell was going on! The classroom had devolved into such a bizarrely insane scene, even Isabella had stopped screaming and tossing flames at the completely destroyed corpse on the ground. Slowly she moved a step closer to me and gently placed her own hand on my shoulder. Whether she was trying to offer strength and comfort to me, or borrow some from me, I don’t know.

And, just as suddenly as it had started, everything stopped. The laughter quit as if cut with a sword. The corpses dancing all just abruptly halted and they all turned and looked towards us, while standing at attention. Only the teacher continued to move, while the rest may as well have been statures.

Slowly, the teacher tilted her head down and left, then slowly rose it back up, before tilting it slowly down and to the right. Lifeless eyes stared at us unblinking, as it slowly lifted its head back up. In a wildly inappropriate sing-song voice, it finally spoke to us while pointing one chalk covered finger in our direction.

“Why my toys, take from me?

“When all I do is set you free.

“Friends is what we should be,

“Or even lovers. Don’t you agree?”

“You are not going to become some dead girl’s lover,” Isabella stated firmly. “A mindless blade, I can live with, but not a lifeless corpse! Don’t even think it!”

Wait! What?!

Why the hell would she even think I’d be tempted to become some corpses lover?!

“So…” The teacher slowly lifted her hand and held it out towards us, as if wanting to shake. “What say we be friends? I won’t even hold it against you that you fell under that monster’s control. It wasn’t your fault, I’m certain. It tricked you.”

“Mo.. Monster?” I wanted to rush in and crush this things skull in, but if I did that we might never learn the truth about what was going on here. For now, this thing was talking, and it was a chance to learn a bit more about what was going on. Besides, I didn’t relish the thought of going to battle with dozens of dancing, laughing, zombie-like creatures.

Like their strings were cut, every creature in the room simply fell to the ground in a heap – including the teacher who had been talking! Only Brandr’s corpse remained standing. “Me, of course.” For the first time ever, her body spoke. It wasn’t the gentle soft voice which I’d learned to recognize as hers in my head. It was rough. Twisted and harsh somehow, it grated on the nerves with an unnatural warping of how a person’s voice should sound.

Slowly, she walked towards us and held out her hand in friendship. “See? I’ve been disciplined. I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll be a good girl now. You’re free of me. Aren’t you happy?”

I could feel Isabella trembling beside me, though from rage, disgust, or what, I had no idea. Normally, I’d rely on her advice on what to do in a situation like this, but glancing over my shoulder, it didn’t appear she was going to be much help. She was swaying on her knees, looking almost like she was going to pass out at any moment. Her mouth was moving, but no words were coming out.

“And you’re the happiest of all now, aren’t you?” Brandr asked, tilting her head to start lifelessly at Isabella. “It was wrong for you to have to share your man with me, wasn’t it? You were first, and I was stealing him from you. Soon I would’ve pushed him away, and you knew it. You couldn’t win against me. I’m a monster, and I was taking Him from you.

“But now, I’ve learned my lesson.” Slowly Brandr’s corpse lowered itself down to her knees. Bending slowly, she lowered her head completely to the ground and stretched her arms out in worship and adulation. “Now, he is all yours, and I know my place. Aren’t you happy?”

Isabella swayed on her feet, and I had to turn to catch her before she tumbled over. Tears were streaming down her face. “Not this.... Not like this,” she whispered.

“You’re free of me now,” Brandr’s corpse said while still abasing itself. “He’s all yours. I’ve given you your grandest desire. You’re free now! Free to enjoy him without me being around. Without me taking his place in your arms. Without me coming between you!”

The room was silent for several moments, as Isabella stared at me with tears running unchecked down her face. “I.. I’m sorry…” She could barely choke out a whisper as she tried to apologize.

“Sorry?” Brandr’s body slowly started to rise once more. “Why be sorry. It’s what you wanted after all, wasn’t it? Me, out of the picture, forever?”

“I…. I did this.” Isabella murmured softly. “Drake, it’s all my fault. I wanted her gone. It’s true. I think I did this. My magic might be out of control somehow… Please, stop me!” Tears were cascading down her face, and Brandr’s corpse was starting to laugh lightly.

Not knowing what else to do, I drew back my fist and slammed it into Isabella’s forehead as hard as I could. She crumpled to the ground in a heap, and the room got silent as everything collapsed and laid unmoving all around us. Only the sound of the girl’s corpse still burning and smoldering was to be heard, as the smell of charred flesh filled the air.