The Strangeling Guardians Society

The tree branch tapped on the window twice just like it had been doing for the past few days as Roslivipona Stone ran her hands through her scalp once and then one more time. She was too preoccupied to notice the branch. 

Roslivipona eyed her chin-cropped hair, which never grew longer; the two chunks of dark locks near her temples created the illusion of a devil’s horns. Roslivipona patted her hand near her temples each morning, only to find the spikes rigid in place. 

She sighed in front of the mirror, hoping her hair would cooperate better tomorrow, but that tomorrow never came. She stared into her deep-seated eyes and freckles sprinkled across her nose like chocolate chips. Nothing about Roslivipona Stone was neglectable, yet she was as invisible as one could be in this reality for the past sixteen years. 

As she brushed down the white collar of her polo shirt and rolled her socks till they were close to her black velcro shoes, Roslivipona enumerated the possible reasons she was, in fact, invisible, on a mental checklist. Strange hair, repulsive freckles, a confusing name. She wished her mother, with a standard beautiful name, Amanda Stone, could have endowed her with the same courtesy of a simple and effective title. Instead of naming her Rose, Lily, Violet, Poppy, or even Petunia, she just had to amalgamate all of them to create a mouthful of a word almost everyone forgot how to say. She looked up again into her reflection and shrugged before heading down the spiral staircase into the kitchen for breakfast. 

“Good morning, Amanda,” Roslivipona said as she sat down with a heavy thud at the cushioned nook near the window. 

“Why do you insist on calling me by my name, instead of Mom, like a regular kid?” Amanda carried a bowl of apple cinnamon oatmeal and placed it before her daughter. 

“I don’t know. Why did you decide to name me Roslivipona with no middle name to fall back on? There are some things we just can’t explain.” Roslivipona put a mouthful of sweat oatmeal and apple in her mouth, but the steam from the freshly cooked breakfast left her gaping her mouth every second, releasing the hot hair. 

“Oh, you’re still mad about that, huh?” Amanda brushed away a strand of honey-blonde hair as she sipped freshly brewed coffee. 

“It’s on the list of reasons why I don’t have friends,’ Roslivipona said through mouthfuls of oatmeal. She shoved each bite as the clock ticked away, reminding her to head off to school at any minute. 

Amanda gazed downwards, a forlorn expression plastered across her face. “I do hope things will change for the better, honey.” She looked deep into her daughter’s eyes and Roslivipona could tell she sincerely meant it. 

“I hope so too,” Roslivipona whispered, her husky voice shaking more than usual. 

***

While Amanda left for her tedious job in a suit and collared shirt—which took up more hours than expected each day—Roslivipona walked down to school, each footstep heavier than the previous one. Once the cream-coloured school was within sight, she entered through the double doors as a frantic girl slammed into Roslivipona’s shoulder on the way out.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you.” The girl with thick glasses and braided hair scurried out of the school and onto the main street towards her house. 

“Every day.” Roslivipona muttered under her breath. 

Leslie Ramone ran out of the school in a hurry each morning to collect her forgotten packed lunch or finished homework. Each time, Leslie would topple over Roslivipona. When this monotonous morning encounter was in action, their eyes always met each other for just a moment. Roslivipona knew exactly who Leslie was with grave irritation, but Leslie would never have a clue. 

Roslivipona took her seat in class just as the bell chimed through the hallways.  With her square spectacles and hawk-like nose, Mrs. McKone wasn’t one to take anything lightly as she scanned the room intensely to mark each present student. As a teacher of mathematics, her penchant for numbers and memorisation was uncanny, but like every student in the school, she forgot who Roslivipona was every single day. 

“Roslivipona Stone?” She called out after she finished ticking the boxes on her crisp attendance sheet.

“Here!” She raised her hand from the front of the class. “You can call me Livi,” Roslivipona said like she did each time.

“Are you new to class?” Mrs. McKone titled her spectacles downwards as if it would help her see more clearly. 

“No,” Roslivipona said and wanted to scream she had been sitting in the front row of class for the past six months. It was almost as if every person in this high school was part of a secret society with the mission to forget Roslivipona Stone infallibly.

***

With hunched shoulders and her musty grey backpack, each class was drearier than the next. Lunch in the cafeteria was the worst, as Roslivipona heard chitter-chatter in the background while she sat alone on a stranded rectangular table.

“Last night was crazy.” Rebecca giggled under her breath along with her friends. Silky hair, pinched nose, Rebecca. Roslivipona knew exactly who she was and just like Leslie, Rebecca Moore had absolutely no clue of the girl sitting right behind her in the cafeteria. 

“Jack’s parents weren’t around,” Rebecca continued to recount the tales of last night, “and we threw a last-minute party at his place. The ones you three were too tired to come to.” She was met with mutters from everyone on the table. “Anyways, everyone from school turned up and it was wild! The greatest part was that when his parents arrived, we managed to run out of the house just in time and his parents never figured out we were there!” Rebecca cackled.

“Makes me hopeful we can pull it off again. Are you guys free next week?” 

Roslivipona hunched over. Once again, there was a party she wasn't privy to. She got up with her half-eaten tray of macaroni and slightly soggy carrots, hoping to stray as far away as possible from the chatting that continued to haunt her existence. Being lonely amid so much camaraderie left Roslivipona with a numb open wound, slightly tender to the touch. Every day, she wondered if things could change. If maybe she could truly belong somewhere else entirely. 

***

When the school bells chimed for the last time that day, Roslivipona headed towards the gates, relief consuming her heavy-weight shoulders. Leslie Ramone saunter by her side, far more relaxed than she was that very morning. 

“Goodbye,” Roslivipona said but was only met with a hollow stare from Leslie, who still had no idea who she was. Roslivipona sighed and walked out onto the main street to the arms of her empty home. 

The wooden flooring of the house creaked gently when met with the heavy footsteps of a teenager exhausted from a long day at a school where she was invisible to everyone present.

As usual, Amanda was late at work, so Roslivipona headed upstairs with a plate of toasted strawberry pop-tarts. The sweet smell lingered around her nostrils and forced her mouth to water. With no one at home, Roslivipona found herself snuggled up in bed with an array of snacks most days after school. The little crumbly bits from biscuits and chips rarely bothered her. While seated on her plush sheets with her pop-tarts, a tree branch tapped on her window. Roslivipona furrowed her eyebrows, finding that sound all too familiar. 

She heard it that very morning in the background, but was too preoccupied to give it much thought. That same branch tapped her window yesterday, and the day before that.

Her interest was formally piqued. Roslivipona slowly approached the window and noticed the tree branch was moving back and forth from her window on an oddly still afternoon, absent from any abrupt gushes of wind. She pried the window open and when carefully peering outside with squinted eyes, Roslivipona saw a purple envelope stuck against a metal pipe running alongside her window. She stretched her arm just barely reaching the edge; her heart lurched as the envelope almost slipped through the tips of her fingers before she could securely bring it into the comforts of her room. She dropped the envelope onto the floor and as if gravity had greater control over her at that moment, she sat down with a heavy clunk. 

On the striking purple envelope was a black wax seal with an intricate rose. Right underneath the rose, was what made Roslivipona’s heart skip a beat. 

Her full name was written with a dainty pen and in beautiful cursive. 

Somewhere out there, someone knew who she was. Roslivipona ripped the wax seal with a satisfying tug and pulled out a yellowed piece of parchment paper. Inside it was a simply written message that held the weight of the world for Roslivipona Stone. 

Dear Roslivipona,

Greetings from the Strangeling Guardians Society! After much scouting, we have found that you, Roslivipona Stone, belong with us. I, Hephimus Bodwig,  cordially invite you to our first meeting tonight. Please find the fourth brick on the first wall of Prince Street, Mainton Way. See you there. 

Strangeling Guardians Society 

Confusion, excitement, and anticipation travelled across Roslivipona’s face. She wondered how Hephimus Bodwig—a man she did not know at all—knew who she was, she smiled at the thought of finding a friend, and she sat with a dropped jaw wondering what exactly this peculiar society could be. 

After staring at the strangely put address written with jagged handwriting, Roslivipona jammed her feet into her shoes and headed out the door to find the fourth brick on the first wall of Prince Street. 

***

The sun had set, so the yellow street lights guided Roslivipona towards her destination. With a few passersby along the way, the streets were fairly quiet after sunset—the only sounds being insects buzzing within the bushes and trees. When Prince Street came into sight, there was, in fact, a wall visibly made from bricks. After walking up close to the wall, in the middle, the fourth brick from the edge was jutting out.  She reached her hand towards the fourth brick and it fell out at the touch of her fingertip. Roslivipona gasped while taking a step backward. She eventually bent down to look through the gap in the wall. It was absolute darkness and she couldn’t see anything for days. 

Until a purple eyeball came into view. 

“Who invited you?” A gurgly voice asked through the wall.

“Ahh!” Roslivipona jerked herself upward and brought a hand up to her mouth. What was that? She was aghast. After regaining her composure, she crouched down and replied with an exhale. 

“Hephimus Bodwig?” She said as a question.

“Are you sure?” The purple eyeball asked. 

“Yes?” 

“Really?” 

“Yes,” she said firmly. 

“Put your hand through the gap.” The purple eye said with authority. 

Roslivipona did as asked, but felt her heart beat like a drum. Soon, her entire hand was inside the gap. Nothing happened. 

Roslivipona nervously waited for something to gash her palm or tickle her fingers, but what happened next felt far worse. Her entire body was sucked into the gap in the brick wall. Her left arm, shoulder, and head were in agonizing pain while she was contorted and pulled through the rectangular-shaped hole, tumbling down into darkness. 

***

Once her vision cleared from the dizzying blur, Roslivipona found herself seated on a wooden chair, surrounded by two others and a purple-eyed man in the front. She looked at each person with awe and reflection. One had green freckles, and the other had dark locks in the shape of mouse ears in his hair. 

“Hello, Roslivipona Stone,” The purple-eyed man with a gurgly voice said with his chin raised up. His large crooked nose and bejewelled blazer called for attention. “My name is Hephimus Bodwig.”

Roslivipona stared at him with pursed lips and fear-ridden eyes.

“Welcome to the Strangeling Guardians Society. I’m happy you finally came across the envelope so I could get you here for introductions.”

“What introductions? What am I doing here?” Roslivipona couldn’t understand what these strangers had to do with her. Her classmates didn’t even know her name, let alone invite her to a secret society meeting. She blinked profusely.

 “The three of you are here because each and every one of you has a special ability.” Hephimus started and before he could release another word, Roslivipona smirked. “Something wrong?” He asked with a furrowed brow. 

“No, nothing,” Roslivipona cleared her throat. “I was just thinking that my special ability is being invisible,” she laughed, “because I don’t have any friends and no one seems to remember who I am.”

“Yes,” Hephimus said with an unwavering voice. 

“What do you mean, yes?” Roslivipona felt her heart race. Was she missing something? 

“You are the invisible girl. That is your power.”

For a moment, Roslivipona thought Hephimus was bluffing, but once that moment passed, she knew what he said was true. 

“I’m Brolians Wood.” The boy with a name as strange as hers and mouse ears started. “For the longest time, I wondered why everyone fell asleep when I spoke. It turns out, I can stop time.” Brolians said with a smile, met with popped eyes from Roslivipona. 

“Every time I touched something, it always broke. I have super strength,” the green-freckled girl said. “My name is Helgorah Grossman, by the way.” Roslivipona smiled at the odd name.

“As you already know, I’m Hephimus Bodwig. I have the gift of the sight. I can see through anything,” he said with great triumph. 

There were a few seconds of silence as Roslivipona looked around the glorious room with red carpeting and gold paintings adorning the walls. She eyed each person, very much like her, and allowed a smile to crawl up her lips. She was part of the Strangeling Guardians Society. She had yet to learn what this was, but being a part of something lifted a weight off her chest. A weight she was so used to carrying around that she had forgotten its existence. 

“You must be wondering what this society is all about,” Hephimus started as he paced the room while the three of them, Brolians, Helgorah, and Roslivipona stayed glued to their chairs. “Every year, we look around the world for strangelings. People like you. People with rare gifts that are disguised under what most people consider to be strange. An oddity. When many of you are born, your parents are sent on a toll and end up giving you a name so rare, that it helps you stand out in a way you may not like. But for us, it makes the hunt for strangelings much easier. After we acutely observed many teenagers like you, we knew you three would be the perfect fit. Welcome to your new family!” Hephimus was ecstatic. 

“What exactly do we do in this society?” Roslivipona felt a positive rush of adrenaline fill her body, but she was still unsure of what she was a part of. 

“The usual things, we have coffee sometimes, night outs, and fun events like rock climbing. And of course, sessions to train your abilities. The main part of your job in this society is to be a guardian.” Hephimus glared at everyone individually to put greater emphasis on his words.

“What do you mean by guardian?” Helgorah’s voice was resonant.

“Your special power, something others might consider strange, is fundamental to keep our society safe. Now and then, you will be sent on a mission to protect mankind from destruction. Across the world, there are fifty members in this society and we are growing. You are the latest three additions in this area. We hope you can learn how to enhance your special ability while being a part of the Strangeling Guardians Society.” Hephimus clapped his hands once, startling Roslivipona. “We will be in touch with the three of you with a tap of a branch and a purple envelope. For now, goodnight and sleep tight strangelings.” 

Roslivipona blinked once and she was back next to the brick wall on Prince Street with the loose brick placed neatly back in the empty slot. Brolians and Helgorah were by her side. Each of them was more puzzled than the next. 

“So, umm, that was strange,” Brolians broke the silence as the three of them headed down the dimly lit street. 

“So strange,” Helgorah said. 

“Hmmm,” Roslivipona agreed with a mumble. 

“Do you three go to school here?” Brolians asked. 

“Yeah,” Helgorah said and Roslivipona nodded vehemently. “But I don’t think we have any classes together and I eat lunch in the bathroom, so we couldn’t have met in the cafeteria.” Helgorah hunched her shoulders. 

“I eat lunch in the parking lot.” Brolians sighed.

“I eat in the cafeteria.” The other two whipped their head towards Roslivipona. “But I sit alone on the table. Nobody looks at me or remembers who I am.” The three strolled till the end of the street, where their paths diverged. “Maybe the two of you can join me for lunch tomorrow?” 

“I’d like that,” Helgorah said. 

“Same here.” Brolians waved and trotted off in the other direction. 

Roslivipona continued forward towards her home. For the first time, in a long time, warmth spread through her insides as she looked forward to tomorrow.