Donatus Institute: New Beginnings (Donatus Institute series Book 1) Read online

  DONATUS INSTITUTE:

  NEW BEGINNINGS

  Copyright © 2020 by A.P. Knight

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  First Edition

  Cover by Hyperlight Artwork

  Formatted by Mila Ivkovic

  Edited by Ethan White

  www.authorapknight.com

  Acknowledgments

  A special thanks to editor extraordinaire, Ethan White. Your edits and suggestions provided the assistance I needed, and because of them you made New Beginnings a book worth publishing. Thanks Ethan!

  DEDICATION

  To my family. This book wouldn’t have existed without you.

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

  DEDICATION

  1 Didn’t See That Coming

  2 The Start of Classes

  3 The Darkness

  4 Fieldball

  5 The Cost of Conflict

  6 The Value of Hard Work

  7 The Season Opener

  8 Mail Call

  9 Season-Ending

  10 Costly Game

  11 The End of the Semester

  12 Finally Home

  13 Unwanted Invitation

  14 The Best Night of All

  15 Stuck in Darkness

  16 Mrs. Kloddenhomper

  17 Tournament Time

  18 National Championship Game

  19 Standing Strong

  20 Learning To See

  About the Author

  1

  Didn’t See That Coming

  “Mercy,” muttered Maddox as the small town he called home disappeared from sight out the bus window. Leaning his head back and resting it against the seat, he heaved in a deep breath, then let it out long and slow. “New beginnings. Here I go again.”

  If normal 18-year-olds enjoy leaving home for college, then Maddox wasn’t normal. He hadn’t liked change for as long as he could remember. Maybe it was because he was a foster kid. His parents had died when he was five, leaving him and his three younger brothers to be raised by foster parents. The memories of trying to live life in a new place without parents seemed to harass Maddox’s mind every time he entered a new situation.

  Or maybe Maddox wasn’t looking forward to this change because of how it happened so fast. All along he had been planning to attend the local university, but then one day in early June he got a fancy envelope in the mail. He opened it, and scrolled across the top of the stationery in gold lettering, it read, “Congratulations! You are invited to attend the Donatus Institute of higher learning.”

  Maddox frowned. “The Donatus Institute? What is that?”

  “Did I hear somebody say Donatus Institute?” came a jolly voice from the kitchen. Mr. Klump stumbled into the living room where Maddox was staring at his letter. Mr. Klump was Maddox’s foster dad. He was string bean skinny and uncommonly uncoordinated, especially when he got excited, which was often. “I’ve been waiting for weeks. I can’t believe it finally came!” Mr. Klump hurried to the stairs as gracefully as a baby giraffe and hollered with a slight Norwegian accent, “Marge dear, it’s finally come!”

  A woman’s head bobbed down from upstairs. “Is it really here?” she said, placing a hand over her mouth. Marge was Maddox’s foster mom. Her wavy brown hair bounced on her shoulders as she hurried down the stairs. “Oh Wallace, I’ve been waiting and waiting for this day, and it’s finally here!”

  Mr. and Mrs. Klump were a little odd, but they were okay. Maddox didn’t have any foster kid horror stories. The Klumps were kind and caring, and what more could he ask for from guardians who weren’t his real parents?

  “So…what is the Donatus Institute?” said Maddox, curious, yet skeptical.

  “It’s only the best place in the world!” said Mrs. Klump, hardly able to keep from squealing.

  Maddox tried again. “Right, but what is it?”

  “It’s the place where you’ll find yourself,” said Mr. Klump, suddenly resolute. He furrowed his forehead and stuck a finger in the air. “It’s the place where you’ll learn to become a man!”

  Since he couldn’t get an answer to his first question, Maddox tried another. “But out of all people, why did I get an invitation?”

  Mr. and Mrs. Klump smiled at each other before turning back to Maddox. “Because you’re a Donatist,” said Mrs. Klump.

  A Donatist? Now that Maddox thought of it, the word sounded vaguely familiar, but he had no clue who or what Donatists were.

  Mrs. Klump saw the confusion on Maddox’s face. She walked toward him and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Don’t you understand, Maddox?” she said as her eyes welled up with tears.

  Understand? Understand what? Maddox still had no clue what was going on.

  “Wallace and I are both Donatists, your parents were Donatists, and you and your brothers are Donatists too!”

  Something finally caught Maddox’s ears: his parents had been Donatists. He sure missed his parents. Even though he didn’t have many memories of them, the memories he did have he recalled often to keep them from fading. He also made sure to tell them to his brothers, and even though he had told them the same memories many times over, his brothers never seemed to tire of hearing them again.

  Maddox looked at Mrs. Klump closely. “You mean, my mom and dad went to the Donatus Institute?” he said, a hint of anticipation in his voice.

  “Oh yes, indeed,” said Mrs. Klump, her words oozing with compassion. “Your mother and father met each other there. They were both wonderful students. Your mother was on my dormitory floor, and your father…” She shifted her eyes to her husband. “Wallace, wasn’t Maddox’s father on the fieldball team?”

  “Was he on the fieldball team?” said Mr. Klump, sounding offended. “He was only the best fieldball player at the institute when I was there. And I should know. I was the team manager.” At that he stood up straight and proudly pulled his pants even higher above his waistline. “He and I were quite the team, him scoring and me fetching water. We won the championship two years in a row, dontcha know?”

  That his parents had attended the Donatus Institute shifted Maddox’s view about attending from “absolutely not” all the way to “probably not.” He still had thousands of questions, but since his biggest—what is the Donatus Institute?—never got answered, he decided to go in a different direction.

  “So, do you know how much it costs to attend?” said Maddox.

  “And that’s the best part,” said Mr. Klump as his smile stretched the width of his face. “It’s totally free!”

  That sealed it. How could any reputable institution of higher learning be free? It was all too strange. There was no way he was going to attend the Donatus Institute.

  And yet, as weeks passed through the summer, Maddox couldn’t get the Donatus Institute out of his head. After all, his parents had attended. He didn’t know much about his parents. Maybe if he attended, he would be able to learn something about them.

  The memory of what happened thirteen years ago was still seared deep in Maddox’s memory. He and his younger brothers had been in the backyard. The three younger boys were in the sandbox, Monk trying in vain to keep the twins from eating all the sand. Dad was about to give Maddox batting practice with the new plastic bat and ball he had bought for him, but just as D
ad was coming out, there was a knock on the front door.

  “I’ll be out in a minute, Maddox. Let me quick see who’s at the door.”

  Maddox peered from behind the house and saw two men standing at the front door. He waved, but they didn’t seem to notice. After throwing the ball in the air and trying to hit it himself a few times, Maddox dropped the bat and ball and went to the sandbox to see how well Monk was policing the twins.

  After a while Maddox heard the front door open and close, so he hurried back to his bat and ball, expecting Dad to come out in the next second. But Dad didn’t come out. For what seemed like ages he didn’t come out. Wondering what was taking so long, Maddox wandered into the house. That’s when he saw his mom and dad lying in the kitchen, stabbed to death.

  The next thing Maddox knew, a lady he’d never met, who said she was friends of his parents, drove him and his brothers through the middle of the night to a small town in Wisconsin, where they would live with a childless couple, Mr. and Mrs. Klump. In hindsight, it was almost as if the woman was trying to protect him and his brothers from something, but throughout the years, whenever Maddox tried to ask questions, he got short, nondescript answers.

  The bus’s speaker system crackled, and soon the driver’s static-laced voice filled the bus. “If I can please have your attention. Being that we are approximately half an hour from arriving at the Donatus Institute, the remainder of the trip will be blacked out.”

  Seconds later there was a soft hum as black shades lowered over the windows. Shaking his head, Maddox clenched his jaw as his view to the outside world was slowly cut off. Although Mr. and Mrs. Klump weren’t the best at answering Maddox’s questions, they managed to inform him that the Donatus Institute was located on federally owned land deep in the unglaciated hills of western Wisconsin. However, the exact location was protected, and except on rare occasions, only students and faculty were allowed onto the campus. To Maddox it was so weird it was almost unbearable.

  By mid-August Maddox had finally decided he would do what he had determined unthinkable only a few months earlier: attend the Donatus Institute. Mr. and Mrs. Klump were elated, but his three younger brothers, not so much. Not that they put up a fuss, but by their glum expressions Maddox could tell they were disappointed he would be gone. Not only was Maddox their older brother, but he had always looked out for them. In some ways he had been the closest thing to a dad they remembered having.

  But leaving his brothers was going to be hard on Maddox too. He was concerned about how they would do without him. Who would they talk to when their sports seasons got long and frustrating? Who would help them with their homework? Who would they find to listen to and respect? And while Maddox thought of all three of them, he wasn’t overly concerned about the twins, James and Johnny. They had each other. They would be able to figure things out. He was more concerned about Monk.

  Monk was easily the quietest of the three and had a tendency to get lost in himself. He had a few memories of Mom and Dad, and above all things those memories were his most sacred possessions. But when it came to living life and interacting with people, Monk often retreated inside himself. But Maddox could tell that, for whatever reason, when he was around Monk was much more at ease.

  The thought of leaving Monk to himself for months at a time almost kept Maddox from leaving. But there was something about the Donatus Institute he couldn’t describe that pulled too strongly for him to resist.

  Lost in his thoughts, Maddox was brought back to reality by the groaning of the bus’s brakes. There was a spike in excited chatter as the bus slowed, and as soon as it lurched to a stop, the soon-to-be freshmen grabbed whatever belongings they had been carrying and herded noisily into the aisle, all except for Maddox. Maddox forced a small smile as he did his best to act like he was being polite by allowing everyone to exit before him. One by one the first-year students filed off the bus, and soon Maddox was sitting by himself in silence. He watched out the window as the others found their luggage, then scurried off toward the Donatus Institute. Finally telling himself he couldn’t stay on the bus forever, Maddox forced himself out of his seat. He plodded slowly down the aisle, and after a final hesitation, stepped onto the grounds of his new home.

  Grabbing his bags from the storage compartment underneath the bus, Maddox loaded himself with his luggage: two duffel bags on one arm, a suitcase and computer bag on the other, and one more bag hanging from his neck, the large one he stored his baseball equipment in during high school. After one last sigh, he walked around the bus and took a long look at the enormous building looming in front of him.

  The Donatus Institute sat in a long, wide valley with tree-covered bluffs surrounding it in every direction. Like an enormous rock outcropping that ruined the perfect pastoral landscape, the Donatus Institute had harsh, gray stone walls that rose to three stories on all four sides, its only interruption being five medieval-looking turrets—one in each corner and a fifth turret at the front of the building that towered to twice the height of the other four.

  Maddox passed through the wrought iron gate, onto a cobblestone path, and into the spacious courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard stood a man welcoming each new student as he shook their hand.

  Maddox got in line, and when it was finally his turn he pasted on a polite smile, then stuck out his hand. “Maddox Camilli,” he introduced himself.

  “So glad to meet you, Maddox,” the man said, punctuating each word of his greeting dramatically as he vigorously shook Maddox’s hand with both of his. “I’m Professor Moreau, and I’m so happy you’re here. This is going to be a great school year!” But then Professor Moreau’s face lost its cheeriness, and with wide, penetrating eyes he stared at Maddox. “However, I must warn you, this year’s going to be a lot of hard work, and you’ll need to be disciplined. Lazy people ought not to enter this institution. Are you positively sure you’re ready?”

  Ambushed by the unexpected question, Maddox lost his voice. All he could do was gape as he stared timidly at Professor Moreau. But thankfully Professor Moreau didn’t wait for an answer.

  “But I’m sure you’ll do fine, Maddox,” said Professor Moreau. “And believe me when I say, although this year will be challenging, true effort will be richly rewarded.” He threw his head back, and his bright smile returned. “I just know this is going to be the best year of your life!” With a final, firm shake Professor Moreau finally let go of Maddox’s hand, gave him a joyous pat on the shoulder, then directed him inside to registration.

  Feeling like he had stepped out of a whirlwind, and glad to be heading in the opposite direction of Professor Moreau, Maddox puffed out his cheeks with air as he restarted his slow walk towards the building. He continued down the cobblestone path until he got to the glass double doors of the main entrance. But then Maddox spotted something that brought him to an abrupt standstill. Mounted to the stone façade above the entrance was a strange-looking, golden symbol, what appeared to be the outline of an eye with a triangle in the middle. Above the eye were the words, By Life Or By Death, and under the eye was the word, Victory.

  Maddox’s insides squirmed. There was already enough mystery about the Donatus Institute he had been trying his hardest to not let bother him. But to add a weird symbol on top of everything else? It was too much for him to handle. He craned his neck as he looked to where the buses were parked. If he were persistent enough, he was sure he could convince one of the bus drivers to take him back home. He had no desire to be at a place where they defined themselves by weird symbols.

  Maddox continued to stare longingly behind himself, but after a long exhale he dropped his gaze, and for a reason he didn’t understand he turned back around and walked into the building. “I just hope I am not the only one who doesn’t have a clue what’s going on here,” he muttered under his breath.

  The main entrance, offset to the left from the middle of the building, opened to a large, surprisingly modern atrium that was packed with wandering freshmen. Winding his wa
y among them, Maddox found the registration table and got into the short line. As he waited patiently, he felt a tap on the shoulder. A scrawny, slightly hunched-over kid with a blond buzz cut was holding out his hand.

  “My name is Terry Shaw,” he said in a nasally voice.

  “Maddox. Maddox Camilli. Nice to meet you.”

  “Isn’t this great?” said Terry, lifting his arms as if basking in glory. “I’ve waited my whole life for this moment, and it’s finally here! I’m finally learning to be a Donatist! I finally get to learn what few others know! Aren’t you excited too?”

  “Um, well—”

  But before Maddox could answer, Terry changed subjects. “It looks like you’re going to be on the fieldball team, aren’t you? I’m not much of an athlete. I mean, I can run and run and run and not get tired, but I’m not very good at coordination type of stuff. You know, like catching and throwing and stuff like that. But you know what I think? I think I would be a good team manager. You know, getting the water and towels and stuff. Do you think the fieldball teams have a manager?”

  Feeling overwhelmed, Maddox was glad to hear the registration lady’s voice. “Name please,” she said pleasantly.

  Turning his back to Terry, Maddox breathed a silent sigh of relief as he stepped up to the registration table. “Maddox Camilli,” he said.

  “Camilli,” the registration lady repeated. She studied him, the wrinkles on her aged face deepening. “I think I’ve heard that last name before.” A mysterious smile creased her face. “It’s Italian, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah,” said Maddox, inwardly impressed as he smiled in return. “Although, I’m not full Italian. Only half.”

  “You couldn’t tell it by your looks,” she said. “With your dark hair and olive skin, you could certainly pass for a full-blooded Italian.” She kept smiling at him, studying him, before finally placing her hand on a stack of folders. “But enough of all that. My name is Mrs. Coulter—school registrar, nurse, and everything in between. I’m glad you’re here.” She handed Maddox a folder. “In it you’ll find your class schedule.”