A/N: DISCLAIMER: I don't out W.I.T.C.H. or any of it's lovely characters. So wish I did. Then things would be a lot different when it comes to the 'ships. XD Anyway, so I started this fic on a whim. I felt the need to endorse the lovely Caleb x Will ship because I like it so much more than the Caleb x Cornelia ship. Don't get me wrong, I really like the Matt x Will ship, but I like Caleb x Will more. I really hate CxC. I don't hate Cornelia, though if it seems like I do, sorry. I'm just too passionate about CxW. But anyway, I'm just starting this but I hope you enjoy it. I probably won't expend as much effort on this as my other fics since this one is more whim than anything but whatever. It will get done to say the least. This fic along with a few others that I'm going to be posting up within the next month are a series that I've started working on in what I like to call FAN FIC FRENZY CIRCA 2009. Enjoy!
Elyon awoke with a start, eyes wide and wondering. Her skin was feverish and coated in a thin sheen of sweat. She had the feeling that she'd been asleep for a very long time and yet it felt as though she hadn't gotten a wink of rest. She sat up in her four poster bed, touching her fingertips gingerly to her forehead. The room spun a bit and Elyon had to grab the bedpost to steady herself.
Groggy, she threw the blankets off, placing her feet carefully on the elaborately tiled floor. She felt too hot like she was confined in a kiln as the temperature of her skin steadily rose to dangerous territory. She had to get out into the open air or she would suffocate, she thought.
She threw open the doors to her balcony, savoring the feeling of cool air against her fiery skin. Her hair was plastered to her neck and her face was as pale as the roiling clouds in the sky. Stumbling to the parapet, she gripped the stone for dear life, needing the support more than ever. She looked up at the sky just as a few of the droplets began to fall. One fat drop splattered against her forehead.
She expected it to feel good, to cool her skin and calm her whirling head, but instead it burned like acid. She let out a shocked cry as the droplets began to bombard her. It felt as though she was on fire but she saw no flame or smoke. She lifted her hand to cover her face and within seconds it was soaked. Suddenly her hand felt numb. She lowered it to examine the skin only to find that it seemed to be drifting away, fading out like the end of a corny movie. Elyon cried out once more as her vision spotted and blackened, her entire body going numb before fading away completely, all traces of Queen Elyon Brown gone from Meridian as though washed away with the rain…
It was another one of those days.
Ugh. Please, god, just strike me dead by some means. Preferably lightning bolt…which all things considered might actually be possible for me. And incredibly ironic.
I have a feeling it will be writhing flame from Mom instead of bolts from the sky: yet again, I failed a math test.
I really just don't see the point of all of this. I, Will Vandom, leader to the guardians of the veil, really just don't understand the point of pre-calculus. It, above everything else except for maybe the opposite sex, is a complete mystery to me. I get the feeling that my brain doesn't work like normal peoples. Where they can eventually find the answer to a difficult equation, I just sit there while the numbers blur. Natural logic and strategy just don't fit well in my brain. I can't even win against Irma's now ten year old brother in a chess match. Believe me, I've tried. Mucho unsuccessfully. Did I mention my Spanish grade isn't spectacular either?
"Wilma Vandom! Get in here this instant!"
And so the punishment begins.
"So you've seen my report card." I mused, leaning against the bathroom doorframe. I was wrapped in a towel and struggling to dry my now shoulder length crimson hair.
"Don't get snarky with me young lady. How do you expect to get into a good college with grades like this? Near straight C's? I'm very disappointed in you, Will. You used to be such a smart kid and now? Where and what are your priorities, Will? What could possibly distract you so much from your schoolwork?"
Excellent question. What does distract me so much from my schoolwork? Oh yeah. Four words. Guardian. Of. The. Veil. Seriously, I don't get paid for this crap. Where is my motivation here? "I don't know. I guess I've just had a lot on my mind lately." I muttered, squirting toothpaste onto my toothbrush to distract myself from looking into the mirror at my mother's angry face. I could just barely glimpse her wavy black hair in the corner of my vision.
"Well I suggest you learn the art of meditation and clear your mind, and do it quickly, because I don't want to see anymore of this. Until you raise your grades, no friends, no boys, no going out in public in any form other than school for you, missy. No television, no music, no telephone, no nothing. I'm revoking your life privileges. Enjoy your time as a hermit, honey." My mother swiftly turned on her heel and slammed the door on me, leaving me to contemplate my new incarceration. I glared at the toothpaste on my brush before tossing it carelessly into the sink. Maybe not brushing my teeth and having them rot and then needing new dental implants would be enough to spite my mother for at least a month or two while in my period of imprisonment. But then again, I think if I ever want another boyfriend I might want to have minty fresh breath.
Dirty mouth? Clean it up with Orbitz.
Isn't that also a travel website as well? They like to diversify, don't they?
I sunk to the floor, still clad in only a towel and dripping scarlet hair, and buried my face in my hands. "Man, what am I going to do?" I groaned, banging my head in exasperation against the wall. I could ask Taranee to tutor me, but then I'd have to admit to failing yet again, to which Corny would surely mock me for the umpteenth time. Or I could ask my best friend Matt, but I bet he's as good at math as I am. A lot of good that would do.
I resolved to get up, knowing there was not much more I could do right now. I stood, dressing and towel drying my hair before pulling it up into a messy ponytail. Alright. Here goes. Homework. That is what good students do right? What is this nonsense about ACT and SAT prep? What is this thing you call an AP class and how does one cope with it?
My one and only AP class is my biology class. I love it and it's one of the few classes I have an A in, but unfortunately this weeks assignment involves dissection. Though I've done it before, now that I can communicate with animals it's just a tad disturbing, you know. And my bio grade is suffering for it. I shouldn't have stolen all the writhing little worms from the store room, but I couldn't let the poor creatures be chopped to pieces just for the sake of science…or my detention record. I'm sure that my permanent record is very colorful now.
I sat down at my desk, thumbing uncertainly through my pre-cal book. We were charged with graphing sin and cos. Wait, what? Weren't they trig functions and how the hell do you graph them? I just know that they are buttons on my glorious graphing calculator. Yay TI-89.
Y=Asin(X+B)+C
Wait, what? Wasn't there something about angles last week? I liked the angles. They were easy. With this it all looks like gibberish. Letters are not meant to be used in math. Letters are meant to be used in writing. Math uses numbers. No equations, no graphs, no formulas, nada. Ugh. My head was pounding with all this math. I feel the need to mention that my swim in the river this morning due to a not so pleasant surprise from our favorite passling left me feeling a little under the weather. Note to self: no more swimming in toxic waste dumps.
I flopped onto my bed, opening this unit's book, A Midsummer Night's Dream. So far I really enjoyed it and it wasn't altogether tragic like Julius Caesar and Romeo & Juliet. Nor was it Hamlet or Macbeth-esque, so the tinge of death and revenge were absent completely from the ancient play. I was actually quite amused by the whole story of people falling in love with the wrong person. If only life were so quirky.
Brace yourself: Cornelia broke up with Caleb. Not really a complete shocker there, as she seemed to have found utter solace lately in her college biology tutor, Marcus. He's studying to be a botanist: perfect, right? Only the issue of course is that Cornelia didn't really handle the break up well. Her immediate idea was to text him a quick lets just b bff's, k before realizing that Caleb, being Elyon's guardian, didn't actually own a cell phone. I'm not sure if cell reception works through the veil. She then decided to send me instead. Brilliant idea, coward. Let's just say it was not pretty.
"Hey Caleb. Why exactly are you hanging upside down from the balcony?" I asked, leaning over it to snicker at his swinging form. He appeared to be caught by a curtain tassel. He was only a few feet from the water below, so there was no real fear of injury.
"Ha ha. Laugh at my expense. But they should really make those things less complicated." Caleb stretched up, grabbing the railing and heaving himself over the side. I had to commend him on his major upper body strength.
"Curtains are only complicated for you and two year olds."
"Cute. Now what are you doing here?" Caleb demanded, brushing himself off as he settled safely on the stone balcony. I leaned against the parapet, my wings twitching ever so slightly with the breeze. I shifted uncomfortably, not sure how to begin. How does one go about breaking up with someone you're not actually dating, someone your friend asked you to break up with for her? They should make self-help books on this kind of stuff.
"Funny story, really…" I trailed off, biting my lip uncertainly.
"Is something wrong with Cornelia?" Caleb asked, concern coloring his voice and his face. Oh great. Just perfect. Why did I agree to do this? Oh yeah, because I just HAD to copy Corny's history homework. I needed better leverage.
He looked so vulnerable. Guilt filled me up and I tried to clear my mind and remind myself that this wasn't my fault. I was merely the messenger…but wait, didn't the Greeks used to kill the messenger if they brought bad news? Well that's just peachy. Thankfully, I had the trusty Heart of Kandrakar to save my ass from imminent doom. Who knew the wrath Caleb could unleash upon this poor and unsuspecting world. Most likely he'd do it with sarcasm and a skate board.
"Look, I don't know how to say this but uh…Corny sent me here to uh…break up with you." I shut my eyes and waited for the fireworks. A minute passed, then another, then another. I opened one of my eyes to see that Caleb looked utterly stricken, his expression wounded, like the animals I was always trying to save in biology class from dissection. Looks like Cornelia had just personally dissected Caleb's heart. My stomach wrenched and my heart ached and it took everything I had to keep from breaking down into tears myself, so devastated was his expression. I reached out tentatively to hug him.
He didn't respond at first. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts. I tightened my grip until finally he responded, accepting my gesture graciously, gratefully even. We stayed like that for quite some time. He didn't seem to want to let go and I honestly couldn't blame him. I could tell, from the moment they met, that Caleb had fallen hard for Cornelia. Cornelia was being uncannily selfish to do this to him, but I could easily see that she was happier than ever with Marcus. I only wished that Caleb didn't have to suffer the consequences of her newfound happiness.
"I…don't understand." He finally spoke. I stepped back and cocked my head at him a little sadly.
"Marcus. That's the explanation. He's a botanist…or training to be one anyway. He's tutoring her and so they sort of clicked. Big time. They're a little inseparable. Both scary and annoying. But she seems happy. Happier than ever. I know that's not what you want to hear…"
"But I need to." Caleb nodded, sobered. I could tell in the few seconds of my explanation that he'd quickly built a wall around himself. It was almost disturbing to know that he would seemingly recover so quickly but that underneath he was steaming, boiling, roiling.
"I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you. Corny is being unreasonable. She blackmailed me into it really." I fidgeted with my orchid-colored sleeve, my eyes trained on Caleb's melancholic expression.
"It's not your fault. You're just being a good friend."
End flashback. I need to learn to be less literal.
Ugh, even the words in my book were blurring. Obviously this whole no sleeping thing was bad for my sight. Recently I've taken to being a chronic insomniac. I haven't pinpointed why, but I have a feeling that it probably is because I'm a supernatural creature with some infinite source of energy boiling inside me. I'm like this limitless battery pack. Sometimes I could swear that the energy is leaking from my fingertips because of buildup. It's a little scary. I was afraid that I would make my desk explode the other day. I had to run to the bathroom to keep the power from bursting from my fingers. When I got there the light burst from my hand and slammed into the mirrors. And guess what. Another detention.
My counselor seems to be under the impression that I have anger management issues. Nice. Real nice. As if I don't have enough problems, now after school every day I have to go to classes so that I can learn to "calm my inner being". Whatever that means. I personally feel it's a piece of crap.
"Will! Lights out in ten!" My mother's fist banged against my bedroom door, announcing that my punishment was going to be more ice queen than cold stone creamery. I shut my book and tossed it to the floor, throwing my hands over my eyes. I could feel the soothing fingers of sleep closing in around my head. It felt odd, considering my recent late night activity had been anything but sleep. It felt glorious and I willing let it sweep in over me. My eyelids drooped and I pulled my comforter over my head, settling comfortably into my pillows. I didn't even bother to check if I'd closed my window…
Knock! Bang! CRACK!
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap.
"Hmmfumblomum." I growled, rolling and pulling the blanket tighter around myself.
"Will! Wake up! It's me, Caleb!"
My head shot up in bed and I stared around my room bleary eyed and unsure about where exactly his voice was coming from. I rolled and turned on my desk lamp only to find his face just millimeters from mine. In surprise, an electric shock zapped from my outstretched hand to his face and he blasted backwards into my open closet. "Holy crap! Caleb! Sorry!" I squealed, scrambling out of bed to help him up. His hair stood on end and I had to keep from giggling so as not to wake my mom up.
"You really shouldn't sneak up on me like that. I don't exactly have complete control over the whole guardian of energy thing or whatever." I whispered as I pulled him to his feet. He stood at least a good head over me and I was briefly reminded of our first meeting in which he referred to me as short.
"Yeah, I noticed."
"Hey buddy; at least I don't sneak into seventeen year-old girls' rooms in the middle of the night." I snapped, poking a finger in his chest. I suddenly became very aware that I had changed into my favorite frog pajamas, appropriately covered in small green amphibians.
"Yeah, well I had good reason." He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his head from me in his infamous pout. I would have recognized that jutting jaw anywhere.
"It better be. That was the first real sleep I've had in weeks buddy boy and I was enjoying it. So explain, pronto." I mirrored his actions sans childhood pout.
"It's Elyon. She's sick---."
"WHAT?" I think my eyes just popped out of their sockets. The stiff arms-crossed position was now gone and my face was colored with worry. "What do you mean she's sick? How did she get sick?"
"We think she may have been poisoned. From what we can tell it is either an earth disease or magic. Since the mage was killed there is no one who is adept enough in magic to pinpoint the cause." Caleb stated gravely, running a hand through his unruly brown hair. A shiver went down my spine and I reached out to clutch the side of my desk for support. Elyon, but a year younger than I, if that, was sick.
"How is she?" I asked tentatively, almost afraid to ask.
"Comatose." Was his short response and without realizing it my hand clamped over my mouth. I felt tears prick on my eyelids and my vision blurred for the twentieth time tonight. I reined them in and took a deep breath, reminding myself that the other guardians had to be informed.
"I have to call Taranee. Everyone needs to be informed. We'll have to bring Elyon over to earth to see if it is a disease. If not…our problems are a lot worse. Let's hope that it's something treatable." I said, picking up my cell off my desk and speed dialing Taranee. She was like one giant phone tree and it made it a lot easier than calling all the guardians individually.
Taranee's groggy voice squeaked through the receiver, clearly annoyed by my past-midnight call. "What's wrong Will?" She muttered and I heard her fumble to find her beloved Harry Potter glasses.
"Taranee, get Corny, Hay Lin, and Irma on the radar. We've got a serious problem. Elyon is sick and it might be that she was poisoned. If so it probably means someone is going to make an attack on Meridian while she is incapacitated, or worse. We've got to do serious air lift to the hospital to see if it's an earth poison or disease. If not…well our problems are much bigger than that." I said quietly, trying to keep in the panic that was pushing at each side of my head.
"Oh god. I'll wake them up right now." Taranee said, sounding far more alert. I hung up the phone and looked back at Caleb, my brow pulling together anxiously.
"The guardians will meet in the usual place: the Silver Dragon." I said, moving behind him and filtering through the mess that was my closet to find a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to change into. I thought about walking to the bathroom to change but my mother was a light sleeper and was bound to wake up if I even so much as cracked my door open. Luckily my walls may as well have been sound proof. "Turn around." I ordered, albeit not as harshly as I would have any other day. My nerves were on end with Caleb's news and I couldn't get the shaky feeling out of my limbs.
He merely nodded and buried his nose into the corner as I stripped my pajamas and donned my most comfortable pair of tortured jeans and an old faded Beatles t-shirt. Pulling my hair out of the neck, I turned back to Caleb to inform him it was now safe to turn around.
I pulled open my window with a loud creak and began to climb out with Caleb close behind. There was a good fifteen foot drop from the slanted roof to the ground but I had no trouble making the jump and neither did Caleb. We'd both had a great deal of training in this particular area of agility. I pulled my car keys from my pocket and unlocked it, throwing myself into the driver's seat. I unlocked the passenger side door for Caleb and buckled my seat belt as he too climbed into my small brand new Beetle.
The little chili pepper red VW had been my Christmas present from my dad who was rather MIA these days with his new wife, Seraphina. What kind of a name is Seraphina anyway? She's a Greek goddess and somehow I know that the relationship won't last eons. Sera will get tired of Dad at some point and realize that he's just a middle aged real estate broker and then she'll leave. Of course, Dad is a real estate broker in LA, one of the best in fact, but that doesn't mean much after Sera gets her divorce cut. Anyway, off topic.
I backed out careful not to turn on my headlights. If I did Mom would know that I'd sneaked out and I'd be dead for all eternity: something I cannot afford, especially now. When we were a block down I switched on my headlights and sped down through Heatherfield towards the Silver Dragon where Hay Lin and Yan Lin would surely be waiting with a midnight snack.
"I don't see how this whole driving thing works." Caleb said uncertainly beside me, fiddling anxiously with the seat belt.
I snorted. "I don't suppose you would. Last time you attempted driving you demolished half of Heatherfield."
"Hey! That was Blunk's fault, not mine. He's the one that stole the cab." Caleb defended, struggling with the seatbelt as it wrapped awkwardly around his left shoulder. I had to laugh at that, no matter how on edge I may have been. We came to a stoplight and I righted him, ordering him not to mess with it any further.
"Either way, no way in hell anyone will ever give you a driver's license." I said as I turned onto the street next to the Silver Dragon and parked, shutting off the engine and unbuckling my seatbelt. I climbed out of the car and locked it behind me and Caleb and I proceeded into the restaurant.
"Will!" Hay Lin pounced on me the moment we entered the restaurant, her now short black hair flying in choppy wisps around her round face. "What happened? Why is Elyon sick?" Her fathomless brown eyes were wide and worried, her hands clutched together in nervous trepidation.
"That's what we're going to find out Hay Lin. Right now we just need to wait for the others to get here then I'll fold us to Meridian."
"Would you like some tea?" Yan Lin asked, her crowfeet crinkling with worry. I smiled weakly as I settled into one of the silver dragon booths. Hay Lin sat next to me and Caleb across from us. The room was moderately warm but my skin felt clammy to the touch. We hadn't had a problem of this magnitude in quite some time and it was incredibly unnerving to have it appear out of nowhere. I didn't even know where to start if it wasn't an earth disease, which it most likely wasn't. The odds weren't playing in our favor as usual.
Yan Lin returned with a tray of steaming tea and set it in front of us. I sipped it cautiously, careful not to burn my tongue. Words escaped me and I was having trouble forming a coherent thought. My mind kept skipping over and over like a broken record. Elyon is sick elyon is sick elyonissick elyonisick elyosik eleosek imhotep. Everything seemed to be blending together and I had to remind myself not to tear up. I was the leader, I was supposed to be strong, wasn't I? Stay calm. Stay cool. Stay collected. My mantra. Calm. Cool. Collected. Calm. Cool. Collected.
"I got here as fast as I could on my bike!" Irma announced, skidding in through the front door. Her shoes slipped on the tiles and she fell and slammed into a cart of plates, platters and bowls clattering to the floor around her. One bowl had precariously fallen on the crown of her head looking much like a very rigid fez. "Nobody say a word." She growled, beginning to pile the fallen dishes into the wash bin. She pulled a chair up to the edge of the booth, sitting back to front and leaning over the back. "What's the word, peeps? How is Elyon?"
"That's what we're going to Meridian to find out. We'll escort her back to earth so that she can be examined by doctors before we resort to discovering her ailment by magical measures, if you know what I mean." I mimed a butterfly with my hands, taking a long painful swig of piping hot tea. I didn't really feel it. I felt a little numb all over, my skin crawling uncertainly.
"So, in other words, we know nothing." Irma summed up eloquently the information I'd just provided. Yes, Irma, ever the wordsmith, even now. I noted that she looked like she'd just rolled out of bed as her hair was still up in a messy ponytail and her t-shirt appeared rumpled like she'd picked it off the top of the hamper. I vaguely remember her wearing it to school the other day.
Silence filled the room. It was utterly unbearable. My finger traced around the lip my teacup. It sang lightly, filling the silence just barely. I started humming lightly, letting my eyes slip closed to calm myself. I was just settling into peace when who should disturb me but the ever tactful Cornelia Hale.
"What happened? What's wrong with Elyon?" She demanded, her vibrant golden hair swinging behind her. The expression on her face clearly said 'tell me what happened or die', a common tool she uses to get the gossip she finds necessary to ruin any who might challenge her in social hierarchy. Even in silk pajama pants and a tank top she looked beautiful. I didn't miss the deliberate way Caleb glared down at his tea. He and Corny hadn't really spoken since she—well I—broke up with him.
The interesting thing about Corny was that she never ceased to take control of any situation that she could. She'd always resented my authority as the holder of the Heart and never had a problem pointing out my inadequacy at the job. Corny had the ruthlessness of a leader but I often doubted whether she had the proper judgment for it. She thought with her heart, not with her head. She made decisions based on impulse and I had to believe that this was a dangerous quality…then again; I had to wonder whether she would ever do a better job than I have at being leader.
"We don't know yet Corny. Calm down. Taranee isn't here yet…wait, why isn't Taranee here yet? I called her first." My brow furrowed uncertainly and I fished my cell phone out of my jean pocket, dialing in her home line first. It rang three times before it hit her answering machine. I hung up as the message played and looked up at my friends with a worried expression. "There was no answer. She lives close to me. She should have been here by now."
"She better get here pronto. I want to know what has happened to my best friend." Cornelia growled, leaning against the booth. Yan Lin offered her some tea to which she vehemently declined. I couldn't blame Cornelia for everything. Seeing her as on edge as she was, I knew she cared so much for Elyon. She was scared for her friend and that is one of the greatest things about her: infinite care and loyalty.
Minutes of worried silence passed before dark-skinned Taranee burst through the doors of the Silver Dragon, her breathing shallow and her glasses askew. She leaned against the counter, trying to catch her breath. "Sorry I'm late guys. My mom caught me sneaking out. I had to run all the way here." She squeaked, wheezing as she accepted a cup of steaming tea from Yan Lin.
"Well, we better get going. I don't want to waste any time if Elyon isn't well." I said, standing and pull the glowing pink Heart from under my t-shirt. "Guardians unite!" Light flashed around me, blocking my vision of my friends. The air was crackling with electricity; electricity I suspected was generated from somewhere in me. I felt a faint flicker of flame, a light mist, smelt spring, and even felt the wind brush back my hair. When I opened my eyes my friends were in their guardian forms and Caleb was standing next to the door in wait for me to open a portal.
I gestured for them to follow me to the alley where I would rip a hole in the very time space continuum. I stopped a few feet from my car, reaching up to curl my fingers around the Heart of Kandrakar. In a flourish I pulled it from my neck, lifting it skyward. Wordlessly it flashed, a ripple forming in the air to reveal the darkness beyond and the familiar landscape of Meridian within it's flickering iridescent flaps. Caleb leaped through followed by Corny, Irma, Hay Lin, Taranee, and finally myself.
The air was unnaturally cool, sending goose bumps all over my skin, even in guardian form. The air tasted like disease, as though the land had been infected by a strange magic that was both vaguely familiar and impossible to identify. I grimaced, turning back to the portal and lifting the heart. It flashed once more, closing the fold so that no innocent humans would wander into Meridian and no beasties from Meridian would wander into the human world. I turned back to our ragtag brigade and we leapt into the air. Having grown to be the strongest of us as far as muscles go, I hooked my arms under Caleb's and lifted him into the air as we flew towards the palace to fetch our dearest old friend.
"Ugh, what is that smell." Hay Lin groaned, pinching her nose and flying a little higher in order to reach clearer air.
"I'd know that smell anywhere. Blunk!" Irma announced, her blue eyes searching the ground below us curiously. We spotted him running haphazardly through the grime and brush, his wrinkled green arms flailing every which way.
"Guardians! Help!" He cried, jumping frantically to get our attention. As if we needed to be flagged down. His smell was bad enough to pinpoint him anywhere. We gradually descended to the ground around Blunk, all with skeptical expressions on our faces. I set Caleb down before landing next to him and planting a hand on my hip.
"What's wrong now Blunk? Need more tin cans to sell as gloves?" I asked, raising an annoyed brow at the little passling.
"No no, trouble at castle! Queen in big trouble." It felt as though my stomach dropped out of my body, leaving an icy center that spread to the rest of my body.
"What's wrong with Elyon? What happened?" Cornelia demanded, taking a dangerous step towards the passling.
"Blunk not know. Big cloud go over castle. Rain like cats and dogs. Then someone say queen gone. Blunk come running to tell Caleb and guardians." He confessed, his baseball sized eyes wider than usual. He looked as frantic as we felt.
"So…Elyon is gone? What is Meridian going to do?" Hay Lin asked, her worried eyes moving from one face to the next. She lingered on me and I knew she was asking me what we should do next.
I didn't have an answer for her.
NCP: "WILMA VANDOM WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" I froze where I was positioned in the window, eyes wide and suddenly more afraid than I had been ten seconds ago.
"Would you believe I went to a parallel world to rescue my friend only to discover she washed away with the rain?" I whispered weakly, climbing the rest of the way into my dark bedroom and scratching the back of my head.
"What happened?" Caleb called loudly below my window. I felt myself blanch.
"AND WHO IS THAT?"
Yeah. Death begins now.