It had been two weeks since they'd decided to start their plot. They'd all instantly become busy with setting about completing their task, they'd forgotten about the common teenage issues. Mostly, they forgot about school. To them, it was an obstacle preventing them from fulfilling their goal.
Dani read at every possible opportunity, whilst Taylor watched several episodes a night. She was exhausting herself, and frequently getting into trouble for not doing homework. She was constantly in a daze, trying not to fall asleep. The teachers became more and more annoyed with the duo, but neither cared. Meanwhile, Alex had stopped coming in altogether. Sam had tried to intervene, but she'd ended up joining her. She figured she didn't have any friends anyway, so why not? Why not waste their days watching TV episodes and films together?
It reached a Friday afternoon on the second week when something dramatic finally happened. In her mind, Taylor didn't like how she was being forced into school whilst Sam and Alex got to stay home. But as she sat, bored out of her mind, in science, she wondered how much longer she'd have to stand the torture. It was as the thought entered her mind that she felt her phone vibrate. She glanced at her teacher, seeing him too preoccupied to notice. She whipped it out and read the message from Alex:
Urgent! Parents = killers. Don't go home!
Taylor, confused, showed the screen to Dani. Something didn't feel right about this. Dani looked just as confused, so she watched her type her response.
What?
They aren't who you think they are. They don't care about you. They want to kidnap and give us to person
*kidnap us
*a person
Stupd phone!
Argh!
They shared a glance, even more confused now than they were before.
What?
Ugh! Just meet us in the car park straight after school. No dawdling or anything. We'll explain then
Dani and Taylor simultaneously looked at the clock on the wall. There was still fifteen minutes left. Taylor loudly groaned, but thankfully, it merged in with the loud conversations around her. She glanced over at Dani, who appeared to be both confused and distracted. Taylor searched her brain for a way to escape the lesson early, but none of them were plausible enough to allow two people to get out of the lesson. So the duo sat there, absentmindedly tapping their fingers on the table as they waited for the fifteen minutes to hurry by.
The very second the bell rang and the teacher dismissed them, Dani and Taylor sprinted out the door, pushed their way until they were outside and practically ran to the car park, where they were greeted by Alex's car. Sam nodded as a greeting at them through the open window as they scrambled to get into the back seat. Sam rolled up her window, and the pair turned to look at the flustered Dani and the normal Taylor.
"This is urgent," said Sam, not bothering to greet them properly. "Our parents aren't who we think they are."
"What do you mean?" asked Dani.
"We don't know how, but we know they are working for the person who brought us here," continued Alex.
"We've tried to talk to them, but they put up a damn good fight," interrupted Sam.
"You mean your dad did. My mom was nowhere to be found. That's really odd. Your dad being around and my mum not," observed Alex.
"Anyway," said Sam, looking at Alex, silently telling her to be quiet. "The plan is to go to Taylor's first. You'll grab whatever you can within fifteen minutes or less. We don't have tons of time. I'm gonna go with Taylor. Then, when we get to Dani's, we'll repeat the process, only we're all gonna accompany her."
"Wait, what? I'll be fine with just-" began Dani.
"Dani, you're the most vulnerable of us all," interjected Alex.
"Why? Because you think I can't defend myself?" Sam and Alex shared a look. "Oh my God! You think I can't defend myself!"
"Dani-" started Alex.
"No, I don't want to hear it."
"If your mom is the boss, even if we thought you weren't defenceless, we'd still go in with you," reassured Sam. "We don't trust the fact Alex's and Taylor's parents were nowhere to be found."
"So I have fifteen minutes?" asked Taylor, hoping to ease up the tension.
"Yes. Dani, I'd start creating a mental list of what you need, cos you'll have the same amount of time," stated Sam.
Dani instantly became quiet, her mind whirling with what she needed. Taylor knew exactly what she needed and knew fifteen minutes would be more than enough time. Sam watched Alex, noticing how tense she was about this whole thing. She tried to reassure her by gently resting her hand on Alex's arm, but Alex shrugged it away, intently staring at the road.
The second they arrived at Taylor's house, Sam and Taylor jumped out the car and ran inside. They ran upstairs, Taylor easily locating her duffle bag. She quickly grabbed things and threw them in, regardless of how valuable they were, before quickly changing into something more casual. Sam remained as lookout, feeling confident with the gun in her hand. If anyone dared try anything, she was ready. Her reflexes were insanely fast. She could fire a gun without a single doubt into a person's heart. She'd managed it without looking a few times.
Meanwhile, Alex's drumming on the steering wheel had become so intense that she hadn't stopped since the pair had entered the house. Dani was still intently thinking, but that didn't stop her from noticing. She briefly undid her seatbelt and touched Alex's arm. Alex jerked away from her touch before realising it was just Dani.
"It'll be fine," reassured Dani, although the words sounded anything but reassuring to Alex.
"Get back in your seat," ordered Alex. She hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but her nerves were starting to get to her.
Dani did as she was told, watching Alex cautiously as she went back to making her mental list. Alex was more than relieved when she saw the pair again. She started the engine up once more, watching Sam shove the suitcase in the boot. Taylor and Sam barely got in before Alex drove off, feeling ready for whatever was about to happen. Sam noticed, feeling the same way.
They drove in the opposite direction, heading towards Dani's house. She was certain Alex was breaking the speed limit, but in that moment, none of them, except Dani, cared particularly. Dani was the only one who didn't seem to feel the level of panic the other three did. She was completely oblivious.
As they arrived, three of them shared their concern and nervousness as they looked between them, before their eyes fell on the oblivious Dani. Dani was busy looking at her house, feeling different towards it now than she did, as if she was seeing it for the first time.
Dani was the first to get out the car, quickly followed by Sam. Alex and Taylor soon followed. Dani was on the verge of walking over to the pavement and up to her house, but Sam stopped her, deciding she could only proceed when her and Alex had their guns at the ready. Dani felt uncomfortable but decided it was necessary. If their minds would be at ease, she decided to trust them. She walked up the short pathway, feeling Sam directly behind her.
Dani pulled out her keys and unlocked the door. Sam and Alex held their breaths, keeping a tight grip on their guns by their legs. Taylor acted as the lookout, looking behind them to see if anyone was heading in their direction. As soon as Dani entered, her mum entered into the hallway from the kitchen, a sugar sweet smile on her face. Sam didn't trust her, but she decided to play along.
"Hey mum, we're gonna go upstairs for a while," lied Dani.
"Oh," she replied, shocked she wasn't being introduced. "Okay. Have fun."
Sam and Alex found it odd that her mum hadn't asked about them as she turned on her heel and headed back into the kitchen. Dani's footsteps going up the staircase pulled them from their thoughts. Sam decided to remain as lookout at the top of the staircase while Alex decided to stay as lookout for the upstairs hallway. Taylor entered with Dani to help her, but she didn't appear as if she needed help.
Dani instantly located her suitcase and began shoving everything she needed inside. As with everything else in her room, Dani packed with organisation, ensuring everything was neatly put into its place. Taylor noticed the organisation in Dani's room, so she wasn't surprised she could find everything with ease.
If anything, Taylor decided to observe her room and look around at the wonderful items Dani had. It really told her what type of person Dani was. She had neatly arranged stationary, filled with pages of writing, and little slips of paper falling out. She wrote down anything and everything, such as prices and times of things she'd been to see or things she'd bought.
As Dani was packing, she decided to play some music so it wouldn't raise suspicion as to what she was doing. She packed at least two weeks' worth of clothes, including essentials. She packed all her electronics and any beauty things she needed. Once they were all in, she decided to pack as many of her precious notebooks as she could, with a very full pencil case. Once she was done, she proudly looked at her big suitcase and smiled. She heaved a sigh of relief, promoting Taylor to glance at her. Her eyes widened as she saw how big her suitcase was in comparison to the rest of them.
"That's what you're bringing?!" exclaimed Taylor in shock.
"Yes," announced Dani proudly.
"Dani, that won't fit in the boot!"
"It'll fit in the back seat with us."
"Dani, you cannot bring this."
Dani pouted and rolled her eyes before looking wearily down at her wand. Would it even work? If she was going to attempt magic anywhere, it might as well be on this. She pointed her wand at her suitcase, deciding two spells was better than one. She mumbled the Undetectable Extension Charm on her suitcase, ensuring her suitcase's insides was far bigger than it suggested. She'd only know if that worked if the next spell worked.
"Descendo," she whispered. The suitcase rapidly shrunk into a much smaller suitcase. Dani bit the inside of her lip before sighing in relief as she opened her suitcase. It was bigger than the exterior suggested, meaning she'd successfully done the charm right. She grinned happily, whilst Taylor stared at it in shock.
"How the-"
"I'm sorry about this." Taylor looked temporarily confused, on the verge of asking a question. "Obliviate." She couldn't risk having her magic taken away from her because of this incident.
Taylor looked temporarily dazed before she looked at Dani and registered she was there. "Oh, you're done. Great! Let's leave."
"Wait! I need to change!" she exclaimed, not wanting to remain in her school uniform.
Taylor softly sighed before nodding her head. She left the room with her suitcase, deciding to tell Sam and Alex. Dani easily found her outfit and quickly put it on, creating a plan in her mind for their escape. She half smiled as the plan formed perfectly in her mind, before muttering the Undetectable Extension Charm once more, slipping her wand inside her left jean pocket. She didn't want it to be broken after all, or stick out of her pocket. This would be her little secret. Dani left the room after, feeling the other's stares on her.
"Dani, you go down first. Head straight out. Do not stop for a second," instructed Alex.
Dani nodded, leading the way down the staircase. Alex followed behind her, with Sam behind Alex and Taylor last, carrying the suitcase as quietly as she could. Alex and Sam pulled out their guns once more, preparing for the hardest part. Dani kept her left hand on her left thigh, reassuring herself her wand was in fact still there.
It was as Dani reached the floor after the last stair that her mum entered the hallway again, her smile no longer on her face. Instead, she looked stern, any façade long since disappeared. "I hope you aren't going anywhere," she said. The implication of the sentence was perfectly clear.
"Mum, I'm staying overnight at Alex's," lied Dani. She'd never lied to anyone before but apparently, she was a natural.
Her mum's face softened. Not for one second did Sam trust her. "Well alright. Can I at least have a hug?"
Before Alex could grab Dani to prevent her from moving forward, she'd already started walking over. Dani's mum had her arms spread wide open, beckoning her into the embrace. Dani felt her heart beat far beyond a normal rate as she rehearsed her plan in her mind. It had been a spur of the moment thing, but she had to prove she could do this. She felt her mum wrap her arms around her before spinning her around, one arm across her elbows so she was trapped in her embrace, the other had whipped a gun out of her back pocket and pressed it to the right side of Dani's head. Dani knew her arms were still at her sides, giving her the advantage.
Her mum smiled maliciously at the girls, as if in victory and triumph. The girls looked at Dani in shock, with Sam glaring angrily at her. Dani smiled ever so slightly, hoping to reassure them. With her eyes, she looked down for the briefest of seconds, indicating her pocket, but none of them seemed to get the message.
"I suggest you put down your guns and enter the kitchen, unless you want to see your friend here dead," coaxed her mum.
Sam internally debated whether it was worth losing a person or not, but decided against it. The odds of them leaving alive would be minimal. Alex had already dropped hers, sighing in defeat. Sam reluctantly dropped hers, the pair holding their hands up in defeat. Taylor rested the suitcase on the staircase, also putting her hands up in defeat.
It was as Alex raised her foot to take a step down that Dani went into action. Without a second thought, she raised her elbows slightly before pushing as hard as she could into her mum's ribs, her wand in her hand. Her mum groaned, her grip slackened. Dani took the opportunity to turn around, pointing her wand at her mum. "Stupefy!" she loudly exclaimed, knowing full well whoever was in the kitchen would come out.
Sam immediately pushed past Alex and stood beside Dani, who had quickly moved to the foot of the staircase, her gun raised. Dani nodded at Taylor, indicating it was safe for her to run out with the suitcase. Without hesitation, Taylor grabbed it and ran down, just as the kitchen door burst open. Sam began to shoot, aiming at body parts. She successfully shot two of them in the shoulders, and the remaining uninjured one in the leg.
"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!" Dani yelled at the three separate bodies.
Alex yanked open the door and ran to her car, ensuring her gun was still poised and ready. Taylor ran after her, shoving the suitcase into the boot before getting into the car. Dani ran next, forcing herself into the back seat without much care if she injured herself. Sam was last, running as fast as she could into the passenger seat, ensuring her gun was at the ready should anything bad happen.
The very second Sam was inside, Alex revved up the car and drove off as fast as she could, catching her breath, like the other three. The pair had stored away their guns in the glove compartment. For a good minute or two, the car remained silent, Alex intently driving in whatever direction she could.
It was Sam who spoke first. "Dani, I take back what I said."
"Thanks," said Dani. "I'm glad my plan worked."
"Wait, plan? What plan?" Taylor demanded.
Dani smirked slightly. "I just figured magic would get us out of her. Looks like I was right."
"Damn girl! You have more fighting spirit in you than I first thought!" congratulated Sam, still in utter disbelief.
"Uh…I might need to wipe your memories of this moment," began Dani, avoiding everyone's eyes. "I could get in serious trouble for this."
"Surely not in an alternate universe?" said Alex.
"I don't know if it applies or not."
"Well you can justify your actions."
"I suppose so."
"Dani, don't worry about it," reassured Taylor.
"Fine. But where are we going?"
"I've been thinking about this. We need to go to a big city rather than an obscure village," said Sam.
"What, why?" asked Taylor.
"Because we can blend in better. They'll be smart about this. Each one of them will go in a separate direction and drive to the nearest hotel outside of London, then they might try others along the way. So long as we get out of London and into the next big city, we should be fine," explained Sam.
"In which direction?" Alex inquired.
"Not South or East."
"Helpful."
"They'll probably suspect we'll go North, so let's go West," suggested Dani.
"West it is. Any particular city?" queried Sam.
"Well it depends how far you want to travel," replied Dani.
"How about Bristol?" Taylor suggested.
Sam put both places into Google maps on her phone, waiting for the signal to tell her how long it'd take. After a few minutes, she spoke. "It's just over two hours' drive. Is that okay?"
"Do we have another option?" answered Alex.
"Well there are other places we could go," pointed out Sam. "But Bristol is a good distance away."
"No, Scotland's a good distance away. Bristol will do, but they'll get onto us."
"Scotland?! Are you mad?! That's a good five hour drive or so!"
"Sam, it's necessary! We can't be in a place so nearby! Why would they suspect Scotland anyway?"
"Alex, we are not going up to Scotland!"
"What about Wales then? Or Ireland? Or better yet, a foreign country!"
"I don't have a passport," revealed Dani sheepishly.
"Well there's your answer," snapped Sam.
"We're going to Scotland and that is final."
The air in the car felt frosty as the words sunk in. Sam angrily typed it into Google maps and after a few minutes of waiting around, had an outburst. "It's seven hours' drive! Are you really going to drive that long?! You won't be able to!"
"How do you know?"
"I have a compromise. Let's drive up to Middlesbrough, stay overnight and then make it to Glasgow or Edinburgh the next day well rested."
"We're going Glasgow."
"I like Sam's plan," piped in Taylor.
Alex sighed. "How long is it from here to Middlesbrough?"
Sam smiled triumphantly. "Just over four and a half hours."
"Alright fine."
"Great! Look at the four of us, running for our lives. Ah, it reminds me of the good old days."
With that, Sam turned on the radio and let the car fall into a peaceful silence. None of them were particularly happy, but they were all more than relieved to have escaped where they had been before.
If they'd have stayed, who knows what would've happened to them…
A/N
Sorry it's taken so long to update. I've still got exams and I'm meant to be revising for them :( When it's the summer holidays, I promise I'll update more frequently
