Pandora's Box: Deleted Scenes
Nine
(From the Epilogue)
All was quiet in Cackle's Academy. The girls had gone home and only the staff were left, locking up and securing the draughty building ready for the long holiday. Mr and Mrs Tapioca-Blossom had finally returned home from Italy, the reason for their delay being the untimely eruption of Mount Etna causing an ash cloud to drift over Rome, where it had stubbornly stayed for a week before dispersing and allowing planes to fly again, although Mrs Tapioca was certain that the witches could have done something to aid them in their predicament.
Amelia had just sat down with the last cup of tea of the academic year when there was an unseemly creak from somewhere in the overhead region, causing the gathered women to look up and search, unsuccessfully, for its source. Davina, as melodramatic as she usually was, came to the conclusion that the ceiling was about to cave in and that they were all going to die, and as such retreated to the safety of the cupboard, although Amelia still did not know, to this day, why the elderly witch assumed that such an action would protect her from worldly destruction.
"I think it's coming from your room, Constance," said Imogen, absently stirring her tea with a fork, the teaspoons having been packed up by Davina earlier in the day in case of hapless burglars.
Constance rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath. Amelia couldn't quite catch the gist of her speech but it sounded to be something along the lines of 'why is it always me?'
"There's only one way to find out," said Amelia, rising from her chair, but Constance had beaten her to it and disappeared. Another ominous creak followed this dematerialisation, and Amelia and Imogen ran from the room and up the stairs towards Constance's bedroom. On their arrival, they found a singularly unusual sight.
Standing in the middle of the room, holding up the red gown that Della had gifted to Constance, was the young woman who had visited them the previous year in the aftermath of the events in the ninth circle.
"Hi!" Kimmeth waved exuberantly before looking pointedly at the dress that she was holding. "Damn it, it's too big for me." She narrowed her eyes at Constance. "Do you have to be so tall?"
Constance opened her mouth to protest but Kimmeth waved her aside.
"Still," the young woman continued. "You should see the kind of things I've got in store for The Last Stand." She gave a somewhat evil laugh. "I'll try and take this in to fit me. I was quite proud of my creation, even if I say so myself."
With that, she folded the dress over her arm and hopped out of the window onto the waiting broomstick before speeding off into the distance, leaving the staff looking at each other, slightly shellshocked.
"You know what this means, don't you," said Imogen, her voice full of foreboding.
"Indeed I do," said Constance. "At some point in the near future, we are going to find our lives in danger from the perils of silk and chiffon once more…"
He he he…
