" Come on…" Lucy headed towards the doors. " We have to get going now…she's
probably heading for the Gyratory and if she goes through without us and
the Gyratory vanishes…"
" Let's go!" Rosie looked angrily at Phillipe and Guillaume as she and Marius headed out of the doors. Guillaume and Phillipe glanced at each other, sending each other silent threats with their eyes, before following the others out of the barn.
* * * * * * * *
Jo groaned as she hit the floor with a thump. She rubbed her back as she stood and looked around. " Where the…?" she thought as she turned around, looking for some clue as to her location. The sky was dark and all Jo could see were trees and bushes all around her. " Well I think it's safe to say I ain't landed in 'The Land of the Little Mermaid'!" she laughed. Suddenly, noise in the trees behind her made her jump and dive into a nearby bush. She crouched in the darkness, holding her breath as the noises drew nearer. The sound of voice filled the air and Jo froze as a group of men broke through the trees in front of her. They were all dressed in some kind of uniform, like guards. They looked familiar to Jo but she couldn't place them. Her mind was on things other than musical costumes.
" You found anything?" one man asked another.
" No…not this time…" he muttered, kicking the ground angrily.
" Well…they can't be far…" the first guard said, his beady eyes scanning the trees and bushes around him. Jo held her breath as his gaze passed over her hiding place.
" We'll find them eventually…there are only so many places a group that large can hide!" said a third, pounding a meaty fist against his other palm.
Jo heard the snapping of a twig behind her and her breath caught in her throat. She could almost feel the colour draining from her face as she swallowed and turned around. She came face to face with a sword, being held by a well-built guard.
" I think you should come and have a word with my friends and I…" he said, Jo stood slowly watching as his eyes looked her up and down, checking for weapons she assumed. He indicated with the blade for her to walk around the bush and into the clearing. She swallowed and complied. She entered the clearing and noticed for the first time what she was wearing. Her jeans had gone to be replaces by what looked like military style, combat trousers. She was also wearing what looked like a sleeveless t-shirt, again in military colouring.
" Well at least it's not another dress…" she thought silently. " Thank heaven for small miracles!"
" And what have we here?" The first guard walked over to her and looked into her eyes. " Well…?"
" Er…" Jo stammered as she assessed the situation. Four guards, all heavily armed versus her. This was not the situation she had hoped to find herself in. " Well…" she started, " I'm…a little lost…actually…"
" Oh are you?!" the second said, his voice dripping in false concern. Jo felt her eyes narrowing.
" How can we help this poor girl find her friends…?" the third guard said, as he looked her up and down.
" Who said…who said I had lost my friends…" Jo started, a frown growing on her face.
" Oh…we know who you are…" the fourth guard smiled an evil smile.
" Y-y-you do…?" stammered Jo, the nervous feeling in her stomach building and building. Where were the others?
" Oh yes…" the first guard grinned, his beady eyes looking into Jo's. " We know all about you and your revolutionary friends…" he scoffed. Jo was confused but she thought it best to stay quiet and find out as much as she could.
" Trying to overthrow our control…" snapped the fourth guard, making her jump.
" But Rome can deal easily with a pathetic group like yours…" laughed the second guard. Rome?! Jo thought. Where on earth had she landed now?
" No matter…" the first guard continued, " You can tell your tale at the jail…just like the others…" he made a grab for her arm but she dodged. The fourth guard tried to grab her from behind but this was a circumstance that she had been in one to many times before. She ducked and elbowed him in the kidneys. Hearing him groan she reached behind her grabbed his arm and flung him over her back. Grinning she picked up his sword from where he had dropped it.
" One down…" she grinned breathlessly. " Now…" she said her eyes glowing with excitement as she twirled the blade in her hands. " Who's next…?!" The other guards looked at each other nervously and after a moment's thought, grabbed their friend from on the floor and disappeared into the trees. Jo laughed out loud as she stabbed the sword into the ground. " Not bad for a beginner!" she grinned, turning to walk away. But she didn't see the tree root that was right in front of her feet and she stumbled over it. " Oh sh…!" she gasped as she fell. But she didn't finish. Her head struck a rock on the floor of the clearing and she sighed as the world faded to black.
* * * * *
Jo could feel someone turning her over and she groaned. Trying to open her eyes and see who it was, " P-p-please…don't hurt me…" she stammered weakly.
" Don't worry I'm not here to hurt you…" a man's voice came through the blur. Jo tried to focus on who it was and a pair of eyes came into her sight. She could see that they were dark brown they looked into hers. They looked somehow familiar… " G-G-Guillaume…?" she started but before she could continue, or the man could ask her who Guillaume was, she blacked out once more.
* * * * * * * *
" Where is she…?!" Guillaume demanded as they reached the Gyratory, it's emerald mist swirling invitingly. They looked around; there was no sign of Jo, anywhere.
" She must have gone through already…" Rosie said as she stepped up closer to the Gyratory, Marius close behind her.
" Well…" shrugged Mark as he and Bertrande joined Marius and Rosie in front of the green mist. " What are we waiting for…?" The others joined the, Jenny holding the hand of a very pale Amos. She glanced at him and smiled, squeezing his hand gently.
" You'll be fine…I'll look after you!" he tried to smile and then swallowed nervously. Guillaume and Phillipe stood back, glaring at each other. Lucy turned to them and frowned.
" Come on you two!" she shouted. " God knows where this one leads and what kind of trouble Jo's got herself into now without us there!" She tried to sound jovial but the others knew that with Jo this was a very real possibility. " Now it's because of both of you that she's not here so you both need to come and help us find her and apologise…!" She frowned even more. " …Now!" she barked and was glad to see both of them look a little guilty. It was true. If they hadn't been arguing, Jo wouldn't have run off without them.
" Fine!" grumbled Guillaume standing next to Rosie.
" Fine!" muttered Phillipe standing at the other end of the group next to Jenny.
" Finally…!" Rosie sighed. " Are we ready now? OK everybody…Hold on…!" she said as everyone took a deep breath and stepped into the Gyratory. The swirling mist pulled at their clothes and hair as they fought their way along the tunnel. They could just about make out the shapes of trees at the other end but other then that; it was hard to see anything.
" Keep going…!" Mark yelled against the wind. " I think we're nearly…!" he started but didn't finish as the Gyratory tunnel came to its usual abrupt end and dropped the travellers in a heap. "…there!" groaned Mark as he tried to lift Amos off his legs where he had landed. The friends untangled themselves and looked around. It as night, there were trees surrounding them and all was quiet.
" Is everyone ok?" Lucy asked, as she brushed leaves off of Martin's back.
" I think so…" Rosie was trying to untangle a twig from her long hair and was having difficulties. Marius stepped over to help.
" Any sign of Jo…?" he muttered as he pulled the twig gently from Rosie's long dark hair.
" No…" sighed Jenny, " …lots of trees though…" she smiled as Amos looked around them, his eyes wide open. " Are you ok…?" she asked him gently.
" Uh-uh huh…" he nodded, swallowing as he tried to speak. " J-just a little…shocked I guess…"
" Jo…?!" Guillaume called out as he started to pace around the glade they had landed in. " Jo! Can you hear me…?!" he said, panic rising in his voice. The others started to look, calling out her name as they searched in the bushes for her.
" Maybe…maybe she's hiding…" Bertrande suggested, trying to sound positive.
" Then again…" Phillipe said darkly, his eyes fixed on the ground by his feet. "…maybe not…" The others rushed to his side and looked down. The grass was rucked and covered in scuffmarks. " There's been a fight here…" he muttered as he looked around. There, on a flat rock, something glistened in the moonlight. Phillipe knelt down and touched the rock, bringing his hand up to his face he looked at what was on his fingers. He didn't have to look very closely, nor did the others, to see that it was blood.
" Oh my god…" muttered Jenny.
" We don't know that it's Jo's…" Mark started, his eyes searching the bushes for his friend.
" Jo!?!" Guillaume yelled into the night, his voice almost screaming. " JO!!"
" This is your fault…" Phillipe muttered, rising to his feet once more.
" My fault?!" snapped Guillaume, his eyes bright with tears. " It's your fault for running out in the first place…then coming back…doing and saying what you did…!" he spat as he marched up to Phillipe.
" And you helped the matter didn't you…" scoffed Phillipe, his own brow covered with lines of worry. " Talking about her as if she was an object. As if she wasn't even there!"
" ENOUGH!" screamed Rosie, dropping to her knees in the middle of the clearing. The others turned to her in shock; their mouths open wide.
" R-R-Rosie…?" started Lucy.
" That's enough…" Rosie's voice was shaky as she looked up at them. Tears standing in her brown eyes. " It's because of your fighting that Jo's not here and possibly…" she couldn't say it.
" But…" started Phillipe.
" But nothing!" snapped Rosie, standing and walking over to Guillaume and Phillipe. " You're both to blame! And if anything…anything has happened to her…I will never…ever…forgive either of you!" she said, her dark eyes unblinking. " Now…if you've quite finished…I think we should try and find her…" she turned away and headed off towards a break in the trees. Rubbing away the tears in her eyes. " We've wasted too much time already…" The others, all of whom were silent, quickly followed Rosie. Guillaume and Phillipe walked in silence, each of their faces dark with despair and anger. Now was not the time to fight. All they cared about now was finding Jo. As the group headed through the trees a thought entered their minds, although no one dared break the silence. Where were they?
* * * * * * * *
Two dark eyes watched as the girl tossed and turned in her deep sleep. Every so often a name or a word would escape her lips but they meant nothing to him. He frowned as she seemed to calm and lay still. He laid his hand on her forehead and yanked it away as he noticed her eyes flickering open.
" Wh-wh-where am I?" she said trying to focus.
" You're safe…" he smiled as her green eyes met his. " I found you in the woods, you'd hurt yourself...hit your head I think…but you're safe now." She closed her eyes and frowned, obviously trying to think of something.
" Wh-who are you?" she asked, her eyes slowly opening once more.
" My name is Judas…" he said gently, brushing a lock of dark brown hair from her forehead.
" Judas…" she repeated quietly. She tried to sit up, Judas leant over and helped. The girl smiled softly and looked around her. Confusion raging in her eyes. She looked back at Judas, her eyes searching for something and frowned once more. " Judas? Who…who…who am I?"
" Let's go!" Rosie looked angrily at Phillipe and Guillaume as she and Marius headed out of the doors. Guillaume and Phillipe glanced at each other, sending each other silent threats with their eyes, before following the others out of the barn.
* * * * * * * *
Jo groaned as she hit the floor with a thump. She rubbed her back as she stood and looked around. " Where the…?" she thought as she turned around, looking for some clue as to her location. The sky was dark and all Jo could see were trees and bushes all around her. " Well I think it's safe to say I ain't landed in 'The Land of the Little Mermaid'!" she laughed. Suddenly, noise in the trees behind her made her jump and dive into a nearby bush. She crouched in the darkness, holding her breath as the noises drew nearer. The sound of voice filled the air and Jo froze as a group of men broke through the trees in front of her. They were all dressed in some kind of uniform, like guards. They looked familiar to Jo but she couldn't place them. Her mind was on things other than musical costumes.
" You found anything?" one man asked another.
" No…not this time…" he muttered, kicking the ground angrily.
" Well…they can't be far…" the first guard said, his beady eyes scanning the trees and bushes around him. Jo held her breath as his gaze passed over her hiding place.
" We'll find them eventually…there are only so many places a group that large can hide!" said a third, pounding a meaty fist against his other palm.
Jo heard the snapping of a twig behind her and her breath caught in her throat. She could almost feel the colour draining from her face as she swallowed and turned around. She came face to face with a sword, being held by a well-built guard.
" I think you should come and have a word with my friends and I…" he said, Jo stood slowly watching as his eyes looked her up and down, checking for weapons she assumed. He indicated with the blade for her to walk around the bush and into the clearing. She swallowed and complied. She entered the clearing and noticed for the first time what she was wearing. Her jeans had gone to be replaces by what looked like military style, combat trousers. She was also wearing what looked like a sleeveless t-shirt, again in military colouring.
" Well at least it's not another dress…" she thought silently. " Thank heaven for small miracles!"
" And what have we here?" The first guard walked over to her and looked into her eyes. " Well…?"
" Er…" Jo stammered as she assessed the situation. Four guards, all heavily armed versus her. This was not the situation she had hoped to find herself in. " Well…" she started, " I'm…a little lost…actually…"
" Oh are you?!" the second said, his voice dripping in false concern. Jo felt her eyes narrowing.
" How can we help this poor girl find her friends…?" the third guard said, as he looked her up and down.
" Who said…who said I had lost my friends…" Jo started, a frown growing on her face.
" Oh…we know who you are…" the fourth guard smiled an evil smile.
" Y-y-you do…?" stammered Jo, the nervous feeling in her stomach building and building. Where were the others?
" Oh yes…" the first guard grinned, his beady eyes looking into Jo's. " We know all about you and your revolutionary friends…" he scoffed. Jo was confused but she thought it best to stay quiet and find out as much as she could.
" Trying to overthrow our control…" snapped the fourth guard, making her jump.
" But Rome can deal easily with a pathetic group like yours…" laughed the second guard. Rome?! Jo thought. Where on earth had she landed now?
" No matter…" the first guard continued, " You can tell your tale at the jail…just like the others…" he made a grab for her arm but she dodged. The fourth guard tried to grab her from behind but this was a circumstance that she had been in one to many times before. She ducked and elbowed him in the kidneys. Hearing him groan she reached behind her grabbed his arm and flung him over her back. Grinning she picked up his sword from where he had dropped it.
" One down…" she grinned breathlessly. " Now…" she said her eyes glowing with excitement as she twirled the blade in her hands. " Who's next…?!" The other guards looked at each other nervously and after a moment's thought, grabbed their friend from on the floor and disappeared into the trees. Jo laughed out loud as she stabbed the sword into the ground. " Not bad for a beginner!" she grinned, turning to walk away. But she didn't see the tree root that was right in front of her feet and she stumbled over it. " Oh sh…!" she gasped as she fell. But she didn't finish. Her head struck a rock on the floor of the clearing and she sighed as the world faded to black.
* * * * *
Jo could feel someone turning her over and she groaned. Trying to open her eyes and see who it was, " P-p-please…don't hurt me…" she stammered weakly.
" Don't worry I'm not here to hurt you…" a man's voice came through the blur. Jo tried to focus on who it was and a pair of eyes came into her sight. She could see that they were dark brown they looked into hers. They looked somehow familiar… " G-G-Guillaume…?" she started but before she could continue, or the man could ask her who Guillaume was, she blacked out once more.
* * * * * * * *
" Where is she…?!" Guillaume demanded as they reached the Gyratory, it's emerald mist swirling invitingly. They looked around; there was no sign of Jo, anywhere.
" She must have gone through already…" Rosie said as she stepped up closer to the Gyratory, Marius close behind her.
" Well…" shrugged Mark as he and Bertrande joined Marius and Rosie in front of the green mist. " What are we waiting for…?" The others joined the, Jenny holding the hand of a very pale Amos. She glanced at him and smiled, squeezing his hand gently.
" You'll be fine…I'll look after you!" he tried to smile and then swallowed nervously. Guillaume and Phillipe stood back, glaring at each other. Lucy turned to them and frowned.
" Come on you two!" she shouted. " God knows where this one leads and what kind of trouble Jo's got herself into now without us there!" She tried to sound jovial but the others knew that with Jo this was a very real possibility. " Now it's because of both of you that she's not here so you both need to come and help us find her and apologise…!" She frowned even more. " …Now!" she barked and was glad to see both of them look a little guilty. It was true. If they hadn't been arguing, Jo wouldn't have run off without them.
" Fine!" grumbled Guillaume standing next to Rosie.
" Fine!" muttered Phillipe standing at the other end of the group next to Jenny.
" Finally…!" Rosie sighed. " Are we ready now? OK everybody…Hold on…!" she said as everyone took a deep breath and stepped into the Gyratory. The swirling mist pulled at their clothes and hair as they fought their way along the tunnel. They could just about make out the shapes of trees at the other end but other then that; it was hard to see anything.
" Keep going…!" Mark yelled against the wind. " I think we're nearly…!" he started but didn't finish as the Gyratory tunnel came to its usual abrupt end and dropped the travellers in a heap. "…there!" groaned Mark as he tried to lift Amos off his legs where he had landed. The friends untangled themselves and looked around. It as night, there were trees surrounding them and all was quiet.
" Is everyone ok?" Lucy asked, as she brushed leaves off of Martin's back.
" I think so…" Rosie was trying to untangle a twig from her long hair and was having difficulties. Marius stepped over to help.
" Any sign of Jo…?" he muttered as he pulled the twig gently from Rosie's long dark hair.
" No…" sighed Jenny, " …lots of trees though…" she smiled as Amos looked around them, his eyes wide open. " Are you ok…?" she asked him gently.
" Uh-uh huh…" he nodded, swallowing as he tried to speak. " J-just a little…shocked I guess…"
" Jo…?!" Guillaume called out as he started to pace around the glade they had landed in. " Jo! Can you hear me…?!" he said, panic rising in his voice. The others started to look, calling out her name as they searched in the bushes for her.
" Maybe…maybe she's hiding…" Bertrande suggested, trying to sound positive.
" Then again…" Phillipe said darkly, his eyes fixed on the ground by his feet. "…maybe not…" The others rushed to his side and looked down. The grass was rucked and covered in scuffmarks. " There's been a fight here…" he muttered as he looked around. There, on a flat rock, something glistened in the moonlight. Phillipe knelt down and touched the rock, bringing his hand up to his face he looked at what was on his fingers. He didn't have to look very closely, nor did the others, to see that it was blood.
" Oh my god…" muttered Jenny.
" We don't know that it's Jo's…" Mark started, his eyes searching the bushes for his friend.
" Jo!?!" Guillaume yelled into the night, his voice almost screaming. " JO!!"
" This is your fault…" Phillipe muttered, rising to his feet once more.
" My fault?!" snapped Guillaume, his eyes bright with tears. " It's your fault for running out in the first place…then coming back…doing and saying what you did…!" he spat as he marched up to Phillipe.
" And you helped the matter didn't you…" scoffed Phillipe, his own brow covered with lines of worry. " Talking about her as if she was an object. As if she wasn't even there!"
" ENOUGH!" screamed Rosie, dropping to her knees in the middle of the clearing. The others turned to her in shock; their mouths open wide.
" R-R-Rosie…?" started Lucy.
" That's enough…" Rosie's voice was shaky as she looked up at them. Tears standing in her brown eyes. " It's because of your fighting that Jo's not here and possibly…" she couldn't say it.
" But…" started Phillipe.
" But nothing!" snapped Rosie, standing and walking over to Guillaume and Phillipe. " You're both to blame! And if anything…anything has happened to her…I will never…ever…forgive either of you!" she said, her dark eyes unblinking. " Now…if you've quite finished…I think we should try and find her…" she turned away and headed off towards a break in the trees. Rubbing away the tears in her eyes. " We've wasted too much time already…" The others, all of whom were silent, quickly followed Rosie. Guillaume and Phillipe walked in silence, each of their faces dark with despair and anger. Now was not the time to fight. All they cared about now was finding Jo. As the group headed through the trees a thought entered their minds, although no one dared break the silence. Where were they?
* * * * * * * *
Two dark eyes watched as the girl tossed and turned in her deep sleep. Every so often a name or a word would escape her lips but they meant nothing to him. He frowned as she seemed to calm and lay still. He laid his hand on her forehead and yanked it away as he noticed her eyes flickering open.
" Wh-wh-where am I?" she said trying to focus.
" You're safe…" he smiled as her green eyes met his. " I found you in the woods, you'd hurt yourself...hit your head I think…but you're safe now." She closed her eyes and frowned, obviously trying to think of something.
" Wh-who are you?" she asked, her eyes slowly opening once more.
" My name is Judas…" he said gently, brushing a lock of dark brown hair from her forehead.
" Judas…" she repeated quietly. She tried to sit up, Judas leant over and helped. The girl smiled softly and looked around her. Confusion raging in her eyes. She looked back at Judas, her eyes searching for something and frowned once more. " Judas? Who…who…who am I?"