After five minutes, everyone was frozen from head to toe. Their eyes darted around, feeling quite bored.
Aries laid himself at the edge of the pond, watching mysteriously over at them. Sagittarius and Leo meowed at Aries who took his eyes off of the group and looked at the blazing sky and hissed, scratching the air.
Dannielle wondered how long she would have to be stuck in the icy material. She was getting tired and bored, she wished to sleep but since her eyes were frozen opened, she could not. At times tears would come out from staring for a long time and many times she would have a horrible itch somewhere.
Same goes for everybody else, who had tried going 'Mmmmm!!!!!!!' as loud as they could. But they were ignoring the fact of this little tingle, a very light sensation so they could have not felt it, unless if they all remain calm and well gathered, among with silent and patient. That little tingle has mysterious powers, powers so powerful, it's powerful!
It was not seeable, nor can you physically feel it, you can feel it with your nerves, your mind, and perhaps sometimes you may be able to sense what's it's doing to you.
Olivia and Emma wiggled around, but they didn't budge the icy stuff. Billy, however, felt the presence of the tingle feeling, a wonderful feeling, like the first time he saw the Sacred Pond, although this feeling was even more wonderful than that-is that even possible-and it gave him strength. He felt warmth and glee, feeling like he could do anything in the world.
"Mmm," he went to Charlie, who paid little attention to Billy. "MMMM!" Billy said, louder.
Charlie glanced over at him with his eyes. Billy had no idea how to tell Charlie to be quiet and feel the delectate, frail, wonder of a lifetime.
Charlie stared at Billy and Billy went, "Mmm," He now knew how to keep Charlie from making noise, if only it would work.
Charlie, still staring, tried to raise his eyebrows.
Billy stared back, and then went, "Mmm,"
Charlie looked away but then he stopped and jerked his eyes back to Billy, widening them the best he could. He had felt it!
Charlie had felt it! It was so gleeful that he started laughing! What a weird laugh he put out, a muffled sputtering laugh; where did that come from?
Olivia's eyes automatically raced to Charlie and she stared silently. Billy hoped that this epidemic silence would continue from one person to another. Olivia kept staring and Charlie kept laughing.
But then he stopped, not feeling it anymore. He stopped laughing and hoped that the little feeling would come back. What do you know? It did come back, although very lightly as if it was weakened.
Charlie just smiled this time. Olivia still didn't understand and took her eyes off him.
Lysander and Tancred shot each other a little look. Maybe if they stayed silent, maybe they could feel or hear or see whatever Charlie saw that made him laugh.
It was hard though, not making a sound. The icy thing wrapped itself around the children even harder, as if trying to get it to make a sound. Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius looked to the kids and then to the warping spiral above the ruins of Bloors.
Oh boy…how should I put this…ah! I have got it!
Billy, who felt the sensation first, broke free of the icy substance and brushed off the rest of the ice that stuck to him. "Guys, can you hear me?" he cried. "Blink twice if you can!"
Everyone blinked twice, or, tried to. Billy then said, "Say 'Mmm' if you can hear me!"
"Mmm!" everyone chorused horribly.
"Good," Billy said with relief. "Just stay quiet and if you feel something wonderful, don't say anything or else you won't be able to break free! Wow…I feel so energetic now…I wonder why…"
Charlie broke free in a matter of minutes. He stretched and yawned. "Now I can scratch that itch now," he said, scratching vigorously at his arm.
Billy sat himself on the ground, waiting patiently as Charlie rubbed his back on a tree, still trying to get the spot on his back.
Billy's eyes grew more alert when he saw Olivia and Emma smile. "Don't make a sound, Billy hissed.
Emma and Olivia smiled even wider. So those two are going to break free easily, but the rest of the boys are having more difficulties.
Boys, they have an annoying habit of being noisy, yes, if you come to Bloors, they do.
Girls, on the other hand, are taught to be quiet, or it's in their blood.
Okay, most of them, not 100%, just most of them.
Same for boys too, some are quiet…you get the point…
So anyway, Olivia felt power throughout her body and she thought, Should I break the ice now or do I wait?
She told herself to do it now. She moved her arms and pushed the ice away, freeing her upper body, but her lower body was still stuck. She was not crushed by this so she lifted one foot up, and then the other.
At last, she freed herself. She sat on the ground and picked the remaining pieces of ice off of herself.
Emma was next. She too had felt something gleeful and now she felt so strong, that her mind filled with spirit commanded her mind to break the material sticking on to her. So she leaned forward a little and a huge crack appeared.
She leaned to her right and then her left, big cracks, little cracks, thin cracks, thick cracks, they were everywhere!
When she had enough cracks she then pushed her arms and legs away from her body and broke the ice. Billy, Olivia, and Charlie turned and covered their heads and Emma stretched automatically. "It's good to talk again," she breathed in a tiresome tone.
Ben and Fidelio felt impatient. It was so hard! Fidelio felt like he wanted to scream and Ben felt like he wanted to explode. Literally, he felt like going BOOM!
Tancred was doing no good either. He felt rage and he impatience in his head, like Fidelio and Ben, he felt like screaming, thrashing, exploding, cussing, punching, kicking, and whatever eased his rage and impatience.
Gabriel felt like he had to bang his head on something, he felt so bad inside, for no reason whatsoever. (Yes, whatsoever IS a word and it is not a typo, thank you) He could feel lightheaded, and dizzy. The ice was using his weaknesses against him.
Lysander on the other hand was doing fine, excluding the pounding blood running through his head. It ache his head and he longed for it to stop. It reminded him of his ancestors pounding on their drums if he did something to wrong or a warning.
He told himself in his mind to stay quiet or he'll never get anywhere. This was torture, yes, he admitted it. It was torture.
The morning sun glistened and watched over them patiently as everyone else waited impatiently. How much longer? Tancred thought angrily. He tried to clam himself down again but always spring back up with raging hatred. Then he felt something peculiar.
Like everyone else, he felt a light sensation and his rage disappeared. He felt better and relaxed, waiting for the full effect. He liked the feeling and he calmed himself without going mad…mostly.
If only he could feel this feeling every time he woke up…why does school have to be on so early?
Lysander somehow sensed his friend's relaxation and eased his thoughts, calming the pounding blood in his brain. Maybe Tancred felt something like the others did. If he could, then Lysander could too…but why was it taking so long? Why is it? After all, he was quite silent and partially relaxed.
Lysander then felt a stab of annoyance. He wanted to say something, or at least make a noise but he knew he would gain nothing from it. So obediently, although grumpily, he stayed quiet, even though he felt dirty.
The air around them was getting wilder and Mrs. Bone grew angry and nervous. "It's been past an hour and Charlie's not back!" she snarled.
Mr. Bone looked anxiously around before saying, "I'm pretty sure it's for a good reason since the Flames are with him."
"Yes but still!" she said, putting her arms out in desperation. "He promised me!"
"Amy, it may be important," Mr. Bone said firmly. "Now, shush a little, the guards are getting suspicious,"
Have I forgotten to mention the scene? Let m look back up…Oh…I did…My bad, let's start all over!
REWIND!
Before all of that happened, when the huge depressing spiral thing appeared in the air, this is what happened.
Everyone looked up and let out a scream. The thing had strong winds blowing around, knocking some people off their feet.
"What on Earth?" Mrs. Bone started to say as she gaped at the darkening cloudy sky. Boy was it a sight to see!
Dark storm clouds swirled around their heads as red lightning shot out of the swirling madness. The winds gathered up speed and threw it against the people below. Many people headed to the shelter underneath the canopy of trees and dead branches. Bloor's will never be the same…
There was a rumble from the ground like a miniature earthquake. Then huge warriors emerged from the ground, holes glowed gold and then red. The soldiers snarled at the quivering people who huddled together in fear. "If anyone tried to escape, you'll have to deal with us," a guard boomed ferociously.
"Where's Charlie?" Paton asked Mrs. Bone as he crouched down, barely avoiding getting hit in the head by a tire when a guard threw it at him for talking.
Amy's brain finally clicked. The air around them grew wilder and Mrs. Bone grew angry and nervous. "It's been past an hour and Charlie's not back!" she snarled. She narrowly avoided being hit by a potato. She glared at one of them and then returned her look to he husband.
Mr. Bone looked anxiously around before saying, "I'm pretty sure it's for a good reason since the Flames are with him." He yelped as he covered his head as a stick was thrown at him, followed by a dirty look.
"Yes but still!" she said, putting her arms out in desperation. "He promised me!" She let out a yelp and rubbed her arm as a rock landed with a thud at the ground. "Haven't your mother taught you all manners?!" she snapped, only to dodge another incoming rock.
"Amy, it may be important," Mr. Bone said firmly. "Now, shush a little, the guards are getting suspicious," He ducked as a soldier hurled a stick at his head.
Okay, we're all caught up now. Whew…I thought we'll never catch up!
Now back to Charlie and his friends…
Tancred broke out when he felt a sneeze coming. He sneezed and the force of it made his limbs jerk up (or down, whatever suits your imagination) and broke free…without him meaning to.
"YEAH!" he shouted with glee. "I'M FREE! Oh, finally, I thought I would have to starve and pee in my own pants! Whew!"
Lysander felt envious. HE needed to get out…but then he would have to relax or his head would pound him to the ground…or was it his ancestors…
Furthermore, he was getting very annoyed. Ben broke out just because he kicking his feet. Ben jumped and stretched and shouted with joy. "I'm FREE! I'm FREE! NO MORE SHOULD I PLEE!"
"What are you, a poet?" Charlie asked, raising and eyebrow.
"I could if I wish, as long as you wash a dish," Ben said.
"That doesn't make ANY sense!" Charlie said.
Dilemma is the right word for this certain time… no, not really…
There's not really a problem going on, at least, not at the Sacred Pond…it's just a minor problem. But if you're talking about the incident at the school, er, at least, the remains of it, then that's a different story.
"Hey, don't talk too much or else you'll tempt them to talk!" Emma said in a hushed voice.
"Oh! Yeah, right, sorry!" Charlie apologized.
Lysander felt so aggravated now. He BADLY needed to itch an itch and he BADLY needed to talk…do you know how HORRIBLE it is to not talk at all?! Poor Sander...
Lysander thought that when he gets out of the icy thing, he wants to take lessons on how to sleep with your eyes opened, which would save him a lot of time!
Ten Stinking Long Minutes Later…
Everyone was out, except Lysander.
Lysander had half a mind to make a noise out of anger but he had another half that told him to stay calm.
His mind told him to make noise; his heart told him not to and will scold him for making noise. Then he felt it! If the ice hadn't been there, his head would have jolted up, but then, if the ice wasn't there, what's the point in waiting?
Exactly the point…
Lysander felt eager and relieved. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Lysander thought with a happy feeling welling in his body. He waited a minute longer before thrust the ice away from him. He gasped with relief and surprise at how much warmer the air is on the outside world. He cracked his hands and neck, loving the feeling and ability to move yet again. He looked up in the pouring sky, whooping with joy and nearly laughed his head off.
"Feels good, huh, Sander?" Tancred said, grinning.
"Sure does," he replied. "I feel so hyper and energetic!"
"We all do!" Emma said surely.
"Come on, let's go!" Gabriel said, leading the way back with the Flames.
"Wait, go where?" asked Lysander.
"To Bloor's, we have to figure what the swirl thingy is!" Billy said, pointing to the effective portal like thing in the raining sky.
"Oh, yikes…" Lysander looked up; squinting to avoid the rain drops dripping from the inky smeared like sky with the graying clouds that held a lifetime supply of lightning bolts.
Okay, perhaps not lifetime supplies of bolts, at least an eternity. No, just playing!
"You forgot about that?" Charlie said with a little smile.
"Yeah…yeah, I did." Lysander muttered. "Well," he looked back to the others. "Let's go then,"
So again, Gabriel led the way with the Flames who walked close to his side, alert for any danger lurking in the looming woods.
The nearer the came towards the school grounds, the louder the screams and shouts of pleads were. It would've been perfectly matched as a banshee's cry.
The girls flinched as if someone with freakishly long nails scratched the nails down a chalkboard.
Charlie and the other boys slowly inched forward, moving braches away as they made snapping sounds. Dead brown leaves crunch when their shoes made contact with the earthy forest floor, not knowing if the winds will blow them away or if they would stay pinned to the ground if the boys stopped moving because they were frightened.
Once in a while, an earsplitting shriek would make them stop and reconsider what they were doing but the Flames urged them on against their own little wills that most of them hadn't even thought about their deathly will.
"I don't think I can go," Fidelio said in a small voice.
"Why not?" asked Charlie.
"Because I haven't even started my will yet,"
See what I mean?
"Come on Fido!" Charlie said, grabbing his friend's wrist and dragging him onward against his not-yet-done will.
"No, NO! Not him! Don't take Charlie!" a high pitched voice screamed out dreadfully frantically. "ANYTHING but him; he's just a boy!"
"Mom!" Charlie yelled worriedly.
Mrs. Bone looked to the entrance of the woods and her eyes spelled out, 'Y-O-U A-R-E I-N T-R-O-U-B-L-E M-I-S-T-E-R-!
Charlie stopped in his tracks when he saw a tall buff man prodding Charlie's parents with a spear. "LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Charlie shouted with fury.
"Aww, is this the boy you were talking about? Why isn't he the cutest little thing?" a woman said in a mock cooing voice as she came nearer and nearer with an electrifying neon colored whip that hummed like a lightsaver from Star Wars.
"Dannielle, could you whip us up a fire the next time we go camping so we can cook some balls of marshmallows?" Emma asked in a low voice.
"That is, if you're all alive by then!" the woman cackled, drawing he whip out while it made a loud snapping sound on the ground. The place where the whip made contact with burned and in less than ten seconds went on fire. The grass went black and scorched and the small of burnt grass made the kids cough.
"Yes, cough my little pretties, cough!" she cooed as she stepped towards them one foot after the other in a slow dramatic way.
"Now Dannielle!" Emma coughed out before falling on her knees.
Dannielle turned away and coughed violently. She held out a palm, close to her so the woman wouldn't see what she was up to. Then she made a small slashing movement with her other hand over her palm and, like magic, fire popped up and she gave a coughing smile, if you know what it means.
She suddenly twisted around to throw the flame over her shoulder, blowing at it.
The lady ducked and twirled with bent knees with one leg out and kicked back the fire to them with a raised eyebrow. "Is that it? Poor little Dannielle, can't even hit a target, even when it's not moving…tsk, tsk…"
Dannielle narrowed her eyes at the lady and gritted her teeth in anger."What's going on?" she snarled.
"Nothing you wouldn't want to know," the woman snapped.
"Then whatever I don't want to know, I want to know!" Dannielle scowled.
"Too bad!" the woman said icily as she sharpened her nails by rubbing them together at the edge.
"Charlie…" Mrs. Bone pleaded. "Don't do anything stupid!"
"Do I EVER do anything stupid?" asked Charlie.
"I rather not answer that sweetie," Mrs. Bone said in a choked voice.
"WAIT!" a voice screamed out.
The woman turned scowling and her face suddenly turned pink. "Mrs. Johnson, I thought you wanted me to kill them…uh…I'm so very sorry I gave you a mean look, I thought…you see…" she stammered as Charlie stuck out his tongue at her.
"Enough!" Mrs. Johnson snarled. "We need the Mighty One to decide that!"
"Yes, of course, silly of me," the woman muttered.
"You are dismissed Helena, go and whip those three, they were spotted sneaking out by George and Howard, go. But the baby will have to be whipped harder if it wants to behave in the future…" Mrs. Johnson said icily.
Emma gasped. "You can't whip a baby!" she cried, tears running down her cheek for she knew how that felt before, when she was still under Manfred's horrible trance. "That's cruel!"
"Cruel is my middle name," Mrs. Johnson sneered.
"It's true," Helena said solemnly. "Mrs. Leah Cruel 'Gosten' Johnson is standing right in front of you! Her twin's middle name was Vindictive, Vindi for short!"
"Hush now Helena," Mrs. Johnson said strictly.
"I was just saying…" she muttered.
"Now you all come with me now and I'll safely guide you to the Mighty One up there," Mrs. Johnson said in a mock cheery voice.
Charlie scoffed. "As if, why would we do something like that?"
"Guards," Mrs. Johnson muttered in a sly voice.
The guards shoved Mr. and Mrs. Bone towards a pit behind the oak tree fill with water near the brim. Charlie leaned over a little and saw to his horror, little piranhas fighting each other for a piece of meat. Charlie hoped that it wasn't human meat.
"Okay…" he said wearily. "We will go…at least, I will…"
Olivia and Charlie's parents looked at him bewildered. "What? You can't! I won't let you!" Olivia cried angrily, not believing what Charlie just said.
"I have no choice Livvy, I have to…" Charlie said snappily.
"Why don't you think up a plan where both groups are safe Mr. I-Plan-It-All guy?" Olivia hissed.
"Look!" Charlie said angrily. "I don't have the time, and would you just drop it? It's bad enough to go but do you have to rub it in?"
Olivia stayed silent, starting to despise Charlie. Mrs. Johnson smiled with an ebil chuckle. "I see that you saw it my ways…come now, your leader has chosen, he says that you all might die along with him…guards,"
Everyone yelped with pain as a burly guard gripped their arms tightly and dragged them against their will, or their not yet made up will as we were talking about a few seconds ago, depending on how fast you read.
Mrs. Johnson looked around and saw the people screaming, sobbing, feeling the glory she had done. She breathed in and exhaled with a satisfied smile. "I think this is my lucky day," she said to herself. "And what a lovely birthday present I got, too bad my dear poor sister isn't here to enjoy it…ah well, more power for me…and only me!"