Chapter 54: Friends on the Other Side
LOCKER ROOM.
The sign blurred by as Wendy slipped. Heart pounding and knees cracking on the marble tiles, she caught the handle, wrenched open the door, and slammed onto the locker room floor.
Unable to stop from crying, Wendy clamped a hand over her mouth. The door vibrated under her skull as students mobbed the hallway.
"That way! That way!"
"No that way!"
"Split up!"
"Someone get the Headmaster!"
"Kill the Beast!"
Wendy closed her eyes. Breathing through her hand, she let the stampede pass. She did not move until the hunt was an echo in some distant hallway.
Slowly, Wendy lowered her hand. And as her fingers touched cold, wet floor, the truth hit her like a stone.
Jim was right. Everything was not okay. The mermaids had tried to kill her. Her father was in jail. She lied to her brothers. Her magical gift was dangerous. And…she lost her best friend.
Shivering in a puddle, Wendy curled her knees to her head. Hugging her legs, she sat. Empty, broken, and alone.
Then…something prickled up her spine.
Wendy's head snapped up. Senses peaked, she looked around. Nothing.
Then…she heard it. Whispers. Whispers lingering over sucks and blows. Then, she smelled it. Smoke. Cigarette smoke.
Mutely, Wendy looked up. A blue, smoky haze sat over the locker stalls. It was so think, the whispers where indistinguishable.
Then, she heard her name. "—Wendy –" It was quick, darting in and out of the whisper slur. But the tone was sharp as a knife.
Curiously, Wendy turned her ear towards the whispers. Water dripped from her ponytail. Sitting back, she tried to discern the whispers into conversation.
It was only when she heard her name again, did Wendy rise and tip toe to the end stall. Pressing an ear to a locker and holding her breath against the smoke, she listened.
Wendy was instantly startled. She heard boys. Boys in the girl's locker room!
"—are you in or out, Kay?"
Wendy bit her lip. Gaston.
"I'm in! I'm in! All right!" Kay's voice was inarticulate, as if he were talking through a cigarette. "Watch it, will ya?! Don't push! Who else is in?"
Gaston again. "Lampwick, Drizella, Anastasia, Prince John, LeFou, Wiggins, Clayton, Helga, Stabbington Brothers, Hans, Lana, Cordelia, and…Megara."
"Meg? Ya sure?"
"Yes. No one says no to Gaston!"
"Gaw, fine." Kay blew. A waft of smoke blew by Wendy's nose. Wendy swallowed a cough as Kay continued.
"Where is it then? Petrified Forest? How do ya know they'll be there?" Accusation filled Kay's voice. "How d' ya know we won't be followed?"
A clink, clink, clink preceded Gaston's response. "Remember this, Simpleton? I have a magic mirror. Shows me anything and anyone I ask."
Wendy could almost feel Kay's evil grin. "Anyone? Any time?"
Gaston laughed deeply from his chest. "Ohhhh yes. Better than Internet, I promise you that!"
Wendy grimaced as the boys exchanged crude comments. Disgusted, she turned to leave. Then she stopped.
"But what about Darling?"
There was a pause. Wendy tried to muffle her heart.
Then a new voice spoke. "It's only a matter of time. We won't even need persuasion from our friends on the other side."
Facilier.
Wendy's mind raced. Facilier. If Facilier was here …then his shadow….
"Are you sure?" Gaston asked.
Blood roared in Wendy's ears. She backed away as Facilier spoke.
"They fear her. And fear...loves hate."
Wendy gasped. Something hard poked into her back. She turned.
A urinal? Flustered, Wendy stepped back. Her hand flew to her back as she stared down the line of filthy urinals. What were urinals doing in the girl's locker room?
Suddenly, it all made horrifying sense: the urinals, smoke, dirty stalls, whispering boys.
She was in the boy's locker room!
"Well, well, well. What have we here?"
Wendy turned. Right into Facilier's shadow.
Gaston and Kay laughed as Facilier's shadow attacked, driving her into the urinal. Jeans soaked, Wendy slipped over the porcelain lip and fell out of the shadow's reach. Kicking across the floor, Wendy jammed the thimble onto her finger.
"Stop!" Wendy rolled, throwing her arm at Facilier's shadow. "Stay!"
A black ripple curled though the shadow. Hissing, it recoiled at Facilier's feet.
Wendy waited one second before running.
"Get her!"
"Kay! The door!"
Wendy faltered as Kay lunged. Smiling, he blocked the exit with beefy arms.
Panicked, Wendy cut left.
SLAM!
Gaston rammed into her, trapping her against the lockers. Laughing, he knotted Wendy in a bear hug, pressing her against his enormous chest.
"Well, well. Look who it is. Lost little girl?"
Wendy wrenched her head back and forth, trying to free her mouth. Her thimble swung wildly on the silver chain as Kay approached.
"See Gaston? See?" Red-faced, Kay peered down his long nose. "How long was she standing there? What did you hear? What did you hear?!"
"Shhh. Shhh." Gaston pressed his chin into Wendy's curls. Delighted, he squeezed harder. "She didn't hear anything. Did you, my little Bimpet?"
Kay shoved. "Come off it, Gaston! Stop playing around! She was – "
"Just having a little fun." Wendy squirmed as Gaston's long fingers peeked under her hoodie. "Plus she's all wet. Just helping to wring her out. What d'you say, Bimpet?"
Gaston twisted Wendy's hoodie. Water dripped as he lifted it up and over her belly button. "Take these off to dry?"
Snap.
Gaston and Kay stopped. Haughtily, Facilier stood before Wendy.
Snap.
Facilier's shadow swooshed into his hand like ash in the wind. Tenderly, Facilier caressed his shadow. Then, eyes glinting like onyxes, he looked at Wendy.
"Turned on you, didn't they?"
Wendy's eyes widened. Her cheeks were red under Gaston's hand. Helplessly, she thought of Lana, the mermaids, and...Jim.
Smiling, Facilier approached. "Yes. And all you tried to do…was protect the people you love. Am I right?"
The shadow slunk back and forth in Facilier's hands, dancing between his skeletal fingers.
"Kill the beast." Facilier's eyes gleamed. "Kill the Shadow Worker. Crying shame, isn't it? They don't understand. None of them… classmates, Headmaster, friends, family…none of them understand."
Wendy's insides ached.
Facilier beamed. "No they don't understand us, do they? We're the same breed – black sheep. Outcasts. Shadow Workers. I control my shadow. And you…"
Facilier's gaze flickered to the silver thimble. "Control the shadows of others. And no one…no one…will ever forgive us for our magical gift."
Facilier bent. Eye level with Wendy, he whispered through his shadow. "But there's a way to make everything happily every after. Make everything…okay."
Wendy stared at Facilier. She didn't even notice Gaston's fingers uncurling from her mouth.
"Fight back. Join my friends….our friends…on the other side."
Wendy exhaled. She saw her reflection, clouded by the shadow over Facilier's eyes.
And she knew something was not right.
"Never."
Kay clenched his jousting stick. Gaston's fingers dug into her stomach.
Facilier rose. Then, he snapped his fingers. The shadow hissed upright. It's crooked fingers pointed at Wendy's face like black splinters.
"You've been attacked by a shadow. Hurts…doesn't it?"
Calmly Facilier watched Wendy kick back into Gaston. The shadow grinned jaggedly.
"But not a body hurt." Facilier continued as his shadow lowered. "It's a mind hurt. A memory hurt. A heart hurt. A….soul hurt."
Wendy stopped breathing. The shadow waited giddily, a breath from her face. She felt the thimble against her chest.
Facilier leaned in. "Like every nightmare you've ever known is pulling you into Hell."
Slowly, Facilier raised his hand. His thumb and middle finger pressed together. "Happy nightmares, Wendy Darling."
"Hey!"
The shadow swerved. Facilier's hand fell as it hissed behind him like a viper.
"Well." Facilier said as Kay and Gaston turned. "Peter."
Gaston and Kay sighed, relived.
"Pan. The man!" Gaston boomed. Wolfishly, he lifted a knee through Wendy's legs. "Just in time for the fun part."
Thinning cigarette smoke fogged over Peter's eyes. Emotionless, he cleared the air.
"Okay. Beat it."
Facilier looked down. His shadow writhed.
"What was that, now? Pan?"
Peter matched Facilier's glare. "Said beat it." He jammed thumb backwards. "Headmaster's coming. Students are looking for…her."
Facilier contemplated. He ran a finger over his thin moustache. Then…
Snap.
"Offer still stands." Facilier said to Wendy as Gaston walked a hand up her back and through her hair. "Sleep on it, Shadow Worker. Boys. Come on."
Facilier paused at the door. "Pan. Come on."
"Later." Peter's black eyes bore into Wendy. "Unfinished business."
The skull on Facilier's top hat seemed to laugh. Then, with a snap, Facilier and his shadow disappeared.
Peter looked at Wendy. He looked over his shoulder. He looked at Wendy again.
Then, Peter cross the aisle. Wordlessly, he dialed a lock, opened a locker, and rummaged behind the small metal door.
Suddenly, he reappeared.
"Here."
Wendy jumped. Unprepared, she staggered as Peter threw at her dry socks, gym shorts, and a faded green T-shirt.
Wendy blinked. When she looked up, Peter was gone.
sultal's note: I still have to edit this chapter - not totally pumped about some of the wording, but the plot is there :)
So I went dancing tonight and literally all I could think about was the upcoming ball for this story...lol. little obsessed and proud as pete!
hope everyone had a spectacular week!
keep writing.
