Present day…
Mason held Alex tightly in his arms while she buried her face into his embrace and wept softly in to his broad shoulders. Mason gently placed a various amount of kisses on to Alex's head at the same time as he caressed her long locks, stroking them delicately with his muscular hands. Between her cries Alex looked over at Neave who had remained still in the hospital bed, so small and fragile she lay tucked up between the bedsheets curled up into a small ball causing her to mask her newly altered face. Alex's stomach wrenched with guilt when she looked at her unable to manage the heartache, she turned away from her daughter and hid herself in Mason's arms.
"Alex, that won't have anything to do with this. What difference would a few days make? It'd change nothing."
"How do you know though? If I'd told someone sooner, then maybe we could be more prepared for this! And I promise I was going to tell you I just wanted to wait for the right time-"
"Alex love, none of that matters…"
"But what if it does!"
The young couple abruptly turned their attention towards the door as a soft knocking interrupted them. Little by little, the door gave off a loud creak and in came Justin, skulking in from behind the door sheepishly he kept his head hung low trying to avoid looking at Neave on the bed and Alex's heartbroken expression as she continued to cry to Mason.
"Hey," he began as he stood looking in a completely different direction to them both. "Dr. Butcher's here. I was thinking, if you guys wanted, I could stay in here with you while he goes through everything. You know, encase there's anything you don't understand or if you want help with anything. Just a suggestion though."
"It's up to you," Mason whispered into Alex's ear.
Alex frantically nodded and looked over to Justin who was now facing her. "Yes please…"
Justin gave Alex a comforting smile and turned his head to Neave, he inhaled sharply and clenched his fists. "Oh god…" tiptoed towards he hospital bed and peered down at
Neave, "when Dad called to say what had happened, I didn't think it was this serious."
"It probably isn't," Mason quickly interjected, "it's just… worse than it looks."
"Worse than it looks," laughed Alex mockingly, "Mason she's a werewolf! Since when have you heard of a toddler with werewolf powers?"
"This won't be real werewolf powers, that's impossible. Shes too young. Maybe its because she's not been well? It could be her body reacting."
"Or maybe this is whats been making her sick?"
Alex glared at Mason in frustration, but he simply shook his head in denial. He spun his body around so he was face to face with his girlfriend before opening his mouth to speak. Although, he was soon stopped by a rough knocking coming from the door. Mason remained staring at Alex and Justin cringed as he saw the anger rise between the couple, turning his back to them, Justin decided to focus his attention on Neave.
Tenderly he held her hand and squeezed it gently, "we'll get you through this kiddo," he whispered while Alex and Mason quietly bickered behind him. Justin sat on a chair positioned next to Neave's bed and admired her as she slept. He smiled loving at Neave as he gave her small fragile hand another tender squeeze. But behind this strength and confidence Justin displayed to the others he felt a strong twinge of sadness and guilt.
Should he have seen this coming?
All those books he read when Neave was first born never even hinted at anything like this occurring. From what he read, the books only gave information on hybrid pregnancies but nothing about what would happen when the child began to grow up. And all that time he had been spending at Wiz-Tech, if he had spent more time with his niece could he have spotted the signs that something was wrong?
If he knew something was wrong, he could have stopped this. Maybe he could have found what started this in the first place and prevented this whole thing from happening. So many if's and buts rushed through Justin's head and he didn't know which questions should be answered first. One thing Justin did know though is that he needed to help fix this. He began to focus his attention back on to Alex and Mason who had now stopped quarrelling and were now whispering to each other. Justin continued to look in Neave's direction as he listened to their whispers but slowly and subtly, he looked over his shoulder when he heard an unfamiliar voice. Peering over his shoulder, Justin saw the figure of a man with dark hair and a long white lab coat stood in the doorway.
"Dr. Butcher?" he said turning around and walking over to him, "I'm sorry I thought I heard someone knock but I didn't see you come in."
"Oh don't worry about it Professor," he smiled, "I was just explaining to Alex and Mason that I have took over Neave's case and that I have her results."
The room fell silent, Justin looked to Alex and Mason who were looking anywhere but each other. Alex stood nervously twirling her curly locks with her slick fingers while Mason stared at the floor with his arms crossed firmly across his chest. Justin repeatedly glance between the couple, waiting for a response, but they both stayed silent.
Eventually tired of waiting, Justin gave a tired sigh, "so what have you found Doc?"
"well the thing is, the tests don't show what has started this."
"Wait, so what does that even mean?" Alex piped up.
Dr. Butcher looked at his clip board and began flipping through his endless amount of notes, "there is nothing in Neave's system that suggests that something has caused this. We've done numerous tests and frankly they don't show anything out of the ordinary."
"See!" smirked Mason, "just as I've been telling you all. This'll turn out to be nothing!"
"I wouldn't speak too soon Mr. Greyback," Dr. Butcher began sternly, "none of the tests results show that there has been something recently that has caused this. But, we have to take in to account Neave's genetics."
"What about them?" asked Justin.
"Neave is a hybrid. Hybrid's have unpredictable powers and no one is sure how they develop. So in theory, I think this is Neave's powers developing."
Justin gave a loud chuckle, "what her full powers? You cant be serious…"
"It is a strong possibility."
"So this is my fault then?" Mason asked.
"It is no one's fault Mr. Greyback, it's simply in her genes."
"Which she gets from me."
"This could have gone either way," Dr. Butcher tried to reassure him, "she could have developed wizard powers instead."
"To be honest I would have preferred that, you know considering she's had to be sedated because of this."
"Wait," Alex interrupted, "are you sure this is DNA related, could it have anything to do with her birth?"
"Alex love, you've just heard what he's said it's because of me. So, what happens next?"
"Please, don't beat yourselves up over this. Neither of you are at fault here. It's nature, and nobody can control nature we have to let it take its course. The next step is stabilising Neave, making her comfortable and getting her STATS to return to normal. We'll start waking her up within the next few hours. Then when she is settled she can be sent home."
"That soon?"
"To be honest there's not a lot we can do here."
"You have to change her back," Alex demanded, "What? Are you just going to leave her like this?"
"Miss Russo, like I have explained this is who she is. It's in her DNA."
"Well Mason's a werewolf and look he can look human, why can't Neave?"
DR. Butcher silently shrugged his shoulders.
"What are you trying to say? She's stuck like this?"
"Possibly."
"For how long?" Mason interjected, "a few days? Weeks?"
"Hard to say, I'd say that was best case scenario."
"Best case scenario," laughed Alex nervously, "Dr. Butcher, you're making it sound like she could be like this forever!"
Dr. Butcher stayed silent and slowly realisation hit Alex, Mason and Justin. "Oh…" they all exhaled in unison. Alex turned and looked at Neave while sickness slowly filled her stomach, she subconsciously began shaking her head in denial as her body began to tremble.
"You cant be serious?" She whispered.
"I'm sorry, I'll give you more information when I have it. A nurse will be in soon to help wake Neave." Dr. Butcher opened the door and began to leave the room but not before turning to the others, who stood watching him helplessly, and apologised. "I'm sorry there's not much we can do, I promise we'll do all we can to help her."
With that he left the room, leaving everyone in despair. Mason dragged himself over to the hospital bed where he threw himself next to Neave, holding her tightly he pulled her close and softly planted kisses on to her cold cheeks. Alex closely followed him and sat beside him on the bed, she began to blink frantically as she felt the sting of tears grow. Alex took calming breaths, but instead they only allowed a trail of salty tears to flow down her face.
Justin instantly rushed over to Alex and knelt down infront of her, his muscular hands took a tight grip of hers and he looked directly in to her sad eyes. Their usually sparkle had faded and instead they shown nothing but fear and worry, Justin smiled at Alex and wiped away her tears.
"Hey," he whispered, "it's all going to be okay. We'll fix this, I mean we always find a way to solve things, huh?"
"It's not that simple this time Justin…"
"It could be, we know something Dr. Butcher doesn't. Alex, do you remember the night you gave birth to Neave?"
Alex laughed, "what sort of question is that! Do I remember the night I pushed an entire person out of my body? Well duh! What do you think Nimrod!"
"But do you remember Professor Dirbyh Cigam?"
Once again, Alex burst in to a random spurt of laughter. She held her sides as her body swayed erratically as she was overcome in hysterics, "who?"
"I'll take that as a no then…"
"Wait!" Mason sat upright on the ed and turned to look in Justin's direction, "wasn't he the professor who lived in the forest we found Alex in?"
"Yes him! Alex how could you forget all of that?"
"Well I'm sorry Justin!" She exclaimed dramatically, "encase you've forgotten but I was alittle bit busy that night!" She flung her arms outwards, gesturing to Neave who lay wrapped up in Mason's embrace. "Now what about him? What does he have to do with Neave?"
"Apart from the fact that if it wasn't for him you would have been stuck as a werewolf and you'd have given birth alone in the middle of the woods? He specialises in hybrid's, actually he is the only wizard that does. Which means he might have some idea what's happening to Neave, we could go to him and bring him here to help us."
"That sounds too good to be true. Alex you're not falling for this are you?"
Alex shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. It could be worth a shot, maybe?"
Mason carefuly laid Neave down and rushed to over to Alex, he gripped her tightly by the arms and looked at her panic, "you're not seriously going to leave us are you? Please Alex you cant go, just please stay. If Justin knows where he is then he can go alone, please you just can't go yet!"
"Mason I'm sorry, but if this is the only way we can help her then I need to go too. I promise I'll be back soon okay?"
"Mason it's pretty simple what we need to do," Justin began, "we wont be gone for long. A night at the most."
"A night!"
"Maybe not even that, I think I remember where he lives so we should pretty quick."
"You think you know where he lives? I thought you said you did!"
"Mason, just calm down," Alex said softly caressing his face, "don't worry we'll figure this out. My family are out there if you need them and your mom should be here soon. I promise we'll figure this out, we'll get her better okay?"
Mason reluctantly nodded, "just don't be too long. Neave's going to need her mum."
Alex gave Mason a peck on his cheek and took his hands in hers and squeezed them tightly, "be back soon."
Alex then felt a sudden surge of energy overtake her as Justin took out his wand and flashed them out of the room. Her body began to tingle as quickly in a flash of blinding light it disintegrated away.
Alex's eye snapped open and instantly she began to look around at the unfamiliar surroundings. The darkness of the woods enveloped her as she quickly searched for Justin who was stumbling almost blindly down a small winding path. "Justin!" She called as she instantly began to follow him through the deep, black forest. As she walked further down the sodden stoned path she began to notice faint glows of light through the dense leaves hanging from the old deformed trees surrounding her. Alex grimaced as the strong smell of damp filled her nostrils.
She quickened her pace as she lost sight of justin, "hey Justin! Wait up!" she called. Alex practically ran after him until she heard the muggy earth beneath her squelch loudly. "Gross!" Alex muttered when she saw splatters of thick oozy mud up her new denim jeans, she began to tread lightly as she made her way further down the path. "Justin!" she yelled, "where are you!"
"Shh!" She heard someone whisper from the bottom of the path. She quickly ran down only to find Justin with his finger pressed against his lips and a concentrated look painted across his face. "Shh! Alex, there's Chupacabra's around here. Do you really want them to find us?"
"There's what!"
"Never mind, now come on! I think we're nearly there."
They tiptoed further in to the woods clinging on to each other tightly, afraid of the many mysterious noises surrounding them. Suddenly, something large flew across their path startling them, in fear the two siblings screamed as they clambered on to each other tightly.
"Is it a Cappuccino?" Asked Alex with her eyes tightly shut.
"Do you mean a Chupacabra?" Justin slowly looked up and gave a sigh in relief when he saw sat in a high branch in a tree a pale owl resting on its perch. "No, we're safe, come on we best get moving."
They continued to walk on and within a minute Alex began to huff and puff loudly. "Are we there yet?" She whined.
"Nearly, it should just be further up this path."
"I'm bored… I'm all dirty and I'm cold!"
"Alex will you just please quit complaining! We are doing this for your daughter."
"I know, thank you. You know, for helping. You're a great uncle."
Justin stopped in his tracks ad turned to Alex and smiled, "you're welcome anything for my girls. Now come on, we need to keep going we promised Mason we wouldn't be long."
Alex nodded and began to follow her brother, "you know I'm kind of worried he won't be able to cope with this. I mean he's already lost Ana, if anything happened to Neave…"
"It won't! nothing will happen to Neave Alex, I promise. We'll find the professor and he'll help us. He'll know what to do."
"But what if he doesn't?"
Justin froze, he peered through the broken branches hanging in front of him as he saw smoke trailing from a small chimney. He grabbed Alex by the arm and dragged her forward, as they got closer they saw a little wooden hut lit up in the darkness of the wood. A large smile crossed Justin's face, "there it is!" He raced forwards and threw himself in to the front door.
"Justin!" Alex called chasing aafter him, "be careful, we don't want to get him angry. He might refuse to help us."
"Alex stop being so negative, last time I was here I had a great bond with the professor," Justin knocked lightly on the door, "trust me Alex."
Alex nodded and stood in silence with her brother as they waited for the door to be answered. Justin moved to the nearest window and tried to peer through only to find that the drapes had been drawn across. He then tried to knock on the door once again but still he found that there was no answer.
"What now?" Mumbled Alex who had began to tremble in the cold air.
Carefully, Justin took hold of the rusted metal door knob and slowly turned it, bit by bit the door creaked open revealing the insides of the small shack.
"Ladies first," Justin smiled nervously gesturing for Alex to enter the hut.
Alex held her arms out and also began to gesture for Justin to go in, "aged before beauty!"
"Charming…" Justin grumbled as he edged his way in.
The inside of the hut had not changed since the last time the two siblings last visited. They both looked around the dim room, the single bed in the corner lay unmade and a small pan on the wooden stove hissed loudly as bubbles erupted over the sides. Justin rushed over and quickly moved it on to the side. A cold shiver rushed over his body as he looked around the shack, large cobwebs hung in the corners and large muddy footprints were scattered around the floor boards.
Alex cleared her throat loudly in order to get Justin's attention, he turned to her only to find her staring blankly ahead. In confusion, Justin began to look forwards in the same direction as Alex only to find Professor Dirbyh Cigam unconscious in his rocking chair. His stained beard had increased in length over time, as had the number of wrinkles on his face. The tatty brown robe he wore draped over his thin frame as he lay in his chair with his dry lips hanging slightly open.
"Oh god, is he?" Asked Justin.
"I don't know! I've never seen a dead body before…"
Justin crept towards the professor with Alex in tow. They both put their ears next to his nose and mouth and listened carefully to check his breathing pattern. They heard nothing until a loud snore roared down their ears, the two siblings jumped in fright and screamed hysterically causing the professor to jump up from his peaceful slumber and roar in anger, "trespassers!" He shot up from his seat and aimed his wand at Alex and Justin who was cowering in the corner, "give me one reason why I shouldn't end you!"
"Professor! Professor Dirbyh Cigam! It's Justin Russo!"
The professor dropped his wand and glared at Justin, "Professor Russo. So, what do I owe this pleasure? Let me guess, you knocked up again?" He asked Alex who was cowering behind Justin.
"No!" She scoffed taking a step from behind Justin, "please like id be dumb enough to go through that again!"
"Then what is it? I don't have time to waste here with you too! I've got my own things going on…"
"We need you to come back to the wizard world with us," Justin began, "we need to you to help us with a case. A young hybrid child, no one knows what to do."
The professor looked intrigued, he glanced at Justin who stood watching him nervously. Leisurely the professor then glided across the room and stopped at the small cracked window that looked out in to the thick forest ahead. It was nearly impossible to make out what objects lay before him as the darkness seemed to cloak them, masking their shape as they stood out in the against the black sky.
"A hybrid child you say? Of what kind?"
"Wizard and Werewolf."
"And whose child is this?"
"Mine," choked Alex, "please it's my little girl. She's at the hospital in the wizard world, but they've as good as given up on her already."
The professor spun around and smirked, "okay. I'll help, under one condition."
"Anything!" Justin smiled happily, "anything! I'm just so relieved your so willing to come and help us, especially since last time we was here you refused to leave."
"Of course I'll help, I just need to see Professor Crumbs before I see the child."
"Crumbs? Why?"
"Things ended badly between us Professor, I feel I need to clear things between us before I fully return to the wizard world."
Justin smiled, "that's fine. When do you want to see him?"
"Now…"
Mason lay on the hospital bed with Neave spread across his torso, her jaw gaped open as she lay heavily sedated in her father's embrace. Her nostils were still invaded with tubes connected to the medical machinery next to the bed, along with the endless amount of needles puncturing her skin. A cold draft repeatedly passed Mason sending shivers shooting down his body, his trembling hands held tightly on to a paper backed book and in a whisper he comfortingly read to Neave whilst stroking her hair softly.
"And there were three little bears sitting on chairs, and two little kittens and a pair of mittens.
And a little toy house and a young mouse, and a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush.
And a quiet old lady who was whispering 'hush,' goodnight room.
Goodnight moon."
A screeching bleep echoed from the machine, interrupting Mason's story. It repeatedly blurted out showing no signs of stopping. Mason looked down at Neave panicking that the loud siren would wake her, completing forgetting she was medically sedated. But his head shot up as he watched Dr. Butcher enter the room and stride over to the machine, immediately silencing it's irritating alarm.
"I'm so sorry abut that, just a hitch in the machine. Nothing to be concerned about."
Mason nodded silently and turned his attention back to the story only to be quickly interrupted again.
"So how's the little princess doing?" Dr. Butcher asked pulling out a clip board full of medical notes.
"Not to seem disrespectful, but how am I supposed to answer that when she's unconscious?"
"Well lucky for us it looks like she's becoming more stable, that means we can start waking her up."
"What tonight?"
"Yep! In a few hours hopefully, if she responds well to the treatment."
"A few hours? But Alex isn't here, we can't wake her without Alex."
"I'm sorry but it could affect Neave's condition if we keep her asleep longer than we need to. Where is Alex anyway, I thought I seen her in here before?"
"Umm…" Stumbled Mason nervously, "she's just… nipped out. She should be back soon."
"Excellent, then she should be back in time for when Neave wakes up." Dr Butcher once again flipped through Neave's medical notes and began to scribble on them with his blunt number two pencil. "By the way," he started as he looked back up to Mason, "your mother has just got here and she's asking for you."
"My mum? But I can't leave Neave…"
"I could bring her in here for you?"
Mason hesitated and looked down at Neave sadly as she lay engulfed in his arms, "I don't want her to see her like this. I'm worried it will upset her."
Dr. Butcher nodded slowly, "I understand, I wouldn't want to do anything to upset my mother either. Listen, how about I wait here with Neave why you go and see her?"
"Are you sure? I mean you must have other patients to see?"
Dr. Butcher cackled to himself as he placed down his notes, "it's fine. Now what are we reading?"
He held out his rough hands and waited for Mason to place the book in to them. Carefully, Mason lay Neave down on to the bed and smiling he gave the tattered book over to the doctor.
"Ahh! Goodnight Moon, a classic!"
"Thank you," Mason mouthed to him before rushing out of the room.
Dr. Butcher sat down on the rough brown fabric armchair next to Neave's hospital bed and opened up the book, "now where were we?" He asked rapidly flicking through the pages, "oh here we are!"
"Goodnight cow jumping over the moon,
Goodnight light and the red balloon,
Goodnight bears, goodnight chairs.
Goodnight kittens and goodnight mittens…"
Mason stepped out into the hospital hallway and once the door was firmly shut behind him he collapsed back on to it, resting his head on the hard wood Mason slowly lifted it up and directed it at the ceiling with his eyes closed tightly shut. Bit by bit he took calming breaths, the enormity of the situation suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks as reality set in. He felt suffocated. A thousand unanswered questions ran through his head and it all very quickly became too overwhelming for him.
The thoughts continued to accelerate inside Mason's head. He wanted them to slow so he could keep his breathe at a calm pace, but they wouldn't. His breaths come in gasps and he feel like he would black out. My heart hammered inside his chest like it belongs to a rabbit running for its skin. The room spun as his body temperature suddenly shot up. He felt so sick. All he wanted to do was shout for help, but his throat felt like it had been clamped shut. He remained still as he desperately tried to normalise his breathing, but he was failing miserably. Everything around him seemed muffled, all the noises that surrounded him merged in to one. However, slowly from the distance one voice started to emerge.
"Mason… Mason… Mason!"
His eyes snapped open and stood there in front of his was his mother. Instantly, Mason wrapped arms around her and buried himself in her embrace. She held on to him tightly as his shaky breaths relaxed in to silent cries.
"They don't know whats up wth her," he whispered.
Linda lifted his hand from her shoulder and cupped his face in her hands, "hey you, stop worrying! She'll be fine!"
"Your mothers right!" A voice from behind Mason bellowed.
Mason quickly span around and stared as he saw his father stood boldly behind him. His dark silver hair glistened in the hallway lighting, as he smiled the lines beside his eyes became highlighted and slowly he took and step forward and held his large rough hand out to Mason.
"It's good to see you son."
Mason stared blankly at him. He then shifted his attention to his mother who stared down guiltily at the floor. "Why are you here?" Mason snarled at his father.
"To support you! And to see my granddaughter."
"Why? Why now? You've had fourteen months to get to meet her, why leave it this long?"
"It's complicated…"
Mason let out a loud laugh as he stepped away from his parents, "no its not! You just can't bare the fact that I'm still with Alex!"
"Mason love," Linda began delicately pushing her brunette hair firmly behind her ears, "listen-"
"No! Mum why did you bring him here? I need you, not him!"
"He came to see me about the divorce when I got the phone call about Neave. He insisted that he came with me. I'm sorry."
Mason gave a heavy sigh as he ran his fingers through his glossy hair, "fine. There's a relative room down the corridor, you can wait there with the Russo's until we get any more news."
Linda nodded, "alright. You know where I am if you need me." She took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly before walking away with Grant in tow.
As he walked past Mason he dropped his hand on to his shoulder, "it's good to see you son," he smirked.
"You can try and manipulate Mum, but not me."
Grant chuckled to himself and continued to follow Linda down the hallway. Mason observed his father carefully as he walked away. His body language and mannerisms just screamed arrogance and the smug smile he shot Mason before walking in to the relatives room made his stomach turn.
"This just gets better and better…"
Justin flashed himself, Alex and the Professor into a dark hallway. With a heavy bump they all somehow managed to land upright on their feet, giving them the chance to take in the new unfamiliar surroundings. A cold chill ran down their spines as they peered down the narrow hall. The dark décor and the dim lighting that shone from the gas lamps hanging from the walls created various shifting shadows and the draft coming from the old crooked window made the hairs on the back on their necks erect. As they walk along the sticky trodden brown carpet Alex looked at Justin anxiously.
"Where is this place?" She whispered gripping on to Justin's arm tightly.
"Crumb's house, he retired here after he gave me his job at WizTech."
"Well, why is it so…"
"Old? Dirty? Creepy?"
"Yes, yes and yes! If I wasn't doing this for Neave I'd have gone back home by now."
"Crumb's has owned this house since before he began working at WizTech. When he became the headmaster he moved in to the school like I have, so this house was empty for a few hundred years before he moved back in."
"Well could he have not decorated when he came back?"
"He wasn't actually here for the first year, he went spent a year working with Dragons. It's something he has always been interested in, anyway, by the time he come back he was too sick to decorate."
"Sick?" Professor Dirbyh interjected, "sick how?"
Justin shrugged his shoulder, "nobodys sure. It could just be old age but he's weaker, his magics weaker. Everyday he survives is a miracle really."
"Weak magic…" The Professor stopped and stared at a partially open door at the end of the hallway. A light evaporated from its slim opening and old jazz music blurted out, catching everyones attention, they turned and looked at the room.
The Professor took a step forward and still glaring at the opening he bellowed, "you can go. I'll be okay from here."
"Are… are you sure?" Justin hesitated edging his way forward. "He's quite sick, he might be confused. He may not even remember you."
"Oh I'm sure he will. Now go," he demanded, "I need to spend some time with… my old friend."
Alex softly tugged on Justin's arm, "Justin you heard him come on, lets go."
"What about Crumbs?"
"What about Neave? Justin, I've left her long enough as it is!"
Justin turned back to the door and looked at it in worry, uncertain of what was the best decision to make. But after only a few short moments he was harshly shoulder barged by Alex who paraded over to Dirbyh.
"Look," she began, "here's the deal. We leave you here to talk it all out with Crumbs, then in the morning we will pick you up from here and then you will come and help my little girl. Deal?"
The professor scowled at her, "there's one topic that it yet to be discussed though, I still have a spell lock on me. I can't use my powers."
"I can lift it if-" Justin piped up before being quickly silenced by Alex's hand being clapsed over his mouth.
"Nah uh." She shook her head, "you get your powers back when my baby girl is back to normal, now do we have a deal or not?"
"Fine," the Professor snapped, "we have a deal."
"Good. Now come on Justin, take me back to see Neave."
Alex stood by Justin's side and waited patiently as he pulled out his wand. But Justin paused and continued to watch the professor, an uneasy feeling stirred in him as he watched the Professor glare at the door before he began to move over to it.
"Wait!" Justin called, "are you sure you'll be okay on your own?"
"Of course," he smirked, "there's nothing to worry about."
Justin sustained eye contact with the Professor as he swirled his wand in the air and flashed himself and Alex away. Once the Professor was alone, he strolled casually through the door. The room he found himself in was small and of a similar design to the dated hallway he had just been in. The pungent stench of damp invaded his nostrils and the professor grimaced at the state of room as he noticed the dark mould spreading up the nearby wall and the patches of wet on the thick worn out carpet that came from the endless dripping coming from the leak in the roof.
Finally, he looked at the wooden bed in the centre of the room and sneered as he filled with pleasure when he spotted Crumbs asleep on the bed. His once joyful glow had dimmed, and his now pasty complexion highlighted his age. His long lush white beard had turned fragile and frazzled in addition to his plump figure that had now thinned and became brittle. The Professor sauntered over to the bed where Crumbs lay and looked down gleefully at him. He observed the various wires and the machine that was connected to Crumbs, the professor ran his fingers along a slender tube that provided Crumbs with oxygen and as he reached the top he firmly gripped it, blocking the flow of oxygen.
Crumb's eyes snapped open as he desperately gasped for air, his eyes widened in fear and panic, he frantically looked around only to see Dirbyh Cigam leering over him.
"You!" he choked.
The professor let go of the oxygen tube, "hello my friend. It's been a while."
"Why… why are you here?" Crumbs stuttered, "I banished you, I banished you along time ago."
"And quite unfairly I must add, why would you do that to me Crumbs?"
"You were… dangerous!" Crumbs gasped as he fought for breath, "what you were planning for them hybrid children was unethical!"
"Unethical? Im sorry but I thought it was my job to research those children?"
"And you took advantage!"
"As you did of me."
"What?"
"You basically got me to do your dirty work and then you put the blame on me and forced me to go away." The professor edged closer to Crumbs, his hot breath rushed past Crumbs ear as he whispered, "now you need to pay."
The Professor once again began to tightly squeeze the oxygen tube, Crumbs reached out as a poor attempt to stop the professor from harming him but failed miserably when he weak arms trembled and collapsed on to the bed. His eyes were wide with fear and small ragged gasps escaped his throat. Crumbs could sense himself drifting away from his body and to a peaceful place, one where there are no worries in the world. But then reality came back, he was almost out of time, he did the first thing he could think of and once again tried desperately to claw his fingers at the Professors hands uselessly. Suddenly Crumbs felt his body go limp and weaken and before he knew it he slowly began slipping away…