Cassie had been making a bad face for the rest of the evening. Her mother had tried to make up for it, but nothing could be done, she was determined to sulk. The little one was so resentful that she had spent a good part of the evening brooding and mumbling. She was taking it upon herself.
The Sun had completely disappeared to make way for her dear companion, the Moon. Cassie's face was pressed against the glazed panes of her window. She looked at the belfry again and again. She waited in silence. She hoped that the legend would come true before her eyes. She waited as the hours passed without her realizing it. The ringing of the bell brought her back to reality. Each chime gave her shivers and made her turn her head towards the starry sky. The deep melody resounded in her head as she played with the constellations floating in the blue ink. Then she sighed and looked again at the top of the monument overlooking her village.
But nothing.
Nothing was happening. Cassie began to yawn more and more frequently, a sign that she had to go to sleep, but also that it was very late.
She dragged her feet to her bed and wrapped herself up in her comforter, with an unpleasant sensation that weighed on her whole being. She swore she heard the sound of a flute, but she couldn't linger because the sleep knocked her out all at once.
Cassie woke up at dawn, a little groggy and light. The pouring rain was hitting her window. She looked around: she couldn't see the contours of her room very well, but she didn't worry, because after all, she had just emerged. She got dressed in a few seconds and went downstairs, backpack in hand, to the first floor.
The first thing disturbed her. Calm. Everything was much too quiet. Yet her mother was always the first to rise. At this hour she always took care to prepare breakfast. But this time, no kettle whistling, no frying pan wiggling.
Just a deadly silence.
"-Mum"
No answer. She looked at the time: 8:00.
She was caught in a short panic.
"-But...it was only dawn five minutes ago!? »
No time to think! She rushed outside, forgetting her umbrella, but she didn't care. The rain didn't bother her that much, as long as there was no storm.
"I'm going to be argued with Miss Jones again! »
Again, no one in the streets. But she was in too much of a hurry to think about it.
Nevertheless she had to stop, being too out of breath in her mad rush and especially because she had missed slipping, the ground being soaked.
She looked around her. It was freezing cold and she could see no further than the tip of her nose to think about it. The fog was too dense. And there again, nothingness. Not a single sign of population or traffic.
Suddenly, a hoarse, very hoarse, almost frightening chime was heard. The Belfry.
Cassie's head was beginning to spin. She was not feeling well.
She was...
Scared?
She could feel the vibrations of every bell ringing. Long and painful blows.
She couldn't stay here another minute, she had to get to school.
Strangely, she arrived at her destination faster than expected. Yet her school was only a few blocks away?
Everything was definitely abnormal and strange today.
She rushed through the school's corridors, more terrifying than ever. Her malaise was intensifying.
She stopped abruptly at the door of her classroom, panting and drenched by the rain. She knocked three slow but awful knocks across the hallway.
She heard a shrill squeal of chalk. Then the door opened to reveal a dark classroom.
She hastened to her desk.
"-Cassie Horeira. »
The little one uttered a cry of fear, definitely frightened. The voice was twisted and at the same time high-pitched and resonant.
Cassie wondered what she was going through. Was it a dream?
It could not be. The dreams she had had until now were always joyful and colorful. This was not the case here.
"-Miss Jones, I'm sorry, but..."
-SILENCE! »
She did not let go of her table, her eyes beginning to be misty with tears.
She heard the mocking laughter of her comrades. They echoed in her head.
"-You're just a little good-for-nothing! An unbearable little pest! »
The end of the sentence also resonated. It was unbearable.
Cassie raised her head and turned pale. The people in the room were...disfigured, twisted. They were terrifying, nightmarish.
She held her head in her hands:
"-Stop, I beg you, stop! What do I have to do to make it all stop!? »
A leaden silence settled in and everyone looked her straight in the eyes with a horrible smile hanging from each face.
Cassie did not move. Tears ran down her cheeks. The air was getting cooler and cooler, she had come to believe that she would become an ice cube, so cold was she.
Suddenly, she heard her mother's voice out of nowhere:
"-Cassie, my darling Cassie, we need your precious energy, give us your Ideyas! »
She opened her eyes, it wasn't her mother for sure. And what was she talking about!?
"-My Ideyas? "
At that moment, the environment changed completely. Her comrades turned into dark fog monsters and charged straight at her.
Cassie took her legs around her neck and ran straight ahead. She didn't stop, not knowing where to go. But she was too out of breath, and she soon saw herself caught up in the horrible fog. The laughter did not stop, this nightmare did not stop.
She cowered, collapsed. The creatures pounced on her and she could do nothing. But all of a sudden she felt the shadows disappear. She slowly raised her head and saw a huge halo of light coming towards her.
At the sight of it, she did not hesitate for a second and ran towards the source. As she became impregnated with this light, she felt better, soothed. She could feel the warmth and sweetness of her luminous savior.
She was blinded for a few moments, then she stopped. The light gradually dissipated, giving way to a large iron gate.
Cassie looked around what was facing her. It was a kind of place where the atmosphere seemed calm and relaxed. In the distance she saw a huge fountain, followed by a few statues, which reminded her of the ones we could see in her history books.
She began to walk slowly along the paved path, taking care to wipe away her tears.
Trees surrounded the large square and it was dark, a beautiful starry sky. She felt like she was not dreaming, it was too real to be true...
She took a big breath of air and pushed the grid with all her might. There was a loud squeaking sound, but at least it was open.
No sooner had she passed through the gate than she heard a more than joyful hooting.
Barely had she crossed the gate when she heard a more than joyful hoot.
"-Hoo-Hoo ! How about that! A Visitor! »