Chapter 8.
It was 10am the next day and Cerys was sitting at the kitchen breakfast bar eating cereal. The mornings' news was on the TV but Cerys was too busy eating to listen. She looked up as Nia glided into the kitchen, her red hair rumpled and yawning widely. "M-m-morning Cerys." Cerys smiled and drained her bowl at the sink. She turned and leaned against the counter. Cerys looked down at her white polo neck jumper and wiped off crumbs. She did the same with her boot-cut black jeans. "Nia, it's Saturday today and Adele and I are going shopping. I need to buy some food to stock up on and I also have to collect some work in from school. Do you need anything whilst I'm out?" Nia seemed to wake up very quickly then and glared at Cerys. "No, I don't need anything, but how can you go out when we have so much to get through?" Cerys opened her mouth indignantly. "Look, I have made plans to go out and I am going. I have the Amulet if you need me. Go to Sam and my mum if you have to, but let me go for the day. Come on, please!?" Nia thought for a moment and nibbled the end of an abandoned Cheerio, which looked like a large doughnut against her tiny frame. "Well, ok. But if anything goes wrong, stop everything ok? Sort out any messes you get into yourself. I'm going back to Aranosia for the afternoon so I can get any new information you may need." Cerys smiled at her and walked into the hallway to get her jacket. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mantelpiece mirror and frowned. Shrugging, she pulled on her black leather jacket. "See you later, Nia. Be safe." Cerys pulled the door shut behind her.
*
Cerys drew herself up straight once she reached Adele's house. Adele's mother was always telling her to straighten up. Sighing, she pushed the doorbell. Adele opened the door and greeted her with a smile. "Hey, Cerys, come on in." Adele stood back and the led Cerys into the living room. "Mum's not home. Just so you know, Nicholas and I patched things up and I'm seeing him tomorrow. Where do you want to go today?" Adele threw herself down onto the white velour sofa. She fiddled with her pink jersey, which was accompanied by light blue flared jeans. Next to her on the sofa was a silver coloured body warmer. Adele had let her blond hair down today and she was looking up at Cerys expectantly. "Erm, how about we check out that new shopping centre on James Street? It looks pretty good." Adele stood up again and grabbed her warmer. "Come on, then. Lets go."
*
The shopping centre was busy with people of all ages. Adele had linked arms with Cerys and was dragging her from shop to shop. She already had three bags filled with clothes and make-up. "Adele, can we get something to eat before I faint, also, lets find a loo otherwise you are going to have one soggy friend!" Adele laughed and led her towards the nearest McDonalds. While Adele found a table and sat down, Cerys jogged over to the toilets. As Cerys was washing her hands, she felt something hot against her skin. It was the Amulet. Cerys looked down her jumper and saw it glowing gold. 'Light, why the hell is it glowing?!' Cerys was thinking frantically. There was a blinding light and Nia appeared beside her. Luckily, it was a disabled toilet so there were no other occupants around her. "Nia," Cerys hissed. "What are you doing here?!" "I have come to bring word. Jesta knows you are here. I must protect you at word of your mother. All time has stopped outside this toilet and you have got to put an enchantment on you and your friend. Here is the book - " The book materialised out of thin air. " - look up another Protection Charm, but for people. I must go." Before Cerys could say anything, Nia had gone. She flipped through the pages of the book.
PROTECTION CHARMS.
Say, "Light Angel, protect me and (say others' name). Protect us from
magical
Evil and harm"
Cerys repeated these words carefully and the Amulet stopped glowing. She stepped out of the toilets. Everything was frozen. People who were eating had stopped halfway through and people talking looked like a still picture. Cerys giggled out of nervousness, screwed up her eyes and wished for the world to move again. A stream of voices hit Cerys' ears and she made her way over to Adele to eat. "Hey, un iith achter! Wat zou u willen eten?" Adele began speaking Dutch to Cerys, who looked at her bewildered. "Eh? What? I didn't know you could speak Dutch!" Adele began to laugh and shook her head. "I'm only playing with you. What do you want to eat?" Cerys kicked Adele and laughed.
It was 10am the next day and Cerys was sitting at the kitchen breakfast bar eating cereal. The mornings' news was on the TV but Cerys was too busy eating to listen. She looked up as Nia glided into the kitchen, her red hair rumpled and yawning widely. "M-m-morning Cerys." Cerys smiled and drained her bowl at the sink. She turned and leaned against the counter. Cerys looked down at her white polo neck jumper and wiped off crumbs. She did the same with her boot-cut black jeans. "Nia, it's Saturday today and Adele and I are going shopping. I need to buy some food to stock up on and I also have to collect some work in from school. Do you need anything whilst I'm out?" Nia seemed to wake up very quickly then and glared at Cerys. "No, I don't need anything, but how can you go out when we have so much to get through?" Cerys opened her mouth indignantly. "Look, I have made plans to go out and I am going. I have the Amulet if you need me. Go to Sam and my mum if you have to, but let me go for the day. Come on, please!?" Nia thought for a moment and nibbled the end of an abandoned Cheerio, which looked like a large doughnut against her tiny frame. "Well, ok. But if anything goes wrong, stop everything ok? Sort out any messes you get into yourself. I'm going back to Aranosia for the afternoon so I can get any new information you may need." Cerys smiled at her and walked into the hallway to get her jacket. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mantelpiece mirror and frowned. Shrugging, she pulled on her black leather jacket. "See you later, Nia. Be safe." Cerys pulled the door shut behind her.
*
Cerys drew herself up straight once she reached Adele's house. Adele's mother was always telling her to straighten up. Sighing, she pushed the doorbell. Adele opened the door and greeted her with a smile. "Hey, Cerys, come on in." Adele stood back and the led Cerys into the living room. "Mum's not home. Just so you know, Nicholas and I patched things up and I'm seeing him tomorrow. Where do you want to go today?" Adele threw herself down onto the white velour sofa. She fiddled with her pink jersey, which was accompanied by light blue flared jeans. Next to her on the sofa was a silver coloured body warmer. Adele had let her blond hair down today and she was looking up at Cerys expectantly. "Erm, how about we check out that new shopping centre on James Street? It looks pretty good." Adele stood up again and grabbed her warmer. "Come on, then. Lets go."
*
The shopping centre was busy with people of all ages. Adele had linked arms with Cerys and was dragging her from shop to shop. She already had three bags filled with clothes and make-up. "Adele, can we get something to eat before I faint, also, lets find a loo otherwise you are going to have one soggy friend!" Adele laughed and led her towards the nearest McDonalds. While Adele found a table and sat down, Cerys jogged over to the toilets. As Cerys was washing her hands, she felt something hot against her skin. It was the Amulet. Cerys looked down her jumper and saw it glowing gold. 'Light, why the hell is it glowing?!' Cerys was thinking frantically. There was a blinding light and Nia appeared beside her. Luckily, it was a disabled toilet so there were no other occupants around her. "Nia," Cerys hissed. "What are you doing here?!" "I have come to bring word. Jesta knows you are here. I must protect you at word of your mother. All time has stopped outside this toilet and you have got to put an enchantment on you and your friend. Here is the book - " The book materialised out of thin air. " - look up another Protection Charm, but for people. I must go." Before Cerys could say anything, Nia had gone. She flipped through the pages of the book.
PROTECTION CHARMS.
Say, "Light Angel, protect me and (say others' name). Protect us from
magical
Evil and harm"
Cerys repeated these words carefully and the Amulet stopped glowing. She stepped out of the toilets. Everything was frozen. People who were eating had stopped halfway through and people talking looked like a still picture. Cerys giggled out of nervousness, screwed up her eyes and wished for the world to move again. A stream of voices hit Cerys' ears and she made her way over to Adele to eat. "Hey, un iith achter! Wat zou u willen eten?" Adele began speaking Dutch to Cerys, who looked at her bewildered. "Eh? What? I didn't know you could speak Dutch!" Adele began to laugh and shook her head. "I'm only playing with you. What do you want to eat?" Cerys kicked Adele and laughed.