Chapter 11: Indistinct
"Great. We're in a club." Buffy said. "C'mon guys lets-"
Jack was already walking to the bar. Jake and Buffy followed him. Matilda looked at Jesse and Harry. "I don't think we should stay here."
Harry nodded. "We should go- but Jack and them-"
"Nobody said we had to stay all together." Jesse said slowly. "I mean- as long as we don't travel alone- I think we can take care of our-"
At that moment, by the bar, Buffy grabbed Jack by the shirt and dragged him off his seat. He lost balance and bumped into a waiter with a tray of drinks in small glasses. The waiter spilled the drinks on a table where a man, with women aside him, was playing cards. Coins sprinkled down the table.
"Ani!" The man yelled at the waiter who spilled the drinks. The man began to speak English, and the waiter could only cringe under his words.
"What are you doing?" The man yelled. A second man was on the floor picking up the coins and pocketing them. The first man turned around sharply. "Those are mine!"
The second man's eyes held shock, and he did not look away, but he kept picking up the coins, as fast as his fat hands could move.
"Stop it," The man said firmly as his women stepped away. "Stop it. STOP IT!" He took out what looked like a gun- sized crossbow. The second man backed away and knocked over two tables. More people became angry and started taking out their weapons. Everyone began to fight.
"Now we really have to get out of here," Matilda said, backing away.
"Err, strange children, not suppose to be here," A man said, glaring at them. He took out a large wooden mallet. Matilda gasped loudly and Jesse pushed him. It did little to stop him, and the man struck. Jesse backed out of the way. Matilda then began moving things with her eyes, so that things could fall on him.
"Magic!" a nearby man said, and with a knife he strode over to them.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry yelled at the man. He went rigid and Harry smiled. "My wand still works!"
"C'mon," Jesse said, trying to push Harry and Matilda out the door. Just as they were about to exit, Matilda felt someone grip her hair. The hand lifted, with Matilda's red ribbon. Matilda glanced at the man, for only a second.
He was old with barely any teeth. He smiled. "We're getting there." The red bow dangled in his hand before he pocketed it.
"Come on!" Jesse said and they exited quickly. They soon meet the cool evening air. They walked a little, hastily and silently. Finally Matilda said, "He has my bow."
"It's just a bow," Jesse said. Harry was about to agree when Matilda replied, "It's not just a bow, and I've had it since forever." She said this tightly. Harry was glad that he had not made her angrier.
"We had to get out of there," Harry said. "I think Jake, Jack and Buffy can take care of themselves. We should explore somewhere else."
"Yeah, yeah," Matilda said, brushing her skirt. "I just- I hope that when I go back home it'll somehow appear again."
They kept walking, passing a few closed stores. A few people were walking the streets, talking quietly among themselves. Many people wore hoods, covering their faces.
"What do you think that man meant by 'We're getting there'?" Matilda said.
"Is that what he said?" Harry said.
"Yeah- so- what does it mean?"
"I don't know, it was just a man, Matilda, and to me he seemed to be a bit-" Jesse stopped to indicate that he thought the man was crazy.
"Yes," Harry said. "He probably was talking about something that has nothing to do with you."
"Maybe," Matilda said, and stopped suddenly. She looked up and Jesse and Harry. "Maybe he *knows*."
"*Knows*?" Jesse and Harry echoed simultaneously. "What?"
"You know," Matilda said, lowering her voice even though no one was by them. "Our mission."
Harry and Jesse looked at her and then looked at each other. "No," Harry answered. "No. He- he couldn't. I mean, our arrival and mission was not in the papers, Matilda, it's secret and he was just a- barmy old man. You can't expect that the next person we're going to bump into knows about our mission."
"Hello!" Jack said, running toward them. They stopped walking and he met them. His face was pink and his hair was unruly from the fighting and running.
"Are you alone?" Harry asked.
"We're suppose to be with another person at all times." Matilda said.
"I am, now." Jack said slowly and smiled. "Look, I'm just here to tell you that Jake got hurt and Buffy's taking him to the-"
"What? Jake's hurt?" Harry said. "Badly?"
"Oh, no, no, no nothing like that." Jack said. "He's just unconscious and got stabbed. It was gross, the man got some skin. So I hit the man right in the nose."
"Eww," Matilda said.
"I'm sure he's fine." Jesse assured them. "I mean- something with morphing..."
Harry nodded, and could see his breath against the cool, night. "It's late. How about we head in."
They mumbled in agreement, but no one moved.
"Aren't you guys going to lead the way?" Matilda asked Jesse and Harry expectantly.
"No, I was expecting Jack to." Jesse said.
"Me? How would I know?" Jack asked.
"Because you- you were just at the bar, which is by our rooms." said Harry.
"You got your magic stick, can't you lead the way?" Jack said.
"Oh, right." Harry said taking out his wand. "You think it is north?"
"No, we'll need to go west," Matilda said.
Harry held out his wand. "*Point me*." They watched its direction pointed. "Of course... well, come on, towns deserted, but simple."
Jack kicked a pebble as they walked. Matilda watched the pebble as she talked. "You know, we're four kids with super abilities, we should never lose our way."
"Well, I don't see how invincibility would have helped if we were lost." Jesse said.
"Yeah, about that," Jack said. "If you starved, would you still live forever?"
"Jack," Matilda said.
"No really," Jack persisted. "Have you ever tried to see?"
"I-" Jesse started but then stopped. "Don't know." Jesse and Harry shared such a swift glance, that Jesse wasn't sure that he had caught Harry's eye.
Jack contorted his face. "What do you mean? You either have, or haven't."
"I- lately- have been forgetting- things." Jesse said, looking at Harry, but his head was bent down. "It's there- just- if I try to focus on something specific, something that doesn't really have to do with the day I drank out of that fountain, it get's blurry."
"I know what you mean." Matilda said.
"You do?" Harry said, lifting his head.
"I noticed it a while back, but I didn't think too much of it." Matilda said with a frown. "I remember when I first figured out how to control my powers and matters associated with my powers but everything else seems indistinct."
Jack looked at the group. "You think it's important?" There was no answer.
"No, I don't." Matilda said, with more assurance then she had.
"Well, it's not a- hole or anything." Jack said.
"It's just not coming up vividly." Jesse said.
"Right." Jack said and they continued to walk until they became familiar with their surroundings. "Should we mention this to?-"
"Buffy and Jake?" Harry finished.
"Sure," Matilda said slowly. "I mean, they could realize it and could maybe become irrational, you know, thinking it's just them, or thinking that maybe someone did it to them, I mean, Jake might think that he hit his head to hard or-"
"Oh, if you really think it's that important, come on." Jack said and they hurried into the door that said 'LODGING' and to their rooms.
"I hear noises in our room," Matilda said taking her key out and sliding it into the doorknob. She opened the door, and saw Jake and Buffy sitting close beside each other on a bed. Matilda and the group did not know exactly what was going on in there, and even though they weren't expecting it, there wasn't much to debate on the subject.
"We were just-" Buffy started, backing away a little from Jake.
"Doesn't matter," Jack spoke. "Group meeting. Now."
Harry turned to Jesse. "So I guess Jake's better."
*******************
More later, hopefully soon!
"Great. We're in a club." Buffy said. "C'mon guys lets-"
Jack was already walking to the bar. Jake and Buffy followed him. Matilda looked at Jesse and Harry. "I don't think we should stay here."
Harry nodded. "We should go- but Jack and them-"
"Nobody said we had to stay all together." Jesse said slowly. "I mean- as long as we don't travel alone- I think we can take care of our-"
At that moment, by the bar, Buffy grabbed Jack by the shirt and dragged him off his seat. He lost balance and bumped into a waiter with a tray of drinks in small glasses. The waiter spilled the drinks on a table where a man, with women aside him, was playing cards. Coins sprinkled down the table.
"Ani!" The man yelled at the waiter who spilled the drinks. The man began to speak English, and the waiter could only cringe under his words.
"What are you doing?" The man yelled. A second man was on the floor picking up the coins and pocketing them. The first man turned around sharply. "Those are mine!"
The second man's eyes held shock, and he did not look away, but he kept picking up the coins, as fast as his fat hands could move.
"Stop it," The man said firmly as his women stepped away. "Stop it. STOP IT!" He took out what looked like a gun- sized crossbow. The second man backed away and knocked over two tables. More people became angry and started taking out their weapons. Everyone began to fight.
"Now we really have to get out of here," Matilda said, backing away.
"Err, strange children, not suppose to be here," A man said, glaring at them. He took out a large wooden mallet. Matilda gasped loudly and Jesse pushed him. It did little to stop him, and the man struck. Jesse backed out of the way. Matilda then began moving things with her eyes, so that things could fall on him.
"Magic!" a nearby man said, and with a knife he strode over to them.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry yelled at the man. He went rigid and Harry smiled. "My wand still works!"
"C'mon," Jesse said, trying to push Harry and Matilda out the door. Just as they were about to exit, Matilda felt someone grip her hair. The hand lifted, with Matilda's red ribbon. Matilda glanced at the man, for only a second.
He was old with barely any teeth. He smiled. "We're getting there." The red bow dangled in his hand before he pocketed it.
"Come on!" Jesse said and they exited quickly. They soon meet the cool evening air. They walked a little, hastily and silently. Finally Matilda said, "He has my bow."
"It's just a bow," Jesse said. Harry was about to agree when Matilda replied, "It's not just a bow, and I've had it since forever." She said this tightly. Harry was glad that he had not made her angrier.
"We had to get out of there," Harry said. "I think Jake, Jack and Buffy can take care of themselves. We should explore somewhere else."
"Yeah, yeah," Matilda said, brushing her skirt. "I just- I hope that when I go back home it'll somehow appear again."
They kept walking, passing a few closed stores. A few people were walking the streets, talking quietly among themselves. Many people wore hoods, covering their faces.
"What do you think that man meant by 'We're getting there'?" Matilda said.
"Is that what he said?" Harry said.
"Yeah- so- what does it mean?"
"I don't know, it was just a man, Matilda, and to me he seemed to be a bit-" Jesse stopped to indicate that he thought the man was crazy.
"Yes," Harry said. "He probably was talking about something that has nothing to do with you."
"Maybe," Matilda said, and stopped suddenly. She looked up and Jesse and Harry. "Maybe he *knows*."
"*Knows*?" Jesse and Harry echoed simultaneously. "What?"
"You know," Matilda said, lowering her voice even though no one was by them. "Our mission."
Harry and Jesse looked at her and then looked at each other. "No," Harry answered. "No. He- he couldn't. I mean, our arrival and mission was not in the papers, Matilda, it's secret and he was just a- barmy old man. You can't expect that the next person we're going to bump into knows about our mission."
"Hello!" Jack said, running toward them. They stopped walking and he met them. His face was pink and his hair was unruly from the fighting and running.
"Are you alone?" Harry asked.
"We're suppose to be with another person at all times." Matilda said.
"I am, now." Jack said slowly and smiled. "Look, I'm just here to tell you that Jake got hurt and Buffy's taking him to the-"
"What? Jake's hurt?" Harry said. "Badly?"
"Oh, no, no, no nothing like that." Jack said. "He's just unconscious and got stabbed. It was gross, the man got some skin. So I hit the man right in the nose."
"Eww," Matilda said.
"I'm sure he's fine." Jesse assured them. "I mean- something with morphing..."
Harry nodded, and could see his breath against the cool, night. "It's late. How about we head in."
They mumbled in agreement, but no one moved.
"Aren't you guys going to lead the way?" Matilda asked Jesse and Harry expectantly.
"No, I was expecting Jack to." Jesse said.
"Me? How would I know?" Jack asked.
"Because you- you were just at the bar, which is by our rooms." said Harry.
"You got your magic stick, can't you lead the way?" Jack said.
"Oh, right." Harry said taking out his wand. "You think it is north?"
"No, we'll need to go west," Matilda said.
Harry held out his wand. "*Point me*." They watched its direction pointed. "Of course... well, come on, towns deserted, but simple."
Jack kicked a pebble as they walked. Matilda watched the pebble as she talked. "You know, we're four kids with super abilities, we should never lose our way."
"Well, I don't see how invincibility would have helped if we were lost." Jesse said.
"Yeah, about that," Jack said. "If you starved, would you still live forever?"
"Jack," Matilda said.
"No really," Jack persisted. "Have you ever tried to see?"
"I-" Jesse started but then stopped. "Don't know." Jesse and Harry shared such a swift glance, that Jesse wasn't sure that he had caught Harry's eye.
Jack contorted his face. "What do you mean? You either have, or haven't."
"I- lately- have been forgetting- things." Jesse said, looking at Harry, but his head was bent down. "It's there- just- if I try to focus on something specific, something that doesn't really have to do with the day I drank out of that fountain, it get's blurry."
"I know what you mean." Matilda said.
"You do?" Harry said, lifting his head.
"I noticed it a while back, but I didn't think too much of it." Matilda said with a frown. "I remember when I first figured out how to control my powers and matters associated with my powers but everything else seems indistinct."
Jack looked at the group. "You think it's important?" There was no answer.
"No, I don't." Matilda said, with more assurance then she had.
"Well, it's not a- hole or anything." Jack said.
"It's just not coming up vividly." Jesse said.
"Right." Jack said and they continued to walk until they became familiar with their surroundings. "Should we mention this to?-"
"Buffy and Jake?" Harry finished.
"Sure," Matilda said slowly. "I mean, they could realize it and could maybe become irrational, you know, thinking it's just them, or thinking that maybe someone did it to them, I mean, Jake might think that he hit his head to hard or-"
"Oh, if you really think it's that important, come on." Jack said and they hurried into the door that said 'LODGING' and to their rooms.
"I hear noises in our room," Matilda said taking her key out and sliding it into the doorknob. She opened the door, and saw Jake and Buffy sitting close beside each other on a bed. Matilda and the group did not know exactly what was going on in there, and even though they weren't expecting it, there wasn't much to debate on the subject.
"We were just-" Buffy started, backing away a little from Jake.
"Doesn't matter," Jack spoke. "Group meeting. Now."
Harry turned to Jesse. "So I guess Jake's better."
*******************
More later, hopefully soon!