AN: More AN at the bottem. ;D
---------------
Chapter 3: Into the Mountain
There were only two ways up to, or out of the High-Hope Dance Academy. One was up with a specially installed track of cable carts. This was the method most frequently used by students, teachers and visitors alike.
It as certainly preferable to the second method.
Breathing a silent sigh of relief, Dame Skyla sat back as they drove up the back entrance to the academy. She never felt particularly safe when driving with Sonya Romano - for even on the best of roads, in the pleasantest of weather, her driving skills were some what lacking.
Driving with her, up the mountain pass in snow that had steadily started to come down faster and faster was an experience to inspire partial memory loss.
"Um hmm hmm..." Sonya whistled to herself as she got out of the truck. "It's as we said, that road will be as blocked as our plumbing mid term."
Skyla had to take a moment or two to collect herself.
"Our plumbing is fine Sonya." She said and climbed out slowly. "Your husband keeps things running smoothly around here, all year around."
The Hispanic muttered something and moved to the back of the truck. She undid the tarp and took out the closest two bags.
Skyla smiled at her and shook her head. "Leave the bags Sonya." She said and slipped her hands into her sleeves. "I'll get some of the students to unload it. We deserve something warm in our bodies."
"Amen to that." Sonya replied and left the two bags by the wheels. "Come on, I will make you a spiced tea as you have never tasted it before Dame Skyla. My sister sent me a new recipe…"
The two women left the garage without noticing two things.
The first thing was that one of the bags Sonya had lifted out of the back was not a shopping bag. The next was a weak muffled cough from underneath the tarp.
Yet, as the door closed behind them, there was no further movement or sounds from the back of the truck.
Everything was still as the temperature in the garage continued to drop.
Cold.
Very cold.
Joanie fought to bring herself to consciousness. Before she was even fully awake she was already moving this way and that, trying to warm her frozen limbs. Her head hurt, her throat was dry and sore and she had trouble breathing. Taking a deep breath she struggled to open her eyes only to find that she was enclosed in total darkness.
Joanie lay very still for a few moments, listening to her hampered breathing as she tried to remember where she was. Her chest was sore and thick, it felt as if she was breathing through water. The cold drove her to start moving again.
Raising her arms she felt an obstacle marring her way. She frowned and moved her fingers over the sheet of material spanned over her head.
It was then that she remembered where she was. or rather, in what she had been last. Coughing Joanie struggled out of what she could only describe as a thick curtain and crawled to the back of the truck. The packages as well as her own bag were gone.
Edgings of panic flowed through her as she paused to listen for any sounds around her. All was eerily quiet in the dark place.
Shivering Joanie pulled herself out of the truck, coughing again. As she lowered her legs to the ground she experienced a panic filled moment where they threatened to buckle underneath her. She felt terrible and didn't think that she'd have the strength to keep moving. Looking around Joanie's eyes started to adjust to the dark. As she had suspected, she was in a garage – locked up tight for the night. With shaking legs – from the cold and her weak condition – Joanie moved around to try and warm up. She looked around for something else to help fend off the cold but there was nothing that she could see.
Cursing softly Joanie wondered what had happened to her bag.
Wondering whether she should risk it Joanie soughed out a door and ran her hands along the walls in search of a light. She wanted to know exactly what her situation was.
When she found the light it didn't reveal much more than she already knew. It was snowing outside; she could see the faint silver flecks drifting past the window. She didn't know how late it was, but she guessed that it was closer to midnight than sunset. Shaking she rubbed her hands together and scanned the room. Her eyebrows lifted past the hair that hung in her face as she skirted over to the back of the truck and picked up her bag. There was a shopping bag with it and for the death of her she couldn't figure out why how this had happened.
Joanie quickly opened the bag to see whether everything was still there.
Satisfied she returned it to its place on her shoulder.
One problem solved, now for the other.
Joanie-Ellen was freezing.
Despite walking up and down Joanie felt herself becoming more sluggish and sleepy. She shook her head to herself, coughed again and jumped onto the one table so that she could see outside. The window was partly open, probably the reason for the garage being like a freezer.
Peering out Joanie noticed another building through the snow. Braving the cold she opened the window completely and squinted for a better look.
From what she could tell it seemed like a room, or a patio or something.
Deciding to brave it Joanie pulled herself onto the windowsill, glanced down and slowly lowered herself to the ground outside.
As she had suspected, there was no marked difference between the temperature outside and inside the garage.
Looking around from her vantage point under the roof Joanie realized that her first impression had been correct. It was a room. What's more, there seemed to be some sort of light inside. She couldn't make out what sort of light it was but she didn't care. The way she figured was that any place would be warmer than the garage.
Sniffing as she suppressed another cough Joanie made her way across the grounds, snow swirling around her. At some point she let out a surprised yelp as she sank into a drift of knee deep sludge but struggled out and carried on as quickly as she could.
When she reached the building the first thing Joanie noticed was that the room was a lot bigger than she had originally thought.
She sniffed and soughed out an open window, or at least one that she could open.
On her fifth attempt she struck it lucky. By now, her hands had gone numb with cold, but Joanie still managed to get her small hands through the crack she had made and slipped open the clasp. Not bothering to even check for an alarm she climbed through the window and immediately closed it behind her.
The room was definitively warmer.
Rubbing her hands together Joanie looked around fascinated.
This was not what she had expected.
The room she was standing in was a lot more like a hall than anything else. She walked to the middle, staring up fascinated. Although there were no levels in the center, there were 3 levels up on the side. Stepping back Joanie tried to see over the first's railing. When she couldn't she jumped frustrated – cursed her height and hesitantly made her way to one of the flight of stairs.
Coughing, unable to contain her curiosity anymore Joanie ran up to the first level and stopped flabbergasted.
Music boxes.
The whole room was filled with music boxes.
Amazing.
Glancing around, she slowly went to the one closest to her.
She wasn't sure whether she was imagining it but she thought she could hear a faint tune vibrating from it. She ran her fingers over its smooth surface.
It tingled.
Grinning Joanie moved to the next in line, and the next, and the next…
((AN: Sorry for the long monolog, I'm not fond of writing them and came this . close to just stuffing it, but it wouldn't been right would it? Now. Yes, you can carry on. Action ahoy!))
She didn't realize that she wasn't alone till the lights came on.
Joanie gasped and froze.
"Hallo?" A low melodious voice called. "Who's here?"
Suppressing the sudden urge to cough Joanie slowly sank down to the ground.
There was a sound of shifting fiber as the person moved.
The alarmed girl tried to make herself as small as possible as she started to shift towards the stairs.
"You guys?" The voice was sterner now. "Who ever's in here, please show yourself."
When there was no reply the person seemed to come to a decision.
"Whirl, Twirl, search."
Joanie knew that tone. And, she knew that sound.
There was nothing more spine chilling than the sound of dog claws clicking on tiles.
And, knowing that they were coming for you.
Joanie jumped up in a bolt of dead panic and hauled ass towards the stairs. Half way down she stopped and stared at the two twin dogs.
The animals lowered their heads and growled at her as one.
Coughing, Joanie held up her hands and slowly started to move back up the stairs.
"Easy there puppies." She said in a shaky voice. "Just… Take it easy now I'm…"
She turned so quickly that she lost her balance and almost crashed down but lightning reflexes helped her to re-shift her balance, miss a step and race towards the opposite side of the level.
The dogs yelped excited as they gave chase.
Joanie managed to make to the other side before they caught up with her.
It was one of those moments in her life where she lost a few seconds. One moment she was running, the next she was on the floor, gasping for breath because her fall had knocked out her wind.
Two very heavy paws pinned her to the ground. Whimpering in fear Joanie tried to protect her exposed neck; she could feel the dog's warm breath brushing over her hair. She closed her eyes and prepared herself to be mauled.
The dog, joined by his friend, opened his mouth and…
Started licking her.
Yelping with surprise Joanie managed to turn out from underneath him and squirm away. The dogs went bizerk, but strangely not with ferocity. Yelping excited both jumped up against her, licking her as if she was some long lost friend. Joanie cried out and tried to fend them off, not understanding the gesture at all.
"Whirl! Twirl!"
The woman's sharp tone did nothing to deter them as they barked happily and chased each other in circles. Out of the corner of her eye Joanie saw a blond woman walk up the stairs. It was the same one who had helped her that morning.
Her hair hung loose this time, the soft blond locks hanging past her chest line. She stopped surprised as she noticed the dogs' actions.
"Twirl? Whirl…" her attention shifted. "Joanie?"
Joanie, wheezing for breath, gave her a wild eyed look, glanced at the dogs one last time and shot off down the stairs, roughly pushing the woman out of the way.
She didn't stop when she heard her name called again, nor did she glance back to see whether the dogs were following her. With a speed that was her trademark Joanie-Ellen ran back to the window, pushed it open and jumped through – fleeing into the cold, dark world outside.
-----------------------------
AN: As I said in the middle of the paragraph, i'm not fond of too long descriptive paraghraps but I had to put that it because i wanted Joanie to be in the Music room. I reconstructed it as best i can remember but it's more based on my own scetches at the moment than I actually think it was.
To Gem:
Don't worry, I love your questions so if there's more, bring it on. As to the other people reviewing, :-) I think you're the only one currently reading it. People don't remember, or want to remember Skydancers, or for that matter that they ever watched it. You have no idea how i'm being teased by some of my other fanfiction.net friends for writing this. But, I don't mind. Hey, here's an idea to try and get some reviews:
HEY YOU! YES YOU, THE ONE READING THIS STORY WITH OUT PLANNING ON PUSHING THE GO BUTTON. Shame on you. Yes, shame on you. Go push it right now. Right now I say. Keeping me in suspence. Who do you think you are.
Maybe that will work :-p Something i'd like you do to while reading this, is notice how Joanie has changed from this story to "To Dance".
Keep smiling and keep well sista,
Alys.
Oh, P.S Silver Storm, if you're still you there let me know girl.
---------------
Chapter 3: Into the Mountain
There were only two ways up to, or out of the High-Hope Dance Academy. One was up with a specially installed track of cable carts. This was the method most frequently used by students, teachers and visitors alike.
It as certainly preferable to the second method.
Breathing a silent sigh of relief, Dame Skyla sat back as they drove up the back entrance to the academy. She never felt particularly safe when driving with Sonya Romano - for even on the best of roads, in the pleasantest of weather, her driving skills were some what lacking.
Driving with her, up the mountain pass in snow that had steadily started to come down faster and faster was an experience to inspire partial memory loss.
"Um hmm hmm..." Sonya whistled to herself as she got out of the truck. "It's as we said, that road will be as blocked as our plumbing mid term."
Skyla had to take a moment or two to collect herself.
"Our plumbing is fine Sonya." She said and climbed out slowly. "Your husband keeps things running smoothly around here, all year around."
The Hispanic muttered something and moved to the back of the truck. She undid the tarp and took out the closest two bags.
Skyla smiled at her and shook her head. "Leave the bags Sonya." She said and slipped her hands into her sleeves. "I'll get some of the students to unload it. We deserve something warm in our bodies."
"Amen to that." Sonya replied and left the two bags by the wheels. "Come on, I will make you a spiced tea as you have never tasted it before Dame Skyla. My sister sent me a new recipe…"
The two women left the garage without noticing two things.
The first thing was that one of the bags Sonya had lifted out of the back was not a shopping bag. The next was a weak muffled cough from underneath the tarp.
Yet, as the door closed behind them, there was no further movement or sounds from the back of the truck.
Everything was still as the temperature in the garage continued to drop.
Cold.
Very cold.
Joanie fought to bring herself to consciousness. Before she was even fully awake she was already moving this way and that, trying to warm her frozen limbs. Her head hurt, her throat was dry and sore and she had trouble breathing. Taking a deep breath she struggled to open her eyes only to find that she was enclosed in total darkness.
Joanie lay very still for a few moments, listening to her hampered breathing as she tried to remember where she was. Her chest was sore and thick, it felt as if she was breathing through water. The cold drove her to start moving again.
Raising her arms she felt an obstacle marring her way. She frowned and moved her fingers over the sheet of material spanned over her head.
It was then that she remembered where she was. or rather, in what she had been last. Coughing Joanie struggled out of what she could only describe as a thick curtain and crawled to the back of the truck. The packages as well as her own bag were gone.
Edgings of panic flowed through her as she paused to listen for any sounds around her. All was eerily quiet in the dark place.
Shivering Joanie pulled herself out of the truck, coughing again. As she lowered her legs to the ground she experienced a panic filled moment where they threatened to buckle underneath her. She felt terrible and didn't think that she'd have the strength to keep moving. Looking around Joanie's eyes started to adjust to the dark. As she had suspected, she was in a garage – locked up tight for the night. With shaking legs – from the cold and her weak condition – Joanie moved around to try and warm up. She looked around for something else to help fend off the cold but there was nothing that she could see.
Cursing softly Joanie wondered what had happened to her bag.
Wondering whether she should risk it Joanie soughed out a door and ran her hands along the walls in search of a light. She wanted to know exactly what her situation was.
When she found the light it didn't reveal much more than she already knew. It was snowing outside; she could see the faint silver flecks drifting past the window. She didn't know how late it was, but she guessed that it was closer to midnight than sunset. Shaking she rubbed her hands together and scanned the room. Her eyebrows lifted past the hair that hung in her face as she skirted over to the back of the truck and picked up her bag. There was a shopping bag with it and for the death of her she couldn't figure out why how this had happened.
Joanie quickly opened the bag to see whether everything was still there.
Satisfied she returned it to its place on her shoulder.
One problem solved, now for the other.
Joanie-Ellen was freezing.
Despite walking up and down Joanie felt herself becoming more sluggish and sleepy. She shook her head to herself, coughed again and jumped onto the one table so that she could see outside. The window was partly open, probably the reason for the garage being like a freezer.
Peering out Joanie noticed another building through the snow. Braving the cold she opened the window completely and squinted for a better look.
From what she could tell it seemed like a room, or a patio or something.
Deciding to brave it Joanie pulled herself onto the windowsill, glanced down and slowly lowered herself to the ground outside.
As she had suspected, there was no marked difference between the temperature outside and inside the garage.
Looking around from her vantage point under the roof Joanie realized that her first impression had been correct. It was a room. What's more, there seemed to be some sort of light inside. She couldn't make out what sort of light it was but she didn't care. The way she figured was that any place would be warmer than the garage.
Sniffing as she suppressed another cough Joanie made her way across the grounds, snow swirling around her. At some point she let out a surprised yelp as she sank into a drift of knee deep sludge but struggled out and carried on as quickly as she could.
When she reached the building the first thing Joanie noticed was that the room was a lot bigger than she had originally thought.
She sniffed and soughed out an open window, or at least one that she could open.
On her fifth attempt she struck it lucky. By now, her hands had gone numb with cold, but Joanie still managed to get her small hands through the crack she had made and slipped open the clasp. Not bothering to even check for an alarm she climbed through the window and immediately closed it behind her.
The room was definitively warmer.
Rubbing her hands together Joanie looked around fascinated.
This was not what she had expected.
The room she was standing in was a lot more like a hall than anything else. She walked to the middle, staring up fascinated. Although there were no levels in the center, there were 3 levels up on the side. Stepping back Joanie tried to see over the first's railing. When she couldn't she jumped frustrated – cursed her height and hesitantly made her way to one of the flight of stairs.
Coughing, unable to contain her curiosity anymore Joanie ran up to the first level and stopped flabbergasted.
Music boxes.
The whole room was filled with music boxes.
Amazing.
Glancing around, she slowly went to the one closest to her.
She wasn't sure whether she was imagining it but she thought she could hear a faint tune vibrating from it. She ran her fingers over its smooth surface.
It tingled.
Grinning Joanie moved to the next in line, and the next, and the next…
((AN: Sorry for the long monolog, I'm not fond of writing them and came this . close to just stuffing it, but it wouldn't been right would it? Now. Yes, you can carry on. Action ahoy!))
She didn't realize that she wasn't alone till the lights came on.
Joanie gasped and froze.
"Hallo?" A low melodious voice called. "Who's here?"
Suppressing the sudden urge to cough Joanie slowly sank down to the ground.
There was a sound of shifting fiber as the person moved.
The alarmed girl tried to make herself as small as possible as she started to shift towards the stairs.
"You guys?" The voice was sterner now. "Who ever's in here, please show yourself."
When there was no reply the person seemed to come to a decision.
"Whirl, Twirl, search."
Joanie knew that tone. And, she knew that sound.
There was nothing more spine chilling than the sound of dog claws clicking on tiles.
And, knowing that they were coming for you.
Joanie jumped up in a bolt of dead panic and hauled ass towards the stairs. Half way down she stopped and stared at the two twin dogs.
The animals lowered their heads and growled at her as one.
Coughing, Joanie held up her hands and slowly started to move back up the stairs.
"Easy there puppies." She said in a shaky voice. "Just… Take it easy now I'm…"
She turned so quickly that she lost her balance and almost crashed down but lightning reflexes helped her to re-shift her balance, miss a step and race towards the opposite side of the level.
The dogs yelped excited as they gave chase.
Joanie managed to make to the other side before they caught up with her.
It was one of those moments in her life where she lost a few seconds. One moment she was running, the next she was on the floor, gasping for breath because her fall had knocked out her wind.
Two very heavy paws pinned her to the ground. Whimpering in fear Joanie tried to protect her exposed neck; she could feel the dog's warm breath brushing over her hair. She closed her eyes and prepared herself to be mauled.
The dog, joined by his friend, opened his mouth and…
Started licking her.
Yelping with surprise Joanie managed to turn out from underneath him and squirm away. The dogs went bizerk, but strangely not with ferocity. Yelping excited both jumped up against her, licking her as if she was some long lost friend. Joanie cried out and tried to fend them off, not understanding the gesture at all.
"Whirl! Twirl!"
The woman's sharp tone did nothing to deter them as they barked happily and chased each other in circles. Out of the corner of her eye Joanie saw a blond woman walk up the stairs. It was the same one who had helped her that morning.
Her hair hung loose this time, the soft blond locks hanging past her chest line. She stopped surprised as she noticed the dogs' actions.
"Twirl? Whirl…" her attention shifted. "Joanie?"
Joanie, wheezing for breath, gave her a wild eyed look, glanced at the dogs one last time and shot off down the stairs, roughly pushing the woman out of the way.
She didn't stop when she heard her name called again, nor did she glance back to see whether the dogs were following her. With a speed that was her trademark Joanie-Ellen ran back to the window, pushed it open and jumped through – fleeing into the cold, dark world outside.
-----------------------------
AN: As I said in the middle of the paragraph, i'm not fond of too long descriptive paraghraps but I had to put that it because i wanted Joanie to be in the Music room. I reconstructed it as best i can remember but it's more based on my own scetches at the moment than I actually think it was.
To Gem:
Don't worry, I love your questions so if there's more, bring it on. As to the other people reviewing, :-) I think you're the only one currently reading it. People don't remember, or want to remember Skydancers, or for that matter that they ever watched it. You have no idea how i'm being teased by some of my other fanfiction.net friends for writing this. But, I don't mind. Hey, here's an idea to try and get some reviews:
HEY YOU! YES YOU, THE ONE READING THIS STORY WITH OUT PLANNING ON PUSHING THE GO BUTTON. Shame on you. Yes, shame on you. Go push it right now. Right now I say. Keeping me in suspence. Who do you think you are.
Maybe that will work :-p Something i'd like you do to while reading this, is notice how Joanie has changed from this story to "To Dance".
Keep smiling and keep well sista,
Alys.
Oh, P.S Silver Storm, if you're still you there let me know girl.