AN: While you're on the net go to the following address: You'll see why. :-p : http:67.102.60.185/showpics.php?showid=3316

Chapter 8: Phantoms

Joanie-Ellen stared at the ceiling, watching the shadows dancing around.

She sat up suddenly, grabbed a nearby tissue and coughed into it before lying back. She glanced at the bedside table, considering whether or not she should use the strong smelling salve the woman had left for her but decided against it.

She turned on her side and tried to fall asleep again but her mind was too busy. Every time she closed her eyes strange pictures and images played out before her.

-She was flying, resting amongst the clouds-
'Queen Skyla, she's awake…'
'This is a dream…'
'Don't fight it…'

Joanie gasped and sat up, her heart racing in her chest. Sweat was trailing down her cheeks and her temples throbbed. She took a tight breath and coughed. Hesitating, she reached to the bedside table and took the cup of foul smelling medicine she was suppose to have drunk before she went to sleep.

Downing it, she put the cup back and got up out of bed. She paced up and down in the room, trying to clear her head. When she started to shiver from the cold she pulled on the oversized gray jersey the girl, Jade, had given to her.

In the act of dressing she paused, looked at the dungaree from the same origin and pulled it on as well. Her heart started throbbing in her ears as she gathered up all her stuff, slipped on her shoes and fled out the door, not even bothering to tie her laces. A digital clock on the bedside table had told her that it was early morning; she had fallen asleep but it hadn't been a very restful dose.

She didn't know where she was going, but Joanie knew suddenly that she had to get away from here. At any given moment they could begin to demand where she came from, or the woman could realize that her purse was gone or…

Running, Joanie thought with a touch of amusement that she sounded like a café coffee percolator. She reached the dormitory's stairs, jumped onto the banister and slid down. She did this till she reached the lowest level.

Joanie looked around her, chose a direction and sped off. A maze of corridors later she was outside, but had no idea where to go from there or, how to get back to her room. Joanie cursed, coughed and kicked a pile of snow. She shivered and walked around the building. A familiar light attracted her attention.

Déjà vu.

Joanie turned to go the other way but found that she couldn't. She glanced back, remembering all the music boxes. Nobody would be there now; she just wanted to take one last peek…

She walked around the building this time, remembering that there was an entrance on the other side. When she reached the large glass pane doors she paused and realized that she couldn't go in for someone was already there.

Joanie sniffed, strangely disappointed, as she watched the woman by the fountain.

She turned to leave but stopped and looked around.

Something called her inside. She bit her lip and stepped closer to the glass panes. Dame Skyla wasn't moving, her gaze fixed on the water in the fountain. Her mouth moved as she whispered something to the empty room.

Joanie watched her for any sign that she might notice her but the woman was fixed in pose.

Swallowing Joanie slowly entered the room and looked around. The place was… More alive, than she remembered. A hidden energy tingled in the air, carrying whispered words to her ears.

"I'm not exactly sure how to handle it my love."

Joanie turned around and looked around her. The room moved in a different direction.

"She's strange…"

A song at the edge of notice… Joanie closed her eyes…

And yelped as a hand rested on her shoulder. She turned around and fell back as she tripped over her laces. The woman towered over her, her aura filling the room.

"What are you doing here?" Her soft voice rang clearly through the large room.

Joanie gasped and struggled to get up.

"I… I came looking for you." She yelped, terrified of the repercussions of her actions. "I wanted to say that I'm leaving and…"

Dame Skyla hunched down and, in Joanie's eyes, returned to normal.

"I told you." She said gently. "The roads are closed. Nobody can go out, or come in. You should be in bed little one, you're not well yet."

Joanie didn't take her eyes off of her.

Dame Skyla moved her head to one side, her sky blue eyes watching the girl in front of her.

"Why are you here Joanie?" She asked, softer this time. "Why were you in our truck?"

The girl swallowed. "I'm trying to get out of town. They were…" She said and blinked and realized what she was about to do. She sniffed. "My mother lives in another state, I'm trying to go to her. I was living with my father, but he… I'm leaving him okay? But, I can't just go, so I'm running away. Please don't tell."

The woman gave her a long look.

"Okay." She said gently. "I'll accept that."

The two looked at each other.

Joanie's insides squirmed under her regal gaze. She coughed and stood up on shaky legs.

"I'll go back to my room then." She said softly, not meeting the woman's gaze. "Sorry for… Interrupting you."

Dame Skyla stood up with her. "Should I show you back to your room?"

Joanie shook her head and shouldered her bag. "No. I can find my own way back." Without another word she left the hall.

The woman looked after her for a long time.

"See what I mean?" She whispered to the phantom standing behind her.

AN: Tell you something funny, i set out to write a short story. Oops. Suddenly, so many things have to happend, conversations to have, information to be relayed... Don't worry, I'm trying to cut back - so just keep tract of the time passing. I'm going to put the passing of a week in about three chapters at the most. For the record, I've set myself a deadline of end July for this story. Hopefully sooner because I have three other stories I want to start working on for you two. If i go at the pace i'm going now, i'll have it finnished in two weeks. The end is already written, i just have to fill in the spaces in between.

Sigh, I love deadlines. I espesually like the whooshing sound they make as they zoom by. :-) Enjoy your holidays if you're on them now.

Alys.

Oh, p.s. Just read my reviews. Joanie doesn't like people very much, espesually not if they touch her. This is purely a physcological thing that she picked up during foster care and on the street, mostly because when people touched her it was usually because they were picking on her or beating her to a pulp. The big thing to keep in mind here is that she came off of the street. As i say in the next chapter after this one, she's a big con-artist as well as a bit of a compulisive liar so in the first chapter she was showing Skyla only what the woman would want to see, a cheerful, helpful girl. What's going to become aparent is that she's got a temper, she's foul-mooded and she has very strong disliking for people, espesually older kids. That's why she's currently avoiding the other Skydancers.

Eitherway, keep reading! I have another chapter finished, but i don't ahve it with me at the moment, hopefully it will be up by friday. Take care now!

Alys.