The next morning, Cat was incredibly worried that Chrestomanci would be angry with him for lying. But, as it seemed, the enchanter had chosen to ignore Cat's dishonesty, or at least until he had a chance to speak with Cat privately. During Magic lessons, everything seemed normal.
"Eric? May I ask how you managed to turn my desk into a pig?" Chrestomanci asked when Cat made one of his worst mistakes. He had that vague look on his face, and he was smoothing out his already impeccable black hair. Both were signs that he was thinking.
"Umm, I'm really not sure. I was just thinking about how hungry I was, and well, the pig just showed up. I'm really sorry." Said Cat, he knew he was in trouble when Chrestomanci sighed.
"Maybe you made this mistake because you weren't concentrating, am I right Eric?" He asked, still as vague as ever.
"Umm, maybe." Said Cat, looking at the floor.
"And, maybe, just maybe, you weren't concentrating because of a certain conversation you heard last night, or was it this morning? I can never remember."
Cat was really nervous, now I'm going to get it, he thought. But then, before Chrestomanci could even begin his lecturing, Cat felt a peculiar pain above his right ear; he started to feel dizzy. Just before he fell to the floor he heard Chrestomanci speak, "Are you feeling alright Cat?" his voice sounded urgent.
Then, there was swirling blue fog. From the center of the fog came the cruelest voice Cat had ever heard, "Ah, I've found you, young Chant! Come to me, come!" the voice soon turned oily smooth, "You are not happy, why not follow me, where you are allowed all of the pleasures of death! The voice turned into a hiss on the last word, and it actually hurt!
Then Cat opened his eyes to find himself laying in a white room that smelled strongly of antiseptic. There were no other beds, but Roger and Janet were sitting in two chairs, one on either side of the bed.
"What happened?" asked Cat, he was really worried.
"You turned white as a ghost and fainted! Dad transported you to this hospital. He would have come, except he was called away suddenly to series five." Said Roger, he was craning his neck to see Cat's face, "What happened anyway?" He asked.
"I'm not sure." Answered Cat truthfully. "Did I lose a life?"
Janet answered this one, "No, thank goodness!" She was smiling rather stupidly, but Cat supposed he could forgive her; she had been rather worried after all.
"Dad will be in eventually, Mum's here, but she's filling out paperwork, and Michael's in the gift shop. He says he wants to get you a card. Oh, and that peculiar man that's visiting is here too. Mr. Temple, I think his name is." Roger seemed so relieved to be of help, that Cat let him rattle on, and on, and on. Cat fell asleep long before Roger finished talking.
There was the fog again, but this time it parted, letting Cat look into a strange valley. The sky had somehow turned a lavender color, and the grass was a lovely emerald green. There was a path below Cat's feet, and it led down into the valley. Cat began whistling, his spirits lifted, and for once in his life, Cat Chant felt completely happy.
As he walked along the path, Cat met a little girl dressed all in black. She had long dark ringlets, and big green eyes. She carried a basket full of anemones, and had a sorrowful look on her face.
"Please sir, will you help me? I'm lost." She said, in a voice like a thousand tinkling bells. Cat felt rather ashamed of his happiness.
"Sure, where do you live?" To Cat's surprise, the little girl burst into tears.
"I have no home! Not since Papa died, and Mamma left!" She screamed, scattering her flowers all around. Cat really felt he should be doing something; she was just a little girl after all.
"Don't worry, I'll help you! I'm Cat, what's your name? I'll help you find your mother." He said, really trying to console the beautiful child.
She sniffed, and her eyes were red. "I'm not sure, I can't remember. I'm lost! Can't you help me? I want my mother!" here she started sobbing.
Cat was really puzzled. This little girl was very strange, or at least she wasn't like any girls Cat had ever met. How could she expect Cat to take care of her? Wasn't it obvious that he was just as scared as she was?
"Don't worry, everything will be okay, I know what it's like to feel lost." Cat was still trying to make the girl stop crying.
The girl smiled through her tears. "You're like me, aren't you? You're lost too." She seemed overjoyed by that, and a couple of seconds later she disappeared.
A/N Sorry about the length of this chapter! I guess I got a little carried away with my writing. Don't worry; I'll try not to let it happen again. Enjoy the story!
-J.B.