Carolyn's Comments:
Mood: Happy
Rant: Sorry that this chapter took so long to write. I've been in a writing funk lately. (Not a good thing to be in while you're editing a novel) Plus, I had finals. (I GOT STRAIGHT A'S THIS SEMESTER! BOOYA!)
As for my novel, I'm in the process of editing it. I'm planning to put up a web page about it for you guys to look at. It will give you a brief synopsis of the plot, and inform you of the progress. I'll try to finish the page and post a link in the next chapter.
Here's a bit of info on my novel for now. It's an adventure/fantasy/romance/horror story. It's actually a series that should span around six or seven books. And you guys are gonna love this next bit of news: three of the main characters are based loosely off me, Katie, and Caitlin. There aren't as many slapstick, outrageous jokes like you see in my fanfics, but Katie's character still keeps things funny at times. (She's a lot more serious than Katie though) It's good. I think you guys will like it. There'll be more info on the website once I get it up.
It was the final day before the ceremony. The halls were packed with people, bustling around trying to set up the finishing touches. The ceremony hall was closed off as the final ornaments were set up.
Mia had never seen such a fuss in her life. No matter where she went, someone was always working. People kept bowing to her in the halls, and addressing her as 'My lady', or 'Your eminence'. It was getting out of hand.
She finally sought shelter in the food hall. She found that most of the group had gathered there as well.
"It's like a zoo out there, isn't it" Carolyn said rolling her eyes as Mia sat down across from her. "Every time someone bumped into me it was 'sorry' this, and 'forgive me' that, and 'I'm not worthy'"
(There's no humor until someone quotes 'Monty Python')
Mia smiled. It never ceased to amaze her how Carolyn could take her destiny with such ease and grace. She could smile and laugh and joke about it. Never once did she let it get to her head, or push her into depression. When someone asked her to save the world, they might as well have asked her to pick up a carton of milk at the store.
Then someone else dragged themselves up to the table, and sat down right between Sam and Carolyn. It was Cronos.
Mia hadn't had a chance to visit Cronos in the infirmary, but she'd heard from Sam that he looked awful. Pale, weak, sickly, and a bruise that almost covered the left side of his face. Now he looked much stronger, but he was visibly shaken.
"Hello, sicky." Katie said cheerfully.
"Hello, psycho." Cronos retorted. Mia noticed that he had his head bowed, and was keeping the left side of his face covered with his hand.
"Whatcha hiding there?" Alex asked smiling.
"None of your business."
"That's really fascinating" Sam pointed out"Because I just decided…IT IS."
He reached up and seized Cronos's hand. Before Cronos could protest, he ripped his hands away from his face.
Mia spat out her mouthful of water. Some of it got caught partway down her throat and squirted out her nose as she tried to stifle her laughter.
There was a large bandage covering the left side of Cronos's face. Mia could see the beginnings of a nasty bruise peeking out from under the edges. But it was the bandage that she found to be so humorous. It was bright pink, and had little blue kittens on it.
"They were out of regular bandages." Cronos grumbled, lowering his hands, knowing that the chance to save himself humiliation had gone.
Sam had his face in his hands. His whole body shook as he tried not to erupt into a fit of giggles.
"Snnk!" He snickered against his hand.
"It's not funny, Sam." Cronos said with dangerous slowness.
Of course, this just pushed Sam over the edge. He exploded with laughter, pounding his fist on the table.
"Does it hurt a lot?" Katie asked, stupidly reaching across the table and giving the bandage a sharp poke.
"Only when you touch it!" Cronos snapped. He swatted his hand at Katie's finger, but she jerked back, and the palm of his hand connected with the bruise. Pain shot through his skull as he cried out.
"Katie," Carolyn growled. "You realize you're gonna lose a limb for that later."
"Aw man." Katie said, absentmindedly poking at her food. Mia had feeling that Carolyn had made this threat numerous times before, and Katie was no longer fazed by it.
"Carolyn, with the way you're always treating her, I can't believe Katie's your friend." Kairi said rolling her eyes.
"Hey! We have a good friendship!" Carolyn cried in her defense.
"What you have is a violent, manipulative relationship based exclusively on abuse."
"Right, a friend."
"Let me put it in this context for you." Caitlin said. "If you had to put up with THAT since fourth grade, don't you think you'd get just a little violent?"
Caitlin jerked her thumb in Katie's direction. Katie had seized Sora's plate, dumped the food on the floor, was balancing it on the tip of her nose, and was now singing. (off-key, of course) "I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay. I sleep all night, I work all day!"
(Another blatant Monty Python reference)
"Well, at least she's not doing her 'Invader Zim' bit." Alex sighed.
"Leprechauns!" Katie said, tilting her head forward, sending the plate crashing to the floor. Her voice sounded hauntingly like Gir's from 'Invader Zim'.
"Just don't start singing the 'Doom Song'." Carolyn advised. "Now then, has everyone memorized their part for the ceremony tomorrow?"
No one said anything.
Carolyn sighed. "Has anyone but me even STARTED memorizing for the ceremony?"
Silence again.
Carolyn cracked her knuckles. "Now let's see… Who do we really NEED for this ceremony?"
Everyone's hand immediately shot up.
"We were just joking!"
Carolyn's muscles became less tense. "Good. Your painful deaths have been temporarily put on hiatus."
Mia's ears perked up. She could've sworn she'd heard fast-paced footsteps in the halls, followed shortly by frantic shouts.
Carolyn must've heard it too. She stood up and waved her hand. "Everyone shut up!" She said in an authoritive voice. Everyone promptly shut up.
Mia frowned and stared at Carolyn. Her voice had suddenly changed. It was softer now, and more mature. But it had a regal bearing to it, like a general addressing his troops. The voice sounded as if it had come from a grown woman, not a teenage girl whose voice still had a childish hint to it.
But that wasn't all. A moment ago Carolyn's eyes had been blue. Not bright blue like the sky, but the color of a dark blue stone that had been dipped in water. But now they were a piercing shade of violet. They seemed to glow with an unearthly intensity.
Mia blinked to make sure she wasn't imagining it. Now they were blue again. What had that violet color been then? A trick of the light? Colored contacts were ruled out. There was no way she could've popped them in or out without Mia seeing. Besides, why would Carolyn be so vain about her eye color? Yes, the violet eyes were beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful, but her blue eyes were pretty too. Something was going on. Carolyn knew far more than she was talking about.
The door flew open. Cassandra was leaning against the doorframe gasping for breath. To everyone's great shock, her left arm was bleeding.
"The ceremony hall!" She screamed. "One of the Lifeless squeezed through the crack in the seal!"
"Yay! We're doomed!" Katie cheered.
"Katie, do you even understand what you just said?" Carolyn asked.
"Yes!" Katie said brightly. Then she frowned. "Wait a minute…no."
"Shh" Carolyn hissed seizing Katie by the shoulders and glaring at her fiercely. "You wanna get sued?"
Cassandra suddenly swooned and pitched forward. Sam quickly stepped forward and caught her. As he lowered her to the ground, everyone saw she was pale with blood loss.
"Hang on, I'll heal you." Caitlin said, beginning to draw her sword.
"I'll be fine," Cassandra gasped. "Just go help the others!"
"Oh stop being such a martyr and hold still." Caitlin said raising her flute/sword to her lips. But Cassandra had already lost consciousness. Caitlin blew a series of sharp notes, and her injury closed up.
"What should we do with her?" Alex asked.
"Just leave her here. She'll wake up soon enough. Right now we're needed in the hall!" Carolyn snapped springing to her feet. Mia blinked. There it was again. Carolyn's eyes were violet. A few seconds later they went back to blue. And her voice had momentarily changed again. It was like, just for a moment, there had been someone else talking. What was Carolyn hiding from them?
