I own nothing but my own words.
Chapter 14: You Speak Of Crows
Dasha, This one is for you. Happy Birthday!
The darkest parts of each of us lie buried inside, some closer to the surface than others. It's not about whether we're good or evil. It's about how well we control the darkness within.
Not just on a day-to-day basis but for the really big moments.
The ones that define us.
That's when we find out who we truly are.
Is it possible to change? To seek redemption for the darkness when we lose control? To become a better version of ourselves?
It is, but we have to want it. We have to strive for it.
And, perhaps most disconcerting of all, we have to accept when others can't forgive us for what we've done, no matter how hard we try.
I grew up with the Mikaelson Family motto—Always and Forever—it's a promise I don't take lightly. It's made me more forgiving than most, more understanding.
Where do we draw the line? Where does something become unforgiveable?
I'm scared I'm about to find out.
Screaming under water wasn't the smartest thing Josie ever did.
Her mouth immediately flooded with water.
Fortunately, she still had stores of magic in her system from everything siphoned over the past couple of days. She used a lot to trap Hope, but she wasn't depleted.
Using magic to knock the water creature back, she thought frantically for a way to get out. She didn't want to drown.
Focusing on the water surrounding her, she cast a spell to make the current carry her upwards.
Miraculously, it worked like a charm and her head broke the surface seconds later.
Gulping in great breaths of air, she barely had time for relief before the water creature popped up next to her again.
Ducking under the surface once more, she reached out to grab at its slimy thick snake-like body. Wrapping herself around the trunk right below the head meant it couldn't bite her.
Sensing a familiar energy in the creature's body, she didn't think twice before she siphoned it.
It was a magical creature.
She only siphoned until the tension eased in the body because she was struggling for air again.
Letting go, the creature sank.
Josie surfaced and looked around quickly, taking in her surroundings.
What she was thought was the middle of a lake was actually a giant pool—or fountain?
It looked like a wishing fountain, but it was really big for a wishing fountain.
The best part about fountains?
They had edges!
She swam to the closest side, praying there weren't any more of those particular creatures—or worse—floating around.
Grasping the side, she pulled herself over and collapsed on the ground.
She did it! She got out!
The relief didn't last long.
Something wasn't right.
Where in the world had Clarke sent her?
Water splashing was her only warning before the creature with a thousand sharp teeth rose over the fountain edge and came down at her.
The anger that only Clarke could spark rose inside and, instead of panicking, her eyes flooded with black.
Pointing her finger at the creature, blackness zapped.
The creature fell back into the fountain with a splash.
Silence hung heavy on the air.
Josie scrambled to her hands and knees and crawled away from the side frantically before climbing to her feet and looking at the fountain once more for signs of trouble.
The water seemed calm and tranquil now.
She wasn't sure if she had killed the thing or not, but she definitely wasn't sticking around to let it have another go at her.
Turning around, she didn't like what she saw.
Not at all.
Things were familiar but completely different.
The ground was still the ground, if a bit dry looking. The trees were barren, like they weathered a thousand storms and a stiff breeze might blow them over. There was barely any vegetation on the ground. Nothing green anyway.
Maybe that was because the sky was pink!
Why was the sky pink? It was supposed to be afternoon. The sun definitely wasn't going to set any time soon. Unless she was stuck in Malivore longer than she thought? But no, she moved through there too quickly.
Speaking of the sun…
She looked up into the big dusky pink sky and she didn't see anything.
No sun, no moon, no stars.
It was like she entered another world.
Oh.
Wow.
Did he really?
She moved forward slowly. She had no idea where she was going but it wasn't like she could go back where she came from. The underwater portal was sealed and she had no idea what else lived in those depths.
Shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself. Coming out of the fountain hadn't bothered her because the air had been hot and humid.
Now, though, it was getting colder.
That's weird.
Hope could change the weather. Maybe that was it? She was here right now, messing with her. And maybe everything else was some illusion Clarke made up with his ring to scare her.
But, no… Clarke was too busy trying to save Hope to come up with something elaborate like this.
She sucked in a choking breath when she realized she wasn't sure if Hope had survived or not.
If she had, she certainly would not respond with a weather attack.
She was also pretty sure the only reason she was alive at all was because of Lizzie's shout. Even though she was a heartbeat away from attacking her sister, Lizzie still protected her.
Josie stood still, shaking in the worsening cold, as she tried to grasp the reality of what she had done.
She went after her sister.
She may or may not have killed Hope.
She killed Jade by accident.
She killed Wendy on purpose.
What was wrong with her?!
She let out great gasping breaths, searching desperately for anything that would make sense of her doing something so dark.
Dark.
The darkness.
It wasn't the first time the darkness had taken over her life.
That was it.
It wasn't her.
It was never her.
She wouldn't have done any of that in a million years.
It was all because of the magic. The black magic.
Dad always said black magic got into your heart and changed you.
And so it all came back to Clarke, just like it always came back to Clarke.
He made her into this.
And then he tried to kill her.
Clarke was perfectly willing to let her crash land at the bottom of the ravine he created. He didn't care if she died.
How did he have those powers?
Yet another thing Hope kept from me, and Lizzie probably did too, she thought bitterly.
She would have to ask them about it, if she ever found her way home.
Then the snow began to fall.
Back home it was clear blue skies and spring, the second day of spring to be exact. She had a sweater to ward off any lingering chill, but that was it. Plus, she was wearing a skirt. And, let's not forget she was still completely soaked.
How was she going to survive through this?
She would freeze to death.
A sudden growl gave her pause.
The creature crept forward menacingly through the bare trees, crawling on all fours with gleaming teeth, two long protruding fangs, drool dripping from its mouth, and hair standing on end as it prepared to pounce.
It looked like a tiger, but not any tiger she had ever seen before.
Josie wondered if her next act would be her last.
Unable to form a fireball under water, she definitely could now. That, coupled with her old tried and true, should do it.
She threw the blast at it, "Incendia."
The fire hitting the beast disintegrated around its form, the flames sliding over the body until it went out in a plume of smoke. No damage done.
Crap.
Her only other option was to turn and run, so that was exactly what she did.
She headed back to the fountain that housed the dimensional portal.
It was some kind of cat, right? So, it wouldn't like water. Jumping in would mean possible hypothermia, but it was better than being torn apart. At least she knew she could deal with the creature she met in the fountain's depths.
As she approached, amazed the large cat hadn't caught up with her yet, she prepared to jump into the water head first.
She jumped but covered her head in the last second when she realized the fountain had iced over!
Landing on a sheet of ice, crying out as her arms slammed onto the hard surface, she slid toward the center.
What!?
The creature didn't have the same problem, completely at home on the ice. The ice made it easier for the cat to reach her, especially since she fumbled to get her bearings, half afraid the ice would break and trap her.
Her mind raced, trying to come up with a plan before she was torn apart.
The spell didn't work on the creature…which meant it wasn't a natural creature. It was a magical creature! That meant she should be able to siphon it if she could touch it.
Easier said than done.
"Moltern," she cast, aiming for the ice beneath the creatures feet, hoping melting part of the ice wouldn't cause the entire sheet to break. If the water was that cold, she definitely wouldn't survive falling in.
Shockingly, the second after she melted the ice and the creatures' paws sank, liquid refroze around the paws. The creature was stuck! From the way it was struggling, Josie knew it was only a matter of time before it broke free and came after her again.
Quickly, she raced around the giant cat—or was it a tiger?—and gripped hold of its hind quarter.
Then she siphoned, and she kept siphoning and siphoning, her fear compounding, scared it would turn on her any second.
The creature grew weaker and gradually collapsed onto the ice, but Josie was frozen in her fear.
If she let go, she would die.
Or, so she kept telling herself over and over in her head.
The magic helped her feel warm on the inside. The heat felt glorious and went a long way to reducing her shock.
Deciding that the creature had to be weak enough that Josie could get away, she was about to let go when everything shifted.
The creature's body started to change.
The fur retracted and the limbs broke. The nauseating sound of crack after crack made Josie cringe as the body beneath her reformed until…
"Holy hell," Josie breathed out, scrambling away. "You're human!"
The naked female hissed at Josie, her honey toned skin glowing even as she shivered violently.
"Moltern!" Josie cast again, melting the ice that now surrounded the woman's feet and hands. "Are you okay?"
The hissing female tried to crawl away, slipping and sliding as ungracefully as Josie had moments prior. In fact, she was in even worse shape. Josie was reminded of a newborn deer, trying to learn to walk and failing miserably.
"I can help you?" Josie offered, trying to make sense of the situation. The scary cat creature was gone, and in its place was a human… who was acting very feral.
The woman hissed at Josie again before finally reaching the edge of the fountain. Once she was on dry land, she balanced on her new two legs and ran off as best she could.
"Catching a gander at humans is quite a rarity," a new voice said. "Yet, my vision takes in two this day."
Josie swiveled her head sharply and took measure of the most normal thing she had seen since her arrival in the new world.
The voice came attached to a beautiful woman with long wavy dark brown hair, styled in two half buns with the rest of her hair flowing mid-way down her back. Her Grecian features were accented by wise brown eyes that studied Josie curiously. She carried a staff… no, a spear, with a pointy wooden end. Her outfit choice was a mix of caveman meets peasant. There was a skirt and a blouse mixed in with hints of animal pelts. She also carried some kind of bag with straps attached to her back. It wasn't any sort of backpack Josie had ever seen, but it seemed to do the trick.
"Guess we're making a comeback," Josie replied. "Not so rare, considering you're human number three of the day."
"You may wish to remove yourself as it warms," the woman said pointedly.
Josie looked down and flinched, then hurriedly 'removed' herself from the fountain top.
Real smart, she thought. Let's just keep hanging out on top of the sheet of ice as the weather warms.
It was definitely warming up again. Weird.
"What's with the weather here?" she wondered quietly to herself. And then to her companion without thinking, "What, do people here turn into cats instead of wolves?"
"The people here?" the woman asked. "Where art thou from?"
Rats.
Maybe she shouldn't reveal too much about herself. She was always kicking herself for being too trusting. Now might be one of those times, at least until she got the real lay of the land.
"South…" Josie lied as convincingly as possible. "Deep south."
"Hmm," the woman said, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. "Well, as long as thou art not a witch."
"What?" Josie fought the need to sputter. "Of course not." Why did she suddenly get the feeling it would be very bad to be a witch in this world?
"Most pleased to hear thus," a smile greeted Josie's words. "We should make haste to escape Murphy's notice."
"Murphy?"
"Murphy is the authority in this domain. Humans are an oddity. Murphy collects oddities."
"Collects?" Josie was bewildered, and maybe a little trepid. "To do what with?"
"I knoweth not. I do not wish to know," a shrug accompanied the words. "We should go."
"Go where?" Josie looked around. All she saw was pink. Was there anything else to see?
"Staying in the open, drawing attention it will. Hence, I do refrain."
Josie sighed. She was getting a little tired of trying to follow this person's wacked out way of speaking. Was it Old English? No. It was the language of this world. Definitely not as advanced as the language in hers. She should really be grateful there was anyone here she could converse with at all.
"Okay, Yoda," Josie finally said, amused.
"I beg your pardon?"
"What's your name?" Josie asked.
"What's yours?" the woman returned.
"… Call me J," Josie said, something preventing her, once again, from revealing too much.
"Then you may call me whatever you wish."
"You don't have a name?" That would be on par with this world so far.
"Oh, I do, but some things are best left unheard."
"Yoda it is then," Josie said. "And, you said we should go? Why should I follow you?"
"I do not pretend to know the best option for thine own quest. Come or go as you please," Yoda said. "I do bid you avoid west, for the sabercats are on the prowl."
"Sabercats?"
With a nod, her new companion turned and practically sprinted away.
"W—wait," Josie remembered at the last moment not to shout so it came out as more of a choked whisper.
She wasn't naïve enough to trust anyone in this world, but this person hadn't tried to bite her head off yet. That seemed like a much better option than the woods full of… sabercats?
What the hell?!
She increased her speed, nearly running to keep up.
"Wait up, Yoda," Josie tried again, shaking her head at how ridiculous she sounded.
The Yoda woman never slowed. As she grew more winded, Josie wished she took the time to stretch. It was worse than trying to keep up with Alyssa. At least that was only a jog. Was she really going to have to keep running? She wished she took the time to dry her shoes before she began. Luckily, they weren't nearly blocks of ice any longer… but who knew how long that would last for?
She attempted to pace herself.
She only needed to survive long enough for someone to come and get her.
Faltering, she nearly tripped when a thought hit her.
She fell into Malivore, which meant only two people in her world remembered she existed. Hope and Clarke. And, if Hope died, who knew what she was going through or how long it would be before she sought out Josie… if she ever did.
Vampire or not, Hope wouldn't abandon her forever though… right?
She was sure Clarke had no qualms about leaving her here.
"J," came a whispered hiss. She glanced around and realized Yoda had disappeared from the path—if you could call it a path—and Josie was now alone in a dark area filled with the same barren trees she saw everywhere. The pink fog seemed thicker than before too.
"Here," Josie whispered back.
"Ascend," came the whispered reply.
Looking up, Josie finally saw her new acquaintance. She climbed to the top of one of the trees.
Josie couldn't remember the last time she climbed a tree. Athletics weren't exactly her forte, no matter how much flag football she played. Apparently, this was her new reality though.
Oh boy.
Why were they climbing a tree? She would ask but apparently they needed to be quiet. Maybe Josie missed something the other had seen. Maybe it was a sabercat. And maybe sabercats didn't like to climb trees.
With the thought of being torn to ribbons as her motivation, she climbed.
Climbing trees sucked. She wished she could use her magic to help her, but she was still adamant about hiding her capabilities for now.
Struggling, panting, and quite a few branch scratches later, she finally made it to the top.
"Climb often, you do not."
"Way to state the obvious there, Yoda," Josie huffed. "Why are we up here? And if you say it's to sleep, I may just go find another sabercat to put me out of my misery."
"Thou art tired?"
Of this world? Yes.
"From climbing the tree?" Josie said. "Yeah. But ready for bed? No. Plus, it's clearly not night yet."
Yoda gave her that look again, one that said she could see right through Josie. What was that about?
"Your jest is unneeded."
"My jest?" Did this girl ever speak English? Well, she was speaking English, just…an outdated version of it. Josie hadn't made a joke though. Obviously it wasn't night yet. The atmosphere was still that same dusky pink; it hadn't even change during the snow.
"When wariness descends in thy bones, facilities will be found so that rest shall be given."
"Oh… kay then," Josie frowned. "So, again, why are we in the tree?"
"Clearly, thou art new to the land," Yoda swept out an arm. "Observe."
Josie realized she could see far and wide from the tree top, and it all looked the same.
Destitute, barren, a vast wasteland.
"I love what you've done with the place," Josie murmured, a bit horrified.
Yoda raised that pesky eyebrow again.
It was making Josie feel decidedly uncomfortable every time she saw it.
"Right. So. Uh…" Josie stumbled over her words. "Don't suppose there are any restaurants between here and… somewhere over there?"
She waved her hand out to one of the dusky pink areas.
"And, speaking of facilities…"
Josie did magic.
She couldn't help it.
If Clarke was going to drop her into weirdo land, the least he could've done was send some toilet paper.
Fortunately her new buddy wouldn't accidentally see her casting the spell since she took care of her business in private. Asking her what to use for toilet paper had resulted in another eyebrow raise.
Really.
So what did she use?
Guess that was a secret guarded as closely as her name.
No sooner had she finished and rejoined the walk then the weather took a change again.
Rain.
Well, it was better than snow.
Still.
"It's getting really cold," Josie said. "Will we rest soon? And where are we going to sleep with the rain? It's not like the trees will block anything out."
"An old lagoon lies over yonder."
"Lagoon?" Josie was wary. "But that's just a body of water, right? Protection from the rain in a lake?" She sighed and murmured, "Sure, because that makes just as much sense as everything else in this world."
"This world?"
That stupid eyebrow.
"I mean, in this area," Josie was quick to correct. "Things are a bit different down south."
"Hmm."
Wincing inwardly, Josie knew she needed to be more careful. She wouldn't believe herself either.
"The mushroom grow along the bank and offer protection from the elements," Yoda replied.
Mushrooms?!
Okay, why not. And for her next trick, will Johnny Depp suddenly appear in clown makeup?
"Sounds great," Josie said as convincingly as possible. "How long 'til we get there?"
"We rest after we hunt."
"Wait," Josie stopped suddenly. "Hunt?"
"If you wish to eat, you must hunt."
Josie didn't like the sound of that.
"But…what're we hunting?"
"Our meal," Yoda revealed. "Perhaps a lizarke, or chikeen."
If Josie was a guessing person, she would assume in her world's terms that meant a lizard or a chicken.
Gulp.
"Uh... I should mention I'm a vegetarian."
"I know not of this word."
Not surprised.
"I don't eat anything with a face," Josie supplied.
"Then you shall die," Yoda shrugged, carrying on.
"What about the mushrooms?" Josie asked desperately. She knew the lack of vegetation in this world would be a problem, but she hadn't thought that far ahead.
Turning, aghast, Yoda stopped, mouth open in shock.
"Do not eat mushroom!"
"Why not?" Josie asked. "Is it poisonous or hallucinogenic?"
"I know not of what you speak, I know only that mushroom is shelter," Yoda said. "Does thou partake of your home where thou doth live?"
Images of gnawing on wood or brick invaded Josie's mind and she understood how Yoda could think her suggestion ridiculous. Except where Josie was from, mushrooms weren't used for that purpose.
"Well, no," Josie said. "But if you've never eaten the mushroom, how do you know it's not edible?"
"I knoweth not, but far be it for me to experiment and learn unequivocally."
"Right. Don't eat it because you don't know if it'll kill you. Check."
Josie clasped her hands together in front of her, struggling for patience, mumbling to herself again.
"Great, I'm stuck inside what looks like the real life version of 'Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs' except there is no food." She was disheartened. With all the rain, why couldn't it just pour down a veggie burger or cheesy cauliflower?
She was tired of being wet too.
"Balls of meat?" Yoda asked, fixated on that word.
Josie shook her head. She needed to stop whining and come up with a solution.
"Don't you have anything that grows from the ground?" she asked.
"Once upon a time maybe, but the world is no longer capable," Yoda said. "Except for The Garden, but no one goes there."
Josie leaned forward. "What is The Garden?"
"A place where food magically grows from the ground," Yoda explained. "It's the only place I've known to do thus."
"But that sounds perfect!" Josie exclaimed. "Why does no one go there?"
"Most creatures enjoy, as you say, meat, not vegetation."
"Well, maybe if they tried some they'd change their diet," Josie said.
"Also, Murphy's creatures protect it."
That person again, Josie thought, raising an eyebrow herself.
"Well, maybe Murphy and Murphy's creatures need a rude awakening," Josie remarked.
"Sleep is not necessary for them."
Wha—Josie rolled her eyes, laughing inside.
Earth slang was not appreciated in this world. Check.
"Look, let's go to this garden tomorrow," Josie said, warming to her new idea. "I'll distract the creatures, you get the food. That's my kind of hunting."
"Your hunting sounds of gathering and is far more dangerous."
"You've got that pack, right?" Josie pointed to it. "Just stuff it full and run."
Yoda glanced at Josie, considering. "Sufficient, my satchel should be, yes."
"We'll rest under the mushrooms now," she really needed a break from the rain. "Hopefully the weather will let up eventually and we can hunt for vegetables tomorrow. That way we don't have to kill anything."
"As you wish," Yoda acquiesced.
"How very Princess Bride of you," Josie was relieved.
"Neither a princess nor a bride."
Josie had to laugh out loud that time.
"Let's just get some sleep," Josie grinned.
When they arrived by the lagoon and Josie saw the bank of mushrooms, she finally understood Yoda's reaction.
The mushrooms were huge. Like, the size of an old shack.
When she touched the outer edge of one, there was no give. Super solid, super firm.
The mushrooms of this world were nothing like the mushrooms in her world.
She was actually okay with that considering it was the only form of shelter she had at the moment.
"So, is it safe to sleep at the same time beneath the shrooms?" she asked.
"You rest, I shall keep watch."
"Oh, you shall?" Josie cocked her head to the side.
Yoda nodded. "When you awaken, I shall rest my head whilst you watch."
"Right," Josie nodded too. "And I should trust that you won't murder me in my sleep because?"
"You speak of crows?"
Crows?
Josie resisted the urge to rub her forehead. She kept forgetting Yoda spoke as if she walked out of the past on Earth, and certain words may not have the same meaning here as there. So, yeah, Josie probably confused the hell out of her by talking about a "murder" of crows.
"Kill me. Take my life. In my sleep." Josie spelled it out as plainly as possible.
"If I wished to take your life, I would've done so by now."
Alrighty then.
Josie slept like crap.
Every time she closed her eyes, her mind refused to rest. She kept thinking about her world and how to get back.
She felt like she was trapped in some kind of video game.
Should she shout Jumanji?
Maybe she could use magic but to do what with it? Astral projecting to her world maybe? But, how? It was one thing to project from a prison world to her world, but she was in a completely different universe.
Plus, she needed to do it in a place she could trust was protected. Death by sabercat because she was distracted while projecting to another world was not how she wanted to go. She needed to learn more about why there was such disdain for magic in this world too.
Eventually, she gave up trying to sleep. She was sure she got an hour or two here and there; but, she figured if she was just going to lay lost in her thoughts, she might as well let Yoda sleep.
Also, the faster her companion slept, the faster her plan to hunt for fruits and vegetables could play out. The water from the lagoon could only fill her up so much. At least this world had water even if it didn't do much for growing. The lack of sunlight probably had something to do with that.
All too soon, they were drawing near to 'The Garden' and getting the lay of the land.
"How will thou draw the creatures' attention?"
"Figured I'd just walk up, say hi, and ask to go in first," Josie said. Why not be direct about it? She wanted to go into the garden. Maybe they would surprise her by letting her?
"Work, I think that will not."
"Me neither," Josie shrugged. "But at least I asked first. Once I draw them away, you go in. Get whatever you can and get back out."
Josie wasn't surprised when the creatures didn't appreciate her approach. She barely got the question out before a huge bear-like creature growled at her.
"Not very polite," she admonished.
The creatures were very interested in a new plaything, which became apparent as they joined together near The Garden's entrance, fanning out to surround her.
"How often do you get a break from keeping watch?" Josie asked. "Protecting a garden, when you really want to bite into a tasty morsel like me, right?"
She held her arms out.
"Now's your chance," she called out. "If you catch me, you win. If you can't, then maybe I'll get a go at that garden behind you. What do you think?"
With snarls, growls, and one strange scream from a monkey-looking thing that left her unnerved, the creatures raced at her.
Now, she just had to run faster than them all—until she got far enough from Yoda to use her magic at least.
When she deemed the distance appropriate, she turned swiftly and called out, "Mobilus."
The creatures slowed down to a crawl, moving in slow motion, and Josie couldn't be happier as she approached each of them, siphoning enough magic from them to weaken them. She couldn't siphon them completely like the sabercat, there were too many of them, but at least none of these creatures were protected from magic.
Blessedly, at some point while she was siphoning, the rain stopped.
Running back to the garden, she went straight through the gate and called out for Yoda.
"I lost them!" she called out gleefully, finding the other woman.
Stopping, she looked around in wonder. There were bountiful plants and trees, full of fruits and vegetables… there was even an avocado tree. If those really were avocados—after the mushroom incident, she was certain of nothing.
"Let's go before more creatures show up!" Josie said. She knew the spell on the other creatures would last a bit longer, and they wouldn't be traveling quickly in their weakened state either, but that didn't mean more creatures couldn't show at any minute.
"Yes, I fear more shall descend upon us presently," Yoda nodded as she tied off the top of her satchel, affixing it to her back in preparation for their return to the Mushroom Lagoon Patch.
Resting at her new home base after pulling off her plan, Josie was immensely satisfied. She figured out a way to eat without killing anything. That was the most important part.
She wasn't a killer.
Jade and Wendy's faces flashed through her mind, but she pushed their images away and worked to peel an orange.
That would be the only way for her to get Vitamin C in this world.
If she got scurvy, she was totally blaming Clarke for that too.
She woke up screaming.
Jade was burning in front of her. The fire was hot and so real she felt as if it were consuming her as well.
Sitting straight up, banging her head on the underside of a friggin mushroom, and falling back in agony, she struggled to leave the dream behind.
"To thine own ear, the crows came to visit you tonight," Yoda said softly from her seat beneath the mushroom. "Rather than by my hand, I shall add."
"Just a bad dream," Josie panted, looking around. Hopefully her screams hadn't alerted anything to their presence. "How long have I been out?"
Did the sun ever rise here? It certainly never turned to night. The perpetually endless dusky pink just stretched on infinitely.
"Time doth have no meaning here."
"Guess you can't really keep track of time without sun dials," Josie murmured sleepily.
"Peculiar."
"Yes, yes it is," Josie sighed and wiggled around on the ground, trying to get comfortable again—not like she was ever really that comfortable to begin with.
Glancing at her companion gave her pause.
Yoda seemed amused at her words. Clearly Josie was, once again, saying things to raise suspicion. Or, rather, Yoda was done looking suspicious. Instead, she appeared as though the puzzle was solved and Yoda was just biding her time until the truth was revealed.
"What is there to do today?" Josie asked nervously. Josie took the first watch last night so Yoda had already slept.
"We hunt."
Josie swiveled her head in disbelief.
"Not again!" she exclaimed. "There's still plenty left from the garden."
"Yes, but there is no meat."
"Again, I don't eat meat," Josie explained.
"I do," Yoda replied simply.
"Then you go kill innocent things," Josie shifted and lay back down. "I don't do that."
"Then, I bid you adieu," Yoda said as she packed her furs into her satchel, preparing to leave.
"You'll be back though, right?" Josie asked, suddenly afraid. Without Yoda, she didn't know if she would have made it as far as she had. Heck, she would've kept using magic on the first day and ended up with the entire world gunning for her—not to mention Murphy.
"The possibility exists," Yoda nodded. "Though, you may be gone before my return."
"I'll stay right here," Josie said firmly. "Not going anywhere."
"Creatures roam."
"Not this creature."
"They roam to places all over," Yoda explained, "including the lagoon."
Josie glanced around. She must admit, she had been taking it for granted that their 'home base' was safe. She wasn't even sure what lurked in the depths of the water she slept near.
"There aren't… creatures in the water like in the fountain, right?" Josie asked, sitting up again. "Because that scared the heebeejeebees out of me."
"Murphy's pet, you have met," Yoda affirmed.
"Right." Sarcasm weighed heavily on her tone. "Murphy's pet. Ha."
Of course the first creature to greet her when she arrived belonged to Murphy.
"What is with this Murphy person anyway?" Josie asked. "Is it even a person?"
"Murphy is a great many things."
"How mysterious, oOoh." The sarcasm was in full force that morning. "Maybe I should let Murphy collect me just so I can give up that rude awakening I mentioned yesterday. Though, we did a pretty good job with our raid of the garden."
"So we did."
"Where does Murphy live?" Suddenly feeling curious because she was stuck in this world for who knew how long. She might as well find out everything there was to know, starting with the so-called ruler of these parts. "Maybe we should stop by, invite ourselves in?"
"Where you go, I will not follow."
"Lived how long, you have?" Josie asked before she realized what she said. Laughing, "God, now you've got me doing the Yoda speak. Landon would be so proud."
Lizzie too, not that she would ever admit it out loud.
An intense longing to see her sister caught her suddenly.
"Long enough," Yoda answered her question.
"Well, so have I," Josie said firmly. "Long enough to know I don't like a bully or someone who thinks they can control me. Sounds to me like Murphy has been in control of things for too long!"
Yoda shrugged and said again, "Long enough."
"And the garden, where food grows magically," Josie inquired. "What is up with that? I mean, magic? Who does that? Magic is not welcomed here but this entire place is full of magic. The creatures, the garden. Magic is everywhere!"
"Thou art not incorrect."
Way to state the obvious.
"Tell me something I don't know," Josie said rhetorically.
"For the creatures turned by magic, resentment runs deep," Yoda revealed.
"W-What do you mean?" Josie stuttered.
Turned by magic? The werewolves and vampires of her world had been turned by magic too, but that was only a few. In this world though…
"The sabercat, for one," Yoda said. "Humans were turned to a beastly cat and are unable to turn back."
Josie let out a low gasp.
Like the werewolves, the sabercats really were exactly alike, down to being humans who turned.
Except the sabercats couldn't turn back… because this world didn't have a sun or a moon or even stars!
When she siphoned all of the magic from the sabercat, she turned it back into a human.
Had it ever been human to begin with? The rules were very different here.
That poor person she turned to a human though… if it had been born as a sabercat, then… Oh, wow.
"Wait… so how many creatures were originally humans?" Josie asked, again thinking of the vampires of her world. The witches wielding black magic in either world were limited only by their own imagination, or so it seemed.
"A great many. "
"The lizarke and the chikeen you mentioned before?"
"No," Yoda shook her head. "Animals of no magic also exist in this world. Those are the ones I wish to hunt."
While Josie didn't relish the idea of killing anything, it made her feel enormously better knowing her companion didn't regularly eat people in the form of something else.
Her stomach turned over at the very idea.
"So… what you're saying is that magic made this world what it is…" Josie said thoughtfully. "Now, anyone who can do magic is…"
"I believe the word you would use is murder?" Yoda finished her sentence.
Well. That answered that question.
Keep hiding the fact she was a witch.
Check.
When Yoda wouldn't show her how to find Murphy, Josie decided to do the next best thing.
Time to poke the beast.
Talking to Murphy had become her goal. If she couldn't go to Murphy, she would just make Murphy come to her.
If the plan didn't work, she would go for Plan B which meant she could maybe get to the portal and siphon the rock solid entrance to Malivore. She didn't know if she could hold her breath long enough to do it, but she wasn't going to siphon all of Malivore—just enough to annoy Clarke. Maybe then he would 'let' her come home and she wouldn't have to wait for Hope to come for her or anyone else to remember her. Not like anyone ever would remember her.
She couldn't help but think that Lizzie should know though. When Lizzie tried to jump into Malivore before and didn't bother mentioning it to Josie until after the fact, Josie wondered if some part of her would still feel the connection to Lizzie even if she couldn't remember her. She was pretty sure she would still feel it. So Lizzie, in theory, should feel it too.
It worried her that days had passed with no contact from home.
"Murder is your desire, yes?" Yoda asked as they drew closer to the giant fountain.
"No," Josie shook her head. "But you said this was Murphy's pet. Maybe if I threaten its life, Murphy will show up and we can… chat."
"In the event Murphy stays away?"
"Well, this thing tried to kill me twice now. I don't mind returning the favor," Josie said. "Plus, it's kind of blocking an important access point for me."
"Thou speaks in contradictions."
"How so?"
"Wilt not accompany me to hunt for nourishment," Yoda said, "But a vengeful killing is sufficient."
"I am not a killer," Josie corrected. "Self defense is not killing. And hunting innocent animals is just cruel."
"Killing in defense is not murder, as you say, but taking a life, any life, is to kill it," Yoda said. "Though, seeking the pet when it doth not seek you, speaks more to this murder than a killing would."
"I'm not a murderer either!" Josie argued.
"Hmm."
"What?!" Josie snapped. "Hmm this, and hmm that. Just spit it out. What aren't you saying?"
"Thou doth protest too much," Yoda said. "As though the truth is not in your words but in the denial."
"I'm not a killer or a murderer," Josie stated again. "And that's the truth."
"Then might we find Murphy's pet to threaten and not take its life," Yoda suggested.
"Let's just try to flush out Murphy," Josie ground out, wanting this conversation to be over.
Yoda went silent.
As they finally approached the fountain, Josie glanced around, wary of any other creatures, before approaching the fountain edge cautiously.
She peered into the water, Yoda joining her.
"Perhaps I should warn you of Murphy's name," Yoda said softly.
"You've already done that."
"Yes, but Murphy means Warrior of the Sea."
Josie raised an eyebrow. "Which means?"
"Murphy doesn't need to make an appearance to defeat you."
"Why's that?"
"There's a reason why Murphy's pet exists in the watery depths."
As if Murphy were somewhere listening, the water from the fountain began to rise. Unnaturally, it rose straight up into the air, cresting higher and higher, the wide expanse of deep blue with watery flat edges. It seemed endless at first, and Josie came to know exactly how deep the fountain was.
She whispered an internal prayer, thankful for the magic she used to propel herself to the surface on her arrival. Otherwise, she never would have survived.
When the bottom edge of the water finally cleared the edge, Josie looked down into the fountain and could see the portal clearly, the black inky surface stretching wide. If only it were still liquid and not solid, she would jump into it right now.
She really wanted to go home.
The head of Murphy's pet slithering out the bottom of the floating water captured her attention. It was aiming for her and about to strike.
Grabbing Yoda's arm, she yanked her down next to her, blocking her view so she could conjure a quick ball of flame and throw it at the creature. "Incendia," she whispered inaudibly.
The water collapsed back into the fountain before the fire could hit its destination, extinguishing the flames.
Knowing that once the water finished its descent, a tidal wave was liable to splash over the edges, Josie grabbed Yoda again. "Come on! Run!"
And they ran.
Josie ran until she couldn't run anymore, glancing behind her and glad to see the water was still and nothing was after them.
"Art thou convinced Murphy should be avoided henceforth?"
"What was that?!" Josie exclaimed as she panted from her run. "That had to be magic. If magic is outlawed here, why does Murphy get to practice it?!"
"Magic, it was not," Yoda explained patiently, sticking her staff in the ground to adjust her clothing after Josie yanked on her. "Murphy has gifts."
"Gifts!?" Josie huffed out.
"The warrior of the sea controls that which is vital to all forms of life."
"Water, Yoda," Josie breathed. "You mean water."
"Yes," Yoda nodded, taking her staff back in her hand.
Turning swiftly, the staff's pointy end was slammed into something on the ground.
To Josie's eye, it looked like some kind of lizard.
"Substinence has been obtained. Come. Enjoy your berries, and I shall my lizarke."
Josie felt decidedly sick looking at the poor helpless creature.
Then the rain started again.
She really hated this world.
She couldn't take the cold anymore.
Josie refused to ask Yoda to share her blanket. Not when the blanket was clearly some kind of animal pelt. She would rather freeze.
Or, she would rather risk being caught using magic.
Whispering a spell to dry her clothes faster, the water molecules collected together before evaporating—the only good thing about the rain was her clothes being sort of washed. She was getting tired of wearing the same thing. She would kill for a hot shower.
Not kill. Just… she really wanted one.
Then she concentrated on the air molecules. Even if she was going to the human school and didn't have her powers, she still paid attention when Lizzie and Hope did homework, especially in Chemistry of Magic. She knew that Lizzie struggled with manipulating air, but Josie figured out that focusing on the molecules themselves was the way to an 'A'. If she just heated the molecules, then the air surrounding her would warm up enough that she could sleep without freezing that night.
Without warning, the sky above the mushrooms crackled and the rain began to pour.
Great.
At least the mushrooms were on a bit of a hill and the embankment ran downward to the lagoon. As long as the lagoon didn't overflow, the rain would wash down into it and away from the ground Josie was desperately trying to warm up.
"Can Murphy make it rain too?" Josie had to ask.
"There is every possibility."
"Probably trying to get back at me," Josie mumbled then called out. "It's not like I actually hurt your precious pet!" Not that Murphy could hear her, but she was feeling obtuse.
"Once threatened, the guard is in place and the offense is imminent."
"Then tomorrow's going to be just great." The sarcasm was alive and well. "Maybe Murphy will show its face finally."
"Perhaps," Yoda said, clearly amused.
"Don't sound so happy about it," Josie grumbled.
"Warned, you were, to not go against Murphy."
"You could've told me about Murphy's powers before I went after the pet," Josie accused.
"My fault, your current predicament is not."
"It still would've been nice to know all the facts first!"
"Sleep, J," Yoda said. "You will need your rest for whatever tomorrow brings."
Telling the nameless Yoda person to call her J turned out to be one of her stupider ideas. Calling her Josie would've made much more sense as no one on this planet would know who she was.
J, though… once things settled down, all Josie could think of was Jed and Jade. They called her J. They were the Js. And Josie had torn them apart. The Js were no more. She clenched her fist. She had to remember she wasn't responsible. It was the darkness. The darkness did it. Just like before, when Dark Josie blocked her from seeing everything she did.
The darkness had done it again.
She couldn't wake up.
She knew she was asleep, but nothing she did would help her escape.
"You killed her! You killed her!" Wendy's voice echoed on a loop in her head.
"She's dead, J," Jed said with a sob, crying into her neck. "J's dead."
"My football career was officially over after that break," Ethan said, holding up his arm with the cast firmly in place. "Everything I dreamed for my future, gone, with one snap."
"My best friend is gone," Wade's eyes, dark and hollow, felt like they were burrowing deep into her soul.
"You killed her! You killed her!"
"You killed me, J," Jade's face, so beautiful and sad. "You killed me."
"No, no, no, no," Josie shook her head, trying to escape, trying to get away.
"You killed her! You killed her!"
"You ruined me," Ethan accused.
"You killed my best friend," Wade accused.
"You killed her! You killed her!"
"You used me," Jed accused. "After you killed my best friend."
"You killed me," Wendy accused.
"You killed me," Jade.
"You killed me," Wendy.
"You killed her! You killed her!"
"You killed me."
"You killed me."
"You killed her! You killed her!"
"Josie, you killed me." Hope stepped from the shadows.
Clawing with all her might, Josie woke with a strangled gasp, the tears clogging her vision, her nose, her throat.
She couldn't breathe.
No.
It wasn't me! It wasn't me! It was the darkness! I didn't do it! I didn't do any of it!
It was all Clarke's fault! He encouraged the darkness! He manipulated it out of me!
"Before thou proposes the question," Yoda said softly. "Tears, to my knowledge, cannot be controlled by Murphy."
Josie turned away.
Shutting Yoda out.
Shutting everything out.
The next morning, once Yoda woke after Josie's turn to watch, Josie spent a large chunk of her 'private' time doing a cleansing spell.
It was something she learned during yoga with an instructor who just so happened to be a witch. Sitting cross legged, eyes closed, and meditating, she sought out any negative emotions floating throughout her body. Concentrating, she focused on sending all the energy coursing out through her fingertips, leaving her cleansed of all the horror that ravaged her soul during and after her dreams.
She felt marginally better once she was done, but she knew only activity would completely take her mind off that awful dream.
Fortunately, by the time she returned to 'camp' the rain finally stopped. The great torrents had eased in the middle of the night—or whatever time Josie spent sleeping—turning to a light mist come 'morning'.
"What're we doing today?" Josie asked. "And if you say 'hunt' I will scream. There's got to be something else to do in this world besides hunt."
"Provisions need to be made."
"Do you want to hear me scream?" Josie asked.
"Does the south not brandish weapons?" Yoda asked. "And such garments are not built to weather the storms."
Josie glanced down at herself, "So when you say provisions… you mean, go shopping."
"I know not what you mean."
So, a Forever 21 or Dick's Sporting Goods were out of the question.
"I'm not killing anything for its fur," Josie said firmly.
Yoda pressed her lips together in deep thought.
"Let us explore," Yoda finally said. "Perhaps a solution shall present itself."
Exploring felt much like wandering through a maze Josie would never find her way out of.
The terrain was so similar, hardly anything stood out. She had no idea how Yoda was able to explore the area so confidently. If she got lost, she would never find her way back to the mushroom patch.
Yoda found a suitable branch, one she deemed long and sturdy enough to whittle the bottom into a pointy spear once they returned to camp. She handed it to Josie.
After carrying the large staff for a while, Josie was feeling even more hopelessly out of shape. She didn't have much endurance for long distance running, and she didn't have the muscles built to carry something heavy for long periods of time. She considered using magic to lighten her load but decided not to—at least not yet.
She followed her companion mindlessly, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. She knew they had stopped for a break not too long ago. Was it too soon to ask for another one?
And why did it feel like they were trudging uphill?
Because they were.
For the first time since they began their hike, Yoda was leading her up a hill. It would've been a welcome distraction from all the flat ground if Josie wasn't already worn out, and the ground wasn't slick with mud from all the recent rainfall. The flat land was much easier to navigate through the mud. Using her new 'staff' as a walking stick helped keep her steady though.
"Why are we going up a hill?" Josie asked breathlessly. "Can't we go around it?"
"Longer the path will be to shift direction."
"It just seems really slippery," Josie said, using the staff to leverage herself for balance to continue moving upwards to follow. "And steep."
"Strength comes with use."
"Maybe we can build my endurance on a different hill?" Josie asked. "One with less… mud?"
Yoda fell silent and continued walking.
Taking that as her answer, Josie sighed and continued. It was either keep following or be left alone in the middle of nowhere with no way to find her way back to camp.
Midway up the increasingly difficult to manage hill, rain started again.
"That's not good," Josie mumbled, gripping her staff tighter as she yanked it out of the mud.
Muttering to herself, trying to climb faster now, she struggled to get up the hill before the rain made the hill worse.
As if the rain was listening and mocking her, suddenly great buckets of water were raining down on her and Yoda—and all the mud on the hill.
"Make haste, J!" Yoda called behind her.
"I am making haste!" Josie called back, frantically trying to go faster. "The mud! It's… it's…"
It was moving!
The hard rain mixed with all the mud so quickly that everything shifted and began running down hill.
If Josie didn't do something now, they both were going to get sucked into the mudslide and who knew what would happen by the time they got to the bottom of the hill—whether they would suffocate under the huge pile of wet earth or just be trapped as the mud hardened around them.
Neither of which was an option Josie could live with.
Knowing she might be signing her death sentence for using magic, she used it anyway considering the alternative would mean death by mud.
Flinging a burst of energy forward, Yoda went flying up the hill and landed somewhere beyond the top.
Using a defensive maneuver on Yoda to push her out of harm's way was the easy part.
That was one of the first things they learned at school to protect themselves. Yoda might be smarting at the top, depending on how hard she landed, but she wouldn't be sucked into the mud.
The hard part was going to be Josie getting herself out of harm's way. She couldn't very well fling herself up the hill in the same way.
Water mixing with earth was causing her problem, so why not use a different element to fix it?
Holding her staff as tightly as possible hoping it was pressed deep enough in the ground that it wouldn't move with the mud tide, she focused on the air molecules surrounding her body.
Calling out the spell, her eyes widened as she felt a strange weightless feeling.
It was working!
She yanked the staff out of the ground to carry with her as she continued the chant, directing the air to float her up the hill. Careful to keep her legs from the sliding mud, and ignoring the pounding rain, she finally reached the top and dropped the spell.
Landing on her feet, the mud squelching, she breathed out a huge sigh of relief.
Then she spotted Yoda staring at her.
Crap.
Just how deep did the hatred for witches go? Would Yoda try to kill her? She did just save her life. Yoda's poker face was good. It gave nothing away.
Maybe they could just pretend nothing happened?
"That was some gust of wind, huh?" Josie said with a forced hopeful grin. "Came at just the right time too."
"Witch, you are."
Josie flinched and gripped her staff close.
"Keep it down." Glancing around, Josie was on the look out for anyone who might be nearby and listening. She didn't see anything but that didn't mean no one was out there.
"I promise whatever happened to this world, I wasn't responsible for it," Josie was quick to say, speaking as softly as possible. "I won't use it anymore. It was an emergency, and I saved your life. So, let's keep this to ourselves and pretend it never happened? Deal?"
Yoda smirked.
Smirked?
Josie had never once seen her make that particular expression. Usually Yoda was helpful and inquisitive, with a curious eyebrow raise when something Josie said didn't add up, but she had never smirked as if she knew something Josie didn't know and was amused by it.
"A witch or two, I have known once," Yoda said. "Found them with a purpose."
"That purpose wasn't to kill them, was it?" Josie asked hopefully.
"Nay."
"What became of them then…?"
"Long gone," Yoda replied, tilting her head as she looked Josie over as if seeing her for the first time.
"They went traveling?" Josie suggested.
"Departing from this world, yes."
Josie paused at that… did she mean the witches she knew had left this world and gone to the other world? Or did she mean…
"Dead, you mean?" Josie asked.
"Aye."
"Were… they killed because they were witches? Or… did you kill them?"
Yoda smirked again, shaking her head.
"Succumbed to age."
Josie breathed out a small breath of relief. The witches Yoda had known died of old age. That was good…
Curious.
But good.
"Does this mean you'll keep my secret?"
"Intentions will determine such an answer."
Josie stiffened slightly. Yoda wasn't promising to keep her magic a secret until she found out what her intentions were with them. Thus far she had only used them in this world for survival… actively seeking out Murphy via Murphy's pet aside.
"Survival," Josie answered honestly.
Yoda nodded.
"Keep your secret, I shall."
Oh, thank God.
"Thank you," Josie said from the heart before clearing her throat. "Now… should we rest here until the mud firms up? The way back is probably too muddy after that downpour."
"No need," Yoda said, nodding to the path forward. "Rain was concentrated."
"Concentrated?" Josie was bewildered. "To what?"
"The hill from whence we came."
Josie realized as soon as she landed she wasn't pelted by rain buckets anymore. She was too preoccupied with covering for herself to notice.
Turning, she looked down the hill.
The rain had stopped, but Josie knew if she tried to step back down onto the dirt, she would slide all the way down with how wet it was.
She turned back to look at the path ahead. The ground looked the same as it had all day. Flat, a bit muddy, but nothing they couldn't easily trek through.
It had only rained on the hill.
"Murphy?" Josie asked with crystal clarity. "Murphy did this to us. On purpose."
"Mayhap, avoid injury to Murphy's pet?" Yoda suggested.
"But… I didn't injure your pet!" Josie shouted out into parts unknown.
"Perhaps an apology as well?"
"I'm not going to apologize for something I didn't do," Josie said. "And Murphy successfully attacked us. Seems to me, Murphy needs to do the apologizing."
"Hmm."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Josie asked defensively, seeing the familiar eyebrow raise.
Yoda, once again, didn't answer her. She just turned to face the path ahead and started back to camp.
Josie grumbled to herself before following.
Hopefully Murphy was done exacting revenge for the day.
She couldn't take much more rain.
By the time they reached the mushroom patch, Josie was so exhausted Yoda took pity on her and offered to let her sleep first even though it was her turn.
Forgetting to worry that maybe Yoda could still turn on her in her sleep after finding out she was a witch, Josie simply collapsed beneath the mushroom and slept a dreamless sleep for once.
When she finally woke hours later, she felt much better. She felt even better when she saw that Yoda had taken the time to whittle her staff while she slept. She now had a weapon of her very own.
Yoda settled in to sleep beneath her furs while Josie admired her new staff.
For only a few hours of time, her companion had done a lot of work. She really was quite resourceful.
Almost… too resourceful.
Now that she was better rested, she replayed their earlier conversation in her head.
There was something that just felt… off.
It started with the smirk and just…
Long gone.
Yoda said the witches were "long gone" due to old age, which seemed like they died many years ago. Only, Yoda seemed so young, maybe only a few years older than Josie. How did she remember a couple of witches who died "long" ago? She also said she made a point to know them.
She found them, much the same way as she found Josie…
When Josie crested that hill and landed, Yoda didn't seem surprised at all to learn she was a witch. As if… she had already known all along? But how would she know? No other creature had seen her do magic besides the ones guarding The Garden. Well, the human she siphoned from a sabercat, but that person was way too feral to speak to Yoda afterwards and probably didn't know one word of English. Plus, Josie had been with Yoda nearly every minute of every day since her arrival… except for when she slept or used the 'facilities'.
A lot of thoughts were drawing more and more questions in Josie's mind, and only Yoda knew the answers.
Josie would ask her everything tomorrow and demand the truth…
Starting with Yoda' real name.
Though Josie was beginning to suspect she already knew it.
Grabbing her brand new staff, Josie turned to 'Yoda'.
"Let's go." Josie was determined.
"Plan, you have, for today?"
"If Murphy's gonna try to kill me," Josie said. "I at least want to meet her."
She used a pronoun on purpose.
"This quest shan't prove fruitful."
Continuing to speak as if she didn't hear the warning, Josie declared, "Since you won't tell me where to find her, I'll just go back to my original plan."
Josie turned and stalked away, knowing she could at least find her way back to the fountain and the portal. That was her only means of escaping this world. She wouldn't lose sight of that.
"Learn thy lesson, thou did not."
Glad that 'Yoda' at least was following her, she marched on wordlessly until she knew they were nearly there.
"You know, I realized something," Josie said.
"Mistake, it would be, to endanger Murphy's pet once again?"
"A fountain is man made. Or rather, person made," Josie corrected. "It's not just any ole body of water formed over time with shores and banks. It's created."
"Hmm."
"This Murphy, she can control water. She can move it and transport it, even filling, oh I don't know, say, maybe a fountain that was created just for that purpose."
They reached the fountain area and stopped.
Josie turned to look at her companion.
"And, building a fountain in this particular spot?" Josie said. "Leaving her pet to frolic in its depths? Well, either Murphy's love for her creature encouraged her to make the world's deepest swimming pool for it to enjoy, or Murphy knows exactly what lies at the bottom of that fountain and, like The Garden, she has a creature guarding it."
"What lies beneath?" 'Yoda' asked.
"Really?" Josie said. "You're still going to play Miss Innocent?"
"Innocent, I am, when not yet accused?"
"Tell me, how is it you know so much about Murphy?" Josie asked. "Especially since she collects humans. I would think you would avoid her at all costs, yet you know her habits, her gifts, her creatures. It's more like you know her. Or, maybe you are her."
Josie glared as 'Yoda' raised that eyebrow of hers.
Her poker face really gave nothing away.
"Trying to think of a way to deny it?" Josie said.
"The inquiry has me perplexed."
"Of course," Josie rolled her eyes. "Pretend to be confused."
"Rather, perplexed due to our venue," 'Yoda' said. "Why return to the place of near death to make such an accusation?"
"Because, Murphy, you're going to move the water for me."
"To do so would be remiss of me."
"So you're not denying that is your name," Josie declared. "Why lie? Trying to collect me too?"
Instead of words, Murphy answered with a burst of water. Josie gasped as some of the water rushed off the top of the fountain and quickly formed a watery wall around the two of them.
"Mayhap, I already have," Murphy replied.
"Do you really think this will hold me?" Josie asked.
"Long enough to provide an answer," Murphy said.
"And I'm going to give you anything, because?" Josie was growing angry as Murphy kept up her matter-of-fact façade. "You tried to kill me yesterday."
"Blame me once more for thy danger?" Murphy said. "Threatening my pet is reprehensible."
"That thing tried to kill me," Josie exclaimed. "Three times."
Murphy definitely wasn't convinced.
"A witch, you are," Murphy said. "Of which coven, I wish to know."
Josie reached out and, with a flick of the wrist, cast a spell to freeze the watery wall surrounding them.
"Breken." The spell shattered the ice and it fell to the ground in thousands of lose shards.
"Now who is whose prisoner?" Josie asked impertinently.
Murphy laughed.
"Speak what I wish to know."
"Or, what?"
Murphy nonchalantly met Josie's gaze.
The shards of ice shuffled around and rose in the air, tinkling together.
Josie grew worried for the first time.
"And you say that's not magic?" Josie said, trying to figure out her next move.
"Water, it is, no matter the form."
"Moltern!" Josie cast
When most of the shards turned back to liquid form, Josie breathed a sigh of relief.
"All day, I can behave thus," Murphy said.
"Good luck with that," Josie said.
The rain started again.
"Oh, come on!" Josie exclaimed. "More rain? Get a new trick!"
"In time, you'll discover the source of the rain," Murphy replied, enjoying the drops on her skin. "Fault with me does not lie."
"But you know what does lie?" Josie said, sweeping her wet hair off her forehead. "You do!"
"As do you," Murphy said, amused by the girl once again. The girl lied from the beginning. Thus, she felt no qualms lying to the girl as well.
When the rain formed yet another wall around them, the droplets coming from above now forming a dome over them, Josie's anger and frustration grew a thousand fold. How was she going to get away from this person when water lay in every direction? Water that could be used against her.
Seeing the smirk return to Murphy's face, Josie decided she was done.
"That is it!" Josie cried out and reached out to conjure a fireball in her hand.
Murphy stepped forward and grabbed Josie's forearm before she could unleash it.
The strangest feeling swept through Josie's body, as if… all the water molecules inside of Josie sloshed unnaturally. And it actually… hurt.
The average human is made up of sixty percent water.
Josie screamed as the feeling intensified.
"Tears," Murphy said. "Let them fall."
The fear overwhelmed as Josie felt the water pour from her eyes.
"Murphy can make thou cry," Murphy explained. "Twas only half a truth. Contact is needed."
"Contact this!" Josie screamed and grabbed Murphy's free arm and siphoned with all her might.
Murphy's mouth dropped open in shock.
"You're a siphon!"
Murphy stopped fighting and backed away, but Josie was too scared of what she could do next so she waved her hand and cast the spell to break Murphy's neck.
Eyes flooding black, Josie called out, "Brekkin."
Murphy dropped to the ground and the watery wall dropped with her, splashing around them.
The rain resumed its natural pattern.
Josie backed up, staring at the woman on the ground.
"You killed her! You killed her!"
Josie put her hands over her ears.
"Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!" She screamed.
"You killed her! You killed her!"
"Josie?"
Josie shook her head.
First Wendy, now Hope's voice invaded her mind. When would it stop?
"Josie! You're alive! Oh, thank God!"
Wait.
She dropped her hands from her ears and looked up.
"Hope?"
Josie stared in shock.
Hope!
She was finally here!
Josie started toward her but faltered when Hope's dryness registered. She wasn't getting wet. The rain was slowing down but hadn't stopped yet. Hope's red shirt was void of water droplets.
She was astral projecting.
"You're projecting," Josie said, deflating slightly.
"Yes," Hope said, the relief on her face palpable. "I'm sorry it took so long."
"What day is it?" Josie asked.
"Wednesday," Hope said. "Took a few days, but I finally figured out how to get here. I'm so glad you're alive. But you're wet. And…" Hope looked around. "Is that snow?"
Sure enough, the snow was starting now that the rain stopped.
"Welcome to my own personal hell," Josie said. "Where the weather is hot and humid and an hour later it's snowing. And Ohio thinks they're special."
"But you're alive!" Hope repeated, reassuring herself.
Josie was expecting… something a little different. Maybe Lizzie to be with her. Or for Hope to actually come through the portal to retrieve her. But that's okay. She just wanted to know the plan so she knew when she could go home!
"And so are you," Josie replied with a little relief. "Unless… is this what a fully activated tribrid looks like?"
Hope sighed. "I wouldn't know. You didn't kill me."
"I… don't know what happened," Josie folded her arms to hug herself. Partly to ward off the chill, partly to hide from her own actions.
"I know the answer to that one," Hope said with a trace of anger. "You tried to kill me to stop him from having the family he's always wanted."
"He just made me so mad," Josie said. "And in my mind, I knew you didn't want that and… figured I was doing you a favor?"
"You have no idea what I want. That conversation wasn't meant for your ears."
"But it was for Lizzie, right?" Josie asked, remembering the hurt from being forgotten again. "Just leaving me out all over again."
"You're not going to apologize for nearly killing me but expect me to apologize for not revealing my deepest darkest fears to you?" Hope asked in disbelief.
"I'm sorry," Josie said quickly. "Really, I am."
Hope sighed again. "And when were you going to tell me the truth about how much you hated him?"
"I did, Hope," Josie said. "You just… forgot, I guess?"
"That was before everything happened, and he agreed to help so we could undo the merge," Hope said. "And you never once said anything. Was I supposed to read your mind?"
"You could've asked," Josie mumbled, shivering.
"Don't you have anywhere to go for cover?" Hope noticed how cold Josie looked. "Inside? Blankets? Heat?"
"No," Josie said. "There's nothing here, just endless pink air and brown dirt with trees in a perpetual state of fall or winter. The world had been overrun by black magic, Hope, remember that part of Clarke's story? This place is a nightmare, where most of the humans were turned to some monster however many years ago! There are sabercats instead of werewolves, except without a sun, moon, or stars there's no way for them to turn back. And being a witch is enough to get me killed! I just want to go home!"
"I'm working on it," Hope bit her lip.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Josie asked. "You're here to tell me the plan, right? You just wanted to make sure I was alive first, but now you'll tell me I can go back through? I just gotta swim down to the portal entrance without drowning or getting my head bit off."
"I—Josie... he won't let you come back," Hope revealed softly. "Not until I find a way to… lock you up until we can be sure you won't try anything again."
"You mean, like a prison world?" Josie felt the panic clawing at her throat. She needed to go home!
"No, he figures you already know how to get out of one of those," Hope said.
"Look, I said I'm sorry, okay?" Josie said. "I won't try it again, I promise. I'm better now. I just want to go home, Hope."
"I know, Jos," Hope said. "I'm trying, I really am. The… only way he'll let you go home right now is… if you find something to put your powers in."
"But what's to stop me from taking my powers back after I go through?" She figured she already knew the answer to that.
"He wants you to leave them here." Hope looked away, knowing the request was ridiculous.
"No way!" Josie exclaimed. "You can't be serious."
"He won't let you, no matter what I say. And I can't get through the seal without him removing it. I tried. So either you do that… or I find some way to contain you."
"Then break up with him!"
"And that'll change his mind?"
"Well, if you do, maybe he won't care if I kill you then," Josie said. "Which, I wouldn't do. I promise."
Hope shook her head, apologetically.
"I'm not giving him up, Josie. Not even for you."
"Then I guess we have nothing left to say."
Josie wanted to scream. Hope was choosing Clarke over her. No surprise there.
"Are you okay, otherwise?" Hope asked suddenly. "No fainting spells or nosebleeds or anything?"
"No, just surviving mudslides, monster attacks, freezing weather, and sleeping under a friggin mushroom!"
Hope nodded, though her eyes widened slightly.
"I'm going to figure this out," Hope said. "I'll get you home."
"I won't hold my breath." Josie felt tears prickling at her eyes.
How was she going to survive now? But she couldn't give up her magic forever. She just couldn't.
"Stay safe, Jos," Hope said, eyes sad. "I mean it."
Hope disappeared and Josie let the tears fall.
Clarke really had won, hadn't he?
Checkmate.
"Interesting, that conversation was."
Josie jumped and spun around.
Yoda—correction—Murphy, was sitting up on the ground, neck straight, looking none the worse for wear.
"How long were you listening?" Josie braced herself for the coming fight.
"Long enough to learn you are Josie, and were banished here as well—
"Wait, you were banished here?"
Murphy continued despite the interruption, "And with the mention of the merge, as well as your being a siphon witch from the world I was cast out of, there is too large a similarity for you to be anything other than a Gemini. The one I've been waiting for."
"...How-How did you..." Josie wasn't sure if she was freezing up from the cold or the shock.
"Left here, I was, with nothing more than my gifts and a prophecy."
"A p-prophecy?" The cold was making her stutter.
"That I would return home in the company of the last Gemini."
"I-I-I regret to inform you, that just isn't tr-tr-true." Josie shivered.
"You're a Gemini, are you not?" Murphy asked.
"Yes, but I'm not the last one. My sister and I are both very much alive."
"Of this, you are certain?"
4 Days Ago.
"What have you done!?" Hope exclaimed.
"What I had to do."
Clarke didn't care how upset Hope was. Josie did the one thing he couldn't forgive. She tried to hurt his family.
"Did you really put someone in the pit?" Lizzie said, shaking her head. "Was that really necessary?"
"No, it wasn't," Hope said.
"Yes, it was," Clarke said.
"So, who was it?" Lizzie asked, wandering over to the giant crack in the ground. "And who did this? How?"
"It was—"
"Don't!" Clarke cut Hope off, eyes pleading with her not to tell Lizzie.
"Fine, close the hole in the ground first before she falls in," Hope demanded.
"I'm not that clumsy," Lizzie said even as she stepped back.
Clarke concentrated and the earth closed together, sealed shut as if it was never disturbed.
"And I still want to know who he Malivored," Lizzie said.
"Someone who deserved it," Clarke said.
"Don't worry, Lizzie," Hope said, ringing the bottom of her shirt out. "Just as soon as we get back to the school I'll do the spell to return everyone's memories."
"You can't do that," Clarke said quickly.
"Ha, I think I can," Hope said. "I get that you were trying to protect me, but you don't have to."
"With friends like yours, someone has to," Clarke had to say.
"Hey!" Lizzie said, offended.
"You don't count," Clarke said.
"Good."
"And my friend has a family," Hope said pointedly. "One that needs to remember her."
"And if she's already dead?" Clarke asked.
Hope paled. "Wait… she wasn't dead before she went into the pit, was she?"
"No," Clarke shook his head. "But I don't know what happened when I put her out on the other side."
"Then, for your sake, I hope she's alive," Hope glared at him.
"Right."
"And, in the meantime, I'm doing the spell anyway," Hope said. "Everyone needs to know so they can help get her back."
"If you do that spell, I'll lose Triad," Clarke said. "It's in the contract I signed."
"Well, you should've thought about that before you dropped Josie into the pit!" Hope snapped.
"I didn't intend on dropping her into it!"
"You what?" Hope sputtered. "But you cracked open the earth. Do not tell me you were seriously going to kill her with that drop?!"
"She was trying to kill you!" he argued.
"I still would've lived!"
"You wouldn't be able to have kids!"
"We don't know that!"
"Well, she sure thought she knew it," Clarke spat out. "That's why she went after you. To get back at me. Someone told her everything we talked about. She couldn't kill me, so she went for the next best thing."
"I didn't tell her…" Hope glanced at Lizzie.
"I don't know who you guys are arguing about," Lizzie said. "But I know for a fact, I would never have told anyone what you told me."
Hope sighed. There was no real way of knowing for sure either way. Lizzie was close to Josie, closer than most people ever got with anyone in their lives. She didn't believe Lizzie would've told Josie though… which meant Josie probably eavesdropped. Josie had come into the room after their talk… which prompted Hope's mad dash to empty her stomach.
"I have to do the spell, Ryan," Hope said.
"My team is working on recreating a serum," Clarke said. "It's the same one Seylah and the Sheriff used. It is possible. It concentrates the memory return so just one person remembers everything they've forgotten. Just wait for the serum to be ready. I'll give you as many you want."
"And how long will that take?" Hope asked, exasperated. "No, Ryan, no. They all need to know."
"If I lose Triad, I lose any way of helping Lizzie," Clarke said.
"We can do it without Triad…" Hope murmured thoughtfully.
"Something is wrong," Clarke said. "She's okay for now, but how soon before it doesn't get better? We need the resources and I'm not willing to take that chance."
"Damn it, Ryan!" Hope turned away, pressing her hand against her forehead. "I can't believe you did this."
"So, you won't do the spell?" he asked.
"…Not yet." But she wasn't happy about it. She didn't know what to do. She needed to save Josie. She needed to make sure Josie was alive. She knew everything happened because something was wrong with her, probably the same thing that was wrong with Lizzie. And they needed to save Lizzie too.
The thought of lying to Doctor Saltzman and Caroline about Josie tortured her. But it would only be for a little while…
How would any of them forgive her?
"Oof."
Clarke and Hope both looked at Lizzie when she made a sudden sound.
"What's wrong?" Hope asked.
"My head…" Lizzie looked around strangely, then asked Hope. "Who are you?"
"I… what?" Hope's mouth dropped open. "I'm Hope. You know me."
"Ryan?" Lizzie looked at him. "Who is she?"
"Ryan?" Hope asked, shocked to hear Lizzie call him that.
Clarke ran a hand over his face. Things were going to get worse before they got better, weren't they?
"Maybe it's a delayed reaction?" he said. "To Josie going into the pit?"
"Maybe… because she's spent nearly every waking hour by Josie's side her entire life?!" Hope's voice rose the more she realized. "Including the first time she met me, and nearly every moment since? If she doesn't remember Josie, she won't remember what happened any time she was with her! Just like Ethan couldn't remember Dennis dying because of the birds! Ryan!"
"No, I remember some things about you," Lizzie said, clutching her head. "I just… I'm really confused. Why is nothing making sense?"
"Let's go to the school, okay?" Hope said, putting a gentle arm around Lizzie. "I just… need some supplies to do a certain spell."
"But—" Clarke tried to argue.
"Before she gets any worse!" Hope exclaimed.
"No!" Lizzie shook her head, pulling away. "I don't want to go anywhere with you! Don't touch me!"
"Lizzie, let me help you," Hope tried to get closer.
Lizzie stumbled away again. "Nothing makes any sense! I can't… Just… leave me alone!"
She ran away, shaking her head, mumbling to herself, and Hope had to go after her.
Clarke tried to follow but Hope threw out a spell to keep him in place.
"No," she called out. "You go get Josie! I don't care what you have to do, but you have to fix this while I figure out how to help Lizzie! And return the memories!"
"At least drop the spell!" he called back. He really hated when she magicked him.
When his legs could finally move, he knew she undid it, but he was at a loss for what action to take.
There was no way he was going to bring back Josie, not after what she tried to do. She wasn't going to return unless she was completely under control, and with the way everything was going crazy, there was no way control was going to be found any time soon.
A loud sound in the distance distracted him from his train of thought.
The Old Mill.
Where he saw Hope chase after Lizzie a few minutes ago.
The entire place was collapsing in on itself.
On top of Hope and Lizzie.
Heart in his throat, he ran.
To be continued…
