Genya stirred awake and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Her fiery red hair was a mess on top of her face, and she brushed it away lazily. The bright sun peaked through the crack in the curtains and blinded her, causing little black dots to appear in her vision. Genya groaned and threw herself on her other side, blinking away the blur and looked over to Alina's side.
The bed was empty.
Genya shoved herself up from the bed, throwing the sheets away. it was only her in the bedroom with no Alina.
Alina never gets up this early
Something defiantly wasn't right. Genya grabbed her robe and yanked the door open, storming down the hall to Mal and Fedyor's bedroom where she heard laughing inside. She pounded her fist on the door and it opened a second later with a tired looking and annoyed Mal.
"Do you have to be so loud" he groaned and Genya shoved her way in the bedroom. It was a pig sty compared to the girl's bedroom and the smell was overpowering of boys.
"Hey Genya" Fedyor smiled and before Genya could speak, he threw a dirty sock at her to which she huffed and puffed. Genya wished that these boys could act their age and not like silly ten-year-old boys.
"Stop… have you seen Alina" she immediately asked to which the boys gave a shook of their heads.
"No, she sleeps in your room" Mal said sarcastically and Genya glared. These boys really did get on her nerves.
"Well, she's not there otherwise why would I be asking you?" she said with her hands on her hips.
"Well, we haven't seen her since yesterday" Mal shrugged and sat on the edge of his bed.
Genya sighed and gave Mal and Fedyor a serious look.
"Look something is defiantly going on with Alina. ever since we got here, she's always 'off in her room' and yesterday when she said we she 'sick'. She didn't even look sick" Genya said.
"Well maybe she got up early for breakfast or she's in the bathroom again" Fedyor said and Genya shook her head.
"Alina never gets up this early does she… just come help me find her" she ordered, and the boys huffed but went anyway. The house was quiet as it was a Saturday and Professor James hadn't gotten up yet. Mal, Fedyor and Genya searched the house quietly, checking all the rooms but Alina was nowhere to be seen. Fedyor suggested that she may be outside but when they looked, she wasn't. Having looked all over the house, the group were now starting to get worried and Mal and Fedyor were taking it more seriously. How was it possible for Alina to disappear? There was no town for a few miles and the walk was at least a few hours. Alina wouldn't have left without telling the others… or would she.
"Well, I can't find her" Genya said and Mal nodded.
"Neither we've checked everywhere".
"Not everywhere, we haven't checked in here" Fedyor pointed to the only door where they hadn't searched.
"That's just a cloak room" Mal said but Fedyor opened it, the cold draft hitting them like a slap in the face and they shivered as they walked inside. The room was completely empty except for the wardrobe of course.
"Alina" Fedyor called and Genya whacked him.
"Keep your voice down, you'll wake Professor James" she scolded and Fedyor rubbed the area where Genya had hit him, plastering a fake hurt look.
"Maybe she's hiding" Fedyor joked as he walked to the wardrobe and yanked open the doors.
"That's ridiculous" Genya spat and rolled her eyes.
Fedyor looked inside, pulling the coats on the rack back and forth.
"God it's freezing" Mal shivered as he also looked in the wardrobe.
"She's not in there guys" Genya said.
"Oh my god, there she is" Fedyor called and Genya raced over, eyes narrowed as she peaked in the wardrobe, but she saw only darkness.
"What she's not-ahhh" Fedyor shoved Genya inside and threw his head back laughing and holding his stomach.
"Okay, that was mean" Mal said but Fedyor couldn't stop laughing and tears fell down his cheeks as he tried to contain himself.
"Guys, come here" Genya called and Fedyor immediately stopped laughing. The bouse changed the same confused look but followed on. The air grew colder and as they walked to the back of the wardrobe; the coats turned into trees. The snow-covered pine leaves fell on their shoulders as they whacked them out and suddenly, they fell into the permafrost. Genya stood in the middle of the clearing, looking in awe at the snowy forest.
"What the…" Mal said as he crunched through the snow to Genya. The look of shock was the same.
"Are you seeing this" Mal asked Genya, wanting to clarify that he wasn't dreaming and Genya nodded. How was it that a dusty old wardrobe leads them to a snowy forest? So many questions ran though their heads. Where they in England still? What was this place? How did a wardrobe lead to a completely different world?
"Yeah, I am" she mumbled and the two stood staring all around. The forest twinkled in the sunlight and the soft tweet of birds echoed. Snowflakes fluttered in the air and started to dust along their shoulders and head. It truly was a beautiful place.
"You- you don't think Alina…" Mal started and Genya turned to him. The notion seemed ridiculous to her, but it was a possibility.
"Do you think this is where she'd been all this time" Genya finished his thought and Mal shrugged.
"Well, it would explain a lot… but if she has then why wouldn't she tell us?" Mal was a little hurt. Alina was his best friend and sister even though not by blood. They told each other everything and yet she kept this a secret from them.
"Well, I can't imagine any of us believing her if she came and said, 'hey guys I've found a magically wardrobe that leads to the woods'" Genya said and Mal chuckled.
"Yeah, I guess your right".
"She must be here; she was nowhere in th- "something hit Genya in the back and Genya whipped around to see Fedyor laughing at her once again. snow covered her back and Genya growled in anger.
"For once would you act your age, Alina is missing and your throwing snowballs" Genya yelled and Fedyor rolled his eyes.
"Genya relax a little, you are so uptight".
"I'm uptight… you obviously don't seem to care that Alina might be in danger".
"Right, because a forest is going to kill her, for once would you loosen up a bit Genya, I'm sure we will find her" Fedyor argued.
"Yeah, no thanks to you, I seem to be the only person who cares right now about our sister".
"Hey, I care about Alina as well" Mal said angrily as he stormed over. The three of them started shouting at each other, blaming one another and the argument was getting heated. Genya was angry at Fedyor for being childish. Fedyor was mad at Genya because she was constantly being the 'mother' of the group. Mal was mad at Genya for saying he didn't care about Alina. The three were so invested in blaming one another that they didn't hear the crunch of the snow behind them. A figure dressed all in black emerged from the trees, a black shawl thrown over their head keeping them hidden.
"You three!" a voice called, and the group stopped arguing, turning with a gasp of fright as they looked towards the figure.
"Quickly now" the person ordered and turned around, trudging through the snow. The group exchanged looks and stared back at the figure who was waiting for them.
"Surely not" Genya said and Fedyor huffed before barging past her, following the woman. He was always one to take things literally.
"We don't even know this person and you want to follow them" Genya gritted at Mal as he went to follow Fedyor. She was uneasy about following this strange person who they knew nothing about. What if they were luring them in to murder them?
"Well maybe they can answer our questions" Mal said and Genya was about to argue but Mal had already left her standing alone in the clearing. Genya groaned to herself and followed on. Any right-minded person would have been sensible and stayed away from a stranger in a place they didn't know but Fedyor being Fedyor went along with this stranger. The group followed the hunched over person, giving strange looks now and then when the person gruffed at them to keep up.
The person led them through the forest and reached a small hut hidden by a small cave. The hut was made of stone and looked old and rustic. The person gave a glance around the forest before entering inside the hut, ushering the others to come in.
"Quickly, no dawdling and shut that door, you're letting the heat out" they ordered angrily, and the group quickly scurried inside like scared mice. The door to the hut slammed and darkness evaded them. A spark echoed and suddenly light from a fire glowed up the room, instant heat warming them.
The person threw the shawl draped over their head on a hook and it revealed an old woman. She was dressed in a black dress with a black scarf around her upper body. Her hair was pinned in an updo and was silver. Her big nose and grey eyes gave her a serious look and the group huddled closely to each other.
"Well, don't stand there like children, sit down" she was certainly a woman of no patience. The group gulped and sat down on the chairs laid out beside a small wooden table woven with twine. The woman paced back and forth around the hut, gathering a teapot and some teacups. The hut was small but spacious and in the middle was the firepit. To the side was a shelf with various pots on top and another shelf with jars and bottles with strange looking liquids and powders. The floor was concrete with dust and dirt and in the corners of the hit were great big spiderwebs which made Genya cringe and shiver.
"This place is weird" Fedyor whispered and Mal kicked him in the shin. The woman mumbled to herself while she busied herself in the small looking kitchen area. Opposite the three of them was another chair and a cane rested against it. Fedyor being the curious man he was leaned forward and picked it up, inspecting it.
"Put that down!" the woman scolded and Fedyor dropped it instantly, holding his hands to himself.
"Don't you know it's rude to touch things without permission" the woman settled the tea on the table and sunk down into her own chair.
"Drink up, you'll need your energy" she ordered and without a question, the three of them gulped down the tea, not because they were thirsty but out of fear. The hut grew an awkward silence and the woman stared at them intensely. The group exchanged the same wide eye look before Mal cleared his throat and spoke.
"So, are you going to tell us who you are?' he said anxiously. The woman looked right at him and Mal squirmed in his chair. How could an old lady be so scary?
"My name is Baghra" she said and Fedyor snorted a laugh.
"Something funny boy?" she scolded again and Fedyor squeaked, shaking his head.
"No, no" he murmured.
"I'm sorry about him, he knows no manners… we're looking for- ".
"Your sister, Alina" Baghra answered and Genya looked in shock. How did she know?
"Y-yes, how did you know?" she said and Baghra took a deep breath.
"I've been watching her ever since she came here… your sister is in great danger" Baghra said seriously.
"What do you mean?" Fedyor said softly. This was no laughing matter and the group leaned forward slightly, listening to every word Baghra said.
"This place you have entered is known as Ravka. Alina has been coming here every day through the wardrobe in your house, hasn't she?".
Genya exchanged a look to Mal. She knew something was going on with Alina and this proved them right.
"I was expecting for you to come soon but I had hoped you would enter sooner. You are the only people who can save Alina and defeat The Darkling".
"What!" the three of them said at the same time and Baghra huffed a little. She was hoping she wouldn't have to waste time explaining everything to them, but it looked like it was going that way.
"The Darkling, an evil shadow summoner planning to take over Ravka. He's been trying to take over the throne for centuries and now that Alina has come, he can finally do that".
"Okay, hang on a minute, what the hell is a shadow summoner and why does he want Alina" Mal interrupted and Baghra groaned. It seemed they were going to be here for a long time.
Hey so I hope you like it, what do you think will happen next, what do you think Baghra has planned for the group. Please leave a review and let me know