POV Narrator:
The ball they had in Luna Nova with the visit of the Appleton boys went on, with the capture of cameras and a device that reduces magic, the girls are making discoveries about it all, first revealing each thing in turn, before starting to look more closely at the evidence they collected, besides Jordan was also reverse engineering the magic reducing device, She even got to analyze the programming of the device and was in shock because it was something extremely complex, so that when she found out she was trying to decipher every single thing in that code.
Laura, along with Bernadette, went to the library to look for records about Appleton's past and both discovered that the place has a much more disturbing past than they thought it had, that place was once a tribunal that tried and tortured witches captured during the hunting era and that continued secretly for some years after the hunting ban, reports of witches who escaped from the clutches of that academy, which was just a place of facade for what was happening there secretly. The most recent record dates back to 1915 of a student named Velma Foster who ventured into the place with the intention of trying something with the boys or even to see them, but was captured, spent a whole week being tortured and tried in a secret dungeon hidden in the academy, besides having her magic drained by the same students and the abuse she suffered. Until the day she escapes and makes it back alive to Luna Nova. This record was not so recent, but it was not so old either, being from 70 years ago and 3 centuries after the prohibition of the witch hunts it was really something very strange to think that it was still happening.
All that investigation by the girls, made them discover things that made them a little bit afraid and also angry, for what the witches were doing in Appleton, including Bernadette who was a little bit scared with what Laura and April were messing with, besides her being in the middle of it too, with the great risk of being captured and going through the same thing that poor Velma Foster went through, McLaren soon has an idea, to find where this Velma Foster was and interview her to find out what happened in Appleton, but this would take some days, since they would need to know where she lives and also if she was still alive, since it was very likely that she was close to 90 years old.
With the days going by Laura had to go in one more race, on Friday she qualified in the pole position and as usual on Saturday she got one more victory, even if she was already with the maximum of points necessary for the season, she showed that she was setting a dominant season more and more, This attracted the attention of other teams that watched from afar the spectacular performance of McLaren and even tried to negotiate with the Irish driver, who in this case would not race in the WBRC because of the LEAF contract, but would sell design projects of racing brooms to these teams, in case they were interested, many of them even left thinking that it was no big deal and that it was just a joke just because she was a racer and not a designer.
Sunday, October 11, 1987
The girls continued with their studies, coming to the conclusion that Velma Foster was still alive at the age of 90, living in London, England. But before they went out in search of the witch who escaped from Appleton, they decided to use that Sunday day to explore the academy itself, in a plan that April had devised all week with a map of Luna Nova with some places that have been closed for years.
POV Laura:
Okay, after a quota of getting information I was disgusted with Appleton, I already thought that the place was not good, but now I see that all this pretending to be okay with the witches is a front for everything they are planning with us... They want to kill us... Fucking sons of bitches... Now it all makes sense, that little device to reduce magic, by the nine lesbian witches... But it is still strange about their manipulation of magic... Men have no magical presence, they cannot manifest magic unless they are a trans man who has not transitioned or a trans woman who is starting to transition, but even then these are very adverse conditions, as soon as a trans man starts taking hormones, little by little the magic is gone... If they are really boys by birth, then the hole is deeper... Well, April is planning a raid on the abandoned corridors here, but we run the risk of getting caught, no matter how good the plan is.
- So Laura, do you understand? we are going to turn into animals and go to this basement here, it used to be an old dungeon, it was used to punish girls who didn't know how to behave? It's a very dark side of Luna Nova's history, not even here is a place where we can fully trust, Well, I hope you won't get yellow, because we have to try to get as much information as possible," said the stick while I paid attention to her.
- I understand April, but how are we going to get through to this corridor? If I'm not mistaken it is covered by a concrete wall, I know exactly where it is because I've been there and all I see is a wall, how do we get through a wall without being noticed? - I ask April.
- Laura is right, to pass through a wall is necessary for us to use a little magic and this can draw too much attention, we must find another way to pass through this place without being drawn attention for using magic and also the magical metamorphosis is out of question, it uses magical power and leaves our presence exposed - said the cabbage.
- So what are we going to do? How are you going to get through the wall without drawing attention and using magic? We need to find a way to get through without drawing attention - said the stick until I pointed to the map.
- Let's go another way, you got the whole map, so soon we can go through there until we get to this dungeon, or it would be impossible to get there just having that entrance as an air passage, wanting it or not this dungeon has to have some ventilation or else the trapped students would die suffocated - I say to April who scratches her chin.
I then take the map myself and analyze a path until I notice that there are air passages, so there's no way around it, we will have to use magic... These passages and pipes won't fit a human, unless... Wait a minute... This device... April already...
- April! I already know! This device, have you deciphered its programming yet? We can use it to our advantage! Can you make it have a system that masks our magical presence? This kind of thing could open the door to our invasion - I say to April, who pats me on the head, which one is it? This idea was genius.
- That's what I was going to do airhead, I wanted to talk, but you won't let me explain... Well, I reprogrammed this device, besides seeing some good options that it had and one of them was to mask magical presences, and also serve to measure and feel the amount of magic that each one of you has ... Speaking of which... Let's see how much magic each one of you has - she said, pointing the thing to me that began to beep ... Ah, now she's going to measure my magic - How strange Laura... You are one of the most powerful witches there are and this business is only showing 5, maybe I have to reprogram it - She said scratching the back of her head.
- I don't need to use all my magic at once, I learned from my great-grandmother to control my magic, as a matter of strategy I don't usually show all my magic at once.
- Five too... You two are weird, well let's go see Rose... Wow! She has 43, But that's impressive Rose, you have a very high magic even, now let's see me - She said pointing to herself and then I went looking at the screen and it showed 60, not bad girl, although I do not know anything about these numbers, what they mean - So how much is it? 60! I am the most powerful here! How incredible! - she said all happy and joyful.
- Hey April, measure me now, I'll show you just a little bit - I say, stretching out my arms, beginning to concentrate the magic while that device began to beep little by little.
- 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 75, 80... Laura! Stop! This device is going to break! - I stop so as not to cause too much trouble and then open my eyes with April going into shock - 122! And that's because you stopped! How impressive! That's a pretty high number, you know! Your inner magic is quite powerful indeed - she said impressed.
- Now tell me more about this little device - I tell her.
Then April tells us function by function of that device, but what the fuck, it masks our magic, measures our magic and the magic of others, it's like she has a device that is a very trained witch, since that Bern and I are able to do in sensing magical presences around, not to mention that it can even cancel the magic around, so we have to be careful, from what April said is a magic of up to 50 that can be canceled by that device in a radius of 5 meters around... Ah so that's what made me untransformed that day? That makes sense, well even with that I could still use magic easily, besides also having the function of analyzing magical things, those boys from Appleton are geniuses even though they do shit... After all that explanation from April I raise my hand.
- Look April, you better not use this thing, since we don't understand it as well as you do - I tell her.
- I know , but it's just that I want to show you everything it does, so that it's clear what these monsters can do with just this little thing, you also had to be careful because when you used magic they not only could have measured, but they can steal magic with this thing by casting a spell - she said.
- This I already noticed, when I cast a spell on their weapon I noticed how it was lowering the power, so it was the function of stealing magic from this object too... But why would they want magic? Are they using magic stolen from us all the time? - I say to April.
- I don't know, Sherlock Holmes, but we'll find out if we have the patience, I'd love to break into Appleton to collect information, but I'm the quick one, I have to be careful? Although Eleanora goes there a lot, she knows everything, she could be very useful for us! I don't stop to think about it! Damn it! We're a great team! - Said April all excited until a knock at the door of our room.
- I'll see who it is - said the cabbage.
POV Bernadette:
These girls... What a crazy and crazy plan they are making, but it's kind of fun, it's interesting to play the investigator with them, I'm sure there must be something big behind all this... Well, let's see who is at the door... As soon as I open the door I notice that it was Professor Finnelan and with that I send a signal to the girls and go outside to meet the lady.
- It was to be expected, in the red team room again, I want to know what you've been doing so much in their room that makes you abandon your team every weekend? - she said with her hand on her waist and staring at me angrily as I closed the door.
- I just like to spend the day with my friends, it's no big deal teacher, it's not against the rules to go to another team's room to sleep outside, but why did you come after me? - I ask her.
- Come with me girl, I have tolerated these last few days that conversation we had the other day and even understand your nervousness, that's why now that you should be in a better mood and more sane, I will talk more seriously again - She said already signaling for me to follow her.
- Wait a bit then - I tell her, who had her hands behind her back, while I opened the door to the girls' room - I'll be right back. I have to talk to the teacher - I tell them that just nod their heads. I close the door and soon go with the teacher through the corridors to her room, for another conversation.
Really? Did she think she was altered last time? I was full and sane about what I said... Well, this time I am so relieved that I don't have to walk around in jail, and now this? Well it was really weird, my mother didn't even come here or anything, even more than she would be able to come flying to "correct" me just because I went with a simpler outfit to that stupid dance. When we arrived she, as usual, opened the door and called me in. She seemed more like a psychologist, only a son of a bitch, because every week she has to call me to her office and I get worse every day.
- Sit down and have some tea, Miss Cavendish - she said as always saying the same things, more like a programmed robot.
- Have you called my mother? Have you sent her the letter? Have you told her everything? Have you destroyed someone's freedom today? - I say to the teacher who gets a little upset.
- Miss Cavendish, I ignored what happened that day, I even suspect your involvement in beating the boys from Appleton, although they did not beat you, but I understand that it may have been a self defense in the case of abuse, but this would not happen if you were wearing a dress, your clothes that day were poor and then they thought that because you were poor you had to serve them, it's not just a matter of image, I even thought it breaks standards this idea of yours that people should not be attached to clothes by their financial condition, But understand that it is much more than that, dressing like that makes you lose credibility, makes you look like an easy woman who is poor, who does everything for money, does not impose any respect, I understand that you teenagers want to wear what you want, but it's much more than that, we only want to protect you, we adults only want your welfare, I know how it is because I'm a mother too and my daughter is an adult, she did not give me that much trouble - she said, canceling herself already, the teacher can not even keep her point.
- Look teacher, I know you want to "protect" me, if you can call it protection, because I wasn't the only one dressed like that, there were many others who dressed like me and weren't abused at all, the problem is not the clothes but the abuser... But unfortunately it won't do any good to talk about it with you, I wasn't emotional that day, I was more sane than ever - I tell her, getting up.
- Are you leaving this room again? I want you to know that our conversation has not ended here, I will make it very clear to you, next week I want to see results, I want to see you away from Laura McLaren and I will give you until the end of this month to change this behavior, otherwise I have no choice but to call your mother here for a talk? Are we agreed? I don't want to have to do that Miss Cavendish, don't make me feel guilty, it would be very sad to see you getting a scolding from your mother, I would feel guilty not being able to fulfill my role given to your mother to be your guardian - said the boring old woman? I mean the teacher... She is now being a manipulator, I don't like this at all, this time I'm really going to get out of this door.
- Then feel the weight of guilt, for I am free to be who I am - I say, walking out the bedroom door.
So it's November? I'll have enough time to be able to think of some way to get my mother out of here... I hate to lie, but I think that will be enough to at least get me out of this safely... To be honest I'm in shock, I'm scared to death of this whole thing, because anything could make it all go down the drain... I'm really starting to like someone... And if my mother comes... She will send me back to Weddinburgh and I will never get to see Laura again. She'll end up forgetting about me, she'll end up moving on... I'm afraid of that... Besides I would lose all my hard-earned freedom... I can't let her come and destroy everything, but I don't know what to do, not if she comes and not to make her not come. I reach the door and enter the room.
- Ah Bern! You've arrived, so... We've got it all figured out... Bern... Bernadette? - Said Laura worried while I cried a little, then she came to me and hugged me.
- Laura... Would you come visit me if I was expelled? I think I will end up leaving Luna Nova. My mother might come here in November because Finnelan might write a letter about my behavior here and I am afraid to leave... I don't want to leave this place... I have my freedom... I don't want to... I don't want to... - I say, already bursting into tears while Laura hugged me and calmed me down.
- Easy... Calm down... We'll work this out Bern, I'm not leaving you, I like you too much to do this and whatever your mother does, I'll always be with you... - she said kissing me. That kiss... Relieved me... Laura is a good, hot kisser... I'm feeling a little better Such a relieving kiss... Thank you Laura...
- Hey, if it is a letter I know what we are going to do, we have until the end of October. So it's fucking time, I will help you in this Bern, for the friendship I have with you and for Laura too, I don't want my best friend to be alone without the person she loves so much, so I know what to do, we will forge her letter, first of all I will collect some information, I will see if someone will join me in this, I need a thin and agile girl... Sorry Laura, sorry Rose... But you're not too slender for this kind of thing - April said trying to relieve me with a miraculous plan of her own while Laura was wiping my tears.
- Yes! Let's do it! Do you accept our help Bern? We won't involve you in this. Bern is thin, but she can't be involved with this kind of thing because it would be too risky.
- I'll let you... But hey, tell me your plan, I really want to participate in this mission - I say excited and wiping the tears.
They are soon telling me detail by detail about this exploration plan that would involve going out as soon as it gets dark in the academy's corridors, so we go in through the ventilation disguised as cats, putting the cameras tucked around our necks, as well as that magic measuring device, I thought it was an incredible plan, actually quite safe, they managed to think in much more detail I would say.
POV Narrator:
The hours go by, the girls spend that time playing and also thinking of ways in case the main plan goes wrong, Rosemary would stay with a radio communicating with the trio that would go out to explore that mysterious place, that the only reason it was closed was about the dark past of that enclosure.
Until 7 o'clock at night, they leave the room, using radios, to communicate, a camera, flashlights and also the magic device so they can pass through the pipes quietly, the trio quickly reaches the basement of the academy, where the central ventilation was and from there they transform into cats when they enter the passage, with this they also use the device on themselves to mask the magical presence until they reach the place. Things were magically shrunk so they could fit into their reduced bodies.
POV Laura:
I hate being turned into an animal... Even more so when I'm naked, I can see everything from the others too... How embarrassing... They could turn me into an animal leaving at least some clothes on, I'm facing April... Jesus and Bern right behind me ... Well, let's go... Never mind, I'm a cat, not a human, so kind of fuck it. Until we arrive where it was pointed to go down, it was the hidden dungeon, we open that grate and soon I am pushed by April and fall on the way back to human form, I was with a flashlight in hand and the radio ... Soon I feel someone falling right on top of me and another person.
- Whew... The fall was pretty mild... I thought it would be much worse - said the cabbage, up your ass! Of course it was soft, both of you fell on top of me.
- I turned into a sandwich falling on top of one and then being crushed by the other... Ouch... At least the device didn't break... - Said the stick until I pushed the two on top of me off.
[Rose: Where are you? Roger]
[Me: We've just arrived Rose, it's quite empty and dark here, a rather scary corridor. Roger]
I quickly get up, dust off my clothes and look around, it was really scary, Bern was already taking pictures, I walked around and there were some cells, all empty and I was really horrified, they were chains with handcuffs to hold the girls and even had those tortures from medieval books? Jesus... We walked around the place and I really don't know why we came, there was nothing... Besides a dusty old book. Which I then use a little magic to dust off and focus the flashlight on "How to educate rude schoolgirls... By: Eadlyn Finnelan...", what the fuck is that? How awful... The bad old lady's family was like that since the time this place existed... That explains a lot.
- Hey Bern come here, take a picture of this. - I say calling to Bern who comes over to me and takes a picture of the book.
- Eadlyn Finnelan... We'll have to check this name later in the Luna Nova records - I just nod my head in agreement until April takes the book in her hand and flips through it.
- April! No, dammit! Don't do that, are you stupid? You don't touch an unknown book just like that, you don't know what's in it, if it can even cause a curse or even seal you inside - I say, already desperate, casting a levitation spell and putting the book back in place.
- Woah! Laura... Hold on... I'm wearing gloves, I won't have my fingerprints revealed and nothing happened... I just went to see what was in it and it seems to be written in MCLXXVI, I don't know what number it is, but I'm sure it's a Roman numeral from some year - April said until Bernadette took a picture of the book.
- 1176, this book was written 811 years ago, we can't take the book, but we can take pictures of some pages, I will take care of that, you explore other places here, I can take care of myself - Bern said with all her confidence, that I am sure of.
- You go ahead, April and I are coming - I say, waving to her.
[Rose: Is everything okay there? Roger].
[Me: We found a book and we are taking pictures, Roger].
[Rose: Is there no one around? Roger].
- Hey April, is there a magical presence around? - I ask her as she looks at the device.
- Only spiritual, this little device can detect spirits too, but there is no one around in this place - she said answering me.
[Me: Everything is clean except for a few boo ghosts. Roger].
[Rose: This is no time for jokes Laura. Roger]
From there we explored more of the place, incredibly I was disgusted to learn that there was a ghost, which signaled that someone had already died here, so I decided to walk with my eyes closed trying to feel something, putting my hands on April's shoulder, so she guided me through the corridors... Incredibly it was only a single spirit presence and it was in the direction of where we were walking, I knew April would go ghost hunting.
- April, you are not going towards the spirit? Right? - I ask her.
- And if I am? You're afraid of a little ghost, especially a witch as powerful as you - said the stick all debauched.
- I'm not afraid, but I know that spirits don't like to be disturbed, we are invading it space - I tell her.
- Relax girl, dead people don't do anything, it's one of the basic rules of spirits that they can't interfere in the world of the living, especially those who are on earth - she said shrugging her shoulders. I'm not going to say anything to this girl.
We go through the corridors following this presence of mind, until we reach a cell that was different, it was more spacious, more decorated, how strange, even in cells they had class divisions, a luxurious bed... But what is this... A tree? It looks like the dead witches from the forest of Arcturus, I know well that they are witches who died there, strange that this is a young girl, I analyzed the face and there was also a spirit sitting on one of the branches of this tree, looking at us.
- What are you witches doing here? - said the spirit.
- Don't do anything April... I come in peace spirit... We're just exploring this place - I tell the spirit.
- I was condemned to live in this place for eternity, I was sealed by a person I don't remember, I don't even know what happened here or what they did to me for sure... Please, witch... Free me from this suffering and I'll let them stay in peace in this place - said the spirit... I can imagine... She was murdered by someone and that murderer must have sealed her here... How cruel... I wonder how many years she has been here.
- Hey Laura, she died recently, what I analyzed here is that this tree is 74 years old, so we have something else to do - April said.
- Please witches... I have been sealed up for years in this place with nothing to do... I only remember turning into a tree... Send me to the place where the spirits stay... I've been here for years listening to the people up there ignore me... I don't even know my name - said the spirit until I aimed my wand at her. Do I do that? Should I? Or I might end up awakening an evil spirit out of it.
I still stare at that wand not knowing what to do, the spirit looked like a young girl, she looked our age, she must have been a student here... But it is very strange that a student from my great-grandmother's time is in this place... What happened here? Now I will want to know more in depth, until the cabbage comes.
- What's up girls? - she says, until April points to Laura.
- Please, another witch, get me out of this suffering, I want to get out of here... I don't want to stay in this tremendous suffering... Do something - said the spirit until I noticed Bern cast a spell on her.
- What are you doing Bern? What if she causes something? - I say, already a little desperate as the spirit disappears.
- This is a dying spirit, they just want to go to Lilith and die an honorable death - Bern said, not really knowing as much about spirits as she does, so maybe she's right.
- Well then, let's see whose face is on this tree, I know how to use a spell that makes the features of the face clearer - I say, casting a spell on the tree that soon reveals the girl's face little by little, showing those features better.
[Rose: I've come to see if you're all right again. Roger]
[Me: We are already coming back there, we are fine, we have collected enough information for the investigation. Roger]
[Rose: Got it, Roger]
We didn't really do more than take pictures of the tree's face and we left there towards our team's room, a rather quiet walk around and more pictures that needed to be developed... What a day... After all that I say goodbye to Bern and give her another kiss just for the sake of it. She deserves it after a full day... From there she goes to her room and I stay in mine. A pity... Sleeping apart... I can't wait to win this heart of hers This girl deserves a good little love, but this issue with her mother... Let's hope April can really give her a hand... I would be very grateful.
See you, ghost witches...
