Sorry for the late update everyone! A lot happens in this chapter, and it just took me a while to get it right. I hope you like this one, because I'm not sure how good it really is. You'll have to let me know :)
Please review!
Chapter 6
'So you are really alright?' asked Maud, her face creased with concern. The four friends were standing by the broom-shed enjoying the surprising turn in the weather. Their faces were turned up to the sky, soaking in the warmth from the sun. The sky above them was a pale blue. Clouds bunched around the school, as if they were in the eye of a storm, casting a dark shadow over the forest. The dark clouds were thick and ominous, smoothed on the surface, like they'd come up against a curved barrier in the sky.
Hope nodded again, trying to reassure her worried friends. It was a new experience for her, to actually have someone worrying about her. 'It was just a nightmare, honestly'.
Enid raised her eyebrows, leaning back against the wall of the shed. 'An extremely graphic one by the looks of it'. She tried not to show it, but the events of the night before had shaken her up badly. Not only that, but she was sure that there was something she was missing. The incident in the spells class kept nagging at her. There was definitely something between Hope and Mildred, and she had no idea what it was. There was something strange about Hope, and it was clear that Mildred new what it was, or at least part of it. And Enid just couldn't understand why Mildred hadn't told them.
Mildred squirmed uncomfortably. She had a good idea why Hope's nightmare had been so traumatising, but she had yet to have a private moment with the girl. Until they were alone she didn't feel confident bringing it up. She wasn't exactly very good at subtle hints.
The corner of Hope's lips twitched into a half smile. 'I have a vivid imagination. That isn't always a good thing'.
There was a small silence. It was lunch time, and the entire school had gravitated to the courtyard to make the most of the sudden change in the weather. It had been raining constantly ever since Hope had arrived at the academy, yet today the weather was warm and sunny. Even the teachers were out. Miss Hardbroom was talking to Miss Cackle on the other side of the courtyard, just in front of the window of headmistress's office. Miss Bat was standing close to the castle entrance, chewing on the stem of a flower, her gaze pensive. Miss Drill was talking to her, though apparently the gym mistress hadn't noticed that the chanting teacher wasn't paying attention. The atmosphere was cheerful and surprisingly calm, considering that they all knew they were in grave danger. The doctor was leaning just inside the castle doors, his eyes closed and his face tilted up to the sky. He seemed oblivious to the small group of admirers standing close to the wall of the castle, muffling their giggles behind their hands.
Mildred had felt a little better when Miss Cackle had formerly announced the doctor's presence at the school during assembly. The headmistress had shown the doctor around the school the day before, but there were naturally some students who had been absent during those introductions. Though Mildred didn't know it, Amelia had reintroduced the doctor after she had spent some time fleshing out his story. It was nice to know that if something did happen, they wouldn't need to wait for hours for a doctor to arrive.
Hope observed the doctor out of the corner of her eye, a slight frown creasing her brow. He was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, exposing the lean muscles in his arms. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his black slacks, and he was frowning. Despite his young appearance, what she had seen in her dream confirmed that he was a good doctor. She hadn't yet seen anything that might tell her that he was here for a purpose other than what Amelia had said. And yet…there was something…off about him. For some reason or other, she felt like there was another purpose behind his visit. Whether it was sinister or not was another matter, one she could neither confirm nor deny. She bit her lip, her frown deepening. Come to think of it, she had seen something specific in one of her earlier dreams, close to the time when she had broken away from Hecketty's control. What was it I saw exactly? I should probably double check that. Her hand moved automatically to the satchel hanging from her shoulder. The others had asked several times why she carried it everywhere, even to lunch. The truth was that she didn't want to risk losing her sketch book. She didn't even want to consider what might happen if Hecketty or Agatha got their hands on it. Her fingers curled around the worn binding but she hesitated. She couldn't take it out here, not with the others hanging around. She shifted impatiently, wondering whether she could wait until after lunch. Then again, she probably wouldn't get an opportunity to check after lunch. 'Guys, I um…I'm going to put my bag in my room. It's getting a bit irritating'.
Enid smiled, her tone laced with mock superiority. 'Told you. It would have been perfectly safe in your room'. It was odd, Hope reflected, that she was already beginning to distinguish the subtle difference between Enid's friendly barbs and the deliberate sarcastic goading reserved for people like Ethel.
Hope flashed a smile. 'I'll be right back'. She turned away from her friends and hurried across the courtyard, keeping her head down. She could practically feel Constance watching her. Ever since the night before, Hope had done her best to avoid the form mistress. Constance clearly suspected that there was something odd about what had happened last night, and Hope wasn't sure how long she would be able to hold her off. She wasn't even sure why she didn't want the woman to know that she was a Seer. Perhaps it was because there was a part of her, no matter how small, that looked at Constance and saw Hecketty. And no matter how hard she tried to dismiss the uneasiness she felt, it wouldn't let her be completely honest with the woman.
'Hope'. The girl jumped and turned, jerking her mind forcefully back to reality. Jason straightened from his relaxed position and smiled at her. 'Did you have any more nightmares last night?'
Hope hesitated. She hadn't actually taken the dreamless sleep potion. It was stashed away in the draw by her bedside, hidden right at the back. They'd worsened ever since her discovery of Hecketty's plot, becoming more vivid and more disturbing. She was planning to use the dreamless sleep potion sometime in the future. For now though, her dreams were useful. A warning system, so to speak. Jason smiled shrewdly, understanding the half concealed expression on her face. 'You didn't take it, did you?'
Hope shifted, twisting her fingers behind her back. She had literally no experience in interacting with men. Hecketty had never taken her to the doctor, and she had basically never left the house. Hecketty had a very low opinion of the opposite sex. And because of that, Hope was unsure how to act around this young, good looking, kindly man who seemed genuinely concerned for her wellbeing. She didn't want to be cold and stiff, to the point of rude, and yet she didn't exactly think that swooning over him from behind a wall was the right course of action either. She settled with honesty. 'I have nightmares a lot. They've been getting worse, so I thought I'd save it for another night'.
A frown furrowed his brow. 'Are they usually as bad as last night?'
Again, she shifted uncomfortably. Concern. It was foreign, and she'd been nearly overwhelmed with generous amounts since her arrival at Cackle's. Mildred, Maud, Enid, Amelia, Davina, and Constance, though the form mistress hid it well. They all had different ways of showing it. While Mildred and her friends expressed it outright and expected an answer, Amelia was more like a kindly matriarch, gently pushing until you opened up. Davina…well, she wasn't exactly sure how to describe the chanting teacher. She showed it with tea, at least that was the closest to a reasonable explanation Hope could come to. She gave you tea, offered you flowers and fussed over you. Constance seemed to prefer pretending that she wasn't concerned. Hope hadn't really interacted with Imogen, though the gym mistress had gone easy with on during gym. Both Imogen and Hope had been pleasantly surprised to find that Hope was relatively good at gym. 'Sometimes' she blurted. She was eager to escape the situation, her fingers itching to turn the pages of her sketch book.
Jason tilted his head, watching the alarm flitter over the girl's face. He'd learnt in his time as a doctor that pushing someone for an answer was not always the best course of action. Sometimes, you had to wait for them to come to you of their own accord. 'Well, if you need help with them, feel free to come looking. I'm a doctor, I'm here to help'.
Hope looked alarmed again, possibly startled by his sudden change of tactic. She nodded, giving him a quick nervous smile. He watched her turn and leave, her steps indicating that she was in a hurry to get away. He frowned again. Constance had given him a brief description of what had happened the night Hope had arrived. He knew people well enough to know that the deputy headmistress had left a good amount of the story out. He had no idea what this Hecketty would want with Hope, or Mildred for that matter. Constance had explained that there were four witches after the two girls, and that the teachers would be keeping a close eye on them. His frown deepened. It was odd, but as Constance had been explaining the situation, Jason had had the distinct feeling that there was someone else that Hecketty was after. Yet he couldn't understand why Constance would leave anyone out.
Walking quickly up that stairs, Hope opened her satchel and scrambled for her sketch pad, too impatient to wait until she got to her room. There was this nagging at the back of her mind, sort of like an oncoming headache, that she was missing something crucial. She just couldn't put her finger on it. But it wasn't a good feeling. Not all psychic warnings came in the form of visions. A lot of less powerful or developed psychics simply had a 'feeling' that acted as a prediction or warning for something that was about to happen. Most people referred to it as the Sixth Sense. If it was true, then something big and bad was about to come down. There had to be some clue, something that she had seen or heard that would explain why she felt so on edge.
Rounding the corner of the second year dormitories, Hope walked straight into someone. The satchel slipped off her shoulder and flew across the floor, her books scattering across the corridor as it went. Hope herself was knocked backwards, her shoulder colliding painfully with the stone wall. Wincing, she rubbed her shoulder, turning her attention to the girl sprawled on her back on the floor. Damn. She must have been moving more quickly than she realised.
Drusilla leapt to her feet, her face reddening with anger. 'Watch where you're going, freak!' The insult was not lost on Hope, though she chose to ignore it. She wasn't exactly going to go into the reason why she had a fit during her sleep, even if it would appease Ethel. Ethel was all about inheritance and ancestors (at least magical ones), and psychic powers were generally passed down through the family, strengthening with each generation.
Ethel folded her arms and stepped up beside her enraged friend. 'Now, now Drusilla, no need to make a scene. She makes enough of one as it is'.
Hope turned her attention to Ethel, ignoring the unease she felt at turning her back on the more violent of the two. It wasn't hard to realise that Ethel leader of the pair, and that any sort of mildly interesting verbal sparring would have to come from her. If she wanted to get out of this situation sooner, rather than later, she would have to deal with Ethel. Hope's eyes drifted over Ethel's face, pausing as she took in the vivid blue-black bruise staining Ethel's jaw. Immediately, she felt guilt stir in her stomach. 'Hey…I'm sorry…about that…' she gestured to the mark, letting the guilt show on her face. 'I didn't mean to hit you'.
Ethel's hostile expression evaporated and she looked faintly disturbed. For a moment, Hope glimpsed something in her eyes, as if she wanted to say something important. But then it was gone and Ethel snorted. 'Well, that's what I get for helping freaks. Just don't touch me again, or you'll be sorry'.
'Yeah. Being a freak makes you special, but not in a good way'. Hope became aware of how close Drusilla was. The red head had moved to stand behind her, and between her, Ethel, and the wall, she was beginning to feel very cornered. Which was their aim, she realised. Intimidation. That was how they played on people. They backed them up until they felt trapped and then taunted them about what they considered as their weaknesses. No wonder Mildred, an extremely sensitive and somewhat naive young girl, was so affected by their bullying. Hope felt a spark of anger, similar to what she had felt when she had originally met Ethel.
Perhaps Ethel saw the anger reflected in her eyes, because the brunette took a surprised step backwards, her gaze apprehensive. Her temper worn thin by their pettiness and her impatience, Hope raised her hand. Her satchel rose off the floor and her books fell inside one by one. Hope crooked a finger and the bag floated through the air towards her, settling comfortably on her shoulder. Ethel looked shocked. Magic was rarely used outside the classrooms, except on homework, and what Hope had just done was another example of how advanced she seemed to be. Not many people were that fluent in non-verbal spells. The girl took a step back, recognising the subtle hint to Hope's action. Drusilla was less intuitive. 'Hey! No magic outside the class room!' Her hand shot out and yanked the bag off Hope's shoulder. The books spilled across the floor as the bag hit the ground.
Drusilla's faint smirk faded almost immediately as Hope turned her head. Their eyes met over the girl's shoulder and Drusilla felt her blood run cold. There was something chilling about the glint in Hope's eyes. It wasn't threatening exactly, but it was strangely similar to HB's silent glare of disapproval. Drusilla had to force her eyes to remain steady, fighting the strong urge to back down under Hope's glare. 'That wasn't very nice. I'd appreciate it if you picked them up'. Again, there was no threat in Hope's voice; in fact her voice was unnervingly calm.
Hope turned her attention back to Ethel as Drusilla found her body responding to Hope's orders. Almost against her will, the red head crouched down and began to pile the books back into the satchel as Hope spoke again. 'I don't appreciate being threatened Ethel. And you're not going to get the same reaction from me as you get from other people. I've seen…it won't affect me, so save your breath and stop trying'.
Ethel clenched her teeth, bitting back a retort. There was something odd about what Hope had just said. It was almost as if she had been going to say something else. Instead, she chose not to goad the girl further. She didn't think it was a good idea, especially considering the look in Hope's eyes. It was a mix of impatience and repressed anger. And Ethel had the feeling that the anger wasn't really directed at her, which surprised her. She had expected Hope to be angry, and though she could tell that she had riled the girl, the anger behind her eyes was a distant one. Perhaps it had something to do with the apparent reason as to why Hope wouldn't be affected by Ethel's taunting. She'd experienced worse. For some reason, that thought sent a shiver down Ethel's spine.
Drusilla straightened and held out the bag for Hope to take. The girl slung it over her shoulder and began to walk away. Ethel met Drusilla's eyes and frowned slightly, sensing that her friend had something to tell her. Drusilla had her hands behind her back and the gleam in her eye told Ethel that the red head had just discovered something interesting. Ethel wasn't sure whether she should be pleased or apprehensive that Hope might discover Drusilla's findings first. Hope turned back to them, her hand on the doorknob to her room. 'You two may think that you're on top of the world right now, that you can act however you want and get away with it. But take my advice; things are about to get very tough around here, and there won't be many people willing to stand for your remarks when it does'. With that, Hope opened her door and stepped inside, shutting it quickly behind her.
Hope leaned against the door and tilted her head back, closing her eyes. After taking a few calming breaths, she crossed the room and flung her satchel onto the bed. She was bending down, her hands fumbling with the opening, when a flash of light sliced through the window, blinding her. Hope jumped to her feet and ran to the window, even as the light faded. She placed her hands on the window ledge and leaned out, scanning the courtyard below for any sign of the cause, and froze. The screams that suddenly split the air only served to confirm her suspicions. A white glow surrounded the school, appearing to stretch from the wall right up over the roof. As Hope watched, thin black cracks split the edges, racing up around the expanse of the dome, forming an intricate web of dark magic. The lines began to burn. The wards were broken. Agatha and Hecketty wouldn't be far behind. Her thoughts raced, darting from Constance to Mildred and then back again. Finally, her focus settled on Mildred. At least Constance could defend herself.
Hope spun on her heel and moved quickly towards the door, her satchel forgotten. She was halfway across the room when the vision hit.
Crimson blood pooled in the cracks between the uneven cobble stones, scorched black by dark magic.
A purple rose lay in a pale, slender hand. Long fingers curved around the stem protectively and a familiar voice spoke above her. 'Thank you'.
An unfamiliar hand turned the pages of her sketch book.
A flash of blinding white light exploded into existence in the centre of the courtyard. A figure swathed in white flames blocked the way for three ragged looking witches, their faces transfixed with fear.
Someone was crying in the darkness of a room, the soft distressed sound echoing strangely in the darkness. A figure was curled in a foetus position, the blankets wound tightly around their torso, head buried in the fur of a scruffy tabby cat.
A man with dark hair sat at a piano, his hands moving with familiar ease up and down the ivory keys. A soft, hauntingly sad tune echoed through the assembly hall, and a tall figure approached from the open door.
A witch with round spectacles and wild grey hair cackled madly, lips twisted in a grotesque smile of victory. A reddish light glowed around wrinkled hands. 'Sweet dreams Mildred Hubble!'
Hope opened her eyes. She was lying sprawled in her front on the cold stone floor of her bedroom. Her arm was twisted awkwardly underneath her torso and her ribs and hips ached from the sudden collision. Her head pounded from the impact of hitting the hard floor and she could taste blood in her mouth. She must have bitten her lip on falling. Slowly, Hope pushed her aching body off the floor, wincing as she reached up to feel the bump rising on her head. God, she hated day visions. Day Dreams, as she liked to call them, always hit without warning, and usually resulted in some sort of injury, unless she was conveniently sitting down at the time. Reaching out, Hope grabbed the edge of the bed and used it to hall herself to her feet, grimacing as the room spun. That was another thing about Day Dreams; they sapped her strength. Apparently, visions that occurred during her sleep sapped her strength too, but because she was asleep she didn't notice, and her body had time to recuperate before she woke up. All magic came with a price. Sometimes she seriously hated her powers.
The high pitched ringing in her ears faded and she suddenly became aware of the screams and shouts issuing through her bedroom window. Closing her eyes, Hope focused and stretched out her mind, searching for the strangely familiar painted landscape that was Mildred's mind. She found it and latched onto it, focusing her thoughts into a point of clarity as she zoned in on Mildred's location. Then, keeping half her mind fixed on Mildred, she concentrated on the atoms and particles that made up her body and folded her arms over her chest. There was a slight pause and then she vanished, tugged into a swirling vortex of atoms and molecules that shone like stars.
Mildred frowned slightly, her eyes still fixed on the entrance to the castle. Jason had gone back his relaxed position after Hope's departure, though his frown was more severe than before. She wondered what they had talked about. 'She's taking a long time'.
Maud kept her eyes on the sky, still determined to make the most of the sunshine, though a crease formed between her eyes. She was slightly surprised by the worry in her friend's voice. 'Maybe she stopped at the bathroom. Why the concern Millie?'
'Yeah', agreed Ruby, 'what could happen to her in their?' She and Jadu had joined their friends not long after Hope had hurried off. They'd been delayed, but it was just approaching 12:15, and there was still plenty of time for them to enjoy lunch.
Mildred gave her friends a small smile. It was already getting harder to keep what she knew from them. If they knew about Hope's real reason for being here then they would probably understand her concern. 'I suppose your right. It's just, you know, I'm meant to be looking after her'.
Enid smiled at her friend. 'You have been looking after her. It's just a short trip, what's the worst that could happen?'
A high pitched ringing sound filled the air. It grew in volume and the quiet chatter died out as everyone slapped their hands over their ears. There was a metallic taste in the air, sharp and acrid, like blood and the air seemed to shimmer with heat. There was a flash of brilliant white light that seemed to curve inwards at the last moment, leaving an impression of shadow behind.
Mildred was bent double, waiting for her vision to return. But the hands pressed over her ears did not prevent her from hearing the sudden screams of shock and terror. She lifted her head. The school was encased in a dome of dull white light netted with thin black lines. High above them, Mildred could just see that there was a hole in the dome, rapidly expanding as if it was being burned away.
'Everybody get inside!' Miss Hardbroom's commanding voice rose over the screams and shouts of the students. As one, the confused students started to run towards the doors, where Miss Bat and Miss Drill were urging them on. Jason had moved to stand by Miss Cackle and Miss Hardbroom. The potions mistress seemed to be trying to explain the situation to the extremely worried headmistress.
Enid was the first to move. 'Come on!' The expression on HB's face was enough to convince her that the worst had not happened yet. She reached out and grabbed Maud's hand and Ruby's elbow and jerked them forwards. The friends ran across the paving stones, suddenly feeling as if the courtyard was far larger than it usually was, the doors miles away.
The uneven stones beneath their feet exploded upwards. Enid, Maud, Ruby and Jadu were thrown forwards by the blast, landing sprawled at their teacher's feet. Mildred, several paces behind the others, was thrown backwards, landing painfully on her back in the centre of the courtyard. A barrier of crackling red energy sprang into being, rising high into the air and blocking Mildred from her friend's view.
Winded, Mildred lay on her back, staring up at the hazy dome overhead. Her back felt as if it was on fire, and she wondered whether the skin had torn as she skidded across the stones. 'We meet again, Mildred Hubble!'
Ignoring her body's protests, Mildred propped herself up on her elbows and looked up. Agatha Cackle was sitting on her broomstick, hovering directly above her. Coldstone and Bindweed were floating directly over the veil, casting curses at the people on the other side of the circle. Mildred attempted to scramble backwards but stopped as she came too close to the heated barrier. She looked up at Agatha and stared into the eyes framed by large glasses. And suddenly, she felt a flame of righteous anger ignite in her chest. How dare Agatha invade her school? How dare she threaten the safety of her friends? The anger filled her up, chasing the fear into the corners of her mind, burning away her insecurities and doubts. She stood painfully, glaring up at Agatha, the red veil reflected in her eyes. 'What do you want?'
Agatha cackled loudly, not impressed by the girl's brave attitude. 'I'm fulfilling the wishes of a certain witch that wants you dead'. Agatha shot a curse at Mildred's feet, forcing the girl to leap out of harm's way. 'Of course, that doesn't mean that I won't enjoy this'.
Mildred ignored the fear churning in her stomach. 'You know that Hecketty will turn on you the moment you've served her purpose. You're nothing more than a tool to her'.
That earned her another curse that she was forced to avoid. Agatha was playing with her, and that only served to feed her anger. Summoning her limited knowledge of defensive spells, Mildred used the technique Hope had suggested and sent one of the broken flag stones hurtling through the air towards Agatha, intent on knocking her off her broom. Agatha jerked her broom higher, just outside the barrier, and glared down at Mildred. 'You little brat!'
Agatha waved her hand and Mildred suddenly found that she couldn't move. Her feet were glued to the ground, routed to the spot. Mildred stopped struggling, her chin tilted up proudly and her jaw clenched in defiance. Agatha cackled madly, her lips twisting in a grotesque smile of victory. Red light glowed in her wrinkled hands, reflecting a mad light in her eyes and highlighting the wildness to her grey hair. 'Sweet dreams Mildred Hubble!' Agatha drew her hand back and threw the ball of red light towards the helpless girl.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Mildred's view was suddenly blocked as a black clothed figure appeared in front of her. Hands gripped her shoulders and the world spun as the person turned her body to the side. There was an explosion of smoke accompanied by the sound of ecstatic laughter.
Mildred looked up at Miss Hardbroom, her heart pounding with the realisation of her near escape. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see smoke rising from a scorched paving stone. Miss Hardbroom had pivoted them both, and for one moment Mildred dared to hope that the spell had missed them as Miss Hardbroom continued to stare down at her. Then her eyes rolled up in the back of her head and her body lurched forwards. Mildred grabbed vainly at her form teacher's arms in an attempt to keep her upright, vaguely aware that a scream of horror was issuing from her lips. Mildred fell to the ground beside the crumpled potions mistress, staring at her in shock. She placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a slight shake, still trying to comprehend that Miss Hardbroom had actually been rendered immobile. She looked up at the sound of Agatha's voice. 'Well, well, well, who is going to help you now, Mildred Hubble?' Mildred barely had time to shield her face before Agatha sent another ball of red light hurtling towards her.
A flash of blinding white light exploded into existence in the centre of the courtyard, illuminating every nook and cranny between the paving stones. Mildred lowered her arms and stared. The barrier was gone. Agatha and her crones were blinking rapidly, spots dancing in front of their eyes as the lingering remains of white light licked over the castle walls. A figure swathed in white flames stood in front of Mildred and Constance, arms spread wide. There was a large blackened scorch mark on the castle wall, mere inches away from Bindweed, from where the curse had deflected. Mildred gapped, recognising the person beneath the flickering white hot flames. It was Hope. Agatha and her crones looked frightened, and Mildred wondered whether Hecketty had even bothered to tell them of Hope's advanced talents. Without saying a word, Hope raised her arm with deliberate slowness and pointed at the three witches, her fingers splayed wide. The three ragged witches screamed in unison and clutched their heads, barely managing to stay aloft on their brooms. Mildred swallowed heavily, wondering what Hope was doing to them.
'Mildred!' Mildred jumped and looked up. Jason and Amelia were kneeling beside her, the headmistress tugging on her shoulders. Jason was pressing two fingers against Miss Hardbroom's pulse point, his features rigid with concern and urgency. His other hand was pressed against the unconscious woman's back, and Mildred could see that he was holding a ward of fabric. She stiffened, ignoring Amelia's attempts to get her to move. A dark liquid was spreading rapidly over the fabric, staining the doctor's hand as he attempted to staunch the blood flow. Mildred's eyes refocused to a point behind Constance and she gasped, seeing something she hadn't noticed before. Crimson blood pooled in the cracks between the uneven cobble stones, scorched black by dark magic.
Tearing her gaze away, Mildred looked up at Hope, just in time to see what happened next. The white flames licking around Hope's fingers grew brighter and shot out from her finger tips, arching through the air towards the dazed trio. Agatha screeched and jerked her broomstick around, racing her two crones towards the gap in the hazy force field as the column of white fire chased them beyond the school boundaries. The moment they were outside the walls, Hope curled her fingers, forming a fist, and the flames changed direction. They hit the barrier and raced up it, tracing the faint outline. Soon, the hole that the witches had entered through was blocked by a wall of white fire.
Hope turned away and faced her. The flames winked out of existence, leaving her body unharmed. To Mildred's alarm, Hope fell to her knees, as if the fire had been holding her in place. Jason was saying something to Amelia as the headmistress reached out towards the fallen girl, her hand still gripping Mildred's shoulder. Hope remained on her hands and knees as Amelia placed a hand on her arm, her head bowed as she took several deep breaths. Mildred gasped as cold sensation rushed through Amelia's hand, through her body and down her arms into Constance. Jason jumped, as if experiencing the same thing. Mildred felt a tug somewhere deep in her chest and her vision went black as Hope pulled her from the courtyard and into space.
So, what do you think? Constructive criticism is more than welcome, though again no flames please. What would you like to happen next? What do you think might happen next?
Please review, even if it's a small one :)
