For John, the car ride back to Saint Mary's College took longer than it had before. Traffic lights appeared to remain red for extended periods and roads stretched for miles and miles.
Sherlock could be dead.
Unlikely, as the man could probably talk his way out of any situation, provided there was a pretty face to woo. However, it was possible, and that dreadful thought kept trying to wriggle its way into John's mind.
"We're almost there sir," the driver told him. He was a nice young man, probably just out of training, with not so much as a line to crease his face.
"There have been no vehicles spotted entering or departing from the grounds," said Lestrade from beside John.
It did little to ease the doctor. Sherlock was the closest thing he had to a friend, even if the 'consulting detective' would only describe himself as a colleague. Plus, John could not possibly afford to stay at Baker Street without additional money from somewhere else, and he did not particularly want to ask Harry for anything.
They turned onto the gravel driveway leading up to the school. The place had an ominous air to it that pressed down on John as if trying to suffocate him. The feeling had been there before, but not as strongly.
The school came into sight only a minute later.
John glanced up at the hollow eyes of the house. Two great oriel windows on the second floor stared down at him as he got out of the car.
The tower on the left side of the building at the front spiralled up into the ink black sky. A black shape crouched upon the point of the roof – a gargoyle.
Something in one of the tower windows stirred, catching John's eye. For a moment, he thought he saw a pale face of a girl. He wiped a hand over his eyes, and when he looked again the face was gone.
"John?" Lestrade's voice penetrated the silence.
"Yeah, sorry, what?"
"I've just spoken to Ted, he says the phone should be out in the woods somewhere," the inspector told him.
All of the colour appeared to drain from John's face.
"Of course, right... shall we go then?" he offered.
The pair of them set off into the waiting darkness.
xsherlockx
It had rained since John was last in the woods.
Everything smelt of wet.
He could feel the toes of his shoes dampening as they were slowly saturated by droplets on the fallen leaves.
Lestrade walked a little way ahead, the spark of white light from his phone screen being the only thing that let John know where he was. All the sound in the forest was soaked up by the trees and the ground.
"He should be around here somewhere," he said suddenly.
John stopped.
"I can't see anything."
Lestrade held up his phone and shone it around the small clearing they had found themselves in.
There was nothing of significance, though John half expected to see Sherlock stride out from between the trunks and start babbling about how incredibly late he was.
"SHERLOCK!" he bellowed.
There was no reply, save for the quiet rustle of leaves which danced along the ground.
"Perhaps he dropped it?" Lestrade offered.
"No, he's attached to that thing. He would never drop it." John informed him, surprising himself with the sudden edge of sourness in his voice.
All was silent.
"Perhaps it was stolen?"
"What was that?"
"Perhaps someone took it?"
"Is that you, John?"
"No."
"Perhaps, perhaps..."
"Who's out there?" John shouted.
There was still only silence.
"Sisters, the doctor calls to us. Shall we go to him?"
The giggle lacing the voice spread to the rest of the trees surrounding them. It sounded like hundreds of voices laughing at the two men.
Several beats passed, and then there was a crunch of leaves. Lestrade and John spun around to see a cloaked figure gliding toward them. A second figure joined the first, and then another and then another.
They stood in a ring around the men, thirteen of them, all draped in long black hooded cloaks.
The first figure was the only one they could see properly as she had dropped her hood to her shoulders. Curly blond hair was swept up behind her neck in a perfect bun, and her grey eyes led the rest of her face in a wicked grin.
"Dearest sisters, take them," she commanded.
It was then, that John felt a presence behind him. Something, or someone, struck him over the head.
The world turned to the black sky.
Help us.
xsherlockx
They had been dragged down through a large stone door, and into the ground, though the doctor had not been conscious to see it.
The cavern was a little bigger than anything John would have expected for the Coven, though he was quite sure that they had not built it, merely stumbled upon some sort of tomb that was not particularly in use. Everything was crusted with dust and dirt, including the pillar at the edge of the chamber which John and Lestrade had been tied to, back to back.
The Coven stood in a circle, placing and lighting candles around an altar.
"Hail to the guardians of the South, sacred flame that sparks life in all, our protection and father, welcome to the circle," the blond girl was chanting.
She stood at the head of the stone table, a compass in her hand. Her figure turned and called to the 'guardians' of each direction.
"Hail to the guardians of the West, waters of life, where all are cleansed and reborn, welcome to the circle."
Then all the dull whisperings from the rest of the Coven fell silent, and they all stood straight, taking their places behind the candles.
The girl turned to face the altar.
"I am Sister Penelope Moore, leader of the Coven," she spoke loudly, her voice echoing off the walls of the tomb.
On the altar was a girl, her bare back flush against the cold marble. It sickened John that the rest of the figures did not go to help her. She was completely exposed, writhing under the ropes that kept her to the altar, trying to speak through the cloth that bound her mouth, whimpering.
"Sister Stephanie Patterson, you have been disloyal to your kin, and therefore shall be punished," Penelope said.
The girl squeaked.
"Like Rebecca and Georgia before you, you shall be passed into the real world, where you shall be tortured and slain by those in whom you have placed your trust."
No one moved; none of the figures stepped forward to help the girl.
John and Lestrade sat in silence, staring, as Penelope pulled a dagger from beneath her mantle.
"I call upon our guardians to unbind this girl from our Coven,
Unbind, that is, her name from us, her face, her being."
Penelope stepped around to the side of the altar and began to cut into the girl's flesh.
Stephanie screamed.
A vial was brought forth by one of the sisters. It appeared to be filled with water, though John supposed the substance was probably heparin. The liquid was applied to the place where Penelope had sliced the skin, and then it was taken away.
"In her new world she will go, without you to guide her,
Take this sister from us and send her away, guardians."
The candles were snuffed out, and the figures began to move toward the girl. It appeared that the ritual was complete.
Cries echoed around the chamber as the group surrounded Stephanie.
Both men shivered as the room grew cold.
The Coven left, dragging with them the naked girl.
"We need to get out of here," John said.
"How?"
"I don't know just yet."
So JUST to piss you off I made this chapter all John. How annoying and EVIL am I?
AND, just to top it all off I have exams, WHICH MEANS I'm probably not going to be able to get a chapter up for another couple of weeks (Though I will try... my hardest...)
ALSO, This story could be completed fairly quickly from this point, however, I can also do a twist and make it a little longer for you.
So you please choose.
Longer or Shorter?
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Please remember to Review, as I like them.
Also if you have anything you would like to see in the next chapter or perhaps in some other sort of chapter, please do enlighten me, as I need some stuff to put in for fillings,
That doesn't include Madeleine's mother, as I already know what's happening in that (As she said, WE ARE SO NOT DONE WITH THE SUBJECT!) :D
Thank you!