Chapter 15 : Retrouvailles

Beatrice found herself in a cemetery, standing on a grave.

She stepped away from it and moved forward ; as much as she'd love to explore this world and see how much had changed in her absence, the bell took priority, and she highly doubted she would find it in a graveyard.

She froze when she reached the gate. The world beyond those rusty bars was so different from what little she remembered the teenager wondered if she really was in the right place. Everything from the unnatural glow of the street lights to the horseless vehicles moving around noisily to the architecture of the buildings boggled her mind far more than anything she had ever encountered in the Unknown.

Was this the right world? Or had it changed that much while she was gone? How long had she spent in the Unknown?

Beatrice tried to open the gate but her hand phased through the bars.

"What the?" she wondered aloud.

Was it some kind of side-effect of the spell? The witch didn't say anything about side-effects. Most likely because she didn't know herself.

The girl in blue took a step back then moved forwards again, phasing through the gate as though it wasn't even there.

She tried to touch the cemetery wall to check if the same phenomenon happened ; her fingers phase through the stone all the same. Maybe she wouldn't have to worry about avoiding being hit by one of those strange metal carts while crossing the road then.

However, another problem presented itself after Beatrice crossed the road, when she found someone walking on the sidewalk.

"Hum, excuse me, I'm looking for…"

She trailed off when she noticed the other person's total lack of reaction. She called again, waved her hand in front of their face, placed herself in front of them, but they just kept walking as though she wasn't even there. When they literally walked right through her, Beatrice gave up on asking this person for direction.

Well, great. How could she find Wirt and Greg in this weird town and get the bell if she was basically a ghost?

"Who's that girl in the blue dress?" Greg asked, pointing towards the opposite sidewalk as he kept walking beside Wirt and Sara. "She's looking at us."

"What girl?" Sara replied. "I don't see anyone there."

The little boy didn't expect that answer. How could she not notice? She was right there! She was even crossing the road right now, running towards them!

"But she's-" he said, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk as the girl in blue joined them and stood right behind them.

"Hey, I had imaginary friends too, it's ok", his brother's girlfriend told the little boy. "You'll play with yours at home."

Wirt let go of Sara's hand, crouched down so his face was at Greg's level and whispered :

"I see her too. Don't say anything."

The little boy nodded. It was a game then? What kind of game was it? Did Wirt and Sara know that other teenager? He had many more questions, but his brother told him not to say anything and he didn't want to be a cheater.

The teenage boy stood and took his girlfriend's hand in his again before saying aloud :

"Maybe we could… invite your imaginary friend home too?"

"I'm right here, Wirt", the girl in blue pointed out, resting her fist on her waist.

Greg's eyes went wide as he recognised Beatrice's voice. He went very close to break to break the silence rule.

Everyone resumed walking home in silence. Both brothers regularly took quick glances at their friend behind them while Sara still didn't seem to notice her.

It was only once Greg was in his room and Wirt had left his girlfriend downstairs to join them that the boys finally stopped pretending that Beatrice was imaginary.

"Good thing you two can see me", she pointed out. "No-one else here can."

"How did you come here?" Wirt asked. "Is everything alright?"

"I need Auntie Whispers' bell. You still have it, right?"

"Yeah", Greg replied, breaking the silence rule since his older brother had broken it first. "We had to have it removed from Jason Funderburker and then Wirt put it in his room."

"Great", Beatrice said. "Give it to me."

"But…" the older brother hesitated.

"But what?"

"It's… our only proof that we didn't just imagine everything that happened."

"Wirt, the evil spirit is back and I need to save my brother. And everyone else too. We don't have much time. If you really want it, I can bring it back later."

Wirt simply nodded and rushed to his own room right across the hallway to fetch the magic bell.