by Jimi Alan
Landing on her feet, Alice kept running. The voice in her head was friendly and guided her through the forest. She saw Madam Highfield in the clearing with a smile on her face. Her look seemed to change as she saw Alice running towards her.
“No you don't.” The ghostly voice hissed as Alice ran faster then she thought was possible.
Reached the clearing, she turned around as the darkness hit the barrier of magic. A soft glow of pinks and purples mixed with greens and blues covered the area as the darkness touched it. Holding her father's wand in her hand, Alice heard the voice quite in her head.
“Oh no.” Madam Highfield held her hand out. “Is that-”
She seemed to be speechless as she looked over at Alice for the answer. Alice had no idea what the monster she was facing called. Her eyes told Alice it was dark and something even her teacher feared.
“This will not keep you safe forever.” The ghostly voice surrounded the clearing, covering the barrier around them with darkness. “I will taste your power, Alice Corey.”
“What about your side of the deal?” Alice looked over her shoulder as she noticed Justin and Gloria.
Justin held a twig in his hand. He had a rip in his pants from his fall in the forest. A band aid covering up a few of the more noticeable scrapes behind the rip in his pants. Gloria held him up as she looked around at the darkness. She looked scared as the darkness hit the barrier once more, lighting it up.
Madam Highfield raised her wand up to the sky. “Do as I do.”
Alice looked over at Madam Highfield. She rose her father's wand up to the sky above. Her teacher closed her eyes for a moment as she opened them she muttered a sentence.
“In tenebris, hoc lumen est.”
The words flowed out of her mouth as her wand glowed brightly. A burst of light shimmered out of the tip of her wand and hit the barrier. The barrier seemed to glow, causing pockets of light to burst out from it in each direction.
Alice knew she had to try something. She closed her eyes for a second, letting a breath slither over her lips. Her eyes opened as she said the words.
“In Tenebris, Hoc Lumen Est.”
Her wand glowed as a burst of light sparked from the top. A beam of light erupted brighter than her teachers from her wand and to the barrier. The light made the barrier flow with colors as the pockets of light covered the forest, making the darkness slither away like a wounded animal.
Madam Highfield lowered her wand as the beam stopped from its tip. Alice did the same as the beam stopped from her wand as well. She looked over her shoulder to her friends as the barrier kept them safe. Alice saw behind them, the lady stood. The darkness still covered her eyes as her dark veins seemed to have spread from her eyes to her neck. Her hair was gone as she stood before them, with her dress ripped and torn like she was in a battle.
“You haven't won.” The ghostly voice echoed from the lady’s mouth. “You have lost.”
A wave of her hand, the lady made a cloud of darkness appear around her. The darkness faded with the laden standing before them. The lifeless bodies of Lucia and her sister Liliah laid on the ground of the forest before her as the darkness faded.
Madam Highfield gasped at the sight of the children. “Lucia and Liliah.”
Gloria took a step back as she realized their bodies where lifeless. She looked saddened at the sight of them. Alice knew Gloria had not always seen eye to eye with Lucia and her sister, in a way she was glad to see that Gloria did not wish either of them to be dead.
Justin fell down at the sight. He scrambled to get back up to his wounded leg. Gloria reached her hand to him. She helped him stand back up on his feet.
“Are they?” Gloria looked back at Alice.
She felt guilty for running through the forest. Alice wanted her friends to be together, Alice and healthy like before. She felt the pressure of what she did as the lady's darkened eyes appeared into her soul.
A cold touch as Alice’s hand opened. She watched as her father's wand dropped from her hand. It bounded as it touched the floor of the forest.
Gloria said. “What do we do?”
Her eyes looked over at Madam Highfield. She was searching for the answer to her question. Alice knew what she had to do. She had to go through with the deal she made with the lady.
Madam Highfield rose her wand to the lady. “Ignis.”
Her wand light up as a roaring fire shout out from the tip. The flame shout across the clearing towards the darkness. She moved her wand, making sure to miss Justin and Gloria, who stood between her and the lady.
Each flame reached the lady in time, raging around her. The lady said nothing as the flames danced around her. She took a deep breath as the flames were pulled towards the palms of her hands. Madame Highfield kept on waxing her wand, saying the word each time. She took a step closer to trying and get a hit on the lady. For each wave of her wand the fire had done the same, pulling into the lady's hands were they vanished.
“No use.” The ghostly voice echoed from behind the smirk of the lady's pale dark veined face. “I will not go until I have her.
A point of her finger, she told them what she wanted. Alice kept her eyes down to the ground. She had no idea what to do. Her mind was full of guilt and sadness. She knew Lucia would stay lifeless on the forest floor, unless she could think of something.
Her eyes shimmered as she looked past her friends at the lady. She saw the look on the lady's face change. Alice thought the look was joy, as she was actually hiding her fear of what she saw.
“No.” Alice yelled.
Erupting from her, a root from the trees lifted up from the ground. Rocks and lose pieces of the forest floor lifted up around her. Alice stood still as she felt her rage beginning to surface. She took a step forward, letting everything around her get flung from the floor of the forest towards the lady.
Gloria dodged to the left, avoiding what Alice had flown. Justin took a step back, falling down to the ground as a rock the size of him went rushing past his face. He let out a deep breath, glad he fell down as his life flashed before his eyes.
Alice took a step forward. Her hands became a fist as her she let her scream echoed through the woods. She was tla tree fling pass her as rocks and leaves hit the lady.
The lady raised her hands up in front of her. She tossed each tree and rock to the side, making the forest behind her get covered in the rubble. The lady made sure to keep the twins before her safe and out of harm's way of their fight. She looked pleased by what Alice had thrown at her, like she was enjoying herself.
Alice collapsed. She felt weak as the ground she felt toward felt soft. Her body laid on the ground as her power seemed to stop.
The lady took a step forward. She made her way towards Alice. Each step she took made Alice feel cold. Her body felt weak and drained as she lay on the ground of the forest.
Locking eyes with the lady, Alice knew she had put up a good fight. She had not planned for her plan to go the way it had. Alice tried to lift herself up from the ground. She struggled as she saw Madam Highfield rush to her aid.
Madam Highfield rose her wand to the lady, keeping her away from Alice. She said nothing as the lady stood before her. A smile on the lady's face made Madam Highfield look frightened. The touch of the lady's hand on Madam Highfield’s should made her scream. Her scream disappeared into a ghostly whimper as she was pushed by the lady onto the ground.
The lady looked down at Madam Highfield with disgust in her eyes. “You should of stayed out of this. But before my main course, a snack will be fine.”
Alice watched as the lady leaned over her teacher. Madam Highfield looked over her shoulder at her student. A darkness covered over her body as a burst of light rose from her chest. She looked pale as her eyes began to fade. The lady raised her hand out before her as the burst of light danced towards her finger tips. Her eyes glossed over as the lady’s hand held the light.
“It’s a chilling sight.” The lady smiled. “When you see me feed.�
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She opened her mouth as her hand carried the light toward her face. Her lips touched the light as her dark veins came popping out from her neck. They rose from her eyes covering the light towards her. Alice watched as a crack opened up from the lady's noise. She saw a hole like mouth covered with vines, which dragged the light inside.
Once inside, the vines shrunk around the eyes of the lady again like veins they attached back to her skin. The hole in her nose sealed once more, becoming unnoticeable to her. Alice guessed the veins only spread when she was on the hunt for someone else to eat. She knew what was on her way as the lady took a step towards her.
Alice heard the familiar voice in her head. “Say my name.”
In the single thought, the lady's name came rushing into her head. She wondered why she had forgotten her name. Alice’s eyes widened as she wondered what else she could do.
“Natas.” The word came flowing out of her mouth.
Alice laid firefly as she watched the lady. She took a step back as if what Alice had said was a surprise to her. The lady growled as her eyes locked with Alice's eye one last time.
“Natas.” Alice said the name of the lady loudly as she rose from the ground to her feet. “Natas.”
“That’s it.” She heard the familiar voice in her hand cheering her on. “Just one more time.”
Natas.” With the last mention of the name, Alice watched.
The lady stood before her let out a screech. Twisting and whirling around her the twigs and leaves of the forest lifted up to the lady. She slowly sank down into the ground with her scream engulfing the forest around her.
Alice stumbled to her knees. She looked down at the ground where the lady stood before her. A burst of light shimmered up from the hole where the lady stood. The lights separated into many pockets of light, each rushing up into the sky. Two of the pockets of light rushed over to Lucia and her sister. Dancing over them before touching their chest. A tear rolled down the side of Alice’s face as she looked over at Madam Highfield’s lifeless body. She wondered why her teacher would sacrifice herself for her.
A single burst of light remained in the hole, slowly dancing up from it before the hole was covered. The cry of the lady evaporated with the sound of a breeze in the forest. Alice stared at the burst of light as it danced around her. The light shimmered as it fluttered together Madam Highfield’s body.
The light touched her chest, making the color return to Madam Highfield’s skin. Her eyes flowed with color once more as she blinked her eyes. A loud gasp for breath came coughing out of her mouth as she sparked back to life.
Alice sighed. She looked over at the other side of the clearing to see Lucia and her sister rising their heads from the forest floor. Alice smiled for she brought her friends back to life.
Chapter Eight
Leave the Forest Behind
Standing in the clearing of the forest, Alice looked around at her friends. Lucia and Liliah helped each other stand to their feet, as Justin and Gloria stood together. Gloria walked with Justin, keeping him supported as he limped over to Alice. Madam Highfield brushed herself off as she stood with her students.
A smile went across her face as she looked over her shoulder at Alice. She held her wand in her hand and rose it towards the sky. Her wand glowed as she cast another spell.
Madam Highfield said. “Obice usque descendit.”
Liliah muttered. “What happened?”
Her sister shook her head. She had no idea what had happened to them too. The look on her face told Alice that Lucia was afraid.
Alice said. “The Lady.”
Lucia’s eyes widened. “She was in the woods.”
“We know.” Gloria sighed. “Alice just made the whole forest get flung in her face. All to bring you two back.”
“Are you kidding me.” Liliah snarled at her. “What a stupid thing to do?”
Justin said. “How about a thank you for saving us?”
Madam Highfield sighed. “Stop your bickering, your all fine and that’s all that matters.”
She finished brushing the leaves and dirt out of her hair with her fingers. Madam Highfield placed her wand into the pocket of her jacket. She turned around as she walked out of the clearing and into the forest.
“Remember to find something you can make into a wand.” Her voices charmed in the forest as she walked away. “Including you, miss Corey.”
Alice let a sigh out of her mouth. She knew her friends would have many questions to ask her about how she made the forest get flown across the clearing. Placing her hands into her pockets, Alice looked down at her father’s wand on the floor of the forest. She reached her hand down, touching her fingertips on it’s hand. Alice placed her hand onto the wand as she stuffed it back into her pocket.
Lucia and her sister Liliah made their way towards Alice, as Gloria and Justin followed ahead of them. Gloria placed her hand onto Alice’s should. She tried to lift the mood by telling Alice about what Justin choose to be his wand’s base.
She smiled. “You will never guess what Justin picked as his wand’s base.”
“Probably the twig he stumbled over.” Alice felt embarrassed about what had happened. She kept her head down as she giggled with her friends.
“Yeah.” Gloria said, trying to cheer her up. “He’s such a nerd.”
“Well, at least I have a base.” Justin told her. “You still need to find something.”
“That’s alright.” Gloria told him. “I have already decided what I’m going to make my wand out of.”
Lucia seemed intrigue. “Really?”
“Don’t seem so surprised.” Gloria reminded her. “My parents told me this day would come and we have been planning it ever since I was a little girl.”
Liliah jocked. “She probably has it locked up somewhere, like a little creep.”
“I’m sure that you have yours already picked out too.” Gloria reminder her. “If not, you should go find something. I think a rock might do with your attitude.”
“Fine.” Liliah glared at her. “Let’s go Lucia.”
She walked away from the group, taking a few steps before realizing her sister’s footsteps weren’t following her. Liliah stopped in her tracks. She tilted her head slightly to the side.
“Lucia.” Liliah snarled. “I’m waiting.”
“I’m going with Alice and her friends.” Lucia told her sister. “She did just save us, from that thing.”
Alice was pleased to hear Lucia standing up for herself. She smiled for a moment as she watched Lilia fix her clothes for a moment. Liliah was put off with her sister’s decision to go with Alice and her friends.
“Just wait till mother hears of this.” Liliah smiled. “She will be disappointed.”
Liliah took a step away from her sister. Lucia took a step forward as her sister stopped. She looked over her shoulder as she smiled.
“I think she would be proud.” Lucia reminded her. “After all, she’s the one who’s always talking about us finding our own paths.”
Liliah kept walking into the forest. Alice was worried about her wandering around the forest by herself. She had seen what Natas had the power to do. Her mind wondered if there was any monster in the forest, which would make even Natas scared.
“So.” Lucia looked over at Alice. “I guess we have wands to find.”
“Yeah.” Alice was happy to have her group back once more.
Walking into the forest, Alice walked ahead with Lucia by her side. Gloria helped Justin walk with them, staying behind incase something came out from the forest around them. Alice had a feeling they had not seen the last of the lady. She wondered why the name of Natas made the lady screech as if she was being harm.
“Is that the-” Gloria smiled as she was lost for words at the sight of what was in front of them.
The group reached a large tree standing tall in the forest. It’s branches reached over the trees around it. Alice felt like most of the forest was surrounded by the massive trees
shadow.
“What is it?” She was amazed by the sight.
“That’s the hollow.” Gloria told her. “It had read some amazing books about it.”
Lucia said. “I thought it was cursed, or something.”
“It is said that the hollow is powerful.” Gloria told them. “It has a power that connected with magic beyond what we know. And each time a leaf falls from the hollow, a magical being had fallen somewhere in the world.”
As Gloria spoke, Alice noticed a green leaf fall from the tree. It fluttered down from the branch towards the ground below. Alice watched as the leaf touched the floor of the forest. The leaf began to shiver up into a ball as the edges of it were singing away. The leaf became a pill of ash where it laid.
“Oh.” Justin said. “I wonder what happened to it.”
“Probably a hunter.” Gloria told him. “Some people, hunt magical creatures for their power.”
Lucia added. “And some do it for sport.”
“If it’s connected to all magical things.” Alice wondered. “Then what’s it’s curse.”
“It is said, if you take apart of the hollow away from itself.” Gloria stopped speaking to build up suspense for her friends. “It will send out a being in search of that part.”
“Oh.” Justin said. “Sounds creepy.”
“It will haunt for anyone who have the same blood as the one who stole from it.” Gloria continued. “And will not stop until it’s returned.”
“Doesn’t sound all that powerful to me.” Justin said. “A little creepy and in the knowhow, but not that powerful”
Alice saw a branch of the hollow. She walked up to the branch, which looked to have fallen some time ago.
Bending down to her knees, she still felt tired from the fight. Alice wondered if it would be alright for her to take the branch from the ground, for it was not on the tree anymore. She reached her hand for the fallen tree branch of the hollow.
