by Jimi Alan
“Go to your rooms.” He ordered them. “And don't get caught a second time.”
“Not so fast.” A voice came from the misty surface of the lake. “You had all returned to me.”
Shiver coleen at the touch, raced down Alice's spine. She knew the voice by the lake. Her eyes met with hers. Natas slowly rose from the water with the mist rippling away from her. She seemed to not mind the showiness of her appearance.
“Now that everyone has arrived.” The ghostly voice came crawling out of her mouth as her eyes covered in darkness. A mist of dark powered began to shimmer from her body as her feet touched the stones around the lake. “Who's hungry?”
Her eyes glared at Alice. Sprung into a run, Natas went rushing towards Alice. Mrs Parker glared at Natas as her wand dawned onto her. Her enchantment was gone from Alice, causing her to fall backwards, along with Justin and Lucia as well. Alice looked over her shoulder, she noticed Gloria had left them. She wondered if her friend was making some kind of plan she was unaware of.
Alice reached her hand into her pocket. She stared straight at Natas. Her mother's friend seemed to be gone, with the ravage curse of the hollow possessing her. She stood trapped before her.
Drac rose his wand up from his leather pocket of his jacket. The chain draping down his pant leg rose with his wand. Alice realized his wand was attached to the chain. The black tip of his wand turned into a dark blue as the handle looked to be made out of metal. Alice wanted to know what he made it out of. She knew in that moment, was not the best time.
Out from his mouth, the words flowed. “De peregrinatione in silva et in terra qui stat coram nobis alcius radicas te in viam.”
The tip of his wand had a faint glow pressing down in as Alice felt the ground slowly moving below her feet. She looked down to see roots ripping out of the ground. Each one shoot towards Natas, wrapping around her feet, till she could not move.
“Usque adeo prohibuit.” Drac finished his spell.
Keeping his wand onto Natas, he took a step closer. Madam Highfield held her wooden wand out as she followed behind him. She seemed to not mind the children being out past curfew.
“Mrs Monroe.” Mrs Goodwell sighed. ‘Magic is not allowed to be used on children.”
“I know.” She rolled her eyes, Alice noticed how similar she looked to her daughter, Lucia as her eyes rolled in anoyiness. “Dimittas.”
As the word came flowing out her mouth, Alice felt like she could move again. Lucia rushed over to her side, as they saw Natas clawing frantically at the roots gripping onto her. Alice forgot she was there for the time being. Her voice was draining out by the ripping sound of roots springing out of the lawn and onto her. Some of the roots had wrapped around her legs, tightly. Alice wondered if she was able to feel them.
Natas hissed. “She will be mine.”
“Not if we have a say in it.” Mr Goodwell came out from the lodge, with Gloria's mother by his side. They made their way around Natas, making it impossible for her to leave from the east. Drac and Mrs Monroe had the West covered, as they stood between her and the lodge. Mr Monroe stood by the lake, to make sure she stayed away from the water, with Madam Highfield by his side. Alice stood in front of Natas, with Justin and Lucia beside her. She knew her friends had her back.
“She'll be mine.” Natas had vanished from her own skin, as around her eyes vains of black seemed to be popping out from her skin. “I need her.”
The roots seemed to be dry up from her touch. A cold feeling loomed over Alice. She saw Natas’ eye lock with hers.
Alice clenched her hand firmly on her father's wand. She remembered what happened to Madam Highfield in the forest as her eyes locked with the monster before them.
The last root withered away from her condemned body. She walked towards Alice, slowly thrashing into a gallop. Her body language screamed at Alice, as she waited for the perfect moment.
Alice flicked her wrist up from her pocket towards Natas. She held her father's wand in her hand. The words of a spell she had no idea existed came flowing off of her tongue.
“Rigescunt indutae.”
Her father's wand glowed at the tip. She felt a cold gusty in the wind, as a twisting storm of ice and snow burst out from the tip of the wand. The ice hit the monster before her hard, freezing her in her tracks. Drac flocked his wand, causing his spell one more time, making the chain shake in the process.
Roots ripped up from the ground. Ripping in the cold skin of the monster before them. Alice felt bad at the sight. She knew Natas was one of the monster dear friends of her mother, who had not wished for such balance to be used if her. Alice could not stop herself from feeling bad for her.
“This is nothing.” The monster glared at Alice. “I'll get you child.”
Mrs Monroe yelled a spell. “Agere inpune.”
Her wand was pointed at a large rock, as her wand lifted up slowly from her side, the rock seemed to follow. Mrs Monroe looked to be having fun with a smile on her face. She flung the rock quickly towards Natas, who seemed to have predicted her motion.
The rock flung towards her. Before it collided, the monster rose both hand and attached her palms together. Before the rock collided with her body, her hands pulled away from each other, causing the rocks to separate into to. They slammed into the ground behind her, causing dirt to fling up into the air.
Madam Highfield muttered. “Aqua.”
The thrust of her wand over her had, caused streams of water to lung from the lake up over her head and towards the monster's body. Mr and Mrs Parker seemed to have their own plan. They placed the wands before them, saying a single word, with Mr Monroe joining them.
“Praesidio.” Came out of their mouths.
Alice looked over, to see a shimmer growing over them. She remembered a spell Madam Highfield used in the forest. She explained to the class, how it was a protection spell. Alice had a feeling they were doing the same thing.
Natas squealed as she fought of the roots attacking her legs and the water freezing around her body as water splashed onto her back. She was able to take a few steps towards Alice, before she snapped.
“Fine.” She told still for a second, making everyone stop. “If I can't have her. Then I'll kill her instead.”
The monster made a growl sound from her mouth. She lunged forward, stretching her arms out for Alice as snow stopped her from reaching her. Alice knew they could not keep her distracted for much longer. She looked out at the lake, to see a crack of sunlight coming up from behind the mountains. Alice fought back a yawn as her body realized how tired she was from being up for most of the night. She had no idea how long it had been.
“Guys.” Alice heard a familiar voice coming from behind them. She looked up at the terrace of the academy, to see Gloria standing behind them.
“Catch!” She yelled at her friends.
Alice saw three small twig like shapes soaring through the air. Her eyes widened as she realized one of the twigs right away. Her wand.
Reaching her free hand up, she felt the handle of her wand touching the palm of her hand. She smiled at her wand as the sun touched its tip. Her wand pointed towards the monster before her, who hissed at her as she dodged the spells being cast from all directions.
Lucia caught her wand in her hand. She held a smile on her face. Her eyes met with Alice's for just a moment.
She muttered. “Flamma.”
Pointing her wand at the monster, a raging fire bust from the tip of her wand. It went raging across the lawn towards the monster rampaging towards them. Lucia waved her wand, controlling the flames as they shoot away from her.
Justin held his wand. He used a more simple spell then the others. Alice wondered how long he had been hoping to someday use it.
With his wand held before him, he yelled the word. “Fulgur.”
A burst of thunder erupted from the sky as his wand began to glow. He pointed the tip if his wand towards the monster. He waited as the thunder roared off into the distance.
“Percutiens.” He finished the spell.
From the tip of his wand a chain strike if lightning went down the hill towards the monster. She glides over the lightning, missing her by only and inches. The blue of the lightning sparked the whole area, causing everyone the blink. The one second the monster needed.
Alice opened her eyes. Locking the with hers. She felt the coldness engulfing her body. Her eyes darted down as she saw her wand and her father's wand had both stabbed into the monsters grey corpse like flesh. She dug both if the wands in deeper as her body began to feel numb. Her eyes dropped as she felt her head tilt back.
Darkness covered around her as she stood in the middle of nowhere. Her eyes looked around, search for something, anything in the empty sea around her. She finally spotted something. Her body was telling her to stay still. She had never listened to herself. Alice walked towards the only thing around her.
Natas stood before her, in the darkness. She looked pleased to see her. A soft look on her face, turned nervously emotionless as Alice got closer. She stopped in front of her.
“We need to talk.” Natas told her. “Little one.”
Slipping away, Alice felt the cold feeling behind her. She looked over her shoulder to spot what was coming for her. Her eyes narrowed as the darkness behind her looked the same as everywhere she looked.
Natas placed her hand onto Alice's shoulder. Her eyes looked human like with a kind smile on her face. Alice felt the darkness slipping away, as a burst of light flicked from around her. Pushing the darkness away, the light flooded around her and Natas. The two of them stood in Alice's bedroom back in her aunt and uncle's house in Toronto. She wondered if what she saw was real. Her hand touched the corner of her bed, she felt her blanket on her hand. Soft, like she was really there.
“We don't have much time.” Natas slid her hand away from Alice. She walked towards the window. “The hollow is only distracted. It will return.”
Alice had many questions to ask her. She took a step away from her bed. Her eyes darted towards her window. She saw the darkness slowly twisting and pulling around the buildings outside. Covering the skyscrapers in the distance, like a blanket draped over an abandoned sofa to collect the dust.
Looking at Alice, Natas stood in front of the window. “We have so much to disguise. Little one.”
“You knew my mother?” Alice thought she should start with something simple to talk about.
“Yes.” Natas looked over at an open laptop on the desk beside the door. The screen flickered as an image of Alice's mother appeared on the screen. “She was my best friend.”
Alice walked towards the laptop. Her mother was around her age in the academy hallway. She held a book in her hand as she walked with Natas down the hallway.
“We were the most curious in our class.” Natas smirked as she stood beside Alice.
On the laptop, Alice saw her mother standing in front of the hollow. She looked up at Natas, who had climbed up the tree. Alice knew all of what she was seeing had happened long ago. She wondered if Natas had a point for showing these memories.
“The two of us got into a lot of trouble.” Natas spoke as she accidentally made a twig fall from the tree. “That was a mistake.”
A roaring sound erupted from the darkness soaring through the sky. Natas looked over her shoulder for a second. She seemed to fear it.
“We don't have much time.” She sighed. “So I have to skip a bit.” She sat down onto Alice's bed. “See. The hollow came to me one night.”
Alice watched the laptop screen, like she was watching a movie. She saw Natas sleeping in a dorm room. Her eyes were opened as the door creaked open. She reached for her wand as a scraping sound came from a dark shadow beyond the night.
Natas muttered a word. “Lux.”
A single burst of light illuminated the dorm room from the tip of her wand. She looked over at her friends dorm bed, to see her lying there still asleep. Natas looked back at the cracked door as the sound came closer.
The dark crackling voice crept into the room. “You awoke me, child.”
“Who’s there?”. Natas spoke in a faint whisper.
She looked frightened as the dark whiskey shadow appeared in her room. It had a body almost human like, which seemed to be constantly moving. The dark figure was what Alice remembered seeing in the chamber. She had no idea what kind of power most stood before her mother's friend.
Natas looked as she saw the monster before. Her fear seemed to have been swallowed as her eyes locked with it. The gallows ghostly shadowed figure stepped closer to her.
“I promised you power.” The hollow told her. “And you made a promise in return.”
“Fine.” Natas reminded the hollow. “But she's not on the menu.”
The laptop screen went dark as Alice looked away. She looked over at Natas, hoping she would be able to tell her more. Natas seemed distracted, looking over her shoulder at the window.
“I was a fool to believe it would not want your mothers power.” Natas told her. “That's why it craves for you.” She looked over her shoulder at Alice. “When you awake, this fight will have ended. I'll make sure of it.”
Natas rushed away from Alice. Darting towards the window, she seemed to change with her dress around her body glowing. Alice remember when she first saw her and not the Hallows figure possessing her body. She stood in the stone archway of some dungeon she found with her friends, from a portal in the library. The moon light touched her soft face, making her seem elegant in the dark.
“Don't.” Alice rushed towards her.
She felt her heart skipped a beat as the women she knew could tell her more about her mother, leapt away from the window. Alice gripped her hands onto the window frame. She looked outside of the window.
A sea of darkness covered every surface. She could not see the car in the driver her uncle drove to work every morning. Or the sidewalk she stepped onto on her way to the school where her mortal friends where always waiting for her.
The voice of Natas whispered in the back of her mind, like when she stood in the dungeon of stone tunnels. “Run!”.
Urgently, Alice rushed away from the window. She felt her legs buckle as she fell backwards in her bedroom. Tripping over her messing floor of clothing, she always seemed to keep piling up after each day.
Vanishing into her bedroom floor, Alice felt the darkness reaching for her. She kept her eyes opened as the world around her flashed. She saw a burst of flames ripping around the figure of darkness before her. Catching the ground on fire as screams erupted from the dark figure, which had taken over the elegant body of Natas.
Alice knew she was watching the possessed body of Natas be destroyed. Her eyes were unable to see herself as she felt like she was watching from above. Justin whipper the flames towards the hollow as it screeched in pain, Alice felt something pulling her.
Fading, she saw nothing. Her friends on the hill had gone away, as the ashes of the hollow erupted before them. Alice saw the darkness in a different light. Sparkling turquoise erupted from the darkness of the hollow, pulling away from Natas’ collapsed body. The turquoise dripped up towards the sky.
Alice closed her eyes as she saw Natas looking at her. Her face looked proud with a tired smile. She knew the two of them felt like they had caught as hard as 5he rest of the wizards and witches who stood around them.
Opening her eyes, Alice could not help to squint. She felt soar as her head listed from a pillow. A smile on her face, she saw a woman standing before her with Mrs Monroe by his side. The two of them seemed to be whispering about her condition.
“She is improving.” The man stated. “But the odds of her waking up after what she just endured. Well. We should prepare ourselves for the worst.”
A sigh slithered from his mouth as he said the bad news. Alice could not help herself. She let out a soft grown. Looking over at the chair beside her bedside, she saw the delighted face of Lucia waiting for her. She placed her hand onto Alice's, a soft touch she w
as desiring for.
Lucia smiled. “I knew it.”
Alice muttered. “What did I kiss?”
By the sound of her tired voice, the man placed his hands I to his white lab coat. He seemed to be disappointed with Alice being continuous. She guessed he was also expecting the worst to have happened.
Lucia told her. “So much.”
Alice lifted her head up from the pillow. She remembered see Justin standing up to the hollow. He seemed brave for once.
“Where is Justin?” She could not help herself but to worry about her friends.
“In class.” Lucia told her. “We have been so worried about you.”
“You’ve been unconscious for a few days.” The man told her. “It seems to be a side effect of the hollow trying to obtain your-”
A wave of Mrs Monroe's had, made the man go quiet. “”Your friends will be pleased to hear that your awake. I know Natas will be too.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Natas is alive.”
“Yes.” Mrs Monroe nodded as she walked away with the men, dismissing herself from the rest of the conversation.
Lucia waited for her mother to leave before speaking. “Send her away to Capcernem.”
“Cape-cern-ium.” Alice tried to repeat the word Lucia had said.
She smiled. “Capcernem. It's a prison for magical beings.”
Lucia had a way with words. The way she spoke to Alice was like she wasn't hurt or had her powers drained from her body. She seemed to not be fazed by what had happened.
“I need to speak with her.” Alice told her. “I need to know what it wanted with my power.”
Lucia placed her hand onto Alice's hand. She kept her calm as Alice stayed in the hospital bed. Finally realizing she was in the academies infirmary, Alice decided to stay in bed. She had never liked causing a scene.
“We still aren't sure of why.” Lucia told her. “But it has something to do with the hollow and its curse.”
Walking into the quiet room, a bust of energy followed. Justin’s voice followed by Gloria's voice trailing behind lifted Alice's spirit. She was glad that her friends were all alright. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Justin. His arm was cradled as a sling was holding the cast on his arm.
