Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-2601:647:4000:5CE0:FC5C:33DA:7CF0:60A-20191024050134/@comment-2601:647:4000:5CE0:3115:D269:66CF:CAB8-20191104011226

Chapter 9 (Creator of the page, not DaSnowLeopard. So I usually start my chapters with Chapter 1,Chapter 2, etc. And I make paragraphs pretty short, while DaSnowLeopard makes them long, so you can probably tell the difference between our writing.)

Sophie paced nervously back and forth in the pristine living room of Everglen. "Don't worry, Foster," Keefe said from his seat on the chair next to her pacing area. "We have it under control." Sophie plopped down next to him and buried her face in his shoulder. She could feel Fitz watching them, but she didn't really care.

"I really hate this," Biana grumbled, kicking the floor. "When is the Collective coming?"

"Hopefully soon," Linh replied, from her perch on Fitz's chair. "Because I feel like..."

"We're wasting precious time," Sophie finished. "Yeah, me too." She returned to stuffing her face into her satchel and trying to not die of anticipation.

"Precious time wasted no more."

All heads whipped around to the doorway, where the adults stood. The bodyguards quickly sheathed their weapons and parted to let the adults in. "Thank you," Mr. Forkle told them. "All right. Everyone to your specific groups." He tossed Sophie the blue crystal, and she barely managed to close her fingers around it, showing just how clumsy she was. Sophie took in a breath as she held the crystal to the light.

"Everyone on..."

"One."

"Two."

"...and Three."

Sophie stepped into the light and let the warmth carry her away.

They rematerialized in a heavily polluted city. Sophie could feel thick smoke in the air, and there was a gentle downpour on the bustling city. Cabbies roared in the streets and crisply dressed people walked by with umbrellas, not noticing them. "We're in... London," Sophie whispered to herself. "Everyone have their obscurers?"

Her friends all held up round, black orbs.

"Good," she said. "Okay. I'm going to use the telepathy trick during Base Quest, remember?" She turned towards Fitz and Keefe. "Fitz and I will search for elven thoughts.The rest of you scout the area." Her group nodded. She could see Mr. Forkle and Tiergan using telepathy to check for elves. The rest split into five directions and began to survey the area.

Sophie imagined her conciousness as a shadow, reaching out to feel the minds of humans. She finally picked out one, individual conciousness that was way too familiar and gave her the shivers. It seemed to be having a mental conversation with itself.

Silence.

Think about silence, you idiot!

''The Moonlark is a Telepath. Shut yourself off!''

Won't that raise suspicion, though!

''Ah, stupid Gethen! She's found you!''

The thoughts immediately shut off and went blank. Sophie stumbled, her temples throbbing. "They're at the Big Ben," she whispered. Then louder: "THEY'RE AT THE BIG BEN!" Her group returned to her as fast as possible as she pointed in the direction of the thoughts. "That way."

They charged past the unnoticing humans until Sophie reached the enormous clock tower, which had just finishd chiming 12 in the afternoon. She watched the handles vibrate before coming to a pause. "We need to get inside." She spotted the tourist entrance. People were filing in as a tour guide let them inside. "Come on. And don't touch anything." She snuck in just as the guide closed the door, hoping her friends were close behind.

Sophie climbed up a set of winding stairs until she reached the bell tower, where the British tour guide was chatting to a large group of British citizans. The guide gestured towards the large greyish bell, with the wooden floorboards underneath. Keefe jostled her shoulder.

"Ro and Tarina says there's a trapdoor beneath the bell," he hissed. "Do we go or not?"

"We go when they move on to another place," Sophie whispered back. Sure enough, the group moved on to another place.

"Alright- Keefe, Ro, Grady and I will go down," Sophie told her friends.

"But-" Fitz started, but Sophie interrupted.

"No buts. It'll only be for two minutes. Fitz, Mr. Forkle, make sure they don't double back. Tarina, Edaline, and Tiergan, keep watch."

"Don't do anything rash," Edaline whispered, kissing her cheek as Sophie pulled up the trapdoor.

The four dropped inside, and the first scent they caught was ash. They were in a small, cramped room with a wooden table and a few chairs. It seemed to be abandoned. Ro and Grady set for checking the walls. Sophie and Keefe headed for the table.

"I got it!" Keefe said, clicking on a panel on the border of the table. It swung open, and Sophie reached inside and pulled out whatever the Neverseen had hid. She placed it on the table, unrolling the parchment.

It was a map.

Of a hundred meter circumference around the Big Ben.

And, on the Westminster Abbey neighborhood, there was a large, red X on it. And in messy handwriting next to it, said Green Door, Emma Foster.

In large, bold letters.

Sophie's head felt woozy, and light, but the blue dancing breezes calmed her down slightly. She clutched her stomach, feeling nauseous.

Her mother was involved in this.

Her human mother.

But she couldn't focus on that now.

So she tried for a brave smile, pushing open the trapdoor and calling for her friends, telling them, "We need to go to Westminster Abbey. Now."

They raced down, down, and down the Big Ben, probably terrifying the people they bumped into, but Sophie didn't really care. She threw open the door, stumbling back onto the bridge leading out into the city. But time seemed to freeze as she stopped in her tracks, Fitz and Keefe flanking her, and everyone else crashing into her from behind.

She couldn't even see Tarina and Ro taking up defense position, or the adults' hands holding onto her shoulders, begging her not to charge.

Because she felt like hurling when the black cloaked figures stepped closer, each throwing off their hood.

Lady Gisela.

Vespera.

Gethen.

Ruy.

And Tam.