Sing Me to Sleep

Chapter 5: Heartstring

Age 6.7, continued.

Boscha runs as fast as her legs can carry her. She barrels past people without a second glance, ignoring their curses and rude gestures, propelling herself forward in spite of the sharp ache in her side and shortness of breath that has her wheezing for air.

Tears sting her eyes and obscure her vision. She disregards them in favor of throwing the doors leading to the school yard open, nearly collapsing to the ground as her balance is thrown off by a thrice damned crack in the cement. Boscha stumbles precariously and manages to find her footing at the last second, pausing for a moment to catch her breath.

Her ears won't stop ringing, and as the ache in her side dulls, a new pain lances through her chest at the sound of jeers that have her throwing her head up so fast she nearly gives herself whiplash.

"Fight, fight, fight!"

A small crowd of witches and demons are gathered by the grudgby field. Boscha stumbles her way forward, her legs still shaky from running across campus. She pushes her way into the crowd, fitting into the gaps between people who are craning their necks to get a look of what's going on.

Her heart thumps erratically in her chest, and Boscha feels her magic thrumming at the base of her fingertips. She grasps her right hand to stop it from twitching, and shoulders her way past the ground, breaking through to see Skara and Prudelphina standing five yards apart.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Prudy smirks. "If you run away now, nobody will blame you."

"I'm sure." Skara nods, and taps her finger anxiously against her leg, betraying her nerves.

Boscha opens her mouth to call out to her friend, but there's movement from behind her and suddenly she's thrown backwards as someone else pushes their way to the front of the crowd. She falls hard, wincing as she lands awkwardly on her elbow, and scrambles to her feet just in time to see Skara and Prudelphina form an Everlasting Oath.

"If I win, you leave me and Boscha alone- for good."

"And if I win, you have to admit that Boscha's a freak! A half-a-witch nobody." Prudy grins upon seeing Skara's face blanch. "Not just to me, but to her too."

Prudy draws a pink spell circle in the air, and after a moment of hesitation Skara takes the witchling's hand in her own and shakes it. The circle dissipates in a shower of sparkles, and Boscha's stomach drops when Skara's eyes meet her own. Something flashes between them, that Boscha can't quite make out, and then Skara turns away.

Boscha isn't sure what keeps her rooted to the spot, unable to intervene. Logically, she knows that intervening in an Everlasting Oath is a Bad Idea for everyone involved- a point hammered home repeatedly by her teachers and mothers. At heart, she also knows that she'd throw all sense of self-preservation out the window just to make sure her friend is okay.

A cascade of emotions rush through her: anxiety, uncertainty, and most of all fear.

Of white-hot pain lancing down her arms, unrelenting fire, and her magic spiraling out of control. Of uncontrollable shivering, hollowed eyes, and Skara getting hurt again because of her. As the first spell is thrown, ice-cold dread creeps up her throat, preventing her from crying out.

Prudelphina completes the circle, and a nearby bench is wrenched free from the bolts that secure it to the ground, and soars towards a wide-eyed Skara. Boscha's voice comes out like a mangled cry, and Skara dives out of the way to avoid getting squashed like a frutter-bug.

"How did you do that?" Skara huffs, staggering to her feet. "We learned the levitation spell like a week ago, and you were barely able to lift a feather!"