Web of Lies

Chapter 13 | Extracurricular Activity

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Mature content warning for this chapter:

Mild Language and Violence

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             Now in their casual attire, Tabbi raced to find the witch with Cate staggering after her.

             "This way!" Tabbi called back.

              They had made their way past Tabbi's neighborhood, and were heading for a highway.

             "Tabbi!" Cate called out while attempting to point in a direction that Tabbi should pay attention to.

              "What?!" Tabbi followed Cate's gesture and quickly spotted a group of three people, stumbling in an odd manner towards a deep patch of woods. She stopped in her place, and curiously observed their behavior from the sidewalk.

               Two men and a young girl hobbled aimlessly into the depths of the woods. Despite being afternoon, the three wanderers seemingly disappeared; as if swallowed by the shadows of the trees.

                "Where-?" Cate was interrupted.

                "Let's find out!" Tabbi chased after them.

                The girls quickly followed only to find no physical trace to where the people had gone.

                Tabbi pulled out her gem and quickly realized that the swirling patterns had multiplied into an intense spinning medley of symbols, dancing over her gem like holograms. "It's here!"

                "Huh...?" Cate was incredibly unprepared for what they were getting themselves into. This was all so sudden and nothing seemed to make sense.

                With Tabbi's eyes glowing brightly for a second, the purple magical girl respawned her outfit and weapon. As if the air was fabric, Tabbi used her pitchfork to slice a tear into seemingly nothing... but neither of the girls were ready for what they would find when they hopped through the rip.

                After sealing the exit, the girls examined their surroundings. The woodsy atmosphere seemed to now be represented by monochrome school supplies. Life-sized paper trees showered their sticky-note-leaves down onto the girls as they walked the now tiled floors. The once bright sky was now a notebook paper dome. Sense seemed to no longer exist in this realm they were trespassing in.

                "Wha-?!" The world was already too much for Cate before magic. Now, the word 'overwhelmed' had an even stronger meaning to her.

                "This must be the labyrinth!" Tabbi's glowing purple eyes easily conveyed to Cate that Tabbi was Googling things in her head as they ventured. "This way!"

                Cate timidly followed behind her friend, practically holding on to the back of Tabbi's white denim dress as they ran.

                "Spawn your weapon!" Tabbi suddenly instructed Cate as she stopped, spawned her pitchfork, and took hold of a battle stance.

                "Is it the witch-!?" Cate was practically shaking as she did what she was told.

                "No! They're familiars!"

                Cate looked around and noticed pencil-looking snakes with sharpened noses curling around the trees. As they slithered closer, Cate quickly made note that these 'pencils' were the size of her entire arm.