When Will This Be Over?

Chapter Eleven

'Can you please pass me the cookie jar, Miss Cheery?' asked Anah. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

The past two weeks had been difficult for them all. Morrigan still hadn't returned and they missed her dearly. They anticipated her arrival home but, as much as they hated to admit it, they lost hope as each day passed.

'Of course,' replied Miss Cheery with a light smile. However, when she picked up the jar, it felt extremely light. Miss Cheery took the lid off and peered inside. Her face fell when she realised that she had forgotten to restock the jar. She took a quick look around the rest of Hometrain and realised how much of a mess it was. There were no tea bags, and the mugs piled high in the sink. The cushions were stacked disorderly in the corner. Morrigan's kidnapping had severely distracted Miss Cheery and she hadn't been able to focus on the organisation of Hometrain.

'I'm sorry, Anah. I haven't got anymore.' She kept her head down, refusing to meet the younger girl's disappointed eyes. Since the awful news had been delivered, a cookie in Hometrain had worked to brighten everyone's spirits, even just slightly. Today, they had no cookies which meant their moods were low.

'That's alright, Miss Cheery,' replied Anah.

Silence fell over the conductor and her Unit. It was rare for long conversations to be held, especially in the mornings. Occasionally on the way home, one of the scholars would bring up something they did at school that day, and the group would discuss, but this would only last for a minute or two. Without Morrigan's input on conversations, they seemed worthless.

Miss Cheery discovered that the most unusual result of Morrigan's kidnapping was the arguments that broke out between Cadence and Hawthorne. She would witness them fight over silly things and avoid each other afterwards.

Currently, they hadn't spoken for two days. Hawthorne would sit with Arch on Hometrain every morning and afternoon where as Cadence would sit alone in the corner. Miss Cherry had tried to approach her on multiple occasions to support her through these arguments, but she repeatedly declined the help.

However, Hawthorne broke the silence between him and his best friend when he asked her how long it has been since Morrigan was taken.

Miss Cheery and the rest of the Unit were listening intently, but they tried not to show it.

'Fifteen days. It's been fifteen days, Hawthorne.' Cadence's voice was monotone. It held no emotion.

The dragon rider's only response was a slight nod. Silence refilled the train.

The silence didn't last for long, though, because Cadence asked a question. 'Is she going to come home?' It was aimed at no one in particular.

For the first time in a while, everyone looked at one another. Dark circles were more obvious than ever under everyone's eyes. Uniforms were wrinkled as if they hadn't been hung up the night before. They probably were not. A couple of the scholar's cheeks were sunken in and their collarbones were slightly more evident. Guilt stabbed at Miss Cheery's chest. She had failed to look after her Unit when it had mattered the most. Tears pricked at her eyes as she thought about this but she quickly blinked them away. She refused to let her teenagers see her cry. Instead, she tried to answer Cadence's question.

'Of course she is going to come home, there's no need to worry about that.'

'When?' asked Arch. 'When is she going to come home? It has been two weeks and Captain North has found nothing.'

The young boy was right. Each day, Jupiter was fighting for find Morrigan, but he always went to bed empty handed. No one knew where Morrigan was. She could have left Nevermoor and they would have no idea.

'I-I don't know, Arch,' stuttered Miss Cheery. 'I have no prediction for when she is going to come home.'

'But it'll be soon right?' whispered Lam. Tears threatened to escape the oracle's eyes, and when she blinked, they broke free creating tracks down her cheeks.

'No, Lambeth,' spoke Hawthorne suddenly. It won't be soon.' Hawthorne's voice was sharp and venomous, causing everyone to look at him. Miss Cheery leant forward, her elbows resting on her knees. She had never heard him speak to another Unit member in this way. The conductor was anxious for what he was going to say next because she knew it wouldn't be good.

'Morrigan isn't going to come home soon. She might not ever come home.' At this, the group slightly pulled away from Hawthorne. Although they had all thought this, they never said it out loud as if by doing so, it would be made true. 'For all we know, Morrigan could be de—'

'Hawthorne Swift don't you dare finish that sentence.' Miss Cheery couldn't find it in herself to raise her voice at the boy, so instead she spoke very sternly. 'Morrigan is alive. We would know if she wasn't. She is a Wundersmith, and surely Wunder would start playing up if she died. So don't think for a second that she is gone forever. Now, I am not sure what the intentions of her kidnappers are but we cannot give up hope. Nor can we doubt Captain North's abilities to find her. He needs our support right now. We cannot disappoint him. Understood?' The Unit mumbled in response but Miss Cheery wasn't satisfied. 'I said, understood?'

'Yes, Miss Cheery,' replied Unit 919 in unison.

The conductor sighed. 'Good. Now please be kind to one another, that's enough adulting for one day.'

For the first time, a conversation ended and silence didn't follow. Instead, the slight sounds of sniffling and sleeves against cheeks echoed around Hometrain. It was a depressing scene, one that made Miss Cheery's stomach twist and turn.

After a couple of minutes, Hawthorne stood and over to to Cadence before sitting down next to her. Miss Cheery watched as he whispered an apology and wrapped his arms around the girl. They both cried together then, safe in the security of the other.

Through his sobs, Hawthorne asked one final question as Hometrain pulled into Station 919.

'When will this be over?'

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