Fairies of The Black Circle

19

The first thing Bloom noticed was the cold. A damp chill that you would usually find in an aquifer, deep underground. One that made the hairs on her arms stand up on end.

Head spinning, Bloom propped herself up on her elbows and looked around. Though her vision was unfocused and hazy, she knew wasn't back in her apartment.

The walls were dark and coarse instead of their usual patchy beige and there was no sunlight filtering through the window above her bed.

Panic flooded through her, the relentless whirlwind in her head making her feel sick, and her legs shook as she slowly pushed herself off the sofa.

She felt the world tilt and had to grab onto the arm to keep herself from falling, but as she locked herself in place, her shoulder twinged, drawing her attention to the sudden agony erupting from her upper back.

Bloom hissed through her teeth, blinking back the instantly forming tears, and craned her neck to see what was hurting her.

She froze, noticing that she wasn't wearing her shirt. Or her bra.

Instead, a roll of bandages was wrapped around her torso, a scarlet stain spread across her back.

Bloom felt her breathing become heavier and her mind still swam as she tried to remember how she had got here. And then, she saw him—the person she loathed more than anyone—leaning against the doorframe staring right at her.

All she saw red.

"You motherfucker-"

With a burning anger Bloom lunged towards him, her fist flying towards his jaw.

However, her body betrayed her, her mind too dizzy to move that fast, and she stumbled forward. She watched as the cold ground loomed closer, but before she could brace for impact, Ogron had caught her, his grip around her waist firm and unexpected.

Her hands instinctively reached out to push herself away from him, but she was out of strength and found herself pressed against him, completely bewildered.

She stayed like that for a moment, her heart racing so fast she was certain he could feel it thumping through her body.

"Sleep well?" She could practically hear his smirk and all it did was funnel her lost rage.

"Get off me." She spat as she shoved herself away from him, trying desperately not to fall backwards.

"Bloom, your wounds haven't properly healed. You should take it easy." Ogron said, looking the fairy up and down and Bloom became very conscious that the only thing covering her upper body, was a thin layer of bandages.

"Turn around." She snapped, her face flushing as red as her hair.

Ogron did, though she noticed the smirk still hadn't left his lips.

"Where are we? What have you done with my friends?" She began frantically searching for something to cover herself with, but she could hear her voice becoming more panicked and her lungs starting to constrict. "The Earth fairies. Oh my god, Musa, Roxy-"

A warm blanket landed around her shoulders, halting her panicked spiral and a new voice spoke.

"Bloom, you're safe. We're all safe."

Bloom turned slowly, her spinning head slowly focusing on the figure before her. Her eyes widened in delight, and a beaming smile lit up her face as she leapt into the arms of her lost friend.

"Flora!" Bloom clasped her tightly, her chest heaving as she sobbed tears of joy into her shoulder.

Flora held her, taking care not to touch too closely to her wound underneath the bandages she had wrapped for her unconscious friend.