Puella Magi Makayla Magica

Chapter 9 Sorrowful Mirage

"There! I've texted them!" Summer yells at Amelia as she turns her phone towards her.

"That's all I asked. Was that so hard?" Amelia responds with her arms crossed. Summer turns away.

"I refuse to answer." Summer's phone vibrates in her hand, and she turns it toward her.

"Isabella says she has a lead." Summer says, surprised.

"What is it?" Amelia asks.

"Don't know. She says they want to investigate it further." Summer replies, typing out a question. A few seconds go by before Summer's phone vibrates again. "Now she says they want to meet up to pool our knowledge together."

"Cool. It's not like we're getting anywhere around here." Amelia nods. Summer puffs out her cheeks and looks away. "What's wrong?"

"It's just, I want to impress... never mind." Summer looks around. "Where's Makayla?" Amelia is taken aback by the abrupt change in subject and looks around.

"I don't know?"

"Think she may have wandered off somewhere?" Amelia nods to confirm Summer's suspicion, who sighs. "Troublesome girl."

The pair begin to retrace their steps, checking every alleyway and every nook and cranny, looking for this lost girl. They walk down the street when Amelia spots the poster leading down the dark alleyway.

"What about here?" She asks as she points down towards it. Summer glances down the alleyway and then turns around.

"She's not there; you can see it."

"Yeah, but what if she's in a witch's labyrinth?" Summer turns halfway around to face Amelia.

"We were told not to. That we should get her everyone together before we tackle a witch."

"Yeah, but you know how the witches have been lately. They've been more aggressive and attacking magical girls. Summer thinks for a moment before nodding.

"Fine, we'll check it out."

The pair proceed down the alleyway. The further in they go, the shorter their steps become as they start to become overwhelmed by a feeling of dread. Finally, they reach the wall at the end of the alleyway.

"No witch." Summer reports as she looks at Amelia. Amelia looks back at Summer and Spots, their next route.

"There." She points behind Summer, who turns around. The alleyway continues on. Summer glances back at Amelia and then back at the alleyway. She takes a breath in and walks forward, using the wall less as a way to navigate, but more as a way to ground herself.

Summer squints as she spots a figure in front of her.

"Makayla?" The figure doesn't respond. Summer's pace hastens, with Amelia following closely behind her. "Makayla!" Summer says as she approaches the girl. She grabs the girls' shoulders and gives them a shake.

"Hey Makayla, what's wrong!?" Amelia says in a panic voice as she sidles up on the other side of her. Summer looks at what Makayla seems so entranced by, yet all she sees is a girl with silver eyes and hair in a long ponytail staring back at her. She suddenly gets an awful feeling as her heartbeat rises and starts pounding against her chest as if it's trying to burst out.

"We have to go!" Summer says to Amelia as she yanks Makayla's arm.

"Nooooo!" Makayla screams. She tries to pull her arm free from Summer's grasp, yanking her toward Makayla. She tries to pull Makayla back, but it's almost like she's using superhuman strength; all the while, she wails and screams.