The Witching Hour

Chapter Eighteen

"Julia, are you coming with me?"

The voice echoed in her head. She hadn't had this dream in a long time.

"Julia, are you coming with me?"

It had been years, in fact. She hadn't had the dream since she was back at Hallow's with James and Evangeline, and the twelve other students whose names she could no longer remember. Of all the students she used to share classes with, she only remembered one.

Amarinth reached out a hand. "Are you coming with me?"

"I'm coming," Julia said. "Wait for me."

"I'm waiting," Amarinth said.

The hideout looked just the same as she'd remembered. Pillows and blankets everywhere, all covered in cookie crumbs and doll clothes.

"What are we going to do today?" Julia asked, climbing up the last step and crawling into the hideout.

"I was thinking," Amarinth said. "What if we climbed the fence into the old man's house? You know the one, just down the road from school."

"We can't," Julia said. "Miss Hallow will tell our families. We could be expelled."

"Set those thoughts aside. If we didn't get caught, wouldn't it be fun?"

"I suppose," Julia said. "But I'd rather just stay here and play a game."

Amarinth groaned. "We do that every day. Let's do my idea for once."

Julia shook her head.

"Come on, Julia," Amarinth pleaded. "Please?"

She remembered all of it. How looking at her friend's eager face, she'd caved. It was her fault for saying yes.

"You won't regret this," Amarinth assured her.

They climbed down the treehouse ladder. Amarinth wore a black dress instead of the uniform. She'd been suspended six times for the same reason. Julia never had her friend's gut.

"Let's go through the alleyway," Amarinth suggested.

"What will we do once we get there?" Julia asked.

"Whatever we want," Amarinth replied.

An alley cat darted past them, its sleek black fur shining in the afternoon light. Amarinth's favorite color, other than red. She always said she and Julia looked good together, her in her black lace dresses and Julia in her sweater. Red, as always. Julia's favorite color.

"We're here," Amarinth said. "I'll boost you up first."

"Wait," Julia said. "This is a bad idea."

"No, it's not," Amarinth argued. "It's fun. Don't be a loser."

She let Julia stand on her knee and hoisted her up over the iron fence. She climbed up after, almost effortlessly after years of climbing roofs and fire escapes. She loved to have fun, as she put it.

"What if somebody sees us?" Julia asked.

"They'll think we're his kids or something."

Amarinth ran toward a small dog house in the yard. "Hey, look at this," she said. "He named his dog Apple."

"Wait, Apple?" Julia thought, a memory flickering in her mind. Panic came over her like cold water trickling down her back. "Amarinth," she said, "this isn't the old man's house. I think it's Miss Hallow's."

"Cool," Amarinth said.

"Amarinth, we have to leave!" Julia exclaimed.

"But we just got here," Amarinth protested.

Julia backed up. "I'm leaving," she said.

"If you can climb the fence on your own," Amarinth smirked.

Suddenly the back door opened.

"Girls, what are you doing here?" Miss Hallow shouted.

Julia knew how it went from here, but the story played on behind her eyelids. She watched as Amarinth made their punishment worse with an excuse more harmful than what they'd really done. She watched as Miss Hallow told them they would both be suspended for two weeks. She watched as, angry at Amarinth, she made the biggest mistake of her life.

"Miss Hallow," she said. "Please don't suspend me. I didn't want to, but Amarinth wouldn't let me leave."

"What do you mean?" Miss Hallow said. Julia didn't look at Amarinth. If she had, she would've seen the hatred in her friend's eyes, the malice–but most of all the shock of betrayal.

"She pressured me to come with her. I didn't know it was your house. Then once we were inside I wanted to leave but I can't climb fences on my own. She wouldn't lift me out."

Miss Hallow's face did not display the thoughts running through her head. Julia knew she valued the opinion of all children, but they'd also just broken into her yard.

When Miss Hallow spoke again it was directed not to Julia, but to Amarinth.

"Amarinth, I don't see how we can keep you at this school. You've been suspended many times, and I can't keep giving you another chance. If you wanted to be here you would follow at least some of the rules."

"Hey, I show up," Amarinth argued. "That's half the battle."

Miss Hallow sighed. "I'd like to talk to your parents. This week, if possible. Tell them why you were expelled."

"That's not necessary," Amarinth said. "I'll tell them myself."

"I would like to speak to them," Miss Hallow said. "Personally."

Julia knew Amarinth's parents. She knew how they would react to their only daughter's third expulsion. I thought you were better than this, they'd say.

"She'll tell them herself," Julia cut in. "You heard her."

Amarinth flashed Julia a glare. "I don't need you to defend me."

Julia jolted awake. She hated that dream, but now she realized something.

The day Miss Hallow met with Amarinth's parents was the last day Julia saw her. The next day her picture was in the paper, accompanied by a word in all-capital letters. MISSING.

This was why she'd left to find James. Another friend, disappeared never to be seen again. And this time, Julia wasn't losing anyone. She would find him and she would save him.

The sun had just risen when Julia knocked on the door.

The sound of shuffling papers met her ears from inside the house. The knob turned.

"What do you want," the man said.

"Hello, are you Sean Kelly?" Julia asked.

"Yes," the man said. "You trying to sell me something?"

"No," Julia said indignantly. "I'm James' friend from England. I'm looking for him."

Sean smirked. "I know who you are. You're the one James talks about, Julia. He fancies you."

Julia cleared her throat, still trying to seem professional. "I'm not here about that. I'm looking for him."

"You won't find him," Sean said, moving to shut the door.

To his back, Julia asked, "Do you even care?"

He stopped. I've got him, Julia said.

He turned around.

"Get the fuck off my property," he said.