The elements of school

Chapter 10 Greta Oakweep

Lia sat in silence looking expressionless for but a moment before she began to speak
"How? What can we do now?"
Iggy passed Harry a large, red-bound book with papers stained with time sticking unevenly out of the pages.
"Do you know of the tale of Great Oakweep"

"Yes but it's a children's fable, it's not true and even if it was-"

"Look at this" Emily interrupted before she passed Lia a crinkled document.

Lia scanned over it and found the name 'Oakweep, Greta' towards the bottom of the document before her eyes darted upward and found the paper to be titled 'medical wing records, may 1893'.
Lia looked up at Harry a little puzzled and confused.

"Surely not, this is bull"

"It's not, read the record" Coral prompted

Lia looked downward again and read aloud "Greta Oakweep was admitted to the hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning after a traumatic incident in the room of souls. Elementals we're sent to investigate the room however investigations proved inconclusive. Oakweep quickly became 'halfed' letters were sent off to family and friends prepared for memorials within the school however Oakweep began to show signs of recovery within the early hours of Tuesday. Oakweep was fully recovered by that Friday evening and reason for this recovery isn't able to be given"

Everyone sat in silence even they couldn't fathom what had happened

"We'll she'll be dead then" Abby said

"No she won't, not if she was a powerful elemental"

"We're is this bitch then" Hugo said

"The last trace we could find" Harry said handing Hugo a newspaper article. Hugo sat there unsure for a second.

"Read it then!" Lia stressed

"Alright chill" Hugo said before squinting at the tiny font on the page "Greta Oakweep catches Morgan Tilmilt one of the infamous members of Tickwood, the young witch from the green water" Hugo said before handing Harry the article back

"We'll then" Hugo spoke "we ride to green water it's only an hour or so away

"And how is that gonna work?" Billy said critiquing Hugo's idea before Billy began to impersonate just how ridiculous Hugo's plan was "oh hello sir, you know green water, yes the town just of the coast with high levels of crime and riddle with slitshadows, yes yes the very same" Billy sat down and continued "see how stupid that sounds?" She said frustrated

"Leave Hugo alone, sorry that he tried to help, like you could do any better"

"Billy's just trying to show Hugo how dumb his plan is" Abby snapped back

The whole gathering broke out into an argument but Harry remained silent thinking of a plan that could work. She finalised the finer details in her mind before she clicked her fingers and muttered a spell under her breath "here silence shall be found everyone will be quite now" before a loud fire snap made a loud crack like that of a whip within the middle of the congregation.

Everyone fell silent and look at Harry
"Finally, now listen here's the plan, we're going to walk out after dinner as if we're going to the practise rooms. But then we're going up the the end of the corridor where there is a large window we're Abby shall use her powers to make vines climb up the toward window and open the latch. Before we fly up on our broomsticks with our wands and records in someone's satchel. We'll fly off in the evening and be back at sunrise"

Everyone agreed with the plan
"But who's going?" Hugo asked fearfully
Harry hesitated for a moment unsure of what to say before she replied "Lia and I"

"It can't just be the two of you!, plus Lia's barely standing " Hugo quivered

"I'm fine Hugo"

"I'll go" Emily interjected

"That's decided then, the rest of us shall keep there cover other than Abby and Maggie who will help them escape" Hugo said the nerves fading from his voice.

Everyone was agreed, a few moments later the bell for dinner chimed and the society plus Hugo and Lia rushed up the staircase frantically knowing their time was short.

Lia ran into the room. It suddenly hit her that the room which had once been full of friendship, laughter and ultimately care was now silent,eerie and painful lonely.

She missed Aya but more so she missed her friendship with Alice she wanted them to be okay. Her hands began to shake and the world around her felt cold and unloving.

"What the fuck" she cried to herself shaking a little and feeling breathless. She sniffed before grabbing her wand from the side table and tapping it on her chest where her heart lay. She twisted it which made her pain not disappear entirely but ease even if just for a few hours.She knew it wasn't good but no one was going to find out. .She took a deep breath before waving her hand over her face and cleaning away the tears and red face.

The group gathered in the dining hall eating there milkweed and bluewater berries salad with haste. The company didn't make time for desert - they were on a time frame after all - however speed walked off down the corridor. The company who weren't involved in the departure went about their lives however staying precious to make it as if the other were still there. Whether that be taking to people who weren't there or stuffing the bed with spells or materials.

Lia, Harry, Emily, Maggie and Abby had hidden broomstick in a fireplace that didn't in-fact exist however not one person who had passed in the previous hours had questioned it. Harry lifted the spell and the three broomsticks appeared where the fire had roared. Abby has begun opening the window and Emily - just for assurance - had burst a pipe in the toilet to distract the teachers. After much anxious finger twiddling and pacing from the trio Abby finally unlocked the latch and the trio mounted their brooms and lifted upward.

The trio flew out of the window and felt the cold evening air surround them. They flew swiftly over the moorland seeing signs of the evenings approach below. It could be seen from every creature begin there nightly slumber or the pastel sunset washing over the sky.

The trio approached the lake of souls, they all felt fearful when they saw the little vulture statue in the distance. Lia adjusted herself on the broom trying to shift the feeling in her stomach that persisted.

All at once a message cloud appeared in front of them. It was every member of the society and Hugo gathered round what must have been another cloud on the other end.

"Harry! Harry! Harry!" Iggy began

"What's wrong!" Lia began before Harry could even take a breath to begin a sentence

"Greta Oakweep is dead!" Iggy said before she read "Greta Oakweep was killed on Friday the 13th outside her house on the side of the lake of souls, the attack was believed to be a targeted one but no human was responsible but that one of the forest animals" Iggy finished

"Turn back then?" Said Abby ending the shocked silence on both ends

"No!" Lia said

"Lia there nothing to stay for we're going back"
"No we're not!" Lia said stubbornly

"Lia stop being stubborn come on, the more we research the better chance we have"

Lia didn't exactly know why she couldn't go back but something called her, the lake of souls was calling her.