Utterly Hopeless: An Ominis Gaunt Love Story

Chapter Eight: Terminal Turmoil

(Ominis)

"Block the exits," a man yelled as a loud ringing pounded against my head, my body shivering from the strange new bitter temperature.

What happened? I shifted slightly as a throbbing pain shot through me. What in Merlin's name is this? I felt my heartrate quicken as the torment traveled up to my brain flooding my head alongside the horrid ringing.

This sensation is all too familiar the pen prickling pain, the shooting nerve ending ache, everything feeling inflamed, it was like I had been hit with a weak Crutiatas curse. Only that would still have been worse than this. This hurts yes, but it is merely disorienting. Easily overcome, but what caused this? I took a sharp breath in and cringed; the smell also familiar, this was a dark magic.

"Pull them out one by one, Boss says we aren't leaving until we find her," the man yelled again in a deep and graveled voice. More groans filled the space followed by strained breaths and screams. Dear god what is going on?

What happened? I went to try and sit up as something soft and heavy weighed me down. I reached out running my hand up a long curve pushing at it slightly as Anne cried out in pain her form wincing against me.

"Anne," I choked out trying to gather a better bearing of our surroundings but found my wand nowhere near us. It must of flew from me in the blast, I tried calling for it as it would normally spring to my hand, but after a few pain strung moments, it wasn't any closer. I'm completely in the dark.

"Anne," I said again fighting through the ache in my chest forcing us to our side, shielding her body with mine to assess her better. The screaming around us continued, people scrabbling up rumbling the stone beneath us only to be thrown back down, their horrified tearful cries filling the terminal. "Anne wake up!" Silence. "Anne, can you hear me?" Silence again. "Anne!"

Frantically running my hand down her face taking in her features scrapped and bloodied but overall alright, traveling lower looking to see if she had any life-threatening wounds, thankfully finding none. I sighed, fighting off the overwhelmed tears holding her tightly to myself pleading she wake, I can't lose her. Not yet. I'm supposed to have a year, she told me we'd have a year!

"Ominis," her voice comes out course and weak.

"Anne!"

"W-what, what happened?"

"I'm not sure," I stiffened as the screams came closer. I called for my wand again as it ignored me once more. "I... I can't see a thing. My-my wand is missing.... People are screaming, they," my voice was rasped more than intended. "They sound terrified, what... What is happening what do you see?" She shifted against me gasping in horror.

"They're tearing women from the crowd."

"Why?"

"I'm not-"

"Come on you heard the boss fifteen to eighteen years of age, leave the rest," the man yelled again cutting her off.

"He's grabbing girls our year," she spat, as a new horror shot through me. The warmth I craved, feeling again for only a moment was now gone.

"Is Threa amongst them," she's silent as my heart raced. "Anne is THREA WITH THEM?"

"I... I don't see her," she said voice just as panicked, shifting again until a wooden handle rested in my hands.

"Anne?"

"I'm too sick," I shook my head as she pressed her hand to my cheek. "Stop it you know I'm right. I'll be rubbish if this comes to a fight.... They are taking girls close to our year Ominis."