A Witch's Way

Chapter 8

"Jazzie? Is that you?" Erik said.

Serena raised her head and tried to see the two people standing in front of the portal. The light was too bright and she dropped her head to avoid her headache from worsening, hearing Erik get further away to speak with 'Jazzie'.

Trying again, she lifted her head to see a man with blond hair and brown eyes staring right at her, eyes narrowed. She swallowed and averted her eyes, wondering if he would come over. She could see Erik speaking rapidly with a girl with long, brown hair that seemed familiar. She couldn't place a finger on it, from the throbbing headache and her sore, bruising throat.

The portal shut and it went dim once again. Why did those two seem so familiar?

"Serena? Jasper?" Stella called out, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"I'm.." Serena coughed from the dust and dirt in the air. "I'm right here!" she croaked, trying to yell. It seemed to get across the concrete and metal and she heard running footsteps, Stella now in front of them.

Stella bent down and hoisted Serena up to her feet carefully. "Can you walk? I need you to help me with Jasper," she pleaded with Serena, hoping that she could be strong enough to hold Jasper's weight.

Serena nodded weakly, bent down, and grabbed Jasper's arm, placing it over her neck and shoulders. Stella did the same, and they walked, wobbling, across the unsteady pieces of debris. "Where's Clark?" Serena whispered.

"Clark is with Ian and Nina. They went to get Melanie."

Serena nodded, keeping an eye on the ground. Everything was a blur of motion and colors when she looked back up.

Melanie, she assumed, rushed forwards once they were in sight. Two people grabbed for her, and two more grabbed at Jasper. Clark--and Rosemary, she remembered--followed them into the portal, along with Ian and Stella.

Serena's eyes shut from pure exhaustion. She couldn't be bothered to keep them open.

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"What happened?"

The lights were blinding over Serena's eyes, and she covered them with a small, petite hand. A doctor pushed her head down to see her eyes.

"Little girl? What happened to your shoulder?" The man with green eyes asked, wide and caring. She looked to her shoulder and paled, unsure of how her shoulder had gotten bloodied.

"I..I don't know," she whispered, feeling her father's stare on her back. She shivered, a chill running through her. "I don't know. I can't remember.."

The doctor straightened up and yelled something inaudible to Serena. Something about 'Going into shock,' or something. She didn't care. "I wanna go home. My shoulder hurts!" Serena wailed, starting to cry.

The doctor patted her head, his soft hand smoothing the frizzy pieces of hair. "It's going to be okay, okay sweetie? I promise."

Serena nodded as she was led away from her father. She could hear him yelling something to her. She didn't turn back. She was afraid to see Axel.

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"Serena, was it? Darlin'? How many fingers am I holdin' up here?"

Serena moaned, the blinding lights causing her head to have bursts of pain each time she tried to open her eyes. "The..the lights.."

The woman uttered a curse under her breath and shouted, "Darwin! Shut off them damn lights! You're blindin' the poor girl!"