[Okay, so I'm quite proud that this is the second upload in as many days. Shout out to greenivy320 who left a comment on my last part! This chapter's mainly because I felt guilty for not posting often enough for the fans who want to read the story. Again, it's a short chapter but...please comment! And Happy Reading! ^_^]
"...linda. Belinda! Wake up! Belinda!"
Belinda awoke to frantic shaking. Her head ached and her body found muscles she didn't know existed to cause pain. She groaned and looked groggily around to see Maggie's face break into relief.
"Oh, thank God. Are you okay? What're you doing here?" Maggie's voice made the pounding in Belinda's head worse and she winced ever so slightly. "Wait, let me back up. Where does it hurt?"
"Uh, a little bit of everywhere I think. But forget about me. Are you okay? You've been here longer, right? Did he hurt you?"
"No, he just grabbed me. He smells weird but he didn't hurt me. You're the one he dragged in here looking dead! What did he do to you?"
Belinda thought back and vaguely remembered the way her vision had blanked. She didn't want to tell Maggie about that part at the very least. The mere memory of the stark fear that had encompassed her was enough to make her palms sweat and her stomach turn. She looked around, trying to distract herself. Her eyes grazed past the things she had seen last time; a house, tall and sinister with boarded windows and a door that laughed at her; a merry-go-round that creaked ominously as it span emptily; and that dreaded pool that had left her in a coma for several weeks. The water that had once churned so frightfully stood deceptively still now that Andrew held no influence. Her bag sat to the left of her, closed and inconspicuous.
"Hey, Mags, did Andrew do anything to my bag or is it okay to touch it?"
"Um, he didn't do anything to it. He looked like he was in a bit of a rush-"
"Okay, what was he in a rush for? Sorry," she said hastily, not wanting to upset an already stressed Maggie. "I didn't mean to interrupt you, honest. I'm just - worried. Keith would've gotten back not long after me and I don't want him to get stuck here again."
"Yeah, I can see why. I mean, I hate it here and I've barely been here an hour, I'm sure. How did he stay here for three months without going crazy?"
Belinda stayed silent, her teeth worrying her bottom lip as she tried not to say something Maggie really didn't need to know. She rummaged through her bag, flicking through a book or two, glass clinking as she shuffled things around. She just about had everything back in her bag when Andrew materialised behind her.
"Ah, you're awake. Keith says 'hello', by the way. He's a little...worried I think. Well, if the yelling was anything to go by. He should really be careful, or he's going to have a heart attack one of these da-"
"Shut up. Just shut up Andrew. Say one more thing and I'm going to smash your face in," Belinda's eyes flashed and her fists clenched. "I swear to God, I'll-"
"Oh, shut up yourself," Andrew muttered, his hands flicking in front of her. Her mouth slammed shut, jarring her teeth and her hands flew to her throat as her breath cut short. "I don't enjoy being yelled at. And you're nothing but an idiot for thinking you could ever take me on. You'd better hope Keith and Jack get here soon or you're going to find that life could be cut a lot shorter."
And with a snap of his fingers, he was gone. Belinda's eyes bugged out of her head as her breathing didn't return before she collapsed to the floor. Maggie let out a cry of dismay as her fingers worked above Belinda in a complicated dance. Suddenly Belinda started coughing as the air rushed back into her lungs. Maggie leaned in to try and catch what she was saying.
"Th-*cough*-that bas-*cough*cough*-he's going to-*cough*-get what's coming-*cough*cough*-coming to him!" Belinda choked out, her eyes watering and stinging. "I swear-*cough*-"
"Hey, give it a minute Belinda. Give yourself a second to catch your breath back. I'm sure Keith and Jack have an idea to get us back."
"Oh, we won't need their help," Belinda smirked, her eyes glittering as she reopened her bag. "Now that Andrew's gone for the minute, you can help me with our plan..."
* * *
"So, now that we know Andrew has them both," Jack said. "And that they were both taken from here, we can assume they're together, right? And if they're together, Belinda will take care of Maggie. Belinda won't let anything happen to Maggie if she can help it."
"I know that, but who's going to take care of Belinda? She can't take care of herself properly and she's in a totally different world now! If anything happens to her I- it's all my fault."
"Hey, come on. Belinda can find trouble all on her own you know. But she can take care of herself better than you'd think. She didn't use to be able to but she can do more now. And Maggie'll help if it gets really bad, you know that."
Keith shrugged noncommittally. He didn't like the idea of the two of them alone and trapped, helpless against Andrew. Even the fact that Belinda was getting more independent didn't help. His hands shook with the effort of not hitting something. When he got hold of Andrew he would...
"Hello-o-o-o, Earth to Keith? Look, I have to get going. My dad's gonna freak if I'm not home soon. I know you're worried about Belinda but please, don't do anything overly stupid. She can take care of herself for the minute and Maggie's fine if she's with her."
"Fine. Come back tomorrow and we'll work it out, okay? I won't do anything as long as you come over tomorrow."
"That's a good idea," Jack paused at the door, not wanting to leave Keith on his own. "Look, it's going to be fine. It has to be."
Once Jack was gone, Keith tried to pull himself together. It was pointless trying to charge in head first, he might as well try and think of a plan that could save them both and get rid of Andrew at the same time. And then there was explaining how he had managed to lose both Maggie and Belinda on the same day to his mother. He knew she wouldn't be very impressed with him for being so blind and naive.
