Within the Pages

Chapter 40

Chapter 40

I open my eyes and almost leap back. The whole room is covered in darkness. Everybody I know is frozen in space, some in mid-breath. That isn't the scary bit though. Right in front of me is a hooded figure, with a skull for a face and carrying a scythe. Is this...Death?

"Charlie. What you are doing now is not acceptable." The skull speaks yet doesn't move a muscle. The raspy old voice sends shivers down my spine.

"I have to try to save my friend. I won't let him die." Look at me, standing up to death like I am.

"It is his time to move on." Death answers, again without moving a single bone.

"I won't give up on my friend. I know I can save him."

"You have the ability to save him, but there will be a price. Magic so powerful always comes with a price." This time Death looks down, almost sad.

"I'll pay any price. Now let me save my friend." I see that time is frozen yet I still feel like I am running out of time to save him.

"As you wish Charlie. Just don't say I didn't warn you," The raspy voice calls out to me.

Death then looks around the room to see if anyone is watching, I don't quite understand that, he had frozen the room. "And I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but your mother isn't in Wonderland anymore. She is in Aladdi.." Suddenly he is cut off and his figure disappears. The room goes slowly back to normal, no longer faded black. That was weird. Is there someone higher up than Death that would have the power to bring him back somewhere else?

Doesn't matter now, I bring my hands back over Lancelot to heal him.

More seconds pass by and I almost think Death is back to judge me again until I hear multiple gasps. I quickly open my eyes and stare at a few of the cuts on Lancelot that are closing up. A huge gash in his chest starts to close up. Suddenly it stops and everyone turns to me with almost a scowl on their face. "CONTINUE HEALING HIM!!!!!!" A few of my friends yell at me and I almost jump into the air.

"Ok, ok." I mutter, closing my eyes again and focusing on healing him.

The others gasp again for what I would assume being the wounds closing up. I wait for a few more seconds, don't want to get yelled at again. When I finally open my eyes I see Lancelot smiling at me with an enlightened look on his face.

"Thank you Charlie. I fear... I fear I would have died without you saving me."

Going to nod, the whole room swirls around me and gets all fuzzy. For a second I think that Death is back until I start falling to the ground, seeing the guards leap forward to catch me before my head hits the ground.

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I wake up to see everybody staring down at me in those circle shapes that you see on tv.

"Uhhh", I groan, trying to sit up and immediately falling back down again. "What happened?"

Lancelot, both alive and well, answers, "I believe the strain and amount of magic that it took for you to heal me was too much for you. You passed out and the guards were just able to catch you before your head hit the ground."

This must be the price Death was talking about. Using magic that powerful can take a toll on me, making me fall unconscious. "Well as long as you are alright, I don't mind almost getting a concussion."

Banging pounds on the stairs as a flurry of footsteps pound up them. Oh come on can't I get a break.

This time I am ready however. I see the guards round the door and I place a force-field keeping them out of the room. Getting up and holding on to everybody I image being in the witch's dungeon and with the added flair of red smoke, we disappear right in front of the witches' soldiers.