Magicae

Chapter 31: Dungeon

Juliette awoke in darkness. What happened? she thought. Where am I?

She shook her head, trying to clear it. I was in that closet... Visitor's Day...

The memories rushed back.

***

Juliette followed her friends into the entrance hall, scanning the room for her father and Margaret. Out of the corner of her eye she registered Penny running up to her large family, Emma greeting her mother, and Geneva embracing her parents.

But of Juliette's family, there was no sign.

She ran through the crowd of students and parents, looking for her own with no success. Slowly the people dispersed as the students began the tour.

And Juliette was alone.

Not knowing where to go, with all her friends gone with their parents, Juliette returned to the dorm. It wasn't long, however, before she realized that eventually her dorm mates would come show their families the dorm.

Juliette didn't want to face her friends. They would wonder where her family was, and worry about her, and Juliette didn't want to distract them from their day with their families.

So she retreated to the one place she knew no one would look— the janitor's closet where Alex had told them that the school know about Fabulosa.

There she sat, losing track of time, and wondering why. Why didn't Dad and Margaret come? Did they forget? Did something happen?

Eventually, Juliette drifted off to sleep in the dim room.

***

But where was she now? It was darker here than in the closet, and reaching her arms out, Juliette didn't feel any of the buckets and mops that were in the janitor's closet.

It was also cold. Juliette didn't know where her jacket was, but she missed in the cool room.

Tears were damp on her cheeks, and Juliette wiped them away with a brush of her fingers. She started to stand up—

—but found she couldn't. Her ankles were shackled together, and she tried to stand up Juliette lost her balance and fell.

She leaned down and felt the shackle, Juliette found a chain leading away from her.

What's happening? Juliette wondered, swallowing down her panic. She needed to stay calm. Clearly I've been kidnapped or taken prisoner by someone, but who? And why?

To be honest, Juliette thought she knew why. She was one of the Fabulosa. Why else would someone kidnap her?

Juliette tried again to stand up. This time, knowing that her ankles were attached together, she was more careful, and managed to stand up.

She reached her hands up as far as she could, trying to find the ceiling. Juliette found that if she stretched as far as she could, the tips of her fingers would barely brush the roof.

It was hard and cool, like the floor below her. Stone? Juliette thought. Am I in a cave?

She didn't think so. The stone was too even and regular for a natural cave.

"I should try to find a wall and figure out how big this room is." Juliette realized she had spoken aloud, trying to break the silence gripping the room. Her voice didn't echo, instead falling flat in the musty room. So it must not be very large.

Juliette bent over and felt for the chain. She got onto her hands and knees, figuring that would be easier than walking with her feet bound together.

The chain was heavy and rough, and Juliette could feel rust flaking off as she ran her hand along it.

"I feel like I'm in a dungeon in some kind of medevial castle," she said. "Penny would probably think this is really cool." Juliette sighed. "I wish she were here. Or Geneva. Or Emma. Even Alex..."

It occurred to her that maybe she was going crazy, talking to herself. Juliette shrugged philosophically. "If I am going crazy, there's not much I can do about it. Except escape."

She found the wall after what she estimated to be ten feet of chain. The wall was also stone, although Juliette felt lines and crevices separating bricks.

"But just finding the wall really does me no good. I still can't get out—"

Then it hit her. Juliette mentally berated herself for not thinking if it sooner. She could teleport! Not always very accurately, or course, but anything to get out of these chains and back to the school.

She closed her eyes. This is just the classroom. I'm going to teleport across the room.

Juliette took a deep breath and reached for her magic...

She couldn't find it. Juliette couldn't seem to feel her magic.

The panic rose up in her throat, threatening to overwhelm her. Had whoever kidnapped her somehow also taken away her magic?

Juliette swallowed hard, trying to calm herself down. Surely someone had realized she was gone by now... how long had it been? Juliette didn't know how long she had been asleep before waking up here.

"Ow!" A sharp cry of pain escaped her. A splitting headache rent through her skull.

Oh no. Juliette still remembered her last headache...

***

Once again, she, Penny, and Alex were in the forest, dark remnants of magic swirling around them.

T

he magic crept closer and closer, and when Alex turned to say something, the moment he opened his mouth a dark wisp flew inside of him.

Alex collapsed to the ground. When the girls approached to see if he was okay, he sat up suddenly, his eyes flying open.

They were black. Solid black, without white, pupil, or iris.

Alex rose up in the air above them, turning into a dragon as black as his eyes. His tail swished, knocking both girls off balance and sending them both sprawling on the ground.

***

Juliette groaned. "That's the same one from this morning." At least, she thought it was that morning. She didn't think she had been in the dungeon for longer than a few hours.

"At least I know that my magic is still there." Yeah, but why does the premonition work but my actually useful magic doesn't? she argued with herself.

Juliette sighed in exasperation. "Fat load of good that premonition does me. I already saw it."

What do I do now?

I know that a lot of this was kinda filler, but there are some interesting things in this chapter. Who kidnapped Juliette? Why can't she teleport? What does the premonition mean? Can the others find Juliette?

And yay, I published it on time! Hope you liked, and please vote/comment if you did.