Welcome to Almusilaa

Chapter Five

Authors Note at the end, please read VERY IMPORTANT

The next morning was the same as the morning before. We were ushered into a van and driven to the council building. Tom smiled wide when he saw Charlie. She smiled back with equal intensity. If I hadn't talked to her last night I would never have noticed anything wrong. I don't know if it was my bad nights sleep making me grumpy or his expression but Tom looked particularly insufferable today.

It was Cooper's turn to testify. Again Eleanor screamed about her son before she was silenced. Then Cooper told his story.

It was heartbreaking to see the ginger tabby testify. He told us of the times he had tried to defy Eleanor to be tortured. Then he had told the council he had been forced to watch over me for a week. He hadn't chosen me, Eleanor had. That little detail confused me. I looked over at Eleanor. Why would she want me? What was special about me?

Then it was my turn. Cooper jumped down from the chair and gestured to me. I got up from where I was sitting by Charlie's chair before I sat in front of the council. Ten sets of eyes burnt into me as I sat frozen to the chair. I had never been good at public speaking and this was a whole new level of awful.

I started quietly, stuttering at first.

"Speak up please." The council member with antlers ordered.

I nodded before I kept speaking. I told them about my kidnapping, my imprisonment, my escape. The council members stared at me the whole time, making me uncomfortable. I was able to mostly ignore their stares by the time I finished. As soon as they dismissed me I hurriedly jumped from the chair, eager to let someone else take the spotlight.

Nicole was next. She told of how she was kidnapped in broad daylight like I was from a park a day after I ran away. The horror of seeing two more victims get taken. The stories of what had happened to the others and hearing I had died.

Jack was next. He had been kidnapped as he walked to his car. He had helped Eleanor buy some animal antibiotics he later found out were for Grace's wound from when Eleanor lashed out at her. When his shift had ended, he had been knocked out and had woken up in her basement.

Then it was Daniel's turn.

"He can't talk." Tyler informed us.

"Why not?" Charlie asked.

"He's too small."

"An interesting predicament. Does anyone have a ouija board?" Tom joked, looking at Charlie.

"A good idea Thomas, go fetch a paper and pen." One of the council members. Tom lit up at the praise like a golden retriever being told he was a good boy before rushing out.

An impromptu ouija board was made and Daniel was set down on it while Tom held a pen and notebook to record Daniels testimony.

"I was walking home from school." Thomas read out. Daniel jumped from letter to letter.

"Everything went black."

"But before I blacked out."

"I heard her say 'I'm running out of time'." Thomas read out slowly.

"Would you care to clarify that?" The council woman with the sharp eyes asked Eleanor who had been glaring at the council members. The female guard waved her hand and Eleanor swallowed.

"I won't say or do anything until I get to see my son." She said with a deadly calm. Something had changed. Just an hour ago she was frothing at the mouth and now she was the picture of cool. Icy, in fact.

One of the council members waved a hand at Eleanor. A shimmer in the air showed that he had done something. The sickly sweet scent of magic hung in the air. Then he turned to his fellow council members.