Crayons, Captivity and Carnage ( and a side of fries)

Chapter 2: Taken

Sammy laughed as Carol grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the drawing table in the playroom. The little girl was so happy even though her treatments were making her feel very, very ill. At least they'd been playing all morning with the other kids in the hospital.

The witch was very thankful she'd seen the call for volunteers to come and keep the kids company at the hospital today. It felt good helping all the children to feel better. Sometimes, she used her magic to aid them while other times she just did her best to make them happy with no magic at all. Sam could tell it was working as happiness came from the children in waves and their laughter filled the room.

However, Sam could also tell this child, Carol, was wearing down, but the kid's joy prevented Sammy from saying anything to the nurses. The little one deserved this happiness because the witch didn't know how much more time she had left. The deep feelings wouldn't tell her exactly how long the girl would live, but Sam got the sense things weren't going well.

The thoughts about Carol threatened to make Sam upset, but she knew enough about the supernatural to get the sense that there was...something. Death wasn't always the end, but it was often sad for those we loved. Carol's family would be so sad, but right now, the child was delighted. Who was Sammy to change that by letting the nurses drag her back to her room to rest?

Instead, Sam kept surreptitiously feeding her joyful energy into the little one as they sat drawing and coloring at the table.

"Here's a pink crayon for you, Sammy!" Carol said, handing her the implement.

"Oooh, thank you! I really needed that for the horns."

Carol laughed, scooting closer so that she could watch Sammy work. "You're really good at drawing and coloring. Why are you making that monster look so pretty, though. They're supposed to be scary."

Sammy shook her head as she stuck out her tongue while concentrating on using the light blue to draw a heart in the corner of the page. "Monsters aren't mean or scary, Carol. I've got a demon and a vampire who I love a lot. They love me too, and they're super nice...most of the time."

"Really?" Carol asked while turning her attention to the princess coloring page in front of her and staring at the crayons. "What color should I use, Sam?"

Sam looked from the Urdie drawing on which she was concentrating, to the selection of crayons in the bucket before replying, "Green. It matches your eyes" then returning her attention to the picture of her demon.

Carol started coloring with the green and smiling as Sam reveled in her delight.

As they worked quietly, she could feel the eyes of the nurse who wasn't a nurse on her.

The witch knew there was something off about some of the people working in the hospital as soon as she saw them, but what she was doing was way too important for her to leave.

The deep feelings had told her everything was going to be ok in the end, so Sammy tried not to worry. As long as the kids were safe, it would all be ok.

Just then, one of the nurses not nurses started walking towards her, thanking her for her help, and Sam stood and greeted her with a wide smile. Maybe nothing would actually happen after all.

Before she could react, though, she felt a sharp pain in her neck and then suddenly got really, really sleepy. Something was very wrong, Sam couldn't move, and a nurse who wasn't a nurse caught her from behind as she started to fall. The witch's magic surged as she panicked.

The kids! Were they gonna hurt the kids or something? Carol watched from the table in confusion as the woman holding Sam up said something about her fainting and calling for help.

Sammy had fainted before. She knew what that felt like. No, she wasn't fainting. She had been drugged, but at least if they were making a show of calling for help. That fact meant they were trying to keep whatever they were doing under wraps. The kids were probably safe then.

So, the only logical thing is that the nurses not nurses and doctors not doctors were taking her...somewhere. She'd have to fight at some point, but the sleep was taking over. She just wanted to sleep now.

Oh, but Timmy and Urdie. They wouldn't know what was happening to her. They'd worry

She had to...

Before she could finish the thought, though, she felt herself slip into unconsciousness.