Fowler School of Magic's

Dinner

She woke up only one more time. Rhiannon shifted in her sleep and bumped her leg. Calla shot back, assuming she was going to be kicked awake. She didn't fall back asleep.

She wasn't allowed to leave the house, or The Swamp, Nathan's orders. She didn't bother to object, she didn't want to leave. The house had gotten bigger since she'd been taken, it had many more people now too. Her bedroom was two floors down from the main one. Cash got her some yellow paint and that was her project for the next few days, a promise to Rhiannon to stay safe.

She played music, a radio on the bed, as she stretched, trying to paint the room as best she could.

In the end it was a soft yellow, she'd always wanted a yellow room, so it would resemble the sun. The sun. She missed it even now. Cash provided. A sun lamp, mimicking the sun coming in through a window as the flick of a switch. She thanked him and he provided her with one more thing, new blankets. They were softer than the original and the comforter was hers. It was new and it wasn't stained and it didn't have holes in it like the ones from her past. It was pale yellow with flowers. Flowers were everywhere in the room. Though it's contents were lacking, a bed, a table and chairs, and a lamp, it felt homey.

She still couldn't bring herself to shut the door. Not when she was alone.

Everyone checked in on her from time to time. Max to make sure she was eating, Nathan and Cash asking if she needed anything, Raúl to show her his latest magic trick, he'd been working on sleight of hand in his free time. Rin would tell her about the futures of objects, things that would get broken or would be held while a joke was being said. Francine came by the most though, talking with her for hours about anything and everything.

"I miss having a room with you," she said, rolling over on the bed, Calla nodded, pulling her stuffed frog close. A joke gift from Cash after one of the students set loose a frog one morning. She caught it and let it back through the portal.

"You're always welcome to come over," She'd probably have to sleep on the floor though. She knew from experience how much Francine moved in her sleep, tossing and turning long after she was out.

"Lucky you with your own room,"
"Just wake up screaming a few times, they'll practically beg you to leave, ha."

Francine sighed, looking up at her now. "I'm really sorry Calla." It's been two weeks since Lane. She still woke up screaming. "Don't be." She assured her quickly, "If we can get everyone out then it'll have been worth it." Francine shook her head, taking her hand and giving it a quick squeeze.

"You don't have to pretend. You're allowed to hurt okay? I know it's easier to fake it but you just end up sad."
"You seem to be speaking from experience."
"Chemical imbalance in the brain, depression, my mom and my grandma couldn't always afford to pay for my meds so I assured them I could go without. Faking it."

Calla squeezed her hand, "It hurts still, but I'm going to be okay. Even if not now, then later." If I make it that long. Her hands itches at the thought of 'graduating' and her mouth watered at the memory of meat after starving for so long. She grimaced, trying to stay away from those thoughts of hunger. Of isolation. She was eating and sleeping regularly now. She was okay.

"Alright, we'll if you ever need me, you know where to find me. Okay?"

She woke up to sun on the walls. The lamp. She sighed, stretching as Rhiannon sat at the table, a cup in hand. How she got out of bed with out waking her was a mystery.

"Max made tea. They're having a meeting later today. All the original team is supposed to go." It was a question. Calla hadn't attended last weeks meeting. The memory too fresh. It still was fresh but she could hold out for half an hour or so. She nodded, Rhiannon smiled and finished off her tea.

"We have a lot of our Mutatio and Orcalum kids working on the gate. They've gotten close with dreamt up devices or tunnels elsewhere but it'll be mid-April before we have a definitive way out, possibly later." Max sat and gestured to the table, "Anything else?"

"We've almost got three-fourths of the students ready. We have enough credibility it's easy now. But, they aren't happy with the living situation," Cash pointed at Max, "which means you and I have work to do."

"The power is going to shut off today." Rin signed, they pointed at the light above then. "I didn't see why, just that it was frustrating. The heat will turn off too. We'll need blankets. I didn't see when it would come back."

Solutions were shouted almost immediately. Generators. Heated blankets. New lights. Wireless new lights. Wireless generators. Heat lamps. A new heating system. They began to get muddled together. Calla sunk into her chair as Francine stood.

"Cash and I have been working on the language necklaces and making money. Whether the cash or necklaces will work we're not sure."
"Language necklaces?"
"We don't know where that gate leads. Magic here translates what we're all saying into the other person's native language. We need to be able to communicate on the outside so, language necklaces."

She vaguely remember a pile of necklaces in the dorm. She sunk back against her chair again. They had done a lot while she was gone.

Everyone split up for various things. Everyone was assigned a task. She was to help Max in the kitchen, making dinner for everyone. Rhiannon wasn't happy about leaving her to go recruit more people but Max assured her she'd be fine.

They played music while they worked, Max making food as they danced. It was odd sort of things, their body moving fluidly. Calla smiles, putting the food on plates.

"You like it?" Max asked, pointing to the radio, "It plays whatever so you're thinking of."

The song changed. They listed for a moment before Max grinned, the first lyrics being sung. "Rhiannon rings like a bell-" "Oh you sap." Max laughed, turning up the radio. Calla closed her eyes for a moment, tapping her fingers on the counter. She was happy. She was alive. She was full.

Students began to filter in, only a third of their people came, the rest eating at the dining hall. Calla sat on the kitchen counter, ignoring how they looked at her as they picked up their food. Her fingers moved to her scars, fading lines down her face. She looked back at Max, still tapping their foot to the song that played, singing along as the radio played a song about a girl named Lucy in the sky with diamonds.

She was happy. She wanted to stay here forever. Home.