𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 | Hosie ✔️

Chapter 11

"Where are you going?", Hope's voice sounded behind Josie as she made her way to her room. She stoppe and turned to her with a furrowed brow: "To my room."
She had thought they were going to go to her room so Hope could explain what exactly her plan was.
"And you think that's a good idea?", she asked with a critical expression: "Because I honestly don't feel like dealing with Lizzie when she gets back and wants to know what we're doing."
Josie instinctively folded her arms across her chest. She didn't like it when people talked badly about her twin.
"Don't talk about her that way", she said with a little emphasis. Hope shrugged: "I'm just saying. I don't feel like explaining it to her."
Hope was right about that. Even Josie wasn't keen on explaining the situation to her sister. Lizzie wouldn't be happy about her sister working with Hope or understanding Josie's problems.
"You haven't even told her what's going on, have you?", Hope asked her with a critical look, but her voice took on a gentle tone.
"What? Yes, of course", Josie said without thinking about it for long, although it was not at all true.

"Well", she cleared her throat slightly: "Where shall we go if not to my room?"
"Mine", Hope replied and stepped to a door beside her. She opened it with one hand and then entered. Josie hesitated briefly, but then followed her. She was about to ask why her room was better suited for this purpose, but when she looked into the room, she remembered that Hope didn't have a roommate.

Hope closed the door behind Josie and put the candle on her bed, on which she then let herself fall. Josie did the same and sat down too. She looked at Hope for a moment, but then lowered her gaze to the object in front of her. Only now she noticed that it was not completely white but thought she could see that in some places black odd lines seemed to run through it like veins.

"So what exactly is this thing supposed to do", she asked after a few seconds, during which she had observed the object partly curiously and partly suspiciously. Up to now she still didn't understand how a candle should help her with her problem.
"How are you going to prove to me that you have nothing to do with this? After all, it is only a candle and nothing more", they expressed their doubts.
"It's an artifact that can show if someone is using black magic on you", Hope explained while she lightly turned the candle in her fingers: "It works even when you're sleeping. That way you can make sure that someone is trying to attack you."
"Do you think I'm just imagining all this?", Josie asked and her tone revealed that she was a little hurt. She didn't need help from someone who didn't even believe her.

"No, of course not", Hope instinctively reached out for Josie and gently grapped her hand. She couldn't quite explain why she did it, but for a moment she thought she sensed some kind of connection between them that she somehow didn't want to break and was afraid she might lose Josie's trust.
"But you said that you had only suspected it so far and weren't sure", she added to the explanation: "Besides, she also protects you from the magic. Then you can finally sleep well again."
"Oh", she lowered her eyes to her still crossed fingers: "I did not know that."
"It's okay", Hope reassured her immediately: "There was no way you could have known."

"But then how can you tell if someone is trying to attack me with black magic?", she asked further.
"The flame will change color when it happends and the candle will turn more and more black with in time. Depending on how long the person tries to affect you with black magic and how strong it is", Hope explained and thought about letting go of Josie's hand. It felt good, though. Even Josie didn't seem to want to change the current situation when she asked: "But when I sleep, I won't notice anything."
"I know", Hope nodded. She had already thought about that.
"I could stay with you and watch out", she shrugged, but then added: "After all, I promised to help you and if I'm with you when you're attacked again, I can't be the person who causes your bad dreams."

That made sense and somehow Josie was reassured by the thought of someone watching out for her. After all, she had been alone with her problem before and she had to admit that it was starting to bother her. But the fact that Hope knew about it relieved her of part of her burden. So she nodded: "All right, let's do it."