| |
“What the hell are you talking about?.”thundered Mrs Wee,I was shocked,was she actually kidding me,Jill came right next to me,her eyes were annoyed,it was not hard to guess.
“Mrs Wee we are talking about Ruth,Agatha’s sister,it was her wedding and we were busy.”
“Miss Potcrock,I am highly disappointed in you and your no good friend.She has no sister or I do not recall any cousin of her with that name,the whole of DuskDew knows that she was raised with the help of the school priest,now if you excuse me I have a class to handle.I want genuine reasons,why you four were missing school.One word of lie,mind it,just a fraction of it,I will see that you all get the worst.”
“She’s gone nuts..”whispered Sipper.
I actually wanted to punch her in the face,it was just the second day of my sisters marriage. “We will deal with her later.”answered Kim,pulling me back and hinting Jill to maintain her temper,this was very first time,Jill looked heinous.
In the lunch break,Chris came next to me and I told him everything about Mrs Wee, “Which sister?”he asked and I was shocked,was this some kind of joke?,not funny,not at all.
Roy had joined Chris and my girls were by my side,Troy and Rocky too supported Chris. “What are you all talking about?.Ruth Simon Digzon,she is Aagi’s big sister.”Jill cried,Kim was mad and Sipper pushed Rocky down.
“Hey come on....”Rocky was still laughing.
Chris tried to kiss me but I pushed him like Sipper did.
“What’s wrong,how could you lie on a small stuff like that?.”he shouted.I was terrified for some reason,this was not good,not at all.
“Why would she lie?.”interfered Jill.
“You have another date for Annual night?.”the cold look on Roy’s face was not friendly at all,he was clearly mad,Chris was nothing compared to him.
“Even if I had,what you got to do with it?.”snapped Jill.
“Try it sweetheart and I promise,you will bring the worst in me.”he meant each and every word,his eyes were cold and the way he held Jill in his iron grip,there was no denying,he was a crazy lover.Mixbreeds,what else could you expect of them.Troy walked in between and so did Rocky, “Easy there bud,I think the girls are just...girls after all,they loose it sometime.”
“How dare you...”thundered Kim, “Troy Winshot,its over.We are not going to marry.”
“What?.”he was devastated.
“Are you deaf.”
“Kim,what’s wrong with you,you had a girls night out,fine,got it but you should not lie when you are caught.”
“I’m not lying,Ruth is my sister.”I was mad,what was happening.
Chris did loose it completely. “I’ll talk to you when you are sober,try not to drink too much fish tail bear,please,we have still a long way to go.”
“I’m not going with you anywhere.We are done.”
He was mad,could see his eyes red and lips willing to lash out his worst words but he stopped,Troy stopped him,giving us a meaningful look,he was confused as well as annoyed.Rocky was watching Sipper sadly,he wanted to talk but she ignored him.Kim and Sipper walked out while I tried to pull Jill’s hand,she couldn’t move,locked in Roy’s perfect grip,her curves were screaming in pain.
“Let me go.”her words were mashed in between her teeth,she was angry,very angry,Roy was equally annoyed.His hands held her tight,pinning her to the opposite wall. “Try me Jill.”
“Alir oftra...” her wand swished and Roy was thrown to the end of the hall.I could see the pain that crossed his face,Jill stared at him for a long time and so did he,her eyes were brimmed but her face was stone cold.
Troy stood in between her and Roy,Chris was helping him up and Rocky well he just watched in perfect horror,his words were soft but audible, “What the hell is going wrong,these girls are driving us nuts....”he was next to Chris,helping Roy,his head turning again and again in our direction.
I had to pull Jill,this was not healthy,one word to Mrs Wee and we were screwed.
“I just don’t understand.Everything was fine,what went wrong?.”
“How could they forget Ruth?.”
“Even Mrs Wee...”
“Hey girls leaving early.”smiled Mr Doomen,he was the old conductor in the bus.
“Yes.”answered Kim sadly.
“Exams near?.”
“No.”
“Boy problem?.”
“I wish they die.”cried Sipper.
“Well my wife prays the same everyday.”he chuckled handing us the tickets, “did not see you for three days,what were you'll doing?.”
“It was my sister’s wedding.”I replied,he was there wasn’t he,so why was he asking us the same.
“Which sister?.”
This did shock us,my mouth was wide open and Jill for the first time was taking this commotion seriously. “They don’t remember the wedding.”Kim looked at her,there was something that she figured out.
“Who all had that wedding cake?.”
“I did not.”answered Sipper.
“Me neither.”I said.
“I hated it the moment it arrived.”her eyes were mad she caught instantly what Kim was hinting at, “I was about to have it in the morning but left it as it was on the table.”
“The cake was jinxed,why would she do that?.”
Mr Doomen,did not understand at all,he walked away from us and stood near an old female.Everyone was crying,except Kim,she was thinking,strange,but in crises,Kim’s brain worked faster than Jill or any of us.
“We need to get to the police station and have it registered.”she gulped.
“What?.”
“We need to register a complain in the department of Missing Witch.”
Mr Doomen did not understand our urgency,I was at my wits end,did Ruth do this,if yes,then why?.
“Aagi there is no time for tears.”snapped Jill pulling me with her,Kim was leading us and Sipper followed her hastily.Nobody stopped us and it is then I realized why,Kim’s uncle used to work here,she was a government employee’s relative.
He looked at us as though he was disturbed unnecessarily.Big round eyes and bushy eyebrows for some reason scared us.What do you expect an high authority official to look like,he had to be scary. “Have a seat Kim darling.”he said pouring his cup of coffee.The way he sat on his gigantic chair,it was surely going to break.He was enormous,only Kim was not shocked by his tall height or big fat belly,she stood with her hands crossed over her chest.
“I want to register a complain.”
“About?.”he raised his eyebrow.
“A witch is missing.Her name is Ruth Simon Digzon,she is Agatha’s sister.On papers my nanny,we last saw her....”
“Hold it.”he said raising his cup of coffee and breathing like he was highly amused,poorly he tried to hide his grin,sip after sip,the coffee slipped in him,we were frustrated and humiliated silently.He was definitely not helping us,I turned ready to walk out when Kim caught my hand,she did not allow me to run away,Jill wiped my tears and Sipper was just like me,loosing grounds and willing to break.We lost the only person who we loved a lot,Ruth.
“No,we haven’t lost her yet.”hissed Kim,she waited patiently for his coffee to get over.He groaned at last,the look on Kim’s face was rigid and fierce.
“Vomit.”he snapped.
“I think she jinxed the cake so that nobody would remember her.”Jill was straight to the point.His lips for the first time smiled. “Jill Potcrock aren’t you?.”
“Yes.”
“Your mother,I used to assist her.”
“You knew my mom?.”
“Yes I did,clever witch,high in morals and intellect,you have more of her,I’m afraid.How’s dad,bet he is happy for ruining her.”
“What shit are you talking about?.”Jill was angry and confused.
“The same shit that your father did to your mother.”he smiled cunningly,his eyes were cold and had an annoying charm,deadly and stiff but also good.
“We are here for Ruth.”reminded Kim taking control of the situation and pulling Jill back.
“Ah,just couldn’t hide my feelings,you see whatever I am today,its because of that female’s help and blessing,unfortunately her own child is deprived of her....”
“Uncle,let us please focus on Ruth.”interfered Sipper,she was on the verge of crying.I stared at him the way he did at me.Giving up,he pulled his diary out, “When was the last you saw her?”
“In her wedding.”
“Who did she marry?”
“Mr Bodwin.”
“Full name.”
We were blank,not having even the slightest clue of the same.He laughed slowly, “I will find out.Was it a love marriage or arrange marriage?.”
“Nor love,nor arrange just a benefit marriage.”snapped Jill.
“Nothing new.” he continued “why do you think she wants everyone to forget her?.”
“We just have a hunch that she did it or someone else could be behind the act,she loved us, hard to admit that she would do anything like that.”answered Jill.
When ever Jill spoke he looked at her with great awe and somewhat respect, “Was she beautiful?.”.
Sipper pulled her locket out and showed him Ruth’s picture,she was standing behind the sofa and we four were sitting on it.
“Beauty of the skin shall fade away but a good heart is long to stay..” he smiled,for the first time I saw some excitement run in his veins.
“Excuse me.”Sipper took the locket from his hand.We all could see that he had not written a single word in the open diary.I hated him and he just caught what bugged us,the moment he placed his palm on the blank page,everything that we said was there.
“I guess they still teach you grade A magic.”he chuckled ringing a bell besides his table.A witch not older than us entered his office, she had long hair and green eyes and an athletic body.
“Ha,why can’t you wear less skin,Mrs Frishee,I did receive a complain yesterday that you were trying to...you know...the guy from old skeleton department.”
“Sir,I know who filled you on this but believe me,he tried to,you know,get my number and all but the moment he came to know my age,he backed away and so I cursed him a little,don’t worry it will wear off within a week.”
“Why didn’t you marry at the right age?.”he sighed.
“Well its hard to get decent wizard ‘cause this place is filled with mixbreeds,my mother never allowed me to marry...”she could continue if Kim did not smash the vase angrily,sometimes she was absolutely right,her uncle just laughed and snapped his fingers,the vase was back in its place. “Antique that one and a gift from a very lovely lady,like the one we are about to search.”he added.
“Mrs Frishee,I want a full explanation on your behavior in written and also I want clear updates on this women,everything that you can collect,I want it on my desk by tomorrow morning.”
There was no doubt he was Kim’s uncle,the same anger and acid polluted his tone too.
“Both the reports will be on your table by evening sir,I’ll take your leave.”she smiled and winked at us as she passed.
He turned to us and said very politely, “you will hear from me sharp at eight today.I will take care of this case personally since my favorites are involved in this.”he smiled eyeing Kim and Jill.
“Thank you.”smiled Sipper,he avoided her,not like he hated it but it seemed that he did not want to cry.
“You should never be emotional ‘cause you will never find the truth,that’s what my mentor taught me first.”he said,reading the pages of his diary,strange,we had just said little but he had ten to twelve pages written.
“Sharp at eight.”Kim repeated.He nodded,his eyes still fixed on the left page of his diary.
The whole way,Sipper and I cried.Kim wiped her tears now and then but Jill turned cold all of a sudden,not a single drop escaped her eyes,I bet she was thinking about her mother and all that Kim’s uncle had said.
Jill’s phone beeped and it was a message from Roy,her eyes were brimmed and she deleted it immediately. “What’s wrong?.”Kim took the cell phone in her hand.
“He is mad.”she screamed.
“What?.”
“He cut his wrist,he is in the hospital.”
“Great.”Sipper was scared,the next thing, she was calling Rocky and it was not a long conversation but she requested him not to do anything funny.Kim called Troy and Chris.I ignored her and she did the same.
“It is not their fault.We were wrong.”she admitted.
“The important thing right now is to look for Ruth rather than...”Jill was cut short by Kim while she fumed, “We could have used extra brains and arms,they would help us if we did not rush into conclusions.”
“You just want Troy...”
“No,wrong again,I want peace,harmony and love.Troy and Ruth are inseparable part of me so just don’t....”she stopped,Jill was wiping her tears and Kim could no longer hold her anger,she handed her the cell phone. “Call him.”
“I don’t want to.”
“If one is hot headed in a relationship the other has to learn to maintain the cool.”Jill looked at the cell phone for a long time,her hands shook while she dialed his number.Roy was in pain and both of them did not speak for a very long time.Kim switched the phone on speaker mode.
“How are you?.”
“Bad.”
“Why did you do this?.”
“I thought to do it on you but first I said to check the same on me,I survived and so will you.Don’t worry.Tonight you will be in hospital too,promise sweetheart.”
“Take care.”
“You take care, I will see you in the evening.”he snapped,the last we heard was the strong cracking sound,Roy had smashed his cell phone.
“He is....”Sipper stopped dead,the cold look in Jill’s eyes were hostile,there was no way anyone of us was commenting on the conversation.
There was another message,it was on Kim’s cell, “he found his first name.”she informed.
“What?.”
“Jacob Bodwin.”
“I think I have heard his name somewhere.”answered Jill,she was struggling now to recall the same,Mr Doomen handed us the ticket again.He did not disturb us further,wise man,could figure things quickly,that’s why Ruth invited him,he had been of great help,keeping an eye on us while she worked and today he did not remember her,not his fault but somebody’s,who would do that,it was still a daunting question nudging our tired minds.
Nobody was hungry, we slept as quietly as possible just waiting when would it be eight.Jill was in the study,her hands were working on every book that was there,nobody asked her what she was searching,Kim was by my side and so was Sipper,they waited for Jill to join but she was desperately hunting for something.There was no sound from her and I slept.
“Roy what are you doing here?.”
“I promised honey,didn’t I?.”he hissed,walking straight,wrapping a clean bandage around his left wrist,his eyes however did not leave Jill for a moment.She was holding the same book in her hand,The Vampire Story.
“Roy please listen to me.”she gulped.
“Listen to you,very bad Jill,you should have known one particular thing about me,I don’t like my loved ones lying to me,it just drives me mad.”He was very close to her lips and she was on the bed,her wand was on the ground while her hands were tied together to the edge of the bed.
“Roy don’t...”she begged.
I was wide awake and ready to run upstairs when Kim caught me tightly. “Jill said she does not want anyone to disturb her.”I was about to speak and tell her the dream that I had when the door bell rang.
Sipper answered it and jumped with joy,Rocky was tossing her playfully in his arms.Troy and Chris were right behind her.
“Where is he?.”Troy asked hastily.
“Who?.”
“Roy.”gulped Chris and avoided meeting me in the eye.
“He escaped from the hospital and his last location has been around this house.Is Jill okay?,he was mad and repeatedly cursed her.”
“I had this dream,he is in her bedroom....”I was racing the stairs,Chris and Troy were before me,Kim followed and so did Sipper,Rocky was last to enter the room.He was shocked and slipped on the floor.
Jill was on the bed,her wrist were brutally cut and Roy was the same,he tried extending his hand towards Jill and then looking at Chris he pointed to the book that was still in Jill’s hand.
“Call the ambulance,Jesus.”cried Troy,hunting for his cell phone.Chris was besides Roy while he tried to say something but he fell unconscious,Sipper was all over Jill and Kim tried to check if she was still alive.
“Call the ambulance....”she cried.
Rocky handed his cell phone to Troy and without wasting anytime both of them were taken in the flying vehicle.
“No friends or relatives please.Get your own transport.”snapped the nurse while she pushed the two of them in the same van.
“I’ll get the car.”cried Rocky running as fast as he could.
Within few minutes we were sitting in his van,Chris wanted to speak but I ignored him,I was crying badly and there was no Jill to hold me.Kim was right besides Troy who was driving,she did not let her eyes rest,they were fixed on the ambulance,following it like a hawk.
Sipper was sobbing badly in Rocky’s chest and he did not mind it at all.Chris wanted to hold me in the same way,but I pushed his hands back.
It was not hard following the two,Jill and Roy were taken in the operation room and we stood like the rest of the people.Chris stared at his bloody hand and his face was a puzzle,very hard to guess.Was he thirsty?.
Kim’s uncle dropped in,he was,I don’t know,somehow informed.He stopped in the small corridor,many adjusted to his big body while he walked.
“How is she?.”
“How you know?.”
“Kim...”he glared and she answered quickly, “they are treating them.”
“How long has it been?.”
“Twenty minutes forty-six seconds.”replied Chris still watching his blood painted hand.
“Mixbreed is he?.”asked he,Kim nodded. “He should not be here,it is difficult for him at this phase of his life,tell him politely to leave,seems like still in his senses.”whispered Kim’s uncle.
“Don’t worry I am good,it is my friend in there,he tried to say something to me,I failed to guess,I’m waiting,I’m waiting.”
“Any good news?.”asked Kim
He just ignored her and stared at the boy who was in front of him.His smile was back and he turned to Kim, “Yes and no,many questions have come up on my desk and most of them are Unanswered.”
