|
|
Post by Stella on Mar 22, 2006 15:42:22 GMT -5
As she glanced around, Stella's eyes widened as she took note of Bloom. Shaking her head, clearly confused, Stella asked slowly, "Okay, guys, what exactly did I miss when I was unconscious? Because the last thing I remember was that we were . . . we were," lowering her voice, she finished, "you know, trying to figure out how to defeat Demeter. And now Flora's back? I mean, what's that about?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Demeter on Mar 22, 2006 15:44:04 GMT -5
"Layla will have to help since my memory is really bad," Flora said. "Apparently, me as Demeter," she paused, frowning. "Came to Alfea to take the Codex. Bloom and Layla fought her... Ah.. During the battle, Layla managed to pull me free of Darkar's control..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Layla on Mar 22, 2006 15:47:57 GMT -5
Glancing quickly at Flora, Layla then turned to Stella and gave her a look that clearly indicated that she would tell her more later.
Turning her attention back to Bloom, Layla said with a dry smile, "Okay, I guess we should get you into the water now. Are you ready?" Taking hold of the handle, Layla grunted as she put her whole weight into pushing the tub into the water.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bloom on Mar 22, 2006 15:54:59 GMT -5
"As I ever will. I guess." Bloom said as she prepared to leave the tub.
|
|
|
|
Post by Demeter on Mar 22, 2006 17:00:50 GMT -5
Flora just stood back and watched, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She felt guilty standing there, with the other girls. Especially since she was the one that did that to Bloom. She glanced over at Layla, hoping to find some reassurence in the other's face.
|
|
|
|
Post by Layla on Mar 22, 2006 18:29:27 GMT -5
Straining against the weight of the water and mermaid filled tub, Layla gave it one last push and then breathed an exhausted sigh of relief as she watched it slip into the lake. Turning to look around at the other girls, she said with a light laugh that showed she wasn't truly annoyed, "Thanks for the help, guys. I mean, I know I'm the athletic one and all, but, seriously, that tub must have been at least three times my weight."
|
|
|
|
Post by Karina on Mar 22, 2006 18:42:52 GMT -5
Stopping short in her tracks, Karina clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from audibly gasping at the sight before her eyes. The sight of Bloom . . . as a mermaid . . . being shoved into the lake. Quickly slipping back into the cover of the trees that surrounded the lake, Karina nervously clutched the book of elven poetry she had been carrying as she tried to decide what to do. There was option one: she could turn back around and pretend that she hadn't seen what she had seen - and there was option two. She could walk straight up to her classmates and ask them what the devil was going on.
Biting her lip, Karina knew that she could never be bold enough to choose option two - a fact which at the moment irritated her immensely, mainly because her curiosity was begging for her to find out what exactly was going on.
Sighing, Karina slowly backtracked up the path, intent on leaving the scene quietly. And then she heard a snap. Under her foot. The sound of her foot on a fallen branch. A loud sound. Cringing, Karina slowly peered at the group of girls standing by the water's edge, wondering if they too had heard the noise.
|
|
|
|
Post by Demeter on Mar 22, 2006 20:07:37 GMT -5
Flora winced. "Sorry, Layla," she said. "I guess I got lost in thought and forgot I should be helping." She paused, and turned her head, trying to get a feel for the location that the noise had come from. "Did someone besides me hear that?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Layla on Mar 23, 2006 7:26:41 GMT -5
Layla frowned as she replied slowly, "Yeah . . . I did." Pointing to the trees, she added, "And if I'm not mistaken, I think it's coming from over there." Glancing around at her friends, Layla said, "I'm going to go check it out. Be right back."
|
|
|
|
Post by Demeter on Mar 23, 2006 7:28:11 GMT -5
"You want me to come with you?" Flora asked, wanting to get away from the lake and the bad memories it stirred within her. Had she really turned Brandon into a beast? Or the professor into a tree? The thoughts horrorfied her and left her with many unanswered questions.
|
|
|
|
Post by Karina on Mar 23, 2006 7:33:58 GMT -5
Hearing the sound of someone drawing nearer, Karina colored, desperately trying to think up of a reason why she was hiding in the brush. There was always the truth . . . but it seemed so silly. 'Hi, you guys. I wasn't really spying on you - I just wanted to come here to read my book.' Yeah right. If that was the truth, they'd want to know why she was red in the face.
Still, she knew her best option would be to casually walk out into the clearing as though she hadn't done anything wrong, but try as she might, she just couldn't force her legs to take even a step forward. And so, by no choice of her own, Karina remained rooted in place, tensely awaiting the arrival of the girls.
|
|
|
|
Post by Layla on Mar 23, 2006 7:35:50 GMT -5
"You want me to come with you?" Flora asked, wanting to get away from the lake and the bad memories it stirred within her. Had she really turned Brandon into a beast? Or the professor into a tree? The thoughts horrorfied her and left her with many unanswered questions. "Sure," Layla replied. Giving her friend a grin, she added jokingly, "That way, if it's some big, wild beast, we have better odds of coming out alive - two is better than one, right?" |
|
|
|
Post by Demeter on Mar 23, 2006 7:43:35 GMT -5
Flora hid a flinch at the mention of the word beast. Of course, that raised a pretty good question. If she was able to pull that off with the help of the Gloomix... Could she pull that off with out any aid when she grew stronger? The thought horrorfied and fascinated her.
"Right," she answered, following Layla to see what or who it was.
|
|
|
|
Post by Layla on Mar 23, 2006 7:49:06 GMT -5
Seeing Flora wince, Layla could have slapped herself for hurting her friend by bringing up the beast. Sighing internally, she wondered if she was somehow reverting to the younger version of herself - the girl who always said the wrong the thing. She had thought she had gotten better at being a good friend, but then something like this had to happen . . . something that would remind her that she would just have to stay on her toes - to actually think before speaking.
As she and Flora drew closer to the trees, Layla called out, "Who's there? Show yourself!"
|
|
|
|
Post by Karina on Mar 23, 2006 7:51:57 GMT -5
Knowing that it was now or never, Karina slowly stepped out of the shadows as she said timidly, "Umm . . . hi, you guys." Feeling incredibly self-conscious, she helplessly blurted out the very thing that she had told herself that she wasn't going to say, "I swear, I wasn't spying on you! I-I just wanted to go somewhere quiet to read." At this, Karina thrust the book she had been carrying forward to show the two girls as proof.
|
|
,
