Hide & Spy (a.k.a. Gallagher Girls NG)

Chapter 8

        "Wh-Where am I?" I asked. My mouth was dry and tasted like salt. My body was shaking, it felt like it was still in danger.

        "You're in the medical wing of the academy. My surprise to find you, unconscious, under my bed. I tried to wake you and you didn't budge.  You had a fever, so I brought you here. Then I heard the screaming. Which leads me back to my question, what do you remember?" Hobbes asked. He stared me down. He didn't see a kid who suffered from, what could've been a severe mental break, he saw me as the subject he was sent to watch. He was an operative on a mission.

        I opened my mouth to say something, but someone beat me to it. "I think that's enough, Mr. Hobbes. Morgan needs her rest and don't you have a CovOps class to teach?' Grandma said as she handed me a glass of water. "Drink, you need it."

        She didn't have to tell me twice. I guzzled own the water the same way Grandpa Joe drank coffee. My head still hurt a little, but not as much as before. After a few minutes I was able to calm down. I watched them both, arms crossed, staring at one another waiting for the other to break. I always wondered what was, or wasn't said rather, during these silent conversations. When I was little I used to think they read each other's minds. Hobbes broke first.

        "As you wish, headmistress,"he said and took his leave. Grandma then turned to face me.

        "I have a lot of questions for you, the first, and most important, are you alright?" She said as she sat at the edge of the bed.

        "Fine," I said. "I was probably just sleepwalking. I don't even remember stepping into Hobbes's room. let alone under his bed." I lied. I had to. Spying on a teacher is one thing, getting caught in their bedroom...yeah you get the picture.  Grandma believed it, which bothered me. My guess, it probably wasn't the first time I've done it. "How long was I out?"

        Grandma sat at the edge of my bed. "A little over twelve hours," she said. Twelve hours? I was asleep for twelve hours? That was definitely not like me. I don't sleep more than eight hours, and that's on a good day.

        "Morgan, honey, what are you humming?" Grandma asked.

        "What?" I asked, not sure what she meant.

         "You were humming just now, and in your sleep. What were you humming?" Grandma asked. The look in her eyes, I could tell how she felt, which was strange. Either Grandma was getting sloppy (impossible, by the way) or maybe she was frightened. I knew I was, I was humming and didn't know it. Then I remembered my dream-or memmory rather-I was humming the lullaby that woman was singing.

        "Morgan, it's okay. Morgan, you're okay," Grandma said as she took my hand. My whole body was shaking. That woman, who was she? What did she do to me? Once again I had questions with answers that were classified.

        "I have homework to catch up on," I said as I tried to get out of bed, but Grandma stopped me.

        "Homework can wait, your health takes precedence. Besides, you'll catch up quickly," Grandma said, and by her tone there was no arguing with her. So, I nodded and lied down. She kissed the top of my head and left. I tried to go back to sleep, really I did, but after twelve hours sleeping was inevitable. I tried thinking about the memory. Where it came from. How old was I? That woman, what did she want with me? One answer was obvious: my parents were spies, I was there only child, if the enemy wanted something they could get it through me, but that wasn't the case. Something about that woman.

        Unfortunately, my train of thought was derailed by Gabs and Cassie, who flung the infirmary door open. "Are you okay?" they both asked.

        "Unless you count Hobbes grilling me, and a possible surpressed memory resurfacing, I'm great," I said, it wasn't a lie...entirely.

        "Yeah, the whole school's filled with rumours, about you and Hobbes of course. He canceled a CovOps class today." Cassie said.

        "Did he? Wow, that's unusual," I said. In all the stories I heard about Gallagher Academy canceling class was not one of them.

        "Enough about Hobbes," Gabs said. "What about this memory? And the files? What's going on?"

        "No idea, but I do have the files. Unfortunately, Leah's going to have to break the encryption. I'm on mandatory bedrest until the doctors say otherwise," I said.

        "Speaking of Leah," Cassie whispered. "She got in to Level Five clearence. She found something. Something you're going to want to see. I'd tell you, but there are ears everywhere listening in." I understood. I reached into my pocket, pulled out the drive, and handed it to Gabs.

        "Feel better," Gabs said before leaving with Cassie.

        Then I was alone again. I lied in that bed until it was dark. When everyone was asleep, even Hobbes. With my newfound freedom I got out of bed and wandered around the school. My feet did all the walking while my mind did all the wandering. I didn't know where I was going, but I did know that staying in bed was going to drive me crazy. I strolled by the Hall of History, there I found Mom. Not ohysically of course, but her picture. She stood in her cap and gown smiling brightly. Everyone said I looked like Dad, same dark hair, same dark eyes, same stubborn attitude. From Mom I got my pavement artist skills, her straight hair, and her smile (according to well...everyone). I fiddled with the pendant around my neck.

        I wondered what Mom would've said if I asked her about the Circle of Cavan or that memory, or that woman. Probably classified, follwed by a, "Don't worry about it, kiddo". I stared at that picture for a while. I missed Mom, and Dad. I missed them both, no one ever said that transitioning into boarding school would be easy.

        I sat in the indow, curled up behind the maroon curtains. I looked up at the moon and then it started again. The headache, the shaking, the fear.

        The moon was so bright, but so far away. My body ached, there was a long, jagged, wound on my arm. I was still fresh, the scab was beginning to form. I could still hear her singing the lullaby. The knife in her hand, the blood that was on it.

        "Tell me Morgan, dear, have you learned your lesson?" She asked. I nodded, my eyes puffy from my crying. "Good, you and I have a lot in common. We're both Gallagher Girls, they ruined me, but I won't let them ruin you. Mommy and Daddy don't understand, they never understood. All I wanted was to protect future girls from suffering the way I did, but no. They just rebuild and renew. That won't happen to you, Morgan. I'll keep you safe," she said as she caressed my cheek and wiped my tears, skills that came with being a mother.

        She took me into her arms and began to sing once again, "Above the plains up on the hill there stood a castle bold. A gleaming palace made of white, a pillar to behold. The horsemen lived in service to the castle and the crown--"

        "But the knights rose up and killed the kings. And it all burned down," I sang.

        "Quite the lullaby, Morgan. Where'd you hear it?"