Behind The Locks || ONC 2024

Chapter 24: Quest Complete

Arielline laid on the floor chained up and bleeding like one that had been jabbed with knives from end to end of her body.

Lucky for them one of the doors had opened up to the library.

Dan stood there with more town villagers, some with axes, showing how much they had been trying to save their asses.

From the midst of the crowd, appeared a man with a giant hat above his head, an oversized coat swinging from his back, and an ax hanging tightly around his right grip.

His intentions seemed diabolical until he saw Arielline half conscious on the ground brimming with untreated wounds.

“Is it gone?” His voice echoed wildly in the corridors of the room.

“I think so,” Zack sobbed, placing his hands on his sister's chest. Her heart was still pounding but the beat was afar.

The man pulled her into his giant hands and cradled her like a baby.

“Make way,” he shouted at the audience peeking through the now-open door, breaking across them, Zack and Nick after him.

°*°
Three Weeks Later

Arielline had to learn how to use a wheelchair for a while. The wound on her leg was pretty ugly. Other wounds were healing not as quick but slow was still progress, right?

Her face had been redesigned but Nick, her boyfriend, encouraged her that it was healing. He was a pretty good liar but his opinion was all that mattered to her.

Unfortunately, the library was claimed as dangerous property and was demolished, so you could guess how jobless she was.

Zack suffered minor injuries. His favorite part was the part where he didn't have to go to school till the following summer. His worst was that he couldn't laugh, not with a cracked bone, but Arielline was doing a terrible job not being comical, especially with her new lover.

Mirabelle too faced mere leg injuries, so she earned herself crutches.

What else would top up a tranquil Saturday if not a movie with your best friends? Definitely not a horror one. And not comedy. Maybe fantasy.

With a kiss on the forehead and her favorite people around her, what else could Arielline ask for?

The witch had finally completed her quest. She had made out of herself value and a new home in the enchanted woods. As it turned out, her decisions weren't as bad after all.