Witching Hour (complete)

(9) Something familiar

Joshua POV
I was just working on the fields when I heard Lucinda's call for help. Immediately it strucks me this must be a bad situation, because Lucinda never calls for help this way. I shout my reasons at the other people working on the field and teleport myself to Lucinda's location. This is weird, why are we in Alana's house? She even forbade me to come here after what happened when Alana just arrived here. I slowly take in my surroundings, I am in a kitchen. Lucinda is sitting there, looking totally lost.

What is going on? I ask

Well, I am afraid that will be a long, long story. Sit down please. She answers.

She starts at the beginning, when Christine called her, that Alana started running around frantically. And then, then they found them. A sudden feeling of grief hits me, but it doesn't last long. An almost uncontrollable rage replaces it. I try to focus as Lucinda continues to speak.

You know who Rose's and Alana's Familiars are and where they are. I need you to pick them up and bring them here. I am not sure Alana will recover from this shock without them around.

I look at Lucinda when she is finished, realising that she is right. I need to think for a moment, so I just look at the table. She is right, damnit she is right. I look back at her, filled with the feeling of revenge and anger and grief.

The only thing I can do now to help Alana and Rose is to find their Familiars. The restlessness of Alana's mind concerns me, but I am still not able to read it. Nobody has a clue what is going on in her head and how she is capable of shutting us out so easily. I know where the Familiars are, they are still at Elizabeths place. I am going to walk down the door, get those two damned souls and walk out whilst setting the place on fire, just fine.

I am on it are the words I say before I dissapear. I need to do this quickly and hope that Alana can hold on for the time I need.

I find myself standing in the hallway of Elizabeth house. Those Familiars better come out of hiding. Softly I call them, and two cats come walking towards me from upstairs.

Damnit guys, a bit more tempo would be nice.
I say to them. The words are answered with some weird growls. Once they are close enough, I grab them in their necks, which is greeted with some more growls and hisses.

Yes, I love you too. Now we got to get the hell out of here.
I answer them. Probably Elizabeth isn't home, because otherwise she would have noticed me already. I can't feel Rose's presence, so she isn't here either. Damn it.

Yeah you can stop hissing now, or I will personaly turn you into a nice warm hat.
That will silence them for a while. I should have taken some cages with me... I place them in my arms somewhat more comfortable, after all they are Familiars. But not too comfy, first teach them a lesson. Then I start walkig around the house, seeking traces of living beings. Despite the cats having shat on every chair possible, there isn't much around. When I walk into the kitchen and open the fridge a horrible smell welcomes me. The food inside has started to rot and has gone moldy, producing a pungent smell. It is clear nobody has been here for a while, because even Elizabeth wouldn't be so sloppy. I close the door of the fridge, but the smell haunts me now. I can hear the cats giggle. Yeah, Familiars in catform can giggle if they like, but it often results in the weird grin of the cat in 'Alice in Wonderland'.

Shall we go home then? I ask them. I get no response, well, except if you count purring. I place them firmly in my arms so I won't lose them. Then I transfer myself back. I am in the kitchen of Alana again. I set the cats down on the table. Oh how classic, just turn your buts at me and then walk away. Lucinda is still sitting here, the same chair in the same spot, hasn't moved a bit.

It was a pleasure to give you a ride!

I shout after them, but they totally ignore me. I hear them tripping up the staircase. They will pay for their actions later, if Alana is okay by then. A nice bath might to them good... I grab a chair and sit down, waiting for Lucinda to snap out of her thoughts. After a couple of minutes she comes back around.

'I can feel Alana calming down,' she says.

'But that will probably change when she finds out what her cats really are,' Quickly followed her previous sentence. The worry is written in her eyes.

'We still have to tell her about her sister too.. And what your sister has been up to lately,' I answer, letting out a sigh. This isn't going to be easy.

'And after that, there will be another problem. Training. If the happenings continue like this, on this rate, she will shut her mind down. If she does that, then we can't train her,' I say.
I watch Lucinda as she closes her eyes again and rests her head on her hands.

'I am going to my office now, I have a lot to work out. I can't send Christine over now and letting an unknown person to Alana watch her isn't a good idea right now, so it is better if you stay. Just remember to treat her gentle this time,' She says to me, with the judgement clear in her voice. She is still mad about it, but I couldn't really help it. Okay, it wasn't the best way to handle things, but Alana didn't leave me any choice.

Lucinda stands up and puts her chair back to his designed place and I follow her example. After I heard her walk out the door, I crash on the most comfortable chair I could find, standing in the living room. I guess I will be sitting here for a while. But Lucinda was right, apparently the cats must have found Alana, because she feels a lot calmer. Her energy just feels really sad now.

Alana POV
I don't know when they came or where they came from, but they are here now. I was lying in bed, crying my eyes out when the soft sound of my door moving scared the hell out of me. But before I had the change to turn my face at the door, two cats jumped right on top of my belly, oof. I know they aren't big animals and they always seem to land so softly when they jump on things, but man, after one jumps on your stomach that idea will change.

I was really happy to see Sammy and Rose here. But as soon as they had curled up around me I started sobbing again. Sammy started licking my face, but it didn't really calm me down, so I went face forward into my pillow again. The cats took their places beside me, like sphinxes protecting their piramid. I fell asleep again, with my cats beside me.