MOGTOBER2020

Day 21-Wunsoc-Positives Overrule Negatives

Morrigan was bored. Jack was supposed to be home but apparently something had happened and he would be late. Jupiter had only just left home ten minutes ago to go and pick him up from the station.

Right now, with everything going on at school, Morrigan desperately needed a friend. A friend who knew what it was like to not be in control of their knack. Morrigan needed Jack.

She had spent the time lounging around in her room, impatiently awaiting his arrival. She would read a couple of pages of her book before walking over to the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of her patron and friend.

One time, a young boy with black hair had walked down the road below her window, and Morrigan had felt excitement rise in her stomach until she noticed that it was another boy, not Jack.

Morrigan walked back over to her octopus shaped chair and felt it's arms wrap around her. She picked up her book again and began reading, hoping to distract herself from the excitement she was currently feeling.

As she read, she started to get pulled deeper and deeper into the story. Morrigan loved reading. It took her away from her horrible reality, into any world she chose.

She was in a cave, battling a nasty dragon. With each sword swipe at its scaly skin, the dragon would retaliate with a breath of fire. Morrigan thought of the incident at Proudfoot station and instantly slammed the book shut. She still felt guilty about what had happened. She shook her head, trying to get the terrible memory out of her mind.

She was interrupted with a knock at her door. Her face lit up with a smile.

"Come in," she called.

The chair's arms unwrapped around her, allowing Morrigan to stand up and watch as the door swung open to reveal—

"Jack!"

"Hey, Morrigan!"

Jack stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. Morrigan walked over to him and gave him a hug that he instantly returned.

"I missed you." Morrigan tightened her grip around Jack.

"Not as much as I missed you."

Morrigan chuckled and pulled away. She walked over to her bed and sat down. Jack did the same, sitting down across from her.

"Tell me everything! What's it like? How big is it? Is your Unit horrible? Do I need to beat anyone up? 'Cause I will! I will in a heartbeat!"

Morrigan sighed. "Just five."

"Five? Goodness, Morrigan. You've made such an impression already!" Jack suddenly got serious and took off his eye patch. He knew Morrigan preferred him without it on. Even though she knew he could see every little thing about her, she preferred seeing both his eyes, not just one. "What's going on?"

Morrigan shook her head. "I-it's nothing, really—"

"Don't lie, Morrigan."

She looked down to her lap. "They call me Knackless. They say I don't belong in Wunsoc. One of the girls, her boyfriend—you know about the disappearances, right? Well, she believes he left Wunsoc, and that it's all my fault and that I did something to him. What I believe is that he has been taken." Morrigan sighed. "I breathed fire." She had mumbled the last part, half hoping Jack wouldn't have heard it.

"You what?"

"Don't hate me, okay? It wasn't my fault. But this girl, she came and attacked me in front of my whole Unit and conductor, and I breathed fire in front of my whole Unit and conductor. Now I've been suspended and I have to take one of my classes here until further notice. It's the worst possible class ever! All it teaches me is that all Wundersmiths are evil and I shouldn't be alive." Morrigan winced at the memory.

Jack placed his hand on hers. "I don't hate you. I could never hate you. I love you, Morrigan, and you losing control of your knack won't change that. Ever. And make it six people I need to beat up. Those five kids and your ridiculous teacher. You are not evil, Morrigan. Don't you ever think that." Jack smiled at her, and Morrigan returned it. "Okay, now please tell me about the good stuff!"

Morrigan chuckled. "Well...I'm the best in my Decoding Nevermoor class. My teacher's amazing. He's so nice. Oh! And in that classroom, there is a live map of Nevermoor! It's probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen. It's got a miniature version of everything and it all moves! My teacher said I could visit it whenever I want."

Jack smiled. "All that from one class? See, Morrigan? Not everything has to be negative! What about your other classes? How are they?"

Morrigan hesitated. She didn't want to talk about negatives all day. She just wanted to have fun with Jack, but she knew that he could tell that she was lying.

"I don't have any other classes..." She trailed off, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

"What? What do you mean you don't have any other classes?"

"I mean I don't have any other classes, Jack. They don't want to teach me anything that I could use against them."

"So they teach you how to get around Nevermoor, and that you're evil and shouldn't live? Jeez, Morrigan. I have a lot of people to hurt."

Morrigan smiled. "Jack it's okay. Honestly. Don't worry about it. Positives overrule negatives. Wunsoc is so big. It's gorgeous. My Unit members are actually starting to be less scared of me...well...they were." She shook her head. "The point is, Jack, I'm having fun and you don't need to worry about me, okay?"

Jack could tell she was lying but didn't say anything. "Alright, then. Well, I'm going to go shower. I came straight up here as soon as I got home. My bags are still in the lobby. Meet me outside in half an hour? I want to go on a walk."

Morrigan smiled at him and followed him to the door. "Yeah, sure thing." Morrigan wrapped her arms around Jack. "Thank you, Jack. I'm glad you're home."

Jack squeezed his arms around her middle. "I'm glad to be home."

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