W.P.N&N3(C): Forced into a Closet
Lucille and Lenore were pushed into a closet by an unidentified magic user. “Can you let us out, please?” Lucille asked. “Sorry but there’s been a lockdown and everyone has to stay someplace secure” Poppy’s voice spoke up. “Poppy, I swear to Sorrel and Islesung that if you don’t let us out right now I’m going to..” A cough cut off Lenore’s response.
“You’ll be let out when the lockdown’s over. I have to go check on the students, the closet’s enchanted so you won’t be able to get out until it’s safe” Poppy informed them before her steps sounded further and further away. Lucille grit her teeth, sighing, forehead slumped against the door. Lenore was eerily quiet.
She was whispering. “Come on, just work” her hands emitted a light glow. “Come on, Onsumm Leon”. Nothing happened. She tried again and again, voice wavering.
Breathing deeply before exhaling, she swallowed. ‘It’s fine, you’ve been in this situation before but now you can control the outcome. You are an adult, you can change the outcome’. “Is now a bad time to mention that I like your perfume?” Lucille chimed in. Lenore tried to glance at her in the dark.
“What?” she said, confused. “I like your perfume” Lucille replied. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to ask you if I could try it myself but there was never a right time”. “When we get out of here, I can give you an extra bottle or teach you how to make it” Lenore suggests. Lucille hummed, “I’d like that very much”.
They couldn’t see very much in the dark but they noticed a faint glow around Lenore. “Are you glowing?” she asked. Lenore hummed, looking at herself, the blueish veins in her arms were glowing. “It appears so” she states. “I’ve never noticed it before, it’s lovely” Lucille says wistfully, breath coming out in blue smoke.
“That’s pretty cool” Lenore comments. “What is?” Lucille asks. “Your breath and your eyes” Lenore said. Lenore got closer, hands trying to navigate in the dark. She felt something soft and smooth, a hand then an arm.
She gently gripped the arms, Lucille’s hands held her forearms. Lenore hit something hard. She looked up. Lucille looked at her. Hazel green eyes glowed softly in the limited light.
“Your eyes are pretty up close” Lenore whispered. Lucille raised her head quickly. ‘Damn it, I embarrassed her. Let me try to fix this’ Lenore thought anxiously. “Thank you” Lucille whispered bashfully.
‘Oh, she wasn’t embarrassed at all. I just made her blush’. Lenore realized. Her arms glowed brightly, she placed them behind her back. “Sorry-about the light” she apologized.
“Don’t be, it’s good to have it” Lucille mumbled. “Not that I’m not enjoying this, but could you move your hands?” Lenore asks. Lucille realized her hands were holding some part of Lenore. It was soft and squishy, her stomach. “Sorry” Lucille apologized, moving her hands back.
They both stayed quiet for a moment before Lenore spoke. “Is now a bad time to mention that I’m not fond of dark confined spaces?” Her voice was soft and cautious. Lucille stared, “you’re claustrophobic?” she asks. “Yes” Lenore breathed out.
“But the elevator-“ Lenore cut off her response gently. “I was fine then because I had Leon with me” she replied gently. “You couldn’t summon him before and that’s why you were anxious” Lucille sufficed. “Yes” Lenore said. Lucille breathed deeply before opening her mouth to speak.
“I know you don’t like to be touched, but there’s not a lot that can be done about that now. So, would you allow me permission to hold your hand?” she asked. Lenore said nothing but her arm was moving toward Lucille. “For Lunaris’s sake, just hold my hand” she urged. Grabbing Lenore’s hand, Lucille interlocked their fingers together.
“We never speak of this again, do you hear?” Lenore affirmed. Lucille chuckled, “noted” she acknowledges. It was quiet until a noise sounded near the closet startled Lenore. She gripped Lucille’s hand tightly. She didn’t know when she started shaking.
The noise shouldn’t have bothered her. But it was dark. It was dark and scary and she felt alone. Logically, she knew that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t, Lucille was there.
Lucille was holding her hand. But her emotions were going haywire. Her glowing forearms had dimmed to a low light. It was become too dark. It was becoming too dark.
She felt her panic rise, and with that the shaking. “I’m scared” she whispered in a cracked voice. “I know, but I need you to stay calm, okay? Breathe with me” Lucille’s voice was heard. “Speaking to me like a student will not help, I’m not a child” Lenore snapped, aggravated.
She didn’t like this, the panic that came with a flurry of words that never seemed to stop. “Ok, reassurance won’t help. What can I do?” Lucille’s voice was coming out with worry and pleading. Lenore couldn’t focus on her, too busy trying to figure out the noise outside the closet.
Until Lucille suggested something obtuse. “What if you-“. “If you seriously propose that I let you hug me, I will harm you” Lenore exclaimed, annoyed. Lucille let go of Lenore’s hand to raise her own at her sides. Glancing at Lenore for a moment before copying her movement, pressing her ear against the closet wall.
Footsteps, slow footsteps and humming. Lenore groaned, a frown on her face. Moving away from Lucille to press herself against the wall. Breathing deeply, she pulled out her wand and weapon. It was a silver dagger with gold gems engraved in the swirl carvings in the handle.
Lucille didn’t get closer, keeping her distance. Sighing, she paid attention to the noises outside the closet door. Someone was trying to open it. She whispered an enchantment. Whoever tried to open that door would suffer for it.
A pained groan was heard from the other side of the door. Lenore rushed forward, dagger in hand. Arm around Lucille, and moving them slowly back. Legs wrapped around the other Professor, she glared at the door. Lucille stared at her.
Lenore pretended not to notice. Her fear was outweighed by the need to protect her friend. Lucille herself was surprised by how tense she was. They were both incredibly powerful magic users yet Lenore had felt the need to put her first above herself. Lucille felt that same need rise when the closet door was slammed into.
Wand and shield in hand, she placed her arm around Lenore. “I won’t let anything happen to you” she said, determination filled her voice. Lenore nodded once, not acknowledging the arm around her. “Likewise” she states. The door was slammed into again and began to crack.
Shards hitting their feet. The two professors waited patiently for the time to strike. That moment never came. Their was a thud against the door and silence yet again. Lucille moved forward, Lenore letting her go and doing the same.
The closet door opened and the two collapsed against the cold stone floor. Lenore rose quickly, dagger in hand pointed at Aspen Willows. The school janitor had his hands raised at his side. An unknown person unconscious at the closet door. His expression went from tired to confusion.
Lenore’s expression never wavered, narrowed eyes cold before she blinked. Looking at Aspen, she lowered her dagger slowly. Putting it in the sheath at her waist. She glanced at Aspen. “Sorry, I thought you were-just. Sorry”
Aspen didn’t say anything, just nodded grimly. Lucille had restrained the unconscious individual with a chain tying spell. Clicking her heels, a hole appeared from the ground. “I’ll take this one to the Guards”. She stepped into the hole.
Leaving behind a small flower laid against the stone floor. “I didn’t know the warrens were still used” Lenore said thoughtfully. “Most of the staff rarely use them. Lucille and I are the ones who find them convenient” Aspen replied. Lenore hummed, looking around, it was empty aside from her and Aspen.
“The lockdown should be over now” Aspen says. Lenore nods. “I’m going to my classroom” she tells him. Aspen nods and the two go their separate ways.