Strawberry Art

Chapter 2

McDougal walked through the corridors nervously, trailing after her two new friends as they led through what looked like a small hospital, though it felt more like she was being led to her execution.

Maybe she was already dead and Etteilla and Kanae just didn't know how to tell her.

Her lips twitched at the thought. They would've told me by now. Besides, the afterlife doesn't have hospitals.

Etteilla stopped to open a door, holding it for them, McDougal peeked inside, and saw a girl in clothes way too big on her standing next to a hospital bed.

"McDougal, right?" the doctor asked. "Have a seat."

McDougal swallowed and played with her blue tail for a moment, before allowing it to wrap around her leg, then sat down.

"Well, guess we'll leave you to it." Kanae said before Etteilla shooed her out the door. "See you Dougal."

The doctor shook her head and turned to McDougal with a smile.

"I'm Dr. Young." she introduced herself, holding out a hand covered by her long sleeve.

When she didn't pull the sleeve down, McDougal hesitantly took where she assumed her hand to be. "N-Nice to meet you."

Dr. Young nodded and smiled, as though in approval.

"It's okay to be nervous, you just got here after all." she said softly.

"'Just got here'?" McDougal repeated, blinking in confusion. She gripped her tail, wondering if that was why she felt so lonely.

"Did Etteilla and Kanae not tell you?" Dr. Young asked.

"Tell me what?" McDougal asked.

Dr. Young heaved a sigh.

"Those two..." she muttered. "I'm not really allowed to tell you anything, but I suppose you'll find out eventually."

McDougal froze.

"Am I... dead?" she asked, feeling a sudden chill.

Dr. Young pursed her lips, then nodded. "There are people who will explain in more detail, but yes, somewhere in another world, you've just died." Dr. Young explained, she had a look in her eyes, like she was waiting for McDougal to start crying.

The purple haired girl just blinked. "Are Etteilla and Kanae in trouble?"

Dr. Young's eyes widened, clearly she hadn't expected that response.

"No, they're not in trouble, but they were supposed to tell you about that." Dr. Young explained. "Did they tell you anything?"

"Etteilla told me I'm a witch," McDougal began, glancing down at her tail. "Because of this."

Dr. Young heaved a sigh.

"When you're done here, you'll get sent to a place that will explain in more detail to you," Dr. Young explained. "I'm only supposed to make sure you're alright."

McDougal's eyes widened when she realised Dr. Young was about to leave. "Wait!"

Dr. Young raised an eyebrow.

"Um... I remember some things from before I died." McDougal swallowed. "Can I tell you?"

Dr. Young heaved another sigh, but nodded. "I suppose so."

"I think there was a battle, all these people, um, girls, were fighting each other," McDougal frowned, trying desperately to remember. "I got hurt, and then someone else was there."

Dr. Young tilted her head, interested.

"I couldn't see them, but I knew they were the same as me." McDougal finished.

Could she be a Walpurgisnacht?

"Walpurgisnacht?" McDougal repeated. "What's that?"

Dr. Young cursed internally when she realised she said that out loud. "It's when two or more witches meet, and you wouldn't have been able to see her because witches fuse."

McDougal's eyes widened in awe. "But doesn't that mean she would've died with me?"

Clever. Dr. Young thought. "She should've been there when you woke up."

McDougal thought back to all the paintings, the ones of the green haired girl.

"I don't know..." McDougal said sadly.

Dr. Young nodded, she'd seen cases like this before, where Walpurgisnacht's get separated, and how lonely it is until they're reunited.

"If she arrived in the same place, she should pass through here, and eventually reach where you'll be going." Dr. Young tried to reassure.

"Where am I going anyway?" McDougal asked.

"It's a place called Freehaven, a lovely seaside town not far from here." Dr. Young smiled, happy that they weren't talking about such a depressing topic anymore.

"Now, is there anything I can get you?" Dr. Young asked.

McDougal shook her head as she lay down.

"I'm okay." she said, curling up slightly while finally looking like she was going to cry.

"I'll send Etteilla and Kanae back out, maybe your friend is still out there and they just didn't notice." Dr. Young offered, only to realise the purple haired witch had fallen asleep, hugging her tail like a teddy bear.

"We'll find your Walpurgisnacht." Dr. Young promised, pulling the blanket up around her. "No matter how long it takes."

A/N :- The story is gonna be a bit weird from here, my sister read the prologue and told me it was DARK, and after proof reading I see what she meant. As far as I know Walpurgisnacht's don't usually get separated but the idea is they arrived in neighbouring buildings, close but too far for people to realise they were a Walpurgisnacht until they'd already been separated. So the first few chapters will be depressing as Karin/McDougal tries to get by alone.

Also, I know Spawn Sites are meant to be disturbing/scary, but it's way to hard to hurt Karin, I did have a theory though that Spawn Sites symbolize something to do with when the magical girl(s)/witches were alive. So that's why Karin was in an Art Museum, because she considered herself an artist (for manga) and Alina is pretty famous despite how it seemed no one bat an eye except for Karin when she went poof for over a month.