FLICKER [PJO]

2 • I Boa Constrict A Giant With Magic Vines And Special Voices

And I remember you laughin'
So let's just laugh again.
But don't burn out,
Even when you scream and shout,
It'll come back to you.
Back to you.
Through The Dark • One Direction

🌸🌸🌸

Finally, we arrived in one piece and Will and I were the first ones off out of necessity. She looked relieved more than anything else as if she were expecting something to happen, but it hadn't.

Our classes were given wristbands and then sent off into pairs to make notes and fill out our worksheets as we wandered through the New York Botanical Gardens.

Naturally, Willow and I paired up and we ran through the exhibits and filled out our worksheets quickly, breathing in the beauty of the thousands of unique species that were organised to fit their habitats and keep them alive.

"They're beautiful," Willow said in awe as she stood in the centre of the tropical "room" (that was around the size of an arena) and closed her eyes.

However, I couldn't close my eyes, I could only stare at every flower. There were too many of them to study and focus on, but the second I walked in, I could've sworn they glowed and brightened. Willow was whispering to herself and studying the prettiest flowers, meanwhile, I found myself walking on the outskirts of the greenhouse. Fans full of warm air tousled my hair and the flowers mimicked the breeze's push that helped them survive.

I may have been hallucinating, but I could hear the many voices of the flora.

She's here!
Is she the child?
The Promised One!
He said he was approaching soon!
We must listen!

Flick?

"Flick!" Willow called and I jumped. My thoughts had been lost with the voices.

"Are you all right, Felicite?" The girl asked, rushing over to where I was standing with the Hyacinth flowers. She referred to me as Felicite when she was concerned about me and needed to be serious. "You're pale," she observed and put a hand to my head. "You don't have a fever."

"I'm okay," I replied. I lifted my head from where I was watching a plant grow rapidly right in front of me.
"No, no, I'm not oka—" I decided. Maybe I did have a fever, maybe I was having a stroke.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted Aura, the girl on the bus, and her partner, Ashby, who had straight, brown hair and a weird limp when he walked. Aura was dragging him right out of the tropical greenhouse and into the butterfly sanctuary separated by silicone strips (or curtains).

Did you see that?" I asked, gently pushing past Willow.

"See what?" She said. When I turned around to face her, I noticed her eyes were hazy and dreamy, as if she was ready to fall asleep.

"Come on, Will," I urged, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.

"What did you see?!" Willow exclaimed in fright. I didn't give her any answer, especially as I stopped outside the entrance of the butterfly sanctuary and crouched down behind the wall with her in tow. When I finally did speak, it was whispered and hushed. I didn't particularly appreciate talking about people behind their backs, but I did it anyway.

"Aura and Ashby."
"What were they doing? Are they okay?"
"I don't think so. Aura was dragging him to the butterfly room."
"The butterfly room? Why?"
"To learn all the butterflies' secrets? To become caterpillars? I don't know why, but we should follow them."

"And save Ashby," a frightened voice said behind us and I almost punched them in the face, but they caught the throw-in time.

To my relief, it was Ashby, the shy and oddly dressed kid, now crouching beside us - away from the butterfly room. He wore a green bucket hat, a black t-shirt and baggy jeans, but aside from the terror driven on his face and the nasty cut on his forearm that he wasn't holding me with, he looked great.