Traces Of Magic

~Chapter 35~

-Mandy's POV-

My eyes open slowly to darkness. Nothing as far as the eye can see. A cold breeze goes through the room. Looking around, I find no source for the breeze, but a tall black figure lingers in the distance. Unsure of what I'm seeing, I stand up and take a few steps forward.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Can you tell me where I am?"

Soft maniacal laughter floats over to me. It gets louder as I draw nearer. The black figure soon takes the outline of a man. The laughter slowly fades into words.

"Oh Mandy...naïve, innocent little Mandy..."

I freeze. My feet become cemented to the ground. I start to acknowledge every breath I take in order to keep breathing. Goosebumps form along my arms as the hair on the back of my neck stands on edge.

"...you think everything is okay now...but you're not out of the woods just yet..."

The figure moves towards me, stopping where their face is still shrouded in darkness. Suddenly, it feels like hands are wrapped around my throat. Their iciness penetrates my being straight to the core, more so than the cold words of the stranger.

"...The course of events have been triggered..."

The grip starts to tighten slowly.

"...Everything will happen in due time..."

Silently, my source of air is cut off from my lungs.

"...All shall be revealed to you soon Mandy..."

My vision grows black and fuzzy around the edges.

"...now rest..."

My unconcience body drops to the ground.
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I shoot up in panic. My heart races as I struggle to take deep breaths. "Mandy! Are you okay?" I glance upward to see a pair of  deep blue eyes looking down at me.

"I'm okay Jarron..." He wraps his arms around my shoulders. "...just had a bad dream." He rubs my shoulders protectively. We sit there in silence. My thoughts drift from one thing to another.

"Hey Jarron. What time is it?" He looks up at the clock hanging against the wall. "Almost 5:30am Princess." I nod my head and sigh quietly. Careful as to not cause myself any pain, I swing my legs off the side of the couch.

"Where are you going Mandy?" Jarron's blue eyes follow me curiously as I hobble towards the door. I look back at him. "To find your sister." He shakes his head as he casts his eyes to the ground.

"In your current condition? No way. You need to rest." I stop and cross my arms. "Jarron, I am going to find your sister one way or another. The sooner I start searching, the better chance I have of finding her still alive."

Jarron looks up upon hearing the word alive. "Do you really think Sage is still alive?" I stand up straight and nod my head firmly. "If my hunch is correct, then yes. I do think she's alive."
We stare t each other for a bit.

"Are you sure about this?" I sigh and roll my eyes. "Damn it Jarron! Yes!" He looks down as I plant my hand on my hip. "Now are you going to come with me or not?"
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It takes me a while to get back to somewhere I recognize. Eventually, the trees change into buildings as the grass and dirt give way to concrete and cement. Jarron follows behind me, his arms crossed expressing his disapproval of my decision.

"Where are you going Mandy?" We stop on the sidewalk as I glance left and right. "We're going to where I believe Dustin is holding your sister." He nods before casting his eyes down.
I proceed to start walking again, Jarron not failing to keep close behind me.

Soon, the streets start to become much more familiar to me. I spot my house a few blocks away, so I break into a sprint. I stop in front of the walkway. Jarron stops behind me and leans against his legs. I stare up at the empty windows as he struggles to catch his breath.

"I thought you said you were able to run fast, Jarron." I turn my attention to my buddy. He looks up at me, his blue eyes shining almost as much as the few drops of sweat rolling down his face.

"Now why would I waste my abilities, Princess, if I only have to run a few blocks?" I roll my eyes as he stands up straight and glances up to the front door. "Looks like someone got a ton of mail." We both walk up and step into the porch, stopping in front of the mailbox.

He takes a step to the side as I open the overflowing mailbox. I pull out a few loose envelopes out of the crammed space, sending a couple more twirling to the ground. Jarron bends down and picks them up as I struggle to remove the rest of the mass of paper.

Soon, he manages to round up all of the loose ones as I get a somewhat organized stack of envelopes in my arms. Looking them over, one in particular catches my eye. "Here. Let me take them inside for you." I hold on to the one letter as Jarron gently takes the giant stack out of my arms.

I open the front door so he could carry the stack inside easily before getting a better look at the face of the envelope. My heart sinks to my stomach as I read the sender. Not wanting to delay the enevitable, I break the seal and pull out the letter.