Fairytale

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Dewgrass home for the mentally unstable

"Lucie Maybank!" The voice came from a kind looking nurse with wispy brown and grey hair. She had a plump face, but was smiling. At least someone was in this miserable place. Lucie hadn't seen Issy since the nurse had taken her out of her (Lucie's) room, and not one single person would tell her where her only friend here was.

"There is someone here for you poppet!"

Lucie frowned and followed the nurse down corridors that she remembered from her first day, and into a reception-like area - which she also remembered. And in it, standing at the front desk, was someone she could never forget.

A few moments earlier

Finn nervously twisted his hands together as the receptionist studied the forged doctors letters. They stated that Lucie had been misdiagnosed, and should be cleared immediately. Although it wasn't his smartest idea, as he didn't even understand the original diagnosis papers, but he hoped that it was enough to get Lucie out if this place.

"Are you a legal parent or guardian?"

"No, I'm her brother, but I am eighteen," He partly lied - but it wasn't so bad, as he turned eighteen in a few months. To be completely honest, he wasn't sure if this was legal.

The receptionist fell silent and studied the papers even more. The tension in the air was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. But you probably shouldn't do that there. They might make you stay.

A clock on the wall echoed menacing clicks around the room as the second hand ticked.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Hospital

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

"Pipes? Piper? Can you hear me?" James whispered, touching her cheek softly. Deborah was still talking to the doctor, her look of concern seeming to be permanently etched in her face. Riley had excused herself to the bathroom earlier, probably to be sick. But James could only hear the doctor's words ringing in his ears. Her vitals are still unsteady, but we believe that she could pull through.

"Come on Pipes, please, please wake up." One, solitary tear dripped down his cheek and fell. Just one tear. Nothing happened. The dark haired man carefully took his hand away from his little sister's face and instead rested his fingers in her open palm.

"Please..."

Then he felt it.

The slightest pressure from her fingertips, slowly curling up to hold his hand in place.

"Mom!" James called, and both the adults came rushing over. Deborah instantly cupped her daughter's face in one hand whilst the Doctor studied the monitors carefully, a frown on his face. Then the woman in the white coat pressed a button by the bed, and other people arrived, but neither Mother nor Son could focus on that. She was waking up.

She was going to be okay.

She was magic.

Hospital corridor

Riley, rubbing her brow in confusion, leant against the wall, trying desperately to find the nearest exit. In a desperate attempt to cool herself down, Riley pulled off her jumper, and collapsed into a nearby chair. She stayed there for a few minutes, trying to regulate her breathing. In and out, in and out. Morning sickness had returned as suddenly as it had disappeared, and the mother-to-be had recently been retching over a hospital toilet. She'd had to tell the cleaner that she'd been sick, and after that had begun to feel uncomfortably hot. Pregnancy is the worst. Was all she managed to think, before her eyes closed, and her mind blacked out. And then came back in, and back out again, but finally coming back in again. Riley rubbed her stomach.
"Can you please settle down, hm? Mummy's not feeling to great" She murmured, resting backwards.

"Can I help you ma'am?" A passing nurse asked, but the mother-to-be shook her head, and stood up to prove that she was alright.
"No, I'm fine. I should be getting back."

Dewgrass Home for the mentally unstable

"Finn!" Lucie flung herself at him clinging on like a monkey.
"I have so much to tell you! I made a new friend, and everyone is so nice here and-"
"Can you two please have your happy reunion after Mr.Mackie has signed the discharge papers?" The receptionist sighed, pushing a stack of papers towards him. Finn scribbled his signature, as he put Lucie down. Then he took her hand and they left, happily ever after.

12 years later

An abandoned building

"You're a liar, Rebecca!" An angry girl protested, flicking her hair over her shoulder.
"No! It's true!" The eleven year old protested, as her cousin put an arm around her.
"It is, actually, true." Mike Torjman agreed.
"I don't believe you for a second!" Another boy protested.
"They are telling the truth" Joseph whispered quietly.
"So, you're telling me, that you got kidnapped, Mike's auntie died, another one of Mike's aunties also got kidnapped and almost died. A random girl who isn't even that important got put a crazy house, and two dance troupes merged before disappearing!"
The girl protested. She was the 'leader' of the group, and although only Joseph, Mike and the other boy were official members, Rebecca came along because she was close with Mike and Joseph, and the other girl secretly liked having another girl around.
"It is all true. We wrote down everything everyone told us about what happened to The Next Step - this is just why it closed down. It used to be the best dance studio in the world and then it wasn't." Joseph explained, as the oldest in the group, opening his backpack to show plastic wallets filled with paper and files all stuffed in one small bag.

"Well... Then where's the dance studio now?"

Rebecca smiled, liking the suspense.

"You're sitting in it!"

There was a moment of stunned horror as what she said settled over everyone. They looked at the empty walls and the dirty mirrors, and the one lightbulb that had replaced the chandelier. They looked the room with the boarded up windows and doors.

"S-someone died here?"

"Well, not exactly-"

"And your Dad is a murderer, Rebecca?"

"No! He didn't kill anyone!"

"And the case was closed by the police years ago!" Mike snapped, standing to his feet.
"Let's go. I'll call Auntie Laura to pick us up."

"This was a bad idea..." Joseph muttered.

"They are our friends, they wouldn't do anything!"

"But Summer was Davis' friend" Joseph muttered, speaking as though he knew them personally.

"But there's still so much we don't know! Did Summer find Henry? Are Kenzie and Cherry still friends? Is Andy still out there?" Rebecca sighed, scuffing her trainers just before they ducked under the plastic sheeting, and into the street.

"I don't know, but-" Joseph shook his bag, making the papers rustle.
"We are going to find out!" Mike finished, grinning.

Laura pulled up on the curb as the three kids raced for shotgun. Rebecca got there first, giving her mum a hug before sticking her tongue out at her friends.

"So, what have you three been doing in Studio A?" Laura smiled, as the three children looked at each other in shock.

"Don't worry," She looked in the rear view mirror at Joseph and Mike, then next to her to see Rebecca.

"I won't tell."

I actually finished it! I am so happy with myself. This was actually the ending I originally had planned, but I am also quite pleased with the ending. Thank you so much to everyone who read this book, and the other two books in this trilogy.

-Spring Xx

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