Struggles Twofold
Missing, Presumed Insane
"Jennifer!!!" A teenaged girl ran over to Jenn from the Eastern Dorm
office, "It has been so long. How are you?" She exclaimed excitedly.
"Um..." Jenn tried to force her mind to work. She could not remember who
this girl was. The girl was small with long black hair and a smile that
Jenn was sure she would not forget, however she was having troubles
remembering the girl's name.
"Wendy," Cherilyn interrupted, sensing Jenn's nervousness, "Have you
seen Tanya today?" She asked, glancing at the clock to see that school
would not be letting out for a bit yet.
Wendy stopped in the midst of giving Jenn a hug, "Tanya?" She thought to
herself, "Nope, is she back to hiding in her room? And with Jennifer
back and all?"
Cherilyn let out a disappointed sigh, "It would seem so."
"Is she alright?" Jenn asked stepping away from Wendy before the girl
regained her senses to give her that hug.
"When you and Kris disappeared she went into a bit of a decline
actually." Cherilyn stated miserably, heading for the stairs, "I thought
your return would make things better, however..."
"I was moved to a different wing." Jenn stated dismally.
"She couldn't handle the new arrangements, it would seem." Cherilyn
shook her head and mounted the stairs, heading for Tanya's room. Upon
reaching the door she knocked, "Tanya? Jenn is here to see you." She
called out. No answer returned, "Tanya?" She called out again with no
answer, "You better be dressed because I'm coming in." Cherilyn stated
boldly as she opened the door.
The room was silent and had emptiness to it, like that of a place never
lived in. Cherilyn quickly entered the room and searched around. Jenn
slowly crossed the threshold of the room. As she did so she felt a cold
wave rush over her flesh and a sickening feeling that she didn't want to
be in that room any longer. She glanced around to see Tanya's bed, the
blankets still rumpled in a heap; her eyes fell on the desk in the
opposite corner. She approached the desk and ran a hand across its
surface. A flickering recollection tried to enter her mind, but the door
to that memory seemed to slam shut the moment it tried to open and Jenn
recoiled from the desk as if burnt.
"Oh no..." Cherilyn said from the other side of the room.
"What's wrong?" Jenn asked, turning around to see her friend pale as a
ghost as she slumped into the desk chair, a piece of paper was clenched
firmly in her hands, her eyes never veered from the page as her hands
began to tremble. Jenn stepped closer to the girl, curiously cocking her
head to get a look at what was written on the paper.
“I can't stand being apart from Jenn. We were meant to be together and I
will make sure that we are. Cherilyn, I'm sorry, I'm going to the
Western Woods. Hopefully the Head Mistresses will accept me into the
West Dorms when I return.
Tanya"
"What?!?" Jenn exclaimed in confusion taking the paper from Cherilyn's
hand to get a better read.
"That twit..." Cherilyn mumbled, "That stupid twit..."
"What's wrong?" Jenn asked still confused by what the letter meant, "How
can going into that forest effect which wing she stays in?"
"That forest is death..." Cherilyn stated shakily, "Only people who wish
to die enter there. I'm never going to see her again..." She buried her
face in her hands and cried.
Jenn wrapped an arm around the girl, "We don't know that yet." She tried
to think of what to do, "Maybe we can go find her. She couldn't have
been gone long."
"That is impossible." Cherilyn declared, "No one has ever returned from
the forest. It is unnatural."
"Maybe Kima will know." Jenn said.
"Who?" Cherilyn gazed up at Jenn with red eyes.
"It's hard to explain." Jenn stated uneasily, "Come on. We have to try."
She grabbed the girl's hand and dragged her out of the room.
*****
To be Continued...
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