Natalie and Jenn ventured up and down the aisle of a nearby market place and Jenn stopped to glance over the snack food section. "So you got everything?" Natalie inquired as she glanced down at the small wire basket she held. Notebooks, pens, paper, tampons, painkillers and other odds and ends filled the basket. Jenn quickly snatched up two bags of Doritos and held them out to Natalie, "Nerve food." She stated with a shy grin. Natalie chuckled, "You too, hummm?" She remarked with a small smile, "Alyson loves Doritos during her time too." She explained. "They're great." Jenn admitted guiltily, glancing down at the chips, "I always allow myself these pleasures once a month." she justified. "Or you'll kill someone?" Natalie added with a knowing grin. "No..." Jenn frantically shook her head in such a way that it caused Natalie to laugh out loud. Jenn flushed lightly and smiled, she had not felt this good in such a long time and she was beginning to feel alive again, even with the painful cramps. "Come on." Natalie nodded towards the cashier, "Let's pay for this stuff and get going." She stated as she moved down the aisle. "Alright." Jenn agreed and began to follow close behind Natalie when her mind drifted to Cherilyn, "Say..." Jenn spoke up, "Do you have any idea what we are going to say to Cherilyn when we get there?" She asked softly. Natalie shook her head solemnly, "Not a clue." She confessed as she set the basket on the counter, "I figure the words will come to us when we get there." She shrugged as she watched the cashier punch prices into the cash register. Jenn's head lowered and she studied the bandages on her wrists, "I can see why she wouldn't want to be around us." She stated glumly, "Why would anyone want to hang around a bunch of suicidal, depressed, sexually deprived, crazy girls like us." Natalie placed a hand upon Jenn's shoulder, "Look at me!" She forced the girl to face her, "We are not crazy. No matter how much you feel like it, don't believe it. We may have our issues but that is what makes us who we are." Jenn lightly closed her eyes and bowed her head, "I can't help it. I mean, I can't even remember why I cut myself or my feelings for anyone." Natalie let out a frustrated sigh, "That is why we are here. Remember you are not alone." She gave the girl a tight hug. "Ummm... excuse me?" The cashier tentatively interrupted the girls, "I don't mean to interrupt this tender moment, but we do have other waiting their turn." She remarked, nodding behind the girls. Natalie and Jenn both flushed as they noticed several people had stepped into line behind them and were now watching them with awed expressions upon their faces. "S... sorry..." Jenn stammered as she pulled some money out of her pocket of her jean skirt and handed the cashier a hundred dollar bill. The cashier started at the hundred for a moment, "You two are from that academy, aren't you?" She asked curiously as she punched more numbers into the machine in front of her and started to get Jenn her change. "Yeah," Natalie replied, grabbing the bags of their things from the counter and noticing that the cashier's hands were becoming visibly shaken by their presence. "Do... do you really live up there...? On the hill?" The cashier asked nervously as she handed Jenn her change, "I mean it's haunted, isn't it?" Natalie glanced around to see that more of the costumer had taken an interest in them, "No, it isn't." Natalie stated, protectively placing an arm around Jenn, whom didn't seem to notice their undue attention as she pocketed her change and Natalie began to lead the girl towards the exit. "Is it true you are all lesbians?" The cashier asked bluntly, glancing between Jenn and Natalie. "That is none of your business." Natalie snarled and hurried Jenn out of the store. "What was that all about?" Jenn inquired blinking at the store to see several people peering out the windows at them. "Just ignore them." Natalie stated with slight agitation, "They are just overly curious and an irritant." She explained taking Jenn by the hand and hurrying her down the road and around a corner that lead up a long path to the academy. Occasionally she would glance over her shoulder to make sure they were not being followed. "Does that always happen?" Jenn asked interested to learn more about the world outside of the Academy walls. "No..." Natalie was becoming more anxious to reach the top of the hill and return to the safe of the dorms, "Sometimes they get violent." Her eyes darted around making sure they were not being followed, "The outsiders don't seem to know how to handle us. They leave us alone most of the time. Then other times..." Natalie spotted something that made her instantly halt in her tracks. "What's wrong?" Jenn inquired searching around for what could have caused Natalie's abrupt stop. Then she spotted him, a tall man in a long white cloak with scruffy wavy hair, the same man from her dreams, "That man..." She shakily pointed at the man. Natalie pulled Jenn behind some trees that flanked the path, "Hide." She commanded not letting her eyes off of Drake, "What's he doing here?" She muttered to herself. "Na... Natalie..." Jenn stammered as she quickly followed behind Natalie, "That man... he came to my house..." She explained uneasily. Natalie spun around to face Jenn, "Your house?!?" She questioned in bewilderment. "My house from before... In the dream..." Jenn shook her head in confusion, "When I met Kim. He was fighting with Kris. Kim... she mentioned him too. He has been looking for her for some reason." She apprehensively explained. Natalie peeked around the tree to see Drake heading for the main gates of the Academy, "That's Drake Dalfort, Alyson's twisted brother." She explained coldly, not letting her eyes off of the man. "Her brother?!?" Jenn exclaimed mortified by the idea, "How can such a sweet girl be related to that nightmare?" She probed. "I don't know." Natalie replied anxiously, "But if he is here then it's bad news. He probably wants to take Alyson back to his him. This is very bad." Her mind reeled as she tried to think of a way to stop the man. "We can't let him!!!" Jenn softly cried out in worry, "He will hurt her for running away won't he?" "Or worse." Natalie admitted, still searching for some means of stopping the man when she noticed Head Mistress Sophia and Melissa step through the main gates of the Academy, "Looks like he isn't going to get to her after all." She stated with a sly smirk, "Come on." She coaxed her friend out from behind the tree to get in earshot. Sophia observed both girls carefully as they cautiously tread along the edge of the road. She watched them as they moved from one tree to the next, making certain to not attract Drake's attention. The Headmistress hoped in her heart that the girls would not increase the difficulty of the situation when Drake approached her; towering over the two women as he glared down at them. "I'm here for my sister." Drake stated coolly, "And the red eyed girl. I know they are here." "She is no longer your responsibility, Mr. Dalfort." Sophia calmly informed, "And you can not have Kimberly even if you were her parent." "You have not right to them." Drake glowed, "Alyson clearly belongs with me and you are not aware of the circumstances surrounding that other girl." "We are well aware of their situations." Sophia remarked, "Alyson is welcome here just like all the other girls at Whispering Hills." She explained, not being phased by the man's intense stares. Drake's hand shot out from under his cloak and grabbed Sophia by the front of her dress shirt, "She is mine. You will give me the child or I'l-." He began to commanded when Melissa jumped forward. "Why you big bully." Melissa glowered, "You have no right bulling my sister around like that." Sophia held her hand out to stop her twin, never allowing her eyes to leave Drakes, "Always like you, Drake." She noted, unruffled by Drake's threatening motions, "You seem to think that your overbearing scare tactics will work on everyone, but you have forgotten who we are and we will not allow you to take any of our girls." She stated boldly. Drake beamed in rage and suddenly swung at the head mistress. Sophia made no attempt to dodge as the man's fist crashed hard into the side of her face, knocking her to the ground. He stomped over the woman with his fist clenched, "You will promptly return Alyson to me now!" He ordered, now fuming with rage. "Why you selfish ass!!!" Natalie cried out as she dropped the shopping bags and charged at Drake. "Natalie stop!!" Melissa called out to the girl, however it was too late. Natalie's retractable blade sprung forth from its hiding place beneath her sleeve and she flung herself at Drake like a wild animal. "I thought I smelt you." Drake stated with a malicious grin as he turned to face the girl. "I've had enough of you hurting Alyson." Natalie tossed a set of throwing daggers at the man who swiftly stepped out of the way. "Child, you forget. Anything Alyson taught you she learned from me first." Drake remarked coldly keeping his eyes closely on the girl as she leapt through the air and lunged her bladed arm at him. Double-quick he stepped out of her way allowing the girl to slam her knife into the dirt road, "As such I know all your moves." He explained with a chuckle of amusement. Natalie crouched low as to keep out of the man's reach, "Is that so?" She remarked with a grin as she produced three more daggers from behind her back and plunged them into his thigh with all her might. Drake howled out in pain, "You little bitch!" He grabbed Natalie by the blade arm and lifted her off the ground, "So you have a few tricks up those sleeves of yours. Your daggers nothing more then a minor pain to me." He explained glaring at the girl. Natalie flung her legs up over Drake's arm and wrapped them around it. Drake seemed startled by this manoeuvre as he watched the girl grab his arm with her free hand then yanked downwards with all her strength causing his arm to snap with an ugly cracking sound. Drake immediately dropped the girl to the ground, his arm now uselessly dangling at his side. Natalie crouched and prepared for another round of assaults when Melissa grabbed Natalie around her waist and pulled her to the ground, holding onto her tight. "Let me at him!!" Natalie cried out, kicking and flailing her arms fiercely, "I will kill him! Let me KILL HIIIIMM!!!" She screamed out irately as she tried to free herself from the Head Mistresses grip. Drake stared down at his now twisted arm as it hung limply, "Very interesting." He remarked, and then turned to the flailing child. "Nat, calm down!!" Melissa soothed, "You have no idea what you are doing!!" She pulled the girl away from Drake as the man watched with amusement. "Natalie!!!" Jenn jumped out from her hiding space with her shopping bags in hand and ran across the street towards her friend. Drake swiftly turn his attention on Jenn, "You!" He glared intensely at the girl, "So this is where you have been hiding. Where is your little redheaded girlfriend?" He inquired with a snarl. Jenn stopped where she was and stared at the man, "Kim?" She replied curiously. Her eyes were suddenly caught in Drake's demonic gaze. She suddenly experienced a feeling of being exposed and violated as if his eyes crawled over her body, however she could not free herself from his gaze. It felt as if the man's eyes were boring through her very soul. Then she started hearing a ringing in her ears, something that sounded sort of like wind chimes, but not quite. She dropped her things to the ground and clenched the sides of her head as the chine's increased in pitch, filling her mind. Abruptly she let out a pained scream, then instantly collapsed to the ground in a fit of tears, mumbling in coherently to herself. Sophia rushed over to Jenn's side; putting herself between Drake and the girl, "Leave her alone." She demanded giving them man a stern scowl. She wrapped her arms around the shaking, crying child. "Leave this place." Melissa commanded, her eyes filled with rage as she held a squirming Natalie, "You have done enough harm here now leave." Drake glanced from one head mistress to the other, then down at his arm. "I guess you can keep her for the time being." He smiled sinisterly down at Natalie, who stopped thrashing that moment and saw the pleasure in his eyes, "Alyson will return to be soon enough. So will the others. You will see." He turned and strolled away without even a limp in his stride. Sophia scooped Jenn up into her arms and grabbed her bags, "We have to hurry." She exclaimed with increasing urgency. Melissa pulled Natalie to her feet and started after her sister. "We can't just let him get away." Natalie protested, not being able to let her eyes off of the man. "There are more important things to worry about." Melissa stated, "We must hurry. Alyson needs you." Natalie faced Melissa to see an extreme amount of distress in the woman's eyes. She did not understand what was going on, but knew that if Melissa was worried about something then it must be serious and allowed herself to be lead back to the Western dorms. ***** To be Continued . . .
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