Alyson crept out of the kitchen; umbrella ready in hand, and down the small set of stairs into the study, which comprised of a large fluffy sofa, an end table with a small lamp upon it and a long coffee table, which she remembered Sofia used for her office table. The new arrival was clad in long deep brown robes with a rope sash around her waist and a hood pulled over her head. Alyson could not see who the person was, but she sensed that it must have been one of the Sisters of Death for she emitted the same sensation as Gwen and Kai did. If this was another Sister, then she hoped this one was as friendly as the others or she would have no chance in hell of defending herself against the girl. Abruptly the figure raised their head to reveal young girl of maybe sixteen or older with deep bluish hair that hung loosely over the left eye while the right side was kept in a neat tight braid off to the side of a long face. Large dark eyes stared out from the shadows of her hood at Alyson, studying her up and down, eyeing the umbrella. "Where are Sophia and Melissa?" The girl inquired urgently, keeping a protective arm around a small child in at her side. The child appeared to be much younger, in her early teens at the very least, with long wavy sandy brown wet hair that hung over a sleeping face. Alyson shook her head, "I have no idea." She said mesmerized by the appearance of the girl, "Who is asking?" She demanded still holding the umbrella pointed at the girl The Sister scooped the child into her arms and began to stand, "I have no time for this. I need to find Sophia or Melissa quickly. This girl's life depends on it." She slowly turned to face Alyson with a stern look upon her face, "If you do not know where they are then could you point me in the direction of the Amy's place and be quick about it." She demanded. Alyson was about to protest the girl's rudeness when she noticed that the child's hand was dripping water upon the floor and she lowered her guard, "What happened to her?" She inquired with sincere concern. "She is dying." The girl stated bluntly, "Her life is bound to me at the moment, but if I don't find her help soon she will die." Alyson stared into the angel's yellow eyes, "Bound to you? You are keeping her alive?" The girl nodded and started passed Alyson, "If you can not help me then I will have to find someone else." At that moment Melissa staggered down the stairs in a pink nightgown covered in images of bunny rabbits, "What is all the commotion?" She sleepily asked with a stretch and scratching the back of her neck. She blinked at Alyson and a bright smile crossed her face, "Alyson! I have not seen you around here in a while. What brings you by?" She happily inquired of the girl. "Aunt!!" The Death Sister exclaimed as she pushed passed Alyson. Melissa smiled at the girl, "Angelina, what a happy surprised. It has been a long time since I last saw you. What have you been up too?" She asked cheerfully. Angelina held the child in her arms out to the woman, "She needs your help." She stated urgently. Melissa frowned down at the child and brushed her wet bangs out of her face, "What a beautiful child. What happened?" She asked worriedly Angelina shook her head, "I was asked by Brother to give her a letter, but I could not find her at her home. I searched around her home to find her at a bridge, looking down at the river below. I gave her the letter as I was told, but when she opened it she started to cry and suddenly jumped over the railing and dove into the waters below. She left the letter on the railing and I noticed a ticket to here so proceeded to fetch her from the river and bring her here. She was not breathing so I tied her soul to mine and brought her here. " Melissa shook her head; "You know that is a dangerous thing to do." She said disappointedly. Angelina gave a quick nod of her head, "I am aware, but she is a friend. I couldn't just let her die there." Melissa motioned for the girl to follow, "Come on then. Amy should be able to help her, I hope..." She started down the hall out of the house and opened the door for Angelina and turned to find Alyson still standing at the end of the hall, a stunned expression upon her face and her eyes staring at the ground, at a small line of stuffed bunnies that followed behind the Head Mistress. Melissa smiled, "You like them? They are my eyes and ears around the school." She explained simply and the toys turned to look up at Alyson, "You coming?" Melissa inquired of the girl. "But... But..." She pointed at the bunnies, "Are they not Bug Bears?" Melissa laughed, "No, they are not Bug Bears. Think of them as the complete opposite. They watch over children and make sure Bug Bears and Dream Ghouls do not invade their dreams." She explained with a smile, "You do not have to worry about them. They will not hurt you." Shaking the shock from her head Alyson circled around the stuffed toys to the woman where she finally found her voice, "I thought you left." She said dumbfounded by the appearance of the woman. Melissa blushed in embarrassment, "Sorry to worry you. I'd never leave you all. I love you too much." She explained as she closed the door behind her and turned to Angelina, "Amy's office is down the path to the left, you can't miss it." She informed the Death Angel. Angelina started down the path and through the front gate when she turned around, "Are you not coming?" She inquired worriedly. Melissa slowly, almost cautiously, moved across the patio and down the front steps, "I'll be along soon enough. I'm not feeling too well so you run ahead." Alyson dropped the umbrella where she found it and followed the Head Mistress, "Are you alright?" She inquired, hopping down the stairs on one foot and placing the crutch upon the stone pathway when she reached it. "I'll be fine." Melissa breathed as she reached the bottom of the stairs and let out a deep breath, "I'm just not myself today." Alyson cocked her head at the woman and for the first time noticed how much weaker her aura was, which she realized was why she could barely sense the woman being inside of the house before, "What happened to you?" She inquired concernedly. Melissa gave the girl a crocked smile, "I've just strained myself too much recently." She explained as she strolled down the path with her hands crossed behind her back, "I'll be right as rain soon enough." "Are you sure?" Alyson asked sceptically, keeping pace with the woman as they left the yard and turned left towards the nurse's office. Melissa simply nodded, "It is nothing to worry yourself about." "Is it because of the cracks in reality?" Melissa flinched slightly, "How would I nice girl like you know about that?" "I don't know." Alyson turned her eyes to the ground, she did know very well for her brother had told her numerous times about how unstable the walls between this world and the next were, which was why so many creatures from Dream Realms kept leaking into Whispering Hills. Back when she was young she could see things that no one else could and Drake saw the same things, he taught her how to focus on those things and make them clear, which is how she was now able to see auras and the cracks in the fabric of reality. Melissa turned her eyes to face the path before them, "I would not believe everything that brother of you tells you." She said with a touch of hostility upon her words. Alyson glanced up at the woman in amazement, "How do you know what he told me?" "Sophia and I know a lot more then just that." Melissa frowned at the girl and ran a hand through the girl's hair, "For instance we have always known about your Promise to that man and the link he has to you." Alyson looked away, ashamed of her blind promise, "You know about that..." She muttered regretfully. Melissa stopped and took Alyson by the hand, forcing her to turn to face her. She took the girl's cheeks in her hands and looked her in the eyes, "We know you are struggling with something that most of us never have to deal with, but no matter what you belong here. You are one of our girls. Do you understand me?" She touched the girl upon the nose and smiled. Alyson slowly shook her head in disbelief as tears threatened to escape her, "H... how can you say that? If you only knew..." She stammered. "But I do know." Melissa stated confidently, "You were born Alyshione, neither male nor female. Your mother decided to not allow the doctors to change you because she wanted you to have the choice about who you were. She wanted to give you an androgynous name, but part of her wanted a girl so much that she felt ashamed about her pushing her own desires upon you. I also know that if she could see you today she would be so proud of the person you have become, gentle and kind at the same time a strong and protective, the best of both worlds." She said proudly. Alyson broke into tears and Melissa stepped towards the girl, "There there." She soothed, wrapping her arms around the girl and holding her tight, stroking her hand through the girl's mangled curls. After a moment Alyson's sobs subsided and she wiped at her eyes with the heel of her hand, "I... I'm sorry... I don't know what is wrong with me..." Melissa rubbed the girl's back, "Nothing is wrong with you. You are perfectly normal." She glanced up to see the nurse's office in the distance. "We should catch up to my niece and find out how that child is doing." Alyson nodded as she wiped the last of the tears from her face and adjusted the crutch under her arm, feeling a hundred times better about herself and life at Whispering Hills. There was something about knowing her secret was out, and well kept, that made her feel safe here, safer then she has ever felt in her entire life. Before long they approached the nurse's office and were surprised to find a long line up of kids standing at the door. Angelina pacing impassionedly as she tried to find a way passed the crowd. She spotted her Aunt and ran over to the woman. "I can't get inside." She stated uneasily, glancing at the crowd of girls who seemed to be in many stages of disarray. Melissa scanned the line in confusion, "What is going on here?" She asked curiously, "How long have I been out for?" Alyson let out a deep sigh, "I'm afraid this is because of Kimberly's death. It seems to have affected a lot more people then I thought possible." Melissa spun around to face Alyson, a stunned look upon her face, "Kimberly..." She rubbed at her head, "I completely forgot to ask Sophia about that." She mumbled and turned to Alyson, "What happened while I was gone?" She hastily inquired. Alyson told the Head Mistress the entire story from the moment Kima and Kim entered Penny's dream in attempt to save Jenn from Carey to Kima being trapped inside of Penny's dreams and Jessica needing to enter those dreams in order to save them, and up to Kim's disappearance and strange wave of emotion she felt emit from the girl as she vanished. Melissa nervously curled a lock her hair around her finger as she listened, not interrupting once and only speaking when she was sure the girl was finished with her story, "This is worse then I thought possible." She turned to face the Western Dorms, a long frown upon her face, "I had a feeling something had happened, but nothing like this. I wish Sophia had not taking off to get those new girls." "New girls?" Alyson inquired, "Is the dorm not full up already?" Melissa rubbed the back of her head, "Seems we have no choice in the matter." Melissa turned back to the crowd; "Well hopefully Amy has more information for us." She started towards the doors to the nurse's office, "We need you girls to move to the side please." She politely requested of the girls standing outside of the building, "We have an emergency here." She declared, ushering Angelina and Alyson passed the crowd that parted for them, and through the doors. Inside the found the office busier then usual as several sets of girls were sitting and laying upon the hospital beds, Amy running between them as she checked each girl over carefully. "Amy? Sorry to interrupt you." Melissa called out over the low murmur of sobs and conversation. Amy lifted her head from the current girl she was examining and waved to the Head Mistress, "Sorry for the crowds, we seem to have an epidemic here." She explained wearily as she ran down the hall to the woman, "What can I do for you?" Melissa placed her hand upon Angelina's shoulder, "We have an emergency case for you." Amy smiled at Angelina, "Hey there! Haven't seen you around here in a while. What's up?" Her eyes moved down to the child in the girl's arms and she needed no explanation, "Oh hell, quickly bring her over here." She gestured to the nearest bed and signalled for the girls sitting there to move, "Sorry ladies I need you to move for a moment." There were a few grumbles of disapproval, but the girl's moved from their seat to the other side of the room to give the nurse space to work, craning their necks to get a better look at the new arrival. "What happened here?" Amy asked as she opened a draw next to the bed and started pulling out some supplies. ***** To be Continued . . .
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