you are not a curse on anyone

I just wanted to hop on and say Merry Christmas to all who celebrate and Happy Holidays to those who don’t. I hope you all stay safe and have a blessed holiday season filled with love, happiness, and of course, presents. I love you all and am very grateful for your ongoing support.

I also want to apologise for my constant inactivity. I just completed one of my most difficult years of schooling both academically and socially and let’s just say, I am exhausted. It’s only going to get harder from here, so I’m not sure how much time I will have to work on When Will This Be Over? but do not worry, it will get done. I do not want to leave it unfinished. I only ask for a little more patience.

Chapter Eleven

‘Can you please pass me the cookie jar, Miss Cheery?’ asked Anah. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

The past two weeks had been difficult for them all. Morrigan still hadn’t returned and they missed her dearly. They anticipated her arrival home but, as much as they hated to admit it, they lost hope as each day passed.

‘Of course,’ replied Miss Cheery with a light smile. However, when she picked up the jar, it felt extremely light. Miss Cheery took the lid off and peered inside. Her face fell when she realised that she had forgotten to restock the jar. She took a quick look around the rest of Hometrain and realised how much of a mess it was. There were no tea bags, and the mugs piled high in the sink. The cushions were stacked disorderly in the corner. Morrigan’s kidnapping had severely distracted Miss Cheery and she hadn’t been able to focus on the organisation of Hometrain.

‘I’m sorry, Anah. I haven’t got anymore.’ She kept her head down, refusing to meet the younger girl’s disappointed eyes. Since the awful news had been delivered, a cookie in Hometrain had worked to brighten everyone’s spirits, even just slightly. Today, they had no cookies which meant their moods were low.

‘That’s alright, Miss Cheery,’ replied Anah.

Silence fell over the conductor and her Unit. It was rare for long conversations to be held, especially in the mornings. Occasionally on the way home, one of the scholars would bring up something they did at school that day, and the group would discuss, but this would only last for a minute or two. Without Morrigan’s input on conversations, they seemed worthless.

Miss Cheery discovered that the most unusual result of Morrigan’s kidnapping was the arguments that broke out between Cadence and Hawthorne. She would witness them fight over silly things and avoid each other afterwards.

Currently, they hadn’t spoken for two days. Hawthorne would sit with Arch on Hometrain every morning and afternoon where as Cadence would sit alone in the corner. Miss Cherry had tried to approach her on multiple occasions to support her through these arguments, but she repeatedly declined the help.

However, Hawthorne broke the silence between him and his best friend when he asked her how long it has been since Morrigan was taken.

Miss Cheery and the rest of the Unit were listening intently, but they tried not to show it.

‘Fifteen days. It’s been fifteen days, Hawthorne.’ Cadence’s voice was monotone. It held no emotion.

The dragon rider’s only response was a slight nod. Silence refilled the train.

The silence didn’t last for long, though, because Cadence asked a question. ‘Is she going to come home?’ It was aimed at no one in particular.

For the first time in a while, everyone looked at one another. Dark circles were more obvious than ever under everyone’s eyes. Uniforms were wrinkled as if they hadn’t been hung up the night before. They probably were not. A couple of the scholar’s cheeks were sunken in and their collarbones were slightly more evident. Guilt stabbed at Miss Cheery’s chest. She had failed to look after her Unit when it had mattered the most. Tears pricked at her eyes as she thought about this but she quickly blinked them away. She refused to let her teenagers see her cry. Instead, she tried to answer Cadence’s question.

‘Of course she is going to come home, there’s no need to worry about that.’

‘When?’ asked Arch. ‘When is she going to come home? It has been two weeks and Captain North has found nothing.’

The young boy was right. Each day, Jupiter was fighting for find Morrigan, but he always went to bed empty handed. No one knew where Morrigan was. She could have left Nevermoor and they would have no idea.

‘I-I don’t know, Arch,’ stuttered Miss Cheery. ‘I have no prediction for when she is going to come home.’

‘But it’ll be soon right?’ whispered Lam. Tears threatened to escape the oracle’s eyes, and when she blinked, they broke free creating tracks down her cheeks.

‘No, Lambeth,’ spoke Hawthorne suddenly. It won’t be soon.’ Hawthorne’s voice was sharp and venomous, causing everyone to look at him. Miss Cheery leant forward, her elbows resting on her knees. She had never heard him speak to another Unit member in this way. The conductor was anxious for what he was going to say next because she knew it wouldn’t be good.

‘Morrigan isn’t going to come home soon. She might not ever come home.’ At this, the group slightly pulled away from Hawthorne. Although they had all thought this, they never said it out loud as if by doing so, it would be made true. ‘For all we know, Morrigan could be de—‘

‘Hawthorne Swift don’t you dare finish that sentence.’ Miss Cheery couldn’t find it in herself to raise her voice at the boy, so instead she spoke very sternly. ‘Morrigan is alive. We would know if she wasn’t. She is a Wundersmith, and surely Wunder would start playing up if she died. So don’t think for a second that she is gone forever. Now, I am not sure what the intentions of her kidnappers are but we cannot give up hope. Nor can we doubt Captain North’s abilities to find her. He needs our support right now. We cannot disappoint him. Understood?’ The Unit mumbled in response but Miss Cheery wasn’t satisfied. ‘I said, understood?’

‘Yes, Miss Cheery,’ replied Unit 919 in unison.

The conductor sighed. ‘Good. Now please be kind to one another, that’s enough adulting for one day.’

For the first time, a conversation ended and silence didn’t follow. Instead, the slight sounds of sniffling and sleeves against cheeks echoed around Hometrain. It was a depressing scene, one that made Miss Cheery’s stomach twist and turn.

After a couple of minutes, Hawthorne stood and over to to Cadence before sitting down next to her. Miss Cheery watched as he whispered an apology and wrapped his arms around the girl. They both cried together then, safe in the security of the other.

Through his sobs, Hawthorne asked one final question as Hometrain pulled into Station 919.

Chapter Ten

‘Morrigan? Where are you Mog?’ Jack’s voice cracked on the last word. He had been wondering the Nevermoor streets for hours trying to find his missing friend.

It had gotten dark but Jack was still searching well into the night. He needed to find her. Morrigan needed to come home. He was unsure how much longer he could last without her.

‘Jack?’ The voice was a whisper, coming from underneath a park bench. Although it was quiet, Jack could recognise that voice anywhere.

‘Morrigan!’ Jack suddenly became dizzy with relief as he stumbled over to where the younger girl lay on the ground. He collapsed next to her and helped her out from under the bench. Instantly, he threw his arms around her middle, and hers wrapped around his neck.

‘You’re safe. You’re okay. You’re going to come home.’ This became a mantra that Jack repeatedly whispered into the crook of Morrigan’s neck. They were crying together, tears flowing freely down both of their cheeks.

Jack had never experienced the amount of happiness he felt in that moment. The past week and a half had been the worst time of his life. His family had been broken, torn apart by evil. Morrigan had been ripped away and Jupiter hadn’t been himself because of it. But now Morrigan was going to go home, and all would be resolved. It was finally over.

The pair pulled apart from one another and Jack ran his eyes over the younger girl to make sure that she was, in fact, safe and okay. Morrigan was pale, and skinner than usual, but she was alright. She really was going to come home. They made eye contact and both broke out into large smiles.

‘I missed you,’ they both said it at the same time and started laughing at their similar thinking.

However, Morrigan stopped laughing first and focused her gaze on Jack’s eyepatch. ‘You’re wearing it again. Why?’

Jack quickly became embarrassed. He hasn’t worn it in so long, but the Deucalion staff and residents had so many emotions since Morrigan’s kidnapping that the colours became too distracting and he had to filter them out with the eyepatch. ‘I-I couldn’t control what I was seeing. I needed help.’

Morrigan nodded. Her face held some emotion, but Jack couldn’t figure out what it was. Disappointment, maybe? That was the last thing he wanted her to feel towards him.

‘I guess I could take it off. Just for right now, until we get back home.’

A smile stretched across Morrigan’s lips, and she reached to remove the patch for him. When she did, bright colours danced in front of Jack’s eyes.

He panicked. They had never been this bright before. Black and gold shot from Morrigan’s body like lasers. Red, orange and yellow danced in the background. A sharp pain sparked in Jack’s head and he groaned as he brought his hand up to it. He tried to breathe but his lungs wouldn’t fill. His heart was beating so fast he was sure it was visible in his chest.

‘Jack?’ The word didn’t come from in front of him. Instead, it was all around him, echoing in his ears.

‘Morrigan…’ That was all he could say before his vision turned white, and he collapsed.

{~~~}

‘Morrigan!’ Jack screamed as he sat upright in bed. These nightmares weren’t rare for him. Each night he dreamt of finding Morrigan before she was taken away from him again. It broke his heart each and everytime. He just wanted his friend back.

Glancing at his clock, he saw that it was 2:30am. He knew that it would be impossible to get back to sleep, it always was, but he still tried nevertheless.

Jack tossed and turned, tangling himself in the blankets. He got himself unstuck and sat up again. He sighed, feeling the cool air enter his lungs and then leave. Unsure of what to do, he got out of bed and let his feet slip into his slippers, warming them.

He walked over to his desk, sunk down in the chair, and turned on his lamp. An orange glow filled the room, creating shadows on the walls from his furniture. His eyes travelled over the items on his desk. Paper. Pens. Black square sheets of paper: Black Mail.

‘Speaking of blackmail. I’ve been meaning to give you this. If you ever need me, a proper emergency…I think it’s best if you can reach me.’

That felt like lifetimes ago. Now Jack was the one to need Morrigan. He never thought he would admit that, but it was true. There was once a time where Morrigan wasn’t in his life, but then all of a sudden she was and she made Jack the happiest he had ever been. Now, he felt extremely depressed and lonely without her.

Looking at the Black Mail sparked Jack’s next idea. He was going to write Morrigan a letter. It was irrelevant whether or not he gave it to her upon her return home, but he hoped it helped get his emotions out.

So, he put pen to paper and wrote for forty minutes. It was difficult to get out what he wanted to say, and tear stains made the words bleed together, but Jack was glad he had written it.

Sleep came easy afterwards and it was the best he had slept since Morrigan had been taken.

{~~~}

Dear Morrigan,

I miss you. In this letter I will be unable to truly express how much I miss you, but you need to know that it is true.

I hope you come home soon, Mog. Jupiter is slipping away. He is truly heartbroken and unable to function without you at home. It is like his life has no purpose anymore. I am trying to show him that it does, but you know how he is. He is so protective over you and he feels he has failed you. Sometimes I walk through the halls of the Deucalion at night and I can hear him crying in his study. Not just lightly crying. He sobs, Morrigan. He is also skipping meals. He claims he is too busy to eat, so Martha brings food to his study. It turns cold and remains uneaten. I woke up to nightmares one night and went to sleep in his room, but Jupiter just kept repeating your name over and over again. He is losing himself. I don’t know what to do anymore. I need you home to help me.

I tried to go back to school a few days after you were taken away. I returned home halfway through the day. I couldn’t stand to think that something could happen while I wasn’t at home. I am also sure that if I did stay, I would eventually be sent home because of my nightmares. I seem to be unable to sleep without dreaming of your return. But as all nightmares do, my dreams end awfully with you being ripped away from me again.

My deepest regret is going to the bathroom at the snow cone shop. If I hadn’t, you would still be here and none of us would be so upset. I am truly sorry for this, Morrigan. I hope one day you can find it in yourself to forgive me.

I love you, Mog, and I await your return home. I hope you aren’t too far away and Jupiter can find you easily. But then again, he’s Jupiter. There isn’t any job he can’t do.

Until then, Morrigan, I will continue to wonder, when will this be over?

Much love,

Chapter Nine

Martha was up before the sun had risen. She found herself doing that a lot. It seemed she couldn’t get any sleep, and when she did it was tainted by nightmares of Morrigan screaming.

Since the younger girl had come to stay at the Hotel Deucalion, Martha had developed a fondness for her. She found herself paying close attention to the jobs she did for Morrigan. She made sure her drinks were at the perfect temperature, her clothes neatly folded and put away, and her breakfast ready every morning before school.

It was definitely odd not having Morrigan around.

On the first day without Morrigan, Martha was delivering ice cream to the guests’ rooms. Forgetting that the black eyed girl was missing, Martha made her way to Room 85 with her trolley. On it sat the usual orders, but in Morrigan’s bowl there was an extra scoop of ice cream and a lot more chocolate syrup. It was just the way Morrigan liked.

Martha found herself upset and lonely without the younger girl, so she distracted herself by doing her usual chores. She thought that maybe this was the reason that she forgot Morrigan wasn’t in her room.

After approaching the room, she knocked on the door. After no response, she knocked again.

‘Morrigan? It’s me. I’ve got your ice cream!’

Still no response. She raised to knock on the door a third time, but it opened before her knuckles could touch the wood.

‘She’s not here, Martha.’ His voice was broken. Dry. His eyes were red and puffy. His cheeks held the tracks of dried tears. He had no doubt been crying for a few hours.

‘Jove?’ At the sudden remembrance that Morrigan was not at the Deucalion, Martha felt tears spring into her eyes. ‘What are you doing here? How long have you been in here for?’ Martha hadn’t seen him much that day. She assumed that he was working in his study like usual and wanted to remain undisturbed. It hadn’t occurred to her that he may be in Room 85.

‘I-I don’t know.’ The ginger haired man usually stood with perfect posture and had a loud, strong voice. Now, however, he crouched in on himself, and his voice shook as he spoke. He seemed like a young boy.

Martha noticed he was fidgeting with something in his hands, and when she looked down, she recognised it as Emmett, Morrigan’s stuffed rabbit. ‘Oh, Jove.’

Jupiter turned around and walked in Morrigan’s room. Martha followed, bringing in the ice cream meant for Morrigan and shut the door behind her. She offered the bowl to Jupiter who took it gratefully.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sound being the clinking of metal on glass as Jupiter ate the ice cream. Finally, he spoke.

‘I feel like I’ve failed her.’

‘Jupiter you haven’t—‘

‘But Martha I have!’ She flinched at his sudden outburst. Jupiter was usually able to contain himself when he was upset, but she knew how important Morrigan was to him. He had stood up, placing the empty ice cream bowl on Morrigan’s bedside table. ‘I am supposed to save her, not endanger her. Who was there for her when she was going to die on Eventide? Me! Who was there for her when she needed a safeguard? Me! Who was there for her when they threatened to throw her out of WunSoc? Me!’ Tears were rising in his eyes. Martha didn’t know what to do other than sit quietly and listen. ‘I wasn’t there when it mattered most. And now, I may have lost my little girl forever. I love her so much. She means the world to me. She’s my Mog.’ Now, the tears were flowing like rivers down his cheeks. Jupiter sat back down, taking his spot next to Martha again.

‘Firstly, she’s not a little girl.’ Martha was cautious with her words, not wanting to upset the Captain any further. When the only response she got was a puzzled look, she elaborated. ‘Jove, she’s sixteen! She’s not that same eleven year old girl you saved in Jackalfax. She’s a lot more mature now, and is almost a fully trained Wundersmith. Morrigan can handle herself.’

Jupiter considered this, and slowly nodded. Martha lightly exhaled in relief. She was glad that the Captain hadn’t yelled at her yet.

‘And secondly,’ she began again, ‘you haven’t failed anyone.’ Jupiter opened his mouth to argue but Martha continued before he could speak. ‘As you said, you have been there for this girl since Bid Day back in Jackalfax. She knows that you love her wholeheartedly and she would not blame you for this. Morrigan would not want you getting so mad at yourself. If you have any hope of finding her, you need to stay strong.’

Jupiter sighed. ‘You’re right. I’m sorry, Martha.’

She chuckled. ‘You have no reason to apologise. I know what Morrigan means to you. It must be difficult without her.’

Jupiter’s ginger hair moved slightly as he shook his head. ‘It’s more than difficult. It is killing me.’

Martha didn’t know exactly what he was feeling. She had no kids of her own, and although she was somewhat of a maternal figure to the girl, her bond with her was nothing like Morrigan’s with her patron. Everyone knew it. The two were inseparable and they had made their own little family with Jack. That family was now broken with Morrigan missing meaning that Jupiter’s heart was shattered.

Martha placed her arm around Jupiter’s shoulders and pulled him closely in an embrace. Once again, they sat in silence but after about five minutes, Martha heard Jupiter lightly snoring. She laid him down on Morrigan’s bed and collected the empty bowl before leaving.

That night, she had cried to Charlie in the Smoking Parlour (the walls emitted light purple puffs of lavender scented smoke to aid with sleep, something Martha was struggling with). It seemed that the Deucalion’s moods had been brought down significantly, and the only thing that could lift them would be Morrigan’s return.

{~~~}

Martha didn’t like remembering that first day. Since then, she had never entered Room 85 again. She knew Morrigan was gone. She hated herself for making that first mistake but at the same time she was glad she was able to help the Captain.

Now as she was doing her chores, early in the morning before the rising sun woke up the guests, she dreaded the day to come. The Deucalion staff had been dealing with a rather difficult guest for the last few days and Martha was exhausted. She didn’t have the patience today.

As she made her way to the kitchen she heard two voices arguing. One was tired, the other aggressive. Martha rounded the corner and was met with Jupiter arguing with the guest.

‘I’m sorry, business is running slow at the moment.’ Martha chuckled. That was an understatement. Business had practically stopped since the heart of the Deucalion had been ripped away.

‘It’s because you don’t have Morrigan. That’s what it is. You don’t have your little Wundersmith.’ The woman spat the word. Most of the public had come to terms with Morrigan and her knack, but others, like this woman, still disliked the young girl.

‘Again, I’m sorry.’

Martha felt awful for Jupiter. He never got any time for himself. When he wasn’t working for the Hotel, he was working on Morrigan’s case, trying to locate her.

‘Ma’am, what is the problem?’ The woman looked to Martha as she asked this with an awful look of disgust plastered on her face.

‘The problem,’ she began, ‘is that I got up bright and early this morning, ready to indulge in some breakfast, but there was none.’

Martha sighed. ‘Ma’am I’m sorry, but we don’t serve breakfast on Sundays.’ Sunday. It has been a week without Morrigan.

‘Well, why ever not?’ shrieked the woman. Gosh, her voice was annoying.

‘It’s a rest day for my kitchen staff, who are constantly working.’ Jupiter ran a hand over his eyes. There were dark circles under them and he was extremely pale. His bright red hair and beard created a harsh contrast with his skin. Martha wondered when the last time he slept was.

‘They shouldn’t need a break. If this is how you work because your scholar is missing, you need to find her.’

When the woman next spoke, Martha and Jupiter sighed. It was the question they were all asking themselves, the question they all begged to know the answer to.

Chapter Eight

After Miss Cheery had told Hawthorne and Cadence about the situation, Cadence found herself detaching from the world.

Growing up, Cadence was a rather lonely child but now she had found comfort in her two best friends: Morrigan and Hawthorne. Unfortunately, one of those friends had just been taken away from her.

When Hometrain arrived at Station 919 that afternoon, Cadence pushed past her friends to her own personal door. She walked through it without turning back to answer her concerned friends. She had already cried in front of Hawthorne. Cadence refused to allow the rest of her Unit to see her so vulnerable.

Once she arrived in her living room on the other side of her WunSoc door, she walked straight to her room. She then positioned herself on her bed with a book resting in her hands. Cadence had tried to distract herself by reading, something she had picked up from her blacked eye friend, but she found herself unable to focus. She reread the same paragraph over and over again, but she couldn’t comprehend it.

A few hours passed and Cadence’s grandmother knocked on her door, alerting her that dinner was ready. She sat in silence at the table that night and slightly moved her food around the plate. She wasn’t hungry.

After asking to be excused, Cadence got up from the table. Just as she turned to walk away, she heard her grandmother speak.

‘I know about Morrigan. Captain North told me. Would you like to talk about it?’ Her voice was soft. Inviting. Cadence knew that if she were to talk to anyone about this situation, it would be her grandmother.

‘Why did Jupiter tell you, but Hawthorne and I found out from Miss Cheery?’ Cadence wasn’t sure who she would have preferred to hear the news from, but she knew she wouldn’t mind seeing Jupiter right now. He always seemed to brighten a room, no matter how upset he was himself.

Her grandmother seemed to consider this a moment before answering. ‘Captain North takes pride in being a supportive role in everyone’s life. We all know how much he loves Morrigan, and now that she is missing, he is extremely upset. He did not think that he could support you and Hawthorne at this time.’

A pang of sympathy stabbed at Cadence’s chest. The man truly did love Morrigan with his whole heart. She knew that whatever pain she was feeling, he was also feeling but ten times stronger. So all Cadence did was nod.

‘Is there anything else you would like to ask or say?’

Cadence shook her head before smiling lightly at her grandmother. She stated that she simply wanted to go to bed so she hugged her grandmother, said goodnight, and left the room.

She only just now realised that she was still in her Wunsoc Uniform. She grabbed the first pyjama set she could find and absentmindedly put it on, leaving the uniform crinkled on the floor.

Her body felt too heavy for her legs while she shuffled over to her bed. Cadence tucked herself in and got ready to sleep.

But sleep never came.

{~~~}

Cadence had been the first one on Station 919 that morning. After tossing and turning all night, she had gotten dressed into the uniform that laid on her bedroom floor and walked out the Wunsoc door.

She was a mess. Her flyaways stuck up at odd angles from her messy bun, dark circles were clear under her eyes from the lack of sleep, and her shirt and pants were wrinkled.

As each one of her brothers and sisters came through their own doors, they met Cadence with concerned questions of ‘are you okay?’ She shut them all down and refused to talk to anyone until Hawthorne entered the Station.

He didn’t look much better than she did, but it seemed he had gotten some sleep. Cadence envied him for this.

Hawthorne was hammered with the same questions from the Unit and Cadence was grateful that the spotlight was off her for a second.

‘Are you alright?’ asked Arch.

‘I don’t understand what happened to you both,’ stated Francis.

‘Do you need me to sneak any medicine from school today?’ offered Anah.

‘It’s been three days. Miss Cheery spoke to you both privately yesterday. You look exhausted this morning. Obviously you know something. Where is Morrigan?’ Leave it to Thaddea to ask the serious questions.

The group fell silent, all eyes were on Hawthorne and Cadence. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt and quickly glanced at Hawthorne.

He looked lost, unsure of how to answer the question.

‘Just tell them,’ muttered Cadence.

‘Tell us what?’ asked Lam. Her normally quiet voice was urgent.

Hawthorne took a deep breath before speaking. His voice was steady, his face now empty of any emotion. ‘Morrigan was kidnapped.’

Gasps were heard from around the group. Mahir swore in multiple foreign languages. Thaddea swore in English. Anah started crying, her head tucked into Arch’s neck. Francis stared at the ground, unsure of what to make of the situation. Lam stared into the distance.

‘When?’ The shaky question came from Anah, her voice muffled by Arch’s body.

‘Last Sunday,’ answered Hawthorne. Cadence was grateful he was taking the reigns. She wasn’t sure if she could’ve told everyone.

‘Sunday? Didn’t Jupiter come back home on Saturday?’ asked Arch.

Cadence nodded before saying, ‘But it isn’t his fault. It’s no one’s fault, really.’

The group mumbled in agreement.

Unsure of what to do without Morrigan, silence fell over them, just as it had all week. Sniffles were occasionally heard from some of the girls, but Cadence was surprised when she heard one come from Hawthorne.

It pained her to not have her best friend, but it hurt even more to see her other sisters and brothers suffering because of it. Just before the Hometrain pulled into the Station, she heard Lam ask a question she never expected to hear from the girl.

Chapter One: Jupiter returns home from a work trip with a present for Mog. It is a dress made by a Wundersmith woven by Wunder.

Chapter Two: Jupiter takes Morrigan and Jack to the beach. After spending a lot of the day in the water, Jupiter asks the teenagers to go get snow cones from across the road. When they get there, the line is massive and Jack leaves Morrigan to go to the bathroom.

Chapter Three: Morrigan gets the snow cones and waits outside where she is taken by a strange man. She is knocked unconscious and placed into the back of a car. When she wakes up she is in a weird room on top of a single bed. She looks out the window to try and figure out where she is but she is unsuccessful. She meets Spike, her kidnapper before he knocks her unconscious again.

Chapter Four: Our story flicks back to Jack. He is in the bathroom but when he goes to exit he is stopped by an older man. The man asks about Morrigan and says she is pretty, to which Jack agrees before casually shrugging it off. The stranger continues to ask about Morrigan and wants to know how Jack would react if he ‘had his way with her’. He answers a call asking if the person on the other line ‘has her’ before exiting the bathroom. Jack follows suit but cannot find Morrigan. He runs across the road to tell his uncle that Morrigan is gone.

Chapter Five: (tw: sexual assault) Morrigan wakes up naked with a pain in between her legs. She believes it has been a week since she was taken and each day was the same. Wake up, find her dress in the corner of the room, lay on the floor, cry herself back to sleep, and wake up to food being slipped into her room. The same meal was delivered every day: a lump of mash potato, a cube of meat, and murky water. She finds out that a missing child report has been made for her, but Spike lets her know that she will never be rescued.

Chapter Six: Jupiter is struggling. He has never been more upset in his life. He doesn’t sleep much, and neither does Jack. He is constantly working to distract himself from the pain he is feeling. He is doing everything in his power to get his Mog back.

This story is available on Wattpad. It should be the first story that comes up when you search ‘When Will This Be Over?’ on the app. I would really appreciate it if you go check it out.

Anyway, here is Chapter Seven.

When Will This Be Over?

Chapter Seven

“Hawthorne and Cadence, may I please speak to you?” Miss Cheery announced on the way home from school.

It was rare for only one or two Unit members to be addressed at a time. Usually, Unit 919 was spoken to all together. Hawthorne shot a curious look at Cadence before they stood and moved over to Miss Cheery.

The last couple of days had been odd. No one had heard from Morrigan and she was nowhere to be seen today. The days where she wasn’t around weren’t the most fun and that was obvious when silence fell over the group in Hometrain and at lunch. Maybe Miss Cheery had some idea of where the black eyed girl was.

‘Miss Cheery,’ began Hawthorne as he neared his conductor. ‘Where’s Morrigan? Is she sick?’

He hadn’t noticed, but Miss Cheery was pale. Dark circles were visible under her eyes and her knuckles were white as they gripped the pillow she pushed against her stomach.

‘Are you okay?’ asked Cadence from Hawthorne’s side.

The conductor blinked a few times before opening her mouth. ‘That’s actually what I would like to talk to you about.’

Hawthorne felt his eyebrows come together. ‘Has something happened to her?’

‘I’m not sure how to tell you.’ Miss Cheery pulled at the threads of the pillow and her eyes were like lasers searching for a target in the train.

‘I’m sure it’s not that bad,’ said Cadence but the break in her voice revealed the anxiety she felt.

Hawthorne grew impatient as Miss Cheery stayed silent. He was worried about his friend and only wanted to know the truth.

‘Please tell us what’s wrong.’

Miss Cherry looked at Hawthorne and Cadence before saying something that caused Hawthorne’s heart to drop.

‘Morrigan has been kidnapped.’

His breath caught in his throat. Colourful patterns swarmed his eyes. His legs struggled to hold his weight.

Morrigan? Kidnapped? No, that couldn’t be right. That would be the equivalent of Hawthorne falling off a dragon mid-flight. It’s unheard of.

But then again, Morrigan was a Wundersmith and he was sure there were many evil people out there who wanted to get their greedy hands on her. The only question was how did they manage it?

It seems Cadence was thinking the same.

‘How? When did this happen?’ Her voice sounded small, something Hawthorne wasn’t used to associating with her.

Miss Cheery opened and closed her mouth multiple times. Hawthorne assumed she was having an internal debate on how she should deliver the news. Finally, she spoke.

‘Last Saturday, Captain North returned home. The next day, he took Jack and Morrigan to the beach.’

This wasn’t new to Hawthorne. Morrigan had told him Jupiter was coming home on the weekend and they usually go out when the Captain is home.

‘While there,’ continued Miss Cheery, ‘Jack and Morrigan walked across the road to the snow cone shop.’ Tears were rising in her eyes and she swallowed, trying to control any sobs that were threatening to break free. However, when she spoke, her voice shook. ‘Jack went to the bathroom and when he returned, Morrigan was gone.’

As much as Hawthorne wanted to blame someone for Morrigan’s kidnapping, he knew it was impractical to blame Jack. Everyone saw how much Jack adored Morrigan, how protective he was over her. Hawthorne was sure the older boy was just as upset over the situation as he was.

Sniffles were heard from beside him and Hawthorne looked over and saw Cadence…crying? Yes, he was sure of it. Her eyes were slowly turning red and she kept swiping at her nose and cheeks. Instinctively, he placed an arm around her.

Cadence leant into his embrace, her head now resting on his chest. Hawthorne leant his head down towards her and pressed a light kiss to her hair, offering her whatever small amount of comfort he would give.

Although Morrigan had only been gone for a few days, Hawthorne couldn’t help but think about the lonely days that were to come. Unit 919 was a large group with nine members, but even with just one scholar missing, the group felt so small.

I’m sorry! I’ve been struggling in an abusive relationship and I was broken up with three weeks ago. Before, that, I was in isolation because my mum and stepdad had COVID (I am blessed to not have gotten it in those seven days) and my grandad got COVID.