Chapter 22

Cassie awoke with a start, her eyes fluttering open.

It took her a few seconds to see the room around her and feel the bed under her. Slowly she sat up. She yawned once and ran her fingers through her tangled hair.

She was used to having these dreams. The strongest always came just on the heels of dawn. She lifted her bleary eyes to the window, where the last vestiges of night were retreating into the dark western sky.

She contemplated the imagery of her dream for a few moments, a technique for insuring that she would remember every detail. Even if she did not do this, she would still remember details a week later that others would have already forgotten by their morning cup of coffee.

Cassie shook her head as she slipped out of bed. She was not making any sense of it. In the midst of everything that was happening with Nyssa, why would she start dreaming about Marcie Fuller? What could possibly be happening to her?

Whatever it was, she got the sense that Miss Fuller was in trouble. The voice definitely belonged to Principal Bendon. She thought back to the day she had tried to take Richie, blushing slightly in shame. She got past this, and forced herself to remember the details of that day.

Poor Miss Fuller! Cassie had not stopped to think that Miss Fuller would have to report back to Principal Bendon what had happened in Richie's detention. Had Miss Fuller gotten in trouble for it?

Now that Cassie knew she did not dream in symbolism, this was making little sense to her at the moment. She sighed. In either case, it had made her feel guilty about what she had caused to happen that day. Now she felt like she owed Miss Fuller an apology.

The Harbingers did not realize they had a problem until they met that morning.

"I can't believe we didn't think about this before!" Jason cried in frustration.

"You can't be expected to think of everything, Jason," Melinda said sympathetically. "You said so yourself."

"But something like this... shit, I should have seen it."

Their dilemma was simple. They had two people they could potentially save from the Darkness. Yet at the same time, Nyssa was going to take three more people that day. The problem was how to be in several places at once. They wanted to be able to save the ones from the day before and determine who the victims for the new ones would be.

"Well, I assume I'm going to go stop Ned?" Cassie asked tentatively. There was a nervous quaver in her voice. She wasn't exactly sure how she was going to do this.

"So that leaves you, me, Heather, and Richie," Melinda said. "That's four, so..."

"Nope. No can do," Richie drawled.

Melinda gave him an indignant look. "Why the hell not?"

"Still got detention. Sorry."

Melinda rolled her eyes. "Oh for heaven's sake. All right, but that's still three and we have three new ones that Nyssa will... oh, no wait, one of us has to stop Becky. Dammit!"

"See what I mean?" Jason said. "And I was originally going to suggest that one us goes with Cassie rather than leaving her to face this alone."

Cassie smiled slightly. She had not wanted to ask.

"And then there's the problem where if someone from today is too far away from our neighborhood, I'd want Cassie to go, but if she's tied up with Ned... argh!"

"Okay, how about this?" Heather said. "If we have someone far away, maybe Cassie can drop one of us off to take care of Ned and she can go on to the new one."

"Yes, that's a good idea," Cassie said quickly, feeling relieved. "I can pick up whoever it is afterward on my way back."

"Okay, that can work. Good idea, Heather." He paused a moment and looked back to Heather with concern. "Are you okay?"

Heather sighed. "I'm not sure."

"She's been feeling odd all morning," Melinda said. She tried to make it sound non-challant, but there was an undertone of worry in her voice.

"Are you getting another Precog vision, Heather?" Cassie asked.

"Yes. I keep seeing the inside of Nyssa's office. It's much more clear than ever. I can almost see what's on the shelves and the pattern of the tile on the floor. And... she has a patient..." Heather's voice quavered a bit as a small shiver went through her.

"Can you see who it is?" Jason asked. "Who is it that she has with her?"

Heather paused a moment, staring off into space as she replayed the imagery in her mind. Finally she shook her head in frustration. "I can't see it. Sorry."

Richie shifted his weight and shuffled his feet a bit, averting his gaze from the others.

"Maybe you're just picking up on one of the others she's going to take today," Cassie said.

"I don't know why. I never did before."

"Unless it becomes more clear, we can't worry about it," said Jason. "It'll just distract us from what we have to do today."

"Okay, let's go then," Melinda said. "Let's get this day over with."

Heather nodded in agreement. "And I used to like Fridays."

They all turned to head into the school, Cassie trailing last behind them. She bit her lip, looking intensely thoughtful, before finally jogging up to Jason and tugging on his arm. "Jason, can I talk to you about something?"

Jason stopped. Heather and Melinda walked on for a few steps before they stopped and turned.

"Um, alone," Cassie whispered.

"I'll catch up," Jason called to the others. When they turned and headed away, Jason looked back at Cassie. "What's up?"

"I wanted to tell you about some other dreams I've been having."

"Okay, sure. But why don't you want the others to hear?"

"I'm not sure it has anything to do with Nyssa. And... you're the only one I trust not to laugh at me."

Jason tried to smile. "Cassie, no one's going to laugh at you."

"Just the same, I'm not completely comfortable yet with it."

"Okay, I understand. So what's going on?"

Cassie hesitated a moment. "I've had a dream about Marcie Fuller."

Jason looked mildly surprised. "Miss Fuller? the Principal's receptionist?"

"And the one running detention the day I tried to... you know."

Jason nodded and motioned for her to continue.

"Anyway, I had this dream about her. It wasn't completely clear. It's like she's getting in trouble for something with the Principal." She sighed. "I'm worried that I caused it when I tricked her into leaving me alone with Richie."

Jason did not consider himself an expert on dreams, especially the kind that Cassie appeared to have, but he didn't want to see her upset, either. "Well, it doesn't necessarily have to mean that, does it?"

Cassie looked frustrated. "That's just it, I don't know. I've started to look at these dreams in a new light only recently... I'm considering going and apologizing to her."

"You probably don't need to."

"Maybe so. But if I interact with her more, she'll show up in my dreams more clearly and I can sort out what it means. Probably has nothing to do with all this. Sorry if I wasted your time."

"Oh, no, Cassie, that's okay," Jason said, smiling. "Really. Please, don't be afraid to mention whatever's on your mind."

Cassie looked at him in astonishment. That was literally the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her at that school. She beamed at him. "Thank you, Jason."

Marcie bounced into the room. She bent down and handed a sheaf of papers to Laura. "Here are those reports you wanted, Miss Bendon!" she said brightly.

Laura smiled as she accepted the papers. "Thank you, Marcie. How are you doing this morning?"

"Very well, Miss Bendon! Thank you for asking," Marcie bubbled as she straightened up.

Laura's eyes flicked over Marcie's body. "You seem to be getting used to your new look."

Marcie giggled. "It's actually quite nice once I got used to it, Miss Bendon." She paused a moment, her smile fading a bit. "But... um..."

"Yes, Marcie?"

"Well... it is kind of strange, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"That I did get used to it. And so quickly!"

Laura grinned and stood up. "Perhaps, Marcie, this was the look you were meant for and didn't realize it."

Marcie giggled again, her cheeks flushing pink. "I don't know, Miss Bendon. I... w-well... the truth is, Miss Bendon, is that I'm not... I'm not really all that social, you know?"

"Oh?"

"I'm kind of a wallflower," Marcie admitted, her cheeks going from pink to red. "I mean... the time I've spent with you going to all these stores... that's the most social I've been in years!"

Laura stepped out from behind the desk and came alongside Marcie. "Then I'm glad I did take you shopping. You needed it in more ways than one."

Marcie smiled. "Thank you, Miss Bendon. You really are too kind to me."

"Nonsense. No such thing as being too kind. In fact..." Laura lifted her eyes and reached up to brush a few stray locks of hair that escaped from Marcie's bun. "... there is one more thing we can do to complete the picture."

"One more... ?"

"Your hair, Marcie."

"Oh! Um... what's wrong with it?"

"This bun look just doesn't do it with these clothes. You need something a little looser. Something to frame that cute face of yours."

"Oh, well, Miss Bendon, I... huh?" Marcie stopped and stared at her, eyes wide. "What... y-you think my face is cute?"

Laura nodded. "Of course. Wearing your hair down would make people notice it more."

Marcie was blushing furiously. "M-Miss Bendon... no one e-ever said that about me..." she said huskily, wringing her hands.

"Hmm. Their loss."

Marcie giggled again. "Oh, Miss Bendon, stop. I... wait, what are you... ?"

Laura had begun plucking hairpins out of Marcie's hairdo. Marcie swallowed and stood still, trembling slightly. When Laura was done, she said, "Now shake your head gently, Marcie."

Marcie did as she was told. Her hair tumbled down around her head and over her shoulders. The change in her look was dramatic. Even though her hair was a little rumpled and frizzed from being in the tight bun, it did indeed nicely frame her roundish face.

Laura brushed a few errant strands down. "Needs a little bit of brushing, maybe some conditioning, but I think that will work. I would be more than happy to take you to my hairdresser after school today."

"Your... hairdresser?" Marcie asked in a small voice. "I've never been to one."

Laura was not at all surprised. "Then it's about time you started. My hairdresser can touch that up for you and make it look as sexy as the rest of you."

Marcie's mouth dropped open. "Se... s-se... s-sexy?" she asked in a tiny, barely audible voice as her eyes met Laura's. "Me?"

"Yes, Marcie, sexy," Laura replied, gazing intently into Marcie's eyes. "You."

Marcie swallowed. Her body quivered. She felt a flash of heat in a place she had not remembered feeling such a thing in a rather long time.

"So... do you still want to go?"

Marcie nodded. "Yes, Miss Bendon," she said in a breathless voice. "Yes, please."

Heather rushed into her English Lit class just as it hit the top of the hour. She had seen who it was that had left Nyssa's office that morning, and had to follow her halfway across the school before getting her to stop and finding out her name. Then it turned out to be someone she knew in passing, but the girl took the visit to mean that Heather wanted to talk.

As far as Heather knew, that had been the first person Nyssa had taken that morning. If she lived close by and was in walking distance, Heather would volunteer to tail her.

"All right, settle down, people," said Mr. Hanson, the dour-faced instructor for English Literature. He slapped his meaty hand on the desk once to a loud report. The class quieted quickly. "No antics today from the lot of you. We have a great deal to cover and... now what?"

Marcie Fuller had appeared at the door, peeking inside. "Um... s-sorry to bother you, Mr. Hanson."

The teacher blinked in obvious surprise. "Marcie?"

Marcie nodded, giving him a perplexed look. "Yes. Who else would it be?"

Mr. Hanson stared for a few moments, then shook his head. "Anyway, what is it?"

Heather was a little nonplussed as well as Marcie walked into the room. It had been awhile since Heather had seen the mousy receptionist to Principal Bendon. Though what Heather saw now could hardly be termed "mousy" anymore.

Marcie handed a note to Mr. Hanson. He sighed. "God, not another one in the middle of one of my classes."

"I was just told to deliver this, Mr. Hanson."

"Really, you would think they would schedule these examinations after school hours. Very well."

Marcie smiled slightly and headed out.

Heather's heart skipped a beat. Examinations? Was he about to read off a name to go to the nurse's office? If so, what luck! She could get the second...

Heather's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat.

The vision had returned to her. It was more clear than it ever had been. She could see the inside of the examination room as if she were standing there herself. She could see what had to be Nyssa, swimming in Darkness, advancing on her...

It was only then that she finally realized what was so different between this vision and the others. In the others, she had been a detached observer. In this one, it was as if she were part of the scene herself.

"Heather Sovert."

Heather flinched as if something had flown at her face as she was jolted out of her vision. "Huh?"

Several students around her sniggered.

Mr. Hanson sighed, the note open in his hand. "Report to the nurse's station immediately."

Heather felt as if the bottom had just dropped out of her world. For a moment she could do nothing but sit there, frozen to her seat, her heart thudding almost painfully in her chest.

"Miss Sovert, did you hear me?"

Heather swallowed. "Th-there... there must be some mistake," she croaked, her voice cracking badly. "I-I..."

"Is your name Heather Sovert?" Mr. Hanson said with forced patience.

Heather just nodded, numb.

"Then I would say there is no mistake. Please head down to the nurse at once."

"I can't," Heather blurted.

Mr. Hanson raised one bushy eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

Heather could not reply, her throat locking up.

"You do realize that this program is mandatory? As in you have no choice?"

Heather nodded again.

"Then what exactly is the problem, Miss Sovert?"

"I... uh... n-nothing, Mr. Hanson." Heather stood. Her legs shook a bit and she had to pause before walking away from her seat and out of the classroom.

In the hallway, she stopped and leaned against the lockers, breathing heavily in fear. The lockers rattled slightly with her trembling. For a moment she didn't know what to do.

Her first instinct was to run, to leave the school. But where would she go? She was too far from her house to just walk home. If she hung out around the neighborhood, she might be picked up for truancy, or someone from the school would just find her and force her back. Even if she got away, she would be expelled for trying to get out of the program.

And if that happened, she couldn't help the others anymore. Worse, it might be a sign that she knew, and then Nyssa will go after the others as well. Or her mother would get in trouble. Since Penny was with the Darkness already, it might retaliate by striking at her instead of Heather.

Heather took a deep breath to try to calm herself. She had to go through with this. The others were looking for students with auras. They'd see that she had been taken, and they would stop her. Then she would be all right, just like Cassie was after they stopped her. She had to trust that her friends would come through for her and stop her from doing whatever it was Nyssa would force her to do.

She refused to admit to herself that she already had a good idea of what that would be.

As she entered the hallway to the west wing of the school, she felt an almost palpable pull towards the nurse's station. It was as if part of her wanted what lay ahead of her. The desires she had been fighting for the past few weeks rose unbidden with a suddenness that made her stagger and sent a tingle through her nether regions.

The epiphany she experienced the next moment was nearly as powerful.

Nyssa had been the cause all along! Heather could no longer deny that she had had a very small inclination towards her little sister after the House, but it was Nyssa's presence that had made it worse in recent weeks. Nyssa's presence had somehow magnified her desires. If Nyssa indeed dealt with forbidden fantasies, then this made perfect sense to her now.

The elation she felt over realizing that the fault did not lie with herself was fleeting, for now she had reached the door to the nurse's station.

Heather closed her eyes briefly. Please get me out of this, guys, she thought. She opened the door.

She took but one step inside and froze. Her fingers gripped the doorknob until the knuckles turned white. Before her stood the figure from her vision, one of both lustful beauty and terrible evil. Her eyes took in both the splendor of Nyssa's body and the horror of the intensely black Darkness that flared around her, like the negative image of a bright glow.

Yet the eyes were what intrigued her, and too late did she realize that this was precisely the wrong place to look as Nyssa advanced towards her.

Heather felt a tiny shudder pass through her as their gazes met. Any chance now that she would change her mind and leave was gone. She felt both chilled to the bone and exhilarated beyond her ability to comprehend.