“Maybe we shouldn’t,” Max said bitterly. “Raven can open that other gate…Maybe we should just go out there. Leave this world so we don’t have to face any more of this.”
“If I could walk for another five minutes…or if Hanson and Areta didn’t need me…I might be tempted,” Raven said, watching as his cat stalked over to the door, waiting patiently for them. It was dark outside, but not the dark of night. All of them sensed as one, that sunrise wasn’t too far away.
Everything seemed too quiet. The sun would rise within the hour, just as it had yesterday. The snow covered ground would greet them when they reached the school, just like every other day that month. The air outside would be frosty, and bitterly cold. People would rise from their beds to face another day, unaffected by the things that had transpired below their feet. It almost felt as though, once they left this house, life would return to how it was before. But it wouldn’t. Raven had to go home and tell his siblings that their father wouldn’t be coming back. How were they supposed to process that? He didn’t even know how to process it. And Max would have to look his grandmother in the eye, and tell her he had failed to protect his sister.
It took almost an hour for the wizards to arrive at the school, and with them, came Max’s grandmother. “What happened?” she demanded upon entering the classroom, into which they had all been huddled. As she glanced around the room, her eyes fell first upon Chariot, who was bravely detailing to the wizards everything they had been through, then upon Raven, who was being patched up by the nurse. Then, finally, they fell upon Max, who was huddled in the corner, absently waving a piece of string in front of Raven’s cat, who pawed back at it unenthusiastically. “Max? What happened?”
Chapter fourteen
“He was a good man. Grumpy at times, and very vocal about his opinions on others…But still, he was good. And he died trying to stop the menace wreaking havoc on our world. I know he wasn’t the only casualty, and it is so sad to think we lost so many bright, young students. They will all be missed, and I will keep all of their families in mind, whenever I pray for my Sam.”
Ella bowed her head humbly towards the mourners, and those wishing to pay their respects. As she descended from the platform, Mr. Grimm rose to take her place.
“It’s been a rough couple of months,” he began, his tired eyes surveying the onlookers. “This island has been struck with a tragedy, the likes I hope we never have to experience ever again. And the intent is clear now. It was an attack on our progress. We all know, that the road ahead will be difficult, and not without risks. Not without obstacles. But those of us who want to see new and exciting changes, deserve that choice. Yes, we have received a devastating blow in recent months. But I believe we can overcome it. If not for our sakes, for the sakes of those no longer with us.”
Max sat in the second row, taking in none of what was being said. His eyes were focused on the picture of Scarlet, propped beside the many others. Just another face. He just wanted this ceremony to be over. The absolute drivel people were spouting only served to strengthen the feeling of doom in the pit of his stomach.
When, finally, the last person finished adding their pointless words, and the crowd began to disperse, Max pushed his way outside, ahead of his grandmother, despite her calls for him to stay back. Why? So he could stay in that room a few minutes longer and be miserable?
As he crossed the threshold, his foot made the first imprint in the newly fallen snow, and he shivered. Out of the corner of his eye, to his left, he could see the well, and beyond it, the mansion. This time, as he crossed the field, he failed to nod respectfully at Humphrey Dumpkin’s gravestone. He just kept his head down, and made his way to the fence. The rabble of those behind him merged into white noise, and he walked on, not completely certain where he was going.
“Max!”
Just keep walking.
“Max, wait up!”
Don’t look back.
“Max! Are you ignoring me?”
Max stopped and turned, his disinterested eyes meeting Chariot’s. “What do you want?”
“I just…wanted to see if you’re ok?” Chariot said tentatively. “We haven’t seen each other since…For a while. Do you know how Raven’s doing? He wasn’t there today.”
“He wasn’t?”
“No.”
“Huh…”
“Huh?”
“What do you want me to say, Chariot?” Max snapped. “That I’m surprised? Because I’m not. Out of everyone on this God forsaken island, I think he’s least likely to want to sit in a stuffy old room with a bunch of people who were blaming him for all of this a few weeks ago, all crowding him and showering him with sympathy. Or whispering behind his back. Or deciding he still must have had something to do with it, because Gilda was part of his family.”
“I’m sor-“
“You should be,” Max went on furiously. “How can you dictate how Raven and I should be feeling? You didn’t lose anything that day!”
“I feel like I lost you!” Chariot cried, her large, purple eyes filled with tears. “We’re supposed to be best friends, and you won’t even talk to me!”
Max opened his mouth to shout some more, but he found he couldn’t. “…I’m sorry,” he muttered. The fireflies were flitting in and out of Chariot’s necklace, oblivious to the tense conversation. It seemed they at least, didn’t have a care in the world.
“It’s ok. I understand,” Chariot said, giving him a small smile. “But don’t shut people out, ok? I don’t want you, or Raven to go through this alone.”
The two of them had unconsciously walked to the middle of the market, which was oddly silent for this time of day. Max supposed most people were still up by the school. But the stalls were all open, the keepers talking amongst themselves, while others tended to the occasional customer. Max couldn’t help noticing the sickly sweet stall run by Gilda’s mother was gone.
“No! We don’t serve your kind around here! Scram!”
Max and Chariot turned at the same time to see Raven, Hanson and Areta being shooed from the same stall Hamelin had been denied service, not so long ago. Although, to Max, it felt like an eternity. His anger flaring up again, he took a step towards the stall, but he stopped when the witch at the next stall spoke up.
“We serve everyone here, dears. What would you like?”
Areta’s face lit up as she skipped to the counter. “Our big brother’s getting really good at cooking,” she said cheerfully. “He’s going to make us the stew daddy always made…Daddy’s not here any more, but Raven’s doing his best!”
The witch smiled kindly as Raven and Hanson collected vegetables and dropped them in their basket. “You keep doing your best, too.”
“I will!” Areta said, beaming.
Tugged along slightly by Chariot, Max made his way over to them. Raven didn’t see them at first, but when he did, his smile was almost as big as Areta’s.
“Hey,” he said. “You guys done already? How was it?”
“It was a load of rubbish, really,” Max said.
“Really?” Raven laughed. “Want to join us for something a little less rubbish?” He gestured to the basket, which Hanson and Areta were now fighting over. “I’ll try not to give you food poisoning, I promise. But company’s always welcome.”
*
An hour later, the five of them were sat around the table at the gingerbread house, and a strange, warm feeling built in Max’s chest as the twins bickered, and Raven and Chariot harped on about trivial things. He had forgotten what this felt like. To be surrounded by friends, and to talk endlessly about nothing and everything at the same time, somehow. And for the first time in months, he felt that everything was going to be alright.
He noticed, while they ate, that the cat was nowhere to be seen. She seemed to spend most of her time up by the school recently, watching over Humphrey Dumpkin’s m
ansion. Max swore he saw her slumbering on Humphrey’s gravestone a couple of days ago. And it wasn’t hard to guess why. She had been his first, and closest friend, after all.
On the Other Side Page 10