by I.D. Blind
24. The Fight
After the girls told Jack what they had done, he promised to banish the Demon. He went through all the books the girls had already read, then called them to his room and shared the plan. They needed the help of Hector and Ariadne.
“I haven’t thought of everything yet, but we will lure the Demon into Mysterious Forest, and drag him into a fire circle.”
“What a terrible plan,” Medea said. “Is there nothing simpler?”
“I’m afraid no.”
“I am with you,” Cassandra said. “I’ll do anything you say, just to get rid of him.”
“I’m with you too,” Electra said.
“Then count me in as well.”
“Sorry Medea, you can’t come,” Jack said. “It will be at night. You’ll have to stay at home.”
“But I started this all! It’s me who should take the risk, not you.”
Jack smacked her on the cheek. “Don’t worry. Moral support is important, too. You’ll give us your support from home.”
He sent the girls to talk to Ariadne, and went to the smithy on the square, where Hector worked with his father. Jack spotted Eric on the stone bridge and tried to pass quickly, but Eric stopped him and began nagging him with questions about Electra, as if he could know why she wasn’t answering his messages.
“Could you tell her I’ll be waiting for her at the bridge today?” Eric asked.
“I’m not sure she can come.”
“Has anything happened to her?”
“Listen, pal, why won’t you find a girl from this bank?”
“I don’t need any other girl,” Eric said.
Just then Dinah appeared on the bridge. She hurried over to Eric, squeezed her hand around his arm, and began dragging him away.
“Let’s go away from here,” she said.
Eric tried to get out of her grip, but she squeezed his hand tighter.
“Don’t talk to him,” Dinah said, pulling Eric's hand.
“Dinah, would you mind—” Eric saw Thomas cross the bridge. He had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well.
“Hey, O’Brian.” Thomas leered. “I see that the West lost to the East?”
“Thomas, this is not the best time,” Eric muttered, at last getting out of Dinah’s grip.
“What West?” Dinah sounded puzzled. “What are you talking about?”
“Why, I’m talking about the Romeo, and the beauties of Hollow that are sharing him.”
Dinah turned to Eric. “What is he saying?”
“Nothing. Tom, please go away.”
“If he has started, let him finish,” Jack said.
“But didn’t you know?” Thomas smirked. “And I, the fool, thought you were deciding on who gets Romeo—the McCormacks or the witches.”
“Wash your mouth before talking about my family, Baldric.” Jack looked blankly at Eric. “What’s he raving about?”
“Jack, don’t listen to him. Thomas is a fool, he doesn’t know what he says.”
“Me a fool? The only fool here is you. Dating two girls and thinking no one would find out. And if you’re dating a witch, at least have enough brains to hide better.”
“You’re dating a witch? Behind my back?”
“Dinah, calm down.”
“Is he speaking the truth?”
“Jack, it’s not like that at all—”
“It’s true, I’ve seen with my own eyes how he was walking arm in arm with the witch, and in-between running after Dinah.”
“Thomas, shut up already!”
“O'Brian, you’re just worthless,” Jack said.
“Shut up at least for a second and let me say something!”
“Never thought I would agree with someone from the family of freaks, but you indeed are worthless!” Dinah shouted.
“Don’t you dare insult my family, McCormack.”
“Shut up already!”
“I will tell my brother about this. You’ll be sorry!” Dinah pushed Eric into the chest and ran away from the bridge.
Eric turned to Thomas. “Do you ever think before you open your mouth?”
Thomas smirked.
“Stay away from my family, O’Brian,” Jack said. “If I ever see you around my sister—”
“Jack, you have problems with your ears? He’s lying.”
“I’m not.”
“Thomas, shut up! Jack, just let me speak.”
“Alright, O’Brian, come to the wooden bridge in ten minutes, and we shall speak.”
Jack paced away from the bridge. Eric turned to Thomas. “You’re an idiot. Why did you do that?”
“Because I could,” he said with a shrug.
“Just get lost.”
“Or what?” Thomas looked him in the eyes. “What?”
Eric shoved him in the chest. Thomas stumbled a few steps back and smirked. “I won’t punch you in the face just because good old Jack will do it in my stead.” He pressed his knuckles into the palm of his left hand.
Eric had to fight the urge to punch him hard across the face. He had no time for that, he needed to meet Jack. Jack never liked him, he wouldn’t even listen to him, but Eric had to try to talk to him before Jack managed to tell everything to Electra. But when Eric found Jack at the bridge, he again refused to listen to him.
“I don’t want you to come close to my sister,” he said. “I don’t want to ever see you near her. You already have enough friends on the east side.”
“Look, Jack, you don’t want me to explain, fine, but don’t tell me what to do. You don’t want to talk to me, alright. But don’t meddle in my friendship with Electra.”
“Seriously? You seriously think I’ll stand by and watch how you’re fooling my sister?”
“We don’t need watchers. It’s better without you.”
Jack pushed him in the shoulder. “I said stay away from her.”
“I repeat, don’t tell me what to do.”
“Or what?” Jack shoved him with both of his hands.
Eric staggered back. He had made a promise to his parents about not getting into fights, but no one could shove him and get away with it. He took off his jacket and threw it into a snowdrift. Jack did the same.
“Hey, you!”
Simultaneously turning around, Jack and Eric saw Dickens cross the wooden bridge.
“McCormack, didn’t I tell you to never come here?”
Dickens pretended he didn’t notice Jack.
“You piece of dirt,” he said, looking at Eric. “I don’t want to see you in front of my house anymore.”
“Go away, McCormack,” Jack said. “Just get the hell out of here.”
Dickens turned to him. “Wait for your time, witch pup.”
He had just finished, when Jack’s fist hit him between the eyes. Dickens staggered and almost trundled to the ground. Without losing momentum, Jack turned to Eric to give him the same blow, but Eric guessed his intentions and forestalled him. He hit Jack in the jaw, breaking his lip. Astounded, Jack took his hand to his mouth and felt the blood. His eyes sparkled; he straightened up to hit Eric back, when Dickens threw himself at Jack. They crashed into the snow; Dickens struck him a hard blow, then turned to Eric. They clung to each other, and when Jack rose to his feet, he pounced on Eric and Dickens, and all three fell into the snow and rolled to the frozen river. Eric managed to get up, but Jack kicked him in the stomach so hard that he crashed on the fragile ice, broke it, and tumbled into the cold water. While Jack and Dickens were rolling in the snow, Eric stood up, bent down towards Dickens, and seizing him by the collar, pulled him back. Dickens turned and hit him in the jaw with his elbow, then Jack threw himself at both of them and they all fell into the freezing water.
Before they managed to drown each other in the river, all four girls appeared on the bridge. Flabbergasted, they stared at the fighters, then rushed to separate them. Dinah ran to Dickens, Electra hurried to pull Eric out of the water, and Cassandra and Medea grabbed Jack's hands. While Electra was trying to drag Eric away,
he punched Jack in the face, and Cassandra and Medea were holding Jack so tightly, that he had to throw them off to return the blow.
“Enough!” Electra shouted. “That's enough! Stop!”
Dinah clutched at Dickens’s waist with both hands, trying to pull him back. “Dick!” she cried out. “Dick, stop it, stop it!”
“Enough!” Medea yelled. “You will kill each other.”
“Eric! Please stop!”
“Dick, that's enough!”
“Stop it!”
At last Electra pushed Eric into the snow, while Cassandra and Medea continued to drag Jack away, and Dinah managed to pull her brother back.
“Are you out of your minds?” Electra exclaimed. “You could’ve killed each other.”
“Consider yourself lucky,” Dickens panted.
“If I ever see any of you here again, I don’t even know what I’ll do to you.” Jack pointed to Dickens and Eric.
“I’m shivering, warlock,” Dickens muttered. He looked at Eric, then at Jack, and beckoning his sister to follow him, left. Dinah stared at Eric and shook her head, her eyes full of offence. A second later she turned away with disgust and went after her brother.
“What happened here?” Electra asked.
“Let's go home,” Jack said. “Everyone!”
“But why did you fight?”
“Everybody goes home. Now!”
Electra cupped Eric’s his beaten face. “This is bad. Needs to be tended.”
“Electra, we’re leaving!”
“Stay with me,” Eric pleaded, taking her by the hand. “I need to tell you something.”
“You have to go home, to heal your bruises.”
“I have to talk to you.”
“Eric, you’re all wet, you’ll catch pneumonia.”
Losing his patience, Jack took a step towards Eric. Medea blocked his way. “El,” she yelled, “we need to go.”
“Eric, I am begging you, go home.”
“Please, just a minute. I need to talk to you.”
“If I stay, it will only get worse.” Electra stroked his swollen cheek. “I have to go with him, otherwise you’ll fight again. Go home, we’ll talk later.”
Reluctantly, he let go of her hand, watching her leave with Jack and her sisters. At the thought that she’d never talk to him again tears pierced his eyes. Eric blinked them away, still looking after his red-haired witch.