CHAPTER ELEVEN:
❝Freddy Krueger❞︎

     "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE IN INDIANA?" Harper snapped, pressing the cell phone to her ear with a clenched jaw. She had woken up to find a note lying on her bedside table, with Hope telling the girl not to worry but that she was going to be gone for a few days in order to find Landon who had pressed the button on his watch that alerted Hope that he needed her help.

     "I have to make sure he's alright, Harp." Hope softly answered. "Dr. Saltzman is with me, so it's not like I'm alone. I'll call you as soon as I find out if he's alright."

     Harper sighed before nodding her head. "Alright, fine. Just. . . be safe, please."

     "Always." Hope responded before the two hung up. Harper sat on her bed for a moment, biting the inside of her cheek. She couldn't help but worry about Hope, but she trusted the girl, and she knew that Hope could take care of herself. Whilst Hope was solving the Landon situation, Harper needed to solve the Josie situation she was still in.

Her friendship bracelet that had fallen from her wrist, had yet to be returned to her. She was positive that she had managed to lose after pushing Josie, and maybe that was a good thing. She couldn't look at Josie, knowing that she had harmed the girl, shooting her magic at her that caused for Josie to go flying backwards and slamming on the ground. Harper was scared that what happened with her parents, would happen with Josie, and that was something that she couldn't deal with.

She had to apologize. For everything. For freaking out about the kiss, for ruining their friendship over something so simple, and then shoving Josie away. That wasn't who Harper was. She was kind, she pushed people away to save them from her, but Josie was someone that she didn't want to push away. Someone that she couldn't push away. Harper walked through the halls of the school, making her way outside and sitting on the grass away from everyone before she started to make a flower grow from the grass by using her magic.

Josie had spotted the girl walking down the halls, deciding to go after her in hopes of talking to her about what it was that had happened between them, but she stopped when she saw Harper making her own mini garden and a small smile found it's way onto the girl's face. She knew Harper had always loved flowers, her explanation being because they were so innocent until their thorns grew and stabbed you in order to stay protected from those that wished to harm them.

Josie carefully made her way over to the girl. Harper looked up at the sound of Josie's footsteps, stopping the flowers from growing and turning her head to look at Josie. Josie stood there for a moment, and Harper nodded towards the ground, silently telling the girl to join her. Josie did so, sitting on the crass and crossing her legs, placing her hands in her lap as she tilted her head slightly.

     Josie started. "How did it go with Scarlett?"

     Harper nodded. "She actually took it really well? Yeah, apparently she's been cheated on several times before, and she was just glad that I was the one to tell her and that she didn't have to find out from someone else. I still feel bad though." Harper met Josie's eyes for a moment before she found tears suddenly brimming the edge of her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything I've done to you these past weeks. I've been awful to you, and all over something that we both agreed shouldn't have happened."

     "Harp―︎"

     "Just let me. . ." Harper cut her off and Josie closed her mouth before nodding. "I freaked out. I have never been close to people, and coming here I was practically forced to change that. There are situations that I've never been in before, like what happened between us has never happened to me before so I panicked, I freaked out, and I snapped and shut down all at the same time. And then when I shoved you away from me, that was an accident. I never meant for that to happen. But I can't help but think that what happened with my parents could happen to you and I can't. . . Jo I can't do that to you, to anyone else. I can't hurt anyone else that I love." A tear slipped down Harper's cheek.

     Josie deeply frowned, leaning forward and wiping the tear away. "I know." Josie softly whispered. "But Harper, you won't hurt me. I can promise you that much. I know that you pushing me away like that was an accident, and seeing the horror that crossed your face scared me, knowing immediately what your thought process was going to become. We are an odd pair, there's clearly something there that neither of us want to acknowledge. And something we don't have to acknowledge until we are ready. But Harper, you're my best friend. And I don't want to lose you."

     "I don't want to lose you either." Harper shook her head.

     Josie smiled. "I was hoping you would say that." She took a moment to dig through her pocket before pulling out the bracelet Harper had dropped. "I think you lost this."

     Harper smiled. "My bracelet." She held out her arm and Josie carefully slid it over the girl's wrist. Harper took a moment to look at it before looking up at Josie. "Thank you, Jo."

     "I expect to see you at breakfast beside of me in the morning."

     Harper chuckled and nodded her head. "Of course." And the problem was solved. Now, Harper sat in her room three days later, getting ready for bed when a knock came on her door. She walked over to the door, opening it and smiled in relief when she saw Hope standing there. She let out a breath of relief before hugging the girl. "You're back."

     "I'm not the only one whose back." Hope replied, pulling away from the girl. Harper cocked her head slightly before Hope nodded down the hall. Harper peaked around the corner before she saw Landon standing there. Harper smiled at the boy.

     "Landon." Harper greeted. "Welcome back. You here for a visit?"

     "Here to stay." Hope corrected, causing Harper to turn her head, raising her eyebrows in surprise and Hope nodded. "Dr. Saltzman is letting him stay here until we can figure out what is going on with him and his tendency to attract creatures."

     "Ah." Harper hummed before looking back towards Landon. "Well then, welcome home, Landon."

     "Thank you, Harper."

     Harper shot the boy a kind smile before looking back towards Hope who softly sighed. "I though you'd want to know that I was back. I didn't wake you did I?"

     "Nope." Harper shook her head. "I was just getting ready for bed."

     "In that case, get some rest." Hope nodded. She went to turn and walk away before stopping herself. "Did you and Josie fix everything between you?"

     "We did." Harper nodded with a smile.

     "Good. I need you to have another friend when I'm not here to be yours." Hope joked and Harper laughed. "Night, Harper."

     "Goodnight, Hope." Harper watched Hope and Landon walk away before entering her room and closing the door, a smile on her features. The girl laid down in her bed and turned off the light before closing her eyes and falling asleep with a sense of peace for once filling her body.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

A YAWN ESCAPED HER LIPS AS SHE SAT DOWN ON ONE OF THE CHAIRS, STILL IN HER PAJAMAS AS SHE TOOK A SEAT BESIDE OF LANDON, NO CLUE WHERE IT WAS THAT HOPE WAS CURRENTLY AT. But Dr. Satlzman had called an emergency meeting, and now all of the older kids were sitting out there and being forced to listen to the man talk.

     "Yesterday I came into possession of another Malivore artifact." Dr. Saltzman started. "It was my hope to find a method of containment before it signaled another monster, but given the emergency meeting I've just called, I'm sure can guess how well that went. But rest assured we are taking every precaution. Sheriff Donovan has been kind enough to open the doors of the Lockwood mansion to us, so Mr. Williams and Ms. Tig are now in the process of evacuating out students in the lower grades."

     "Why don't we just evacuate the damn artifact?" Kaleb spoke up.

     "We are much more well-equipped than the world at large to handle the arrival of a monster." The man answered. "Once we know what we're dealing with and the problem is contained, then we can reassess what to do with the artifact. If any of you would like to evacuate, please talk to Dorian or Emma. However, exam week will continue as scheduled, wherever you are." This earned groans from all of the students. "I know. I'm sorry. I can't exactly call the state accreditation board and tell them that we're cancelling the exams because of monsters. We'll get through this, I promise. Try and get some rest, okay? Good night."

Harper made it up to her room and almost immediately passed out as soon as her head hit the pillow. She didn't want to have to take her exams in the morning, and if she was going to do that then she needed at least eight hours of un-interrupted sleep. The next morning another meeting was called, and this time it was what their next monster was.

     "Our latest monster is a Night Hag, a malevolent spirit trapped on the astral plane that can only interact with us through dreams. In this case, nightmares."

     "So, like, Freddy Krueger?" MG questioned.

     "Well, in the sense that what happens to you in your dreams  seems to also happen to you in real life, yes." Dr. Saltzman nodded. "But the good news is that we're safe, so long as we stay awake. I've lined up more evacuation shuttles. They should be running all afternoon, so please, for those who don't want to stay and fight, take advantage of them. Alright, that's all."

     Harper stood there for a moment, pursing her lips as she was in deep concentration. Hope, noticing this, frowned and walked up to her friend. "Harper, everything alright?"

     Harper looked at Hope for a moment before shaking her head. "Hope, you know I'm not one to run away from fights. And you know that I would stay and fight if it meant keeping everyone safe. But with exams, and literally not being allowed to fall asleep. . . I don't know how helpful I'm going to be for this one."

     "Hey, that's okay." Hope assured, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You don't need to fight every fight, Harp. Evacuate, and I'll keep you updated, alright?"

     "Are you sure that you'll be okay? I don't want to leave you―︎"

     "I will be fine." Hope immediately reassured the girl. This was her chance to keep her friend that's been her friend since Harper arrived safe and away from the monster. And if she had the chance to keep those she loved from harm's way, she was going to jump on that chance. "Go." Harper looked at her for a moment and Hope gave her a small smile and nodded towards the doors. "Go, I'll see you tomorrow."

     "Alright." The duo hugged one another. "Stay safe."

     "Always." Hope nodded before watching the girl walk away. Harper was quick to pack herself a bag before taking her way onto one of the shuttles, and watching as it drove away from the school.