WfW - the Positive Half - Unicorn Farm 28

fresh, growing, alive, active, hope, dreams.

Susan and Tue donned their winter gear once again. They held one another' hands tightly, as Tue teleported them to the Unicorn Farm. Fresh air hit Susan's face and she opened her eyes to the whiteness of the meadow behind the farm. It was deserted. During the winter holidays everybody left before sunset. Susan and Tue walked hand in hand over to the small kitchen entrance. They were careful to obliterate their footprints and close the door behind them. They opened the door to the storage room and found everything as Susan had left it. The blue shimmer of an active portal looked reassuring in the gloom. Anyway it was strange being alone in the big room. Susan was happy that Tue was around, and Tue admitted to himself that he found Susan very brave for coming here all alone the day before.
Together they jumped through the portal and stood beneath the huge walnut tree. The weather was different here, no snow, but rain and sleet coming hard at them. "Oh. I forgot that the weather here is often warmer." Susan said. "Although warmer in this case means more unpleasant."
Tue asked if she was sure they were all alone here, and at Susan's affirmation pulled out his wand and cast an umbrella spell on them. "Phew, thanks!" Susan said. "I want to learn that one."
They took the shortcut to Susan's house. Everything was dark. Together they went up the driveway leading through the front garden and along the house.
"Do you have the main entrance at the back," Tue asked.
"Yes," Susan said. There was an entrance at the front as well, but it was some sort of agency long ago, and lead directly into our living room. My father built a wall instead of the door when I was small. Oh, I hope nobody's at home tonight. Saturday is normally their night out."

Tue went alone around the corner while Susan stood pressed against the wall. He rang the bell. Twice. Nothing happened. They waited for a long time. Then Susan went to a niche in the back wall, fumbled behind the statue and pulled out the spare key. She opened the door and led the way up the stairs to the attic. As was her wont she took the key to the attic with her and hung it on the spike near the ovoid hole in the insulation. She pulled Tue with her into the small room and sat by the table there:
"Percy," she said softly. "I have brought you a visitor, we need your help." Susan repeated this a couple of times phrased in different ways. Suddenly Tue shivered, Susan put a warning finger to her lips.
"Who is this?" a transparent voice asked.
"His name is Tue, and if we're right, you know his mother."
"His mother, I don't know very many mothers. My own left me some years ago."
"Do you remember moving?" Susan asked.
The white shape shivered.
"Was that a yes?" Susan asked. "You're very immaterial tonight."
Percy became more girl-like, less transparent, and now they could see her nodding.
"In the place, where you lived earlier. Did you have a friend there?"
Percy nodded again.
"Was her name Cassandra, normally known as Sandra?" Susan asked. Percy nodded again and threw herself to the floor, putting her arms around Susan's legs. She felt like she was immersed in a creeping fog, but she kept still.
"You have to help us. That bad man, you know, the one in the photo. He's up to more of his bad tricks. Sandra is in danger."
Percy was growing steadily less ghostlike, more solid, and she asked: "How, what, I mean. How can I help you. I'm not alive any more. I can't do anything."
"Yes you can. You can draw. You can come along and answer a lot of questions. Tell us what we need to know." Susan said in a steady voice.
"Can I come along?" Percy wondered "I can't go anywhere, or can I. And how."
"Well," Susan asked. How do you get around in this house?"
"Like this," Percy answered, got up and glided over the floorboards.
"And can't you go just anywhere like that?"
"No, only to places I know."
"You could go with us?" Susan said. "Tue and I can hold your hands, then we could go together and help Sandra fight the bad, bad man. You know, I'll tell you a secret. Tue here, he's a wizard. He can bring us everywhere he wants to."
"My daddy was a wizard too. He was big and strong and not afraid of anything. I always dreamed of being like him. I'll come."

"Let's get outside,"  Tue said. "Maybe your parents will be home soon."
Susan went down the stairs with Percy and then Tue following her. While she locked the door and put the key back in place, Tue scouted the surroundings. They were just about to leave, when Tue came back. "Somebody's coming." he whispered loudly. A car came up the narrow path to the house. "It's my parents' car. Quickly. Let's climb the fence to next door." It was not the first time Susan had climbed that fence, but she had never done so in the dark and rain before. The top was slippery and wet. "Oh, this is stupid," she gasped and pulled out her wand. Tue did the same, and quickly they soared over the fence, down into the neighbouring backyard. It was a mirror image of the one they just left. They stood for a while, until their hearts stopped racing. They heard the sounds of slamming car doors and Susan's mom's voice telling Linda to get inside "But I saw something." Susan recognized Linda's voice. "I saw Susan's stupid ghost over there in the corner by the fence."
"Oh, don't get started on that again." Mom said. "I'm sure it was the white cat from across the street. I'm not even sure that ghost is real at all. Susan can be very peculiar, you know."
Susan blanched. Tue and Percy both squeezed her hands.
"Let me go!" Linda's voice was loud an petulant. "I want to go and see for myself!"
"With all our noise, and your yelling that cat is far away by now." Susan's father said. "Let's get inside. It's late already."
"Let me go!" Percy whispered. "Susan's stupid ghost! I'll show them!"
"No!" Susan whispered, terrified. "Don't. You'll just ruin our chance at stopping the bad man."
"Stay, oh please stay here, Percy," Tue implored.
Finally they heard the door closing. When they were sure nobody was coming they quietly went out to the street, Susan and Tue each holding one of Percy's ghostly hands. Safely out on the street they turned left, aiming for the least busy road to the portal.