[b]The day before[/b] Gwyn, set the letter down, trembling slightly. A shakey hand removed her glasses to clean them on the bottom of her pyjamas. The candle light flickered, swaying in rhythm with her deep breathing. Nope, it really did say all that. It had to be a prank, an eloborate ruse. Somebody caught wind of her enquiries, her odd behaviours and habits, her witchy inclanations and put together a little story, strange and vague enough to push the buttons, forcing her to investigate further. The destination wasn't even that far, deep enough in the forest to have a good laugh at her when she turned up for her invite only occult party, but not far enough she'd have to wait for a convienent time to make the trip and not enough to set them back should they need to fund a taxi all the way upstate. If we were to assume it was just a joke at her expense, was there anything she had over looked? No date was given so if she just tucked the note and card away in a drawer and forgot about it for a few months, they'd have have to camp out for an eternity, at which point, who was getting the last laugh then? And the name of the card could be easily explained, you can order them with all sorts of silly customisations on these days, she'd done it herself, and as long as she wasn't buying an expensive watch or a plane ticket, who'd question the name? It had to be a prank because the alternative wasn't worth thinking about. Creatures. Hunters. Danger. The mere thought quickened the heart. Believing this meant believing her quirky candle experiments, her flashing of ordinary A4 and her enhanced fireworks weren't a toy to be played with, but a martial art she'd learn to defend herself with. It meant being thrust into a conflict she wanted no part of, had no stake in, but was inextricably linked to just because of her unusual affinity with fire. She could feel her heartbeat in her mind, thumping, interrupting thought. Throat dry, mind swirling, trying to map out the situation in just her head was beginning to fail her. She flipped the note and grabbed a pen. | Go | Stay __________________________________________ The Letter | Tutored Magic | Not Tutored Magic Is Real | Fight Badguys | Die __________________________________________ The Letter | Laughed at | Nothing Isn't Real | Abducted | Abducted. Where did that come from? Was that a real concern? Someone targeting her specifically would likely use danger and magic to draw her in. But could they afford to stake out the location for long? Probably. Unlike a simple joke it might be worth it to them as long as she got caught. But who? Why? And how would she mitigate the danger? It was all getting too much and there was still one last variable to check. She got up from her desk slowly, careful not to pass out and showered, trying to calm herself and failing miserably. Life had been a blur for the last hour but she found herself infront of an ATM in the dead of night, staring at the balance. Since opening the letter the world had a dream like quality, real but not quite real. Now she was sure it was the world that wasn't real. This was elope to a foreign land and live like a queen for months kind of money. No abductor and certainly no prankster would dare risk this much, you'd barely break even. Gwyndolin ejected the card, withdrawing nothing. [i]Jesus.[/i] Guess she was getting ready to meet her generous benefactor. But for now, bed. [b]Today[/b] Despite that her faith in the letter had been bolstered late last night, Gwyndolin was still nervous as hell. Something about being confined to the back of a taxi didn't make her better either. When she closed her eyes it was difficult to distinguish between the beating of her heart and the rhythmic pounding coming from the engine. It was the longest 20 minute journey of her life, and it wasn't going to get any easier after she stepped out of the taxi. Not knowing if she was about to step into a trap or start the long journey of progressing her ability and forging herself into battle ready witch was beginning to make her sick. She pulled out the letter from the front pocket of her Supreme Hoodie, reviewing her notes from last night. Yup, just as crazy as she remember them being. Imagine a list of demands that started with "Show me magic". Lost in thought, in contingency planning, the time passed faster, for better or for worse, and eventually the car came to a halt. "This is as far as I can take you, little miss, you take care now." [color=gold]"..."[/color] [color=gold]"Thanks"[/color] She collected her stuff from the boot and stood watching as the taxi disappeared. It wasn't too late to back out now. She could leave, nothing would come of it, nothing except never knowing if she was truly safe. She breathed deep. [i]C'mon Gwyndolin, you can do this.[/i] She left the suitcase on the grassy verge, the noise it made rolling on tarmac would be too much to bare right now and she could always come back to collect it. She slipped her hands into the pocket, the firepower she was weilding wasn't particularly comforting. Tightening her grip, she walked nervously up to the congregation. It was do or die time. [color=gold]"You got it too."[/color] Gwyndolin stated. It was a question, a question she hoped they'd answer in the affirmative, because if they didn't.... Well, lets not worry about that right this second.