Block That Window Sophia!

I sit on the floor staring at Tikki. Clarice and King finish up summarizing everything that we know. At first Tikki was interjecting after every new piece of information, but as it went on she began to get quieter as she listened.
We let her have a moment to absorb it all, accepting what we had just forced onto her. I should have included her sooner, now all this stuff is going on at the same time as she’s learning all this.
“Well, we made it back up here, but now what?” Clarice asked.
King motioned over to their bedroom, “We must verify our stash is still good. They meant to keep us trapped in the meeting room for some time.” He scratches his non-existing chin, “The question is if that was their end goal, or just something to slow us down from making it back here?”
“What would they have to take from us? You guys were keeping your stockpile of meds secret, so surely they can’t know right?” Tikki questioned.
I scribble on my board, “THEY NEED TO MAKE US LESS PRESENTABLE SO EVERYONE BELIEVES WE ARE FALLEN. THEY MAY HAVE TOUCHED OUR CLOTHING?”
King continued petting his lack of chin. “Perhaps. Perhaps they’ve caught onto our secret stashes. No point discussing what-ifs, let’s just split up and retrieve whatever we need. We may need to leave the building for safety.”
“Really!?” Clarice cried. She looked down somberly, “But my TV….”
“Something we’ll never be able to lug out of here!” He wacked her. “Don’t forget the elevator is gone, we must pack light and find a new way out!”
Everyone nodded, we all understood just how grim our situation may be now. I was worried about leaving the building since D’Claire-na was still stuck here, I didn’t wanna leave her behind even if she’s morally ambiguous. Well, I suppose she may be less than good, but she’s helped me so much I still want to repay that by at least not abandoning her!
I made it to my door, as I placed my finger on the door lock to scan my finger I heard the sounds of the others reacting negatively. My finger scanned and I was denied entry. Ah, that explains what the others are seeing. Well, I’ve destroyed enough stuff to get in trouble if this isn’t the doomsday event, what’s a few more doors?
I summon Fool’s Knight, cloaking myself in its aura. I have no trouble blowing through the door with some punches. My door stays attached to the hinges holding it, but now stands with a big chunk taken out from it. I look inside and my room looks about how I remember leaving it this morning. I do see some things on the floor, but maybe I was just being a little messy before and I forgot?
I make my way to Tikki’s door across the hall and knock it down off its hinges. Then I split Clarice’s down the middle and removed the piece that wasn’t connected to the hinge.
As I returned to my room I began to admit thinking over the damage I’ve caused all these things weren't gonna reflect well on us if anyone else saw them. I mean, what says they’ve gone crazy more than destruction in their home base and all the doors ripped off?
I’ll worry about that if anyone ever ends up asking. I pass through the hole in my door and enter my room. I immediately go to my vanity and open the drawer with my colored pencils. I open the box and let out a sigh of relief when I see my pills still inside, they are safe. I add them to my side bag, and continue on grabbing things.
I want to bring all my remaining jumper skirts and blouses. I’m not just gonna abandon the ones I have left that haven’t been stolen from me! Same goes for my undergarments and ribbons! Then I end up taking off my flats and putting on my laced boots since it's easier to carry my flats in a bag rather than the heavy boots. Plus, if I ever need to kick something I’d rather be in boots than little flats!
I don’t really own anything else worth bringing with me, I guess it's just gonna be a bag of clothes. Haha! I exit out of my room and return to the hallway to check in on the others. As I approach Tikki’s broken down door I see a bright light coming from her room. I run over to the doorway and enter inside to find a bright ball of fire on the carpet of Tikki’s room.
My eyes adjust to the brightness and I suddenly realize it’s Tikki burning brightly! I flail frantically confused trying to get her attention but something seems to be off. I stomp my foot at her trying to get her to look at me, it grabs her attention and she turns to me with those dark empty eyes parting the flames.
“You!” She screams with a dripping sound to her voice. “I- I’m- and YOU! All your- I can’t I can’t” She babbles in a confusing way, sounding angry to confused and then back to a rage.
I don’t know what to do, I take a step back as I begin to feel the warmth of the flames on my skin. The moment I back down she leaps towards me a foot, pouncing on all fours like an animal on the hunt!
I take off running, Tikki on all three of her flaming limbs is stumbling behind me chasing me! I need Clarice to help me! I need her to be ready or I’m just leading Tikki to her next victim! Think, think! I summon Fool’s Knight and take a larger step slamming my foot down as I land, it makes a loud sound as it damages whatever is under the carpet. I do this again with the next step, trying my best to not let my deeper impacts slow me down any. It has the desired effect, Clarice steps out from her room to see what is going on as I’m half way across the floor.
Seeing Tikki in this state she immediately jumps into action pulling some marbles from her bag. She chucks them at Tikki’s limbs, the marbles lock in place as they reach her, sucking Tikki’s limbs to them all at once, locking her to the floor.
“What is wrong with her Sophia!?” She shouts nervously, freaking out as well.
King wacks her on the head, “She’s clearly undergoing the effects of withdrawal idiots!”
We both look at him as he shakes his head at us. “Have you both forgotten you still haven’t given Tikki any good meds? She’s been without the real deal for more than two whole days, she’s going to be agitated easily right now!”
“Then all we gotta do is land some meds in her mouth and we’re good!” Clarice grins, calming down now that the situation seemed better.
I nod and pull out one of my pills from my pencil case. I grip it and march towards Tikki where she is lashing around trying to escape the gravity of those marbles holding her limbs.
“Oh! Sophia, wait!” Clarice stops me. She places a marble in my other hand. “Look she is running pretty hot, so use this to suck away the flames as you approach her mouth. Don’t get burned!”
I nod and grip the marble as well. Summoning Fool’s Knight once again I strengthen my body to prepare for the pain I won’t be feeling. I’m going to save you Tikki! I stand in front of her, I position the marble and drop it right above Tikki’s head where it locks in place and begins sucking flames in. I’m careful to not get pulled into the gravity of the quickly forming small fireball.
I can see her mouth around burned up bandages. We’ll have to rebandage her up once this is over, she’ll probably be pretty hurt from all these flames, I’ll get to really take care of her this time.
Her mouth opens as she shouts at me disillusionally, “I’m a- GOOD MAG- GIRL! IT’S YOOUUU!” The pill lands in her mouth, flying to the back of her throat making her cough as she swallows it unwillingly.
I jump back as Clarice’s marble drops to the floor releasing the flames it had. We all watch as we wait for the effects of the meds to take effect and return Tikki back to her right mind. How long does it take? She just needs the calming agent that helps us relax and clear our heads. Every second feels like agony as I watch her flames continue to dance around and burn brightly. Her flesh beneath it must be burning and turning to crisp if this doesn’t end soon!
I turn to Clarice and write a message on my board, “LET’S GET SOME WATER AND START DOUSING HER!”
She starts to give me a nod, but stops as she grits her teeth. “Sorry- Uh.. She’s really fighting against the pull, I need to keep reapplying it. I’ll hold her, you douse her!”
I understand and run to the bathroom looking for anything I can put water in. I don’t see any buckets, where were those clothing bins!? I grab a hand held shower head and begin pulling it out of the stall and as close to the doorway as I can, then turn it on the jet trying to hit her. But no water comes out…They’ve killed the building's water!?
Why not the electricity!? Because it would be too obvious!? I need water now! Now! I ran deeper into the bathroom. Please just let there be something with some collected water! Anything! As I search frantically all I can think about is how Tikki told us all she was feeling really “warm” and we all just ignored her! I thought she might just be sick! I KNEW SHE HADN’T TAKEN ANY MEDS FOR AT LEAST TWO DAYS WHY DIDN’T I SEE THIS COMING!?IDIOT! I’m just such an idiot…
Please somehow, some way, let the big bath have some water. Last night we had all soaked in it and I know we didn’t drain it! I dart for the back of the bathroom, throwing the curtain open and practically running on all fours as I trip trying to get to the bath. I get to the bath and grip the side as I lean forward looking in. The levels have dropped, but there is still plenty of water in here!
I just need something to put it all in. Think, think! My vanity drawers! Could I break those loose? No, it would take too long! My boots!? Too small! Can I drag her in here and just dunk her? It might not be so easy with those blistering flames.
Then it hits me, I run back to the curtain and begin scooping up old towels that had been thrown aside when the baskets were taken. I grab as many as I can pick up and carry them over to the tub and then dump them all inside. I begin pounding on them, making them absorb as much water as I can. Once they’re soaking wet I pick them up again, they’re so heavy I need Fool’s Knight just to support it all. I run as fast as I can back to Tikki with my hands full of dripping towels.
I exit into the hallway where I find Tikki screaming and roaring. Clarice is lying on her side with her hand reaching out towards Tikki while King grips her face seemingly giving her a pep talk to keep her going.
I drop my towels and begin unballing them and then tossing them over Tikki. A loud sizzling sound occurs with each towel I toss on top of her. It seemed to be working at first, but then flames began rising up between them, the room was filling with steam as I threw more towels. Quickly I was running out of wet towels, and Tikki was gaining dried out towels ready to be lit aflame around her!
I could barely see her through the steam and I could hear Clarice begging me to retreat back for the moment, calling out that she couldn’t hold on any longer against her! Then through the stream and towels I watched that glowing silhouette leap from where it had been trapped and with a running start smashed through a window at the end of the hall disappearing.
My mouth was agape as I tried to scream out her name, but no sounds left it. I fall to my knees and sit there as the steam is slowly sucked up by a weak marble’s gravity. After a moment of grief Clarice grabs my shoulder and pulls at me to get up. It snaps me back and I look at her hoping she’ll tell me everything is going to be okay.
“Sophia I need you to take a look at something to confirm something for me.”
She leads me into her room, on her side table are three pills. She motions me to sit down beside her. “Sophia, I need you to tell me which of these is the placebo pill and which are the ones from my secret DVD case stash.”
I raise an eyebrow in a questioning glance. Is this really the time? Tikki needs our help! But… Clarice must have a point to all of this. I open my bag and retrieve a pill from my pencil box to use as a comparison. I examine the three pills on the table carefully, but it feels really hard to see the difference. I point to one of them that seems to have that lighter color the placebos have.
“Any others?” She asks.
At the suggestion two of them might be placebos I pick out a second one that seems slightly off. She looks at my selections and nods her head, King lets out a sigh which worries me.
“These were all from my stash.” She sighs, “I don’t think our stashes were untouched. I’m not even sure any of these are real pills anymore.”
My heart stops. If your stash was touched then-I rip open my bag again and dump out my pencil box, pencils scatter across the table as pills bounce about. It can’t be, they couldn’t have discovered our plans to stockpile and replace what we had marked as safe! When did they do it!? While they kept up locked in the meeting floor? Or early!? Could Clarice and I be on day one of withdrawal or even day two. What if Tikki was much further into withdrawal than we thought!? We fed Tikki one of these pills, but maybe it didn’t help her at all…
She may be out there in town confused and on fire. What will happen when people see her..?This is exactly what MGI wanted. I somehow played right into their hands, it didn’t matter if I got warned in advance about what they were gonna do, they just continued to outplay me.
“Sophia, listen carefully.” Clarice grabbed my nose making me face her. “We might not have a lot of time to find a source of our chemical. We need to find a Spawn, the bigger the better!”
King sighed again, “They want you all desperate so you’ll give in and decide to eat another Magical Girl…”
“We won’t eat each oth-” Clarice paused, “Oh.”
“More Magical Girls are on their way. They’re going to come expecting you to all be turning. If they run into Tikki first their expectation will have been met.”
I scribble, “WHAT CAN WE DO!”
“We need to focus on you two while you’re both in your right mind. Then we can help Tikki. What next we’ll figure out later.” King explained.
“WHERE WILL WE FIND A SPAWN!?” I write.
“D’Claire-na did mention MGI would release any they had captured into the streets, should we start there?” Clarice asked.
King crossed his little arms, “D’Claire-na may be a threat of her own if there are more dangerous Spawn around able to be under her command.”
I shook my head rejecting his opinion. “DECLAIRENA WOULDN’T DO THAT! SHE NEEDS US IF SHE WANTS FREEDOM!”
“I’m just not sure..” He sighed again.
“Let’s just vote on it! Who in favor of going outside to hunt ourselves a supply of meds ala flesh!” Clarice proposed.
We all raised our hand in favor. Even if King had doubts about D’Claire-na he was still in favor of escaping this building and finding a Spawn to feed us with.
With everyone in agreement we set out finishing up grabbing anything we might need, then set out to leave the building we had called home the last month. We ended up climbing out the large hole in the once large window. Using Clarice’s gravity manipulation we were able to slowly catch ourselves as we dropped down from the second story.
On the ground we set out down the road in our search for any Spawn. I hope wherever Tikki is she is safe.