To Raka Metz’s request on Facebook in response to my December Drabbles call.

Mid-Year 6 of the Addergoole School

“No! No, I’m not going to… let go of me!” A flash of lightning ripped through the hallway; the lights flickered and burnt out, leaving only the dim “Hell Night” red emergency lights.

“I think you should leave him alone.” The lights flickered but did not turn back on, as a second voice – one that bore a strong resemblance to the first – chimed in.

“She might seem nice now, but she’s not stable, and it’s not a healthy situation.” The third speaker released his quarry, however, and stepped back until he was silhouetted against one of the red lights. “Rory, I’m just saying…”

“Do you think I don’t know all that?” The boy – Rory – backed up another few steps. “What’s more, do you think it matters? Really? Of course she’s unstable. Wouldn’t you be, after what she went through?”

“I’m just trying to help…”

“Don’t.” This time, the two boys standing there spoke at the same time.

A third voice chimed in, right on their heels – feminine, but sounding much the same. “I’d listen to what they said.”

The upperclassman sighed. “I don’t want to see anyone get hurt.”

The lightning flashed from three sets of fingers. “Maybe you ought to back off, then.”

“Backing off… but I’d fix those lights before Luke gets here.” With a much-put-upon sound, the upperclassman – Nikolai – took his leave. If the Aelfgar-get wanted to stay in bad situations, he wasn’t going to take on a whole family of electrical madmen to help them.

Rory muttered up a light and stared at the two other Sixth Cohorts. “Thanks. Now, um…”

“Um, indeed.” Arnbjorg looked up at the lights overhead and muttered a Working. “I think you just blew a fuse.”

“Just?”

“It could be a lot worse…” she glanced at the third of them, their half-brother (or at least they all assumed.) Leo was staring at the light fixture, grinning. “Right. So, if it’s a fuse, we just need to Idu our way to a fuse box and hope we beat Luke there.”

“Too late.” On the plus side, at least the gym teacher sounded amused.

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