On their way back to the dormitory, Benjamin examined the flyer, carefully considering which one to pick without looking ahead. Isabelle warned him to focus on what was ahead or at least sit down before reading. They sat at the edge of the fountain to continue reading the flyer.
There are so many options; which one should we try? Benjamin thought, scratching his chin.
Isabelle stared at the ground; the grip on her lap tightened. Her foot tapped fast as she made quick glances between Benjamin, his flyer, and the floor, waiting for him to catch on to what they needed to be doing.
He glanced at Isabelle, tilting his head to the side. “Um, is something wrong?”
Oh good, his mind is finally off that. “Well, the thing is...”
“If you’re worried about classes, then you shouldn’t be. I’m sure there are some options for you. Glenda would’ve said something otherwise.”
“That wasn’t—”
“I’m positive she’s not mad at you. I’m the one who got us into that mess in the first place. Why did we even do that again?”
Oh, for the love of… “Haven’t you forgotten something? Or rather, someone?”
Benjamin paused. “Well, now that you mention it...” He thought about it for a while. When it dawned on him, his heart dropped, and his body froze. “Oh no, son of a banshee, you’re right!” Benjamin quickly got up and put the flyer away. “We got to go find Harry and Chi-Chi!”
“Yeah!” Isabelle exclaimed. Finally!
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The two wasted no time sprinting to the bus station. They turned a corner and spotted a bus about to leave into the portal.
Benjamin and Isabelle panted and sighed as they watched it disappear without a trace. Benjamin fell to his knees and slammed his fist into the concrete pavement. He gripped his bruised hand, trying to keep the tears from escaping.
I can’t believe I was so foolish! If only I realized it sooner, then maybe…
Isabelle didn’t let it get her down for long. She composed herself and walked over to talk to the goblin train attendant to ask about the monster bus times. He told her that there wouldn’t be any more buses that led to Earth for tonight. He also explained how the world’s timelines differed from her world.
Once Benjamin got up and brushed himself off, he caught up with Isabelle as they planned their next course of action.
“What do we do now?” Isabelle asked.
“No need to panic just yet. There’s always a Plan B,” Benjamin told her, trying to keep his composure in check. After thinking about it, he thought up another idea. “Maybe we can go back to where the Howler Coaster resided?” His optimism faded just as fast. “Oh wait, I think that area is now off-limits.”
“Not to mention, the coaster only shows up around 952 years, I think.”
“Great.”
“So, is there a Plan C?”
“I—”
Ding! Dong! The midnight bell echoed throughout the school, signaling the end of the day.
“It’s getting late already?” Isabelle looked up at the dark skies. “I didn’t even notice.” Now that she thought about it, the skies hadn’t changed much since they arrived. At least, she felt so anyway.
“But we haven’t made any progress in finding my familiars!” Benjamin pointed out.
“Yeah, I know, but we can’t disobey the rules. We got to get back to our dorms. If anyone catches us out here, who knows what might happen to us this time?”
“I suppose you’re right.” Benjamin sighed, slumping his shoulders in defeat.
It was Isabelle’s turn to play the assuring card. “Look, we can try again tomorrow if you want.” She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a hopeful smile.
Benjamin nodded, but didn’t look up. “You’re right.” I’m going to have a hard time sleeping, knowing that they’re out there, somewhere. I have no choice but to deal with it, though. It’s all my fault, after all.