"Why us?"

Alana broke the stunned silence as everyone stared at Abigail. 

"What do you mean?" asked Abigail, confused.
"I
mean," said Alana, not even worried about the volume of her voice, "why
are you telling a third year and a couple of first years this stuff?
Why not just tell Headmaster Thornbeck?"
Abigail heaved a
melancholy sigh. "In my family, every other generation is blessed with a
great gift- the gift of prophecy. My great-great grandmother had it, my
grandmother had it...and I had it. I could see what grade I would get
on a test, or I could see what was going to happen tomorrow or next
week. Small things, mostly. But slowly, as my senses broadened, I could
see what was going to happen years from now, or something that could
plausibly happen if certain factors all lined up in the right place, the
right way, the right time.

"People stopped believing me after a
while. Even the headmaster disregarded my prophecies. If I went to
Headmaster Thornbeck, all of the portraits would tell him that 'In their
day, that Abigail Greyson girl always made things up'. None of them would believe me. But I know that the three of you trust me. I had to tell someone, and who better than the three of you?"

"Four," said a voice. Jack was behind them, and he placed a strong hand on Jade's shoulder. "Jade, I can't let you do this."

Jade whirled around. "I can do this. I don't need your help, Jack."

"You should let him," West said, shrugging.

"Yeah," agreed Alana.

"You know what?" Jade turned on them. "I don't need your help, either! I can do this on my own!" Her eyes filled with tears, and she fled from the room, robes flying.

Jack tried to follow, but Alana and West held him back. "Jack, leave her be. I've never seen her get upset like this before. Give her some time to cool off," Abigail said.

"Guys, I can't just leave her," Jack said, struggling against the surprisingly strong eleven year olds. "I'm scared she's going to do something risky."

"Let's give her a few hours," West said, tugging his robe hem. "Wait until ten, when we usually go to bed. That'll give her some time to calm down."

                                                                       ********************************************

At ten o clock, Jack, West, and Alana swarmed Jade's room.

Alana knocked. "Open up! Pizza delivery!" That was their customary knock, the one they always used to gain entry whether the other was ready or not.

There was no response. Jade was supposed to say, 'Cheese or pepperoni?' the way she always did. West shrugged and turned the doorknob.

It was dark and empty inside the room. The window was open, blowing cold October air into the room and making the emerald green curtains flutter. Jack illuminated the tip of his wand, and the three peered around the room. All of the closets and dressers were closed neatly. Nothing was out of place. Jade's bed was made, down to the last pillow. But there was a small strip of paper on the desk with writing on it.

West picked up the paper, scanned it, and then dropped it to the floor and stepped back. Alana stooped to pick it up, read it under her breath, then thrust it at Jack to read aloud. His blue eyes flicked back and forth across it and read it aloud in a panicked voice.

"'Gone to find the Windigo. -J'"