Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. Honest.
As I said on my livejournal, I'm not sure how I managed to come up with this idea. My brain is often a strange place :-).
The Missing Chapter.
Irma adjusted her dress and perched herself on the bed, watching as Miranda struggled into her corset. She was glad that they were alone now; it gave her time to express a fear that she was ashamed to mention in front of the others. "I'm worried," she said.
Her companion favoured her with a look of mild amusement. "Worried about what? Here, do me up."
Irma sighed and began to tie the corset. "About what you're planning to do tomorrow. I've been doing some research; I took some of Miss McGraw's books. What you might have to face is... here, look..." Having laced her friend up, she stood back and reached over to her bag to pull out an old tome of musty paper and cracked leather.
With an air of impatience, Miranda watched her flick through the pages. "Honestly, Irma, you needn't be so worried. This is nothing I haven't faced before. Truth be told, I'm rather looking forward to it after being shut up in this awful school for so long."
Irma frowned at her. "You're risking your life!"
Miranda gave her a peculiar smile. "Oh, Irma. This is what I was born for. You know that. The council was awfully mad about you knowing that, but even they couldn't take it back."
Irma sniffed at her, and then frowned as she found her page. "See here. The Broggawell demon is capable of letting out a potent, hallucinogenic gas that causes erratic behaviour in it's prey and often allows it to exert a measure of hypnotic control. It is often accompanied by the Willi-Willi, minor demons that travel in a cloud of red dust..."
Miranda cut her off, exasperated. "Honestly Irma, I've told you. Miss McGraw doesn't think this is a Broggywell..."
"Broggawell!"
"Yes, yes, I'm certain. Just as Miss McGraw is certain that this is a far more minor demon. Just because it seems to share a few traits with a Broggawell is no proof that it is..."
Irma looked worried. "But Miranda, you can't be sure! Perhaps Miss McGraw should wait a little longer, do a little more research..."
"But the picnic is tomorrow! And we shan't have a chance to go back to the rock for simply ages after that!" Miranda leaned forward and clasped her friend's hands. "My dearest, I do appreciate your concern, I do. But Miss McGraw is my Watcher, and I am a Slayer. This is my duty."
Irma stared at her friends determined eyes and sighed. "I know. I do worry so, though."
"Of course you do! And I love you for it."
"I shall come with you up the rock, you know. I may not be a Slayer, but I can assist, and I cannot let a friend go into such danger alone."
Miranda smiled at her. "I know I could not stop you. And though I know the Watcher's council disapproves of me having such friends as you and Marion and even Sarah, I am ever so grateful." She pulled herself up and for a few seconds the beams of light from the window lit up her hair and made her look almost like an angel. "After tomorrow, the beast that lives at Hanging Rock will be gone forevermore."
*************
That was how Irma remembered her, after. Smiling and confidant and looking like an angel. She tried to remember her being on the Rock, she did. She tried to remember the day in which everything had gone wrong.
The memory was gone.
So many memories were gone when they had found her on the rock, scratched but intact, a week after the disappearance of Marion and Miranda and Miss McGraw. No memories ever came back. None of the others were ever seen again. She never found out what had occurred. And the doctors fussed over her, and the detectives asked her questions, but she said nothing and none of them ever found out what happened either.
They told her that it was good to mourn, that it would make her feel better. But it was only a long time later, when she finally managed to penetrate the Council's and strict and unwavering security enough to find out that another Slayer had been called ten years ago...
It was only then that she cried.
As I said on my livejournal, I'm not sure how I managed to come up with this idea. My brain is often a strange place :-).
The Missing Chapter.
Irma adjusted her dress and perched herself on the bed, watching as Miranda struggled into her corset. She was glad that they were alone now; it gave her time to express a fear that she was ashamed to mention in front of the others. "I'm worried," she said.
Her companion favoured her with a look of mild amusement. "Worried about what? Here, do me up."
Irma sighed and began to tie the corset. "About what you're planning to do tomorrow. I've been doing some research; I took some of Miss McGraw's books. What you might have to face is... here, look..." Having laced her friend up, she stood back and reached over to her bag to pull out an old tome of musty paper and cracked leather.
With an air of impatience, Miranda watched her flick through the pages. "Honestly, Irma, you needn't be so worried. This is nothing I haven't faced before. Truth be told, I'm rather looking forward to it after being shut up in this awful school for so long."
Irma frowned at her. "You're risking your life!"
Miranda gave her a peculiar smile. "Oh, Irma. This is what I was born for. You know that. The council was awfully mad about you knowing that, but even they couldn't take it back."
Irma sniffed at her, and then frowned as she found her page. "See here. The Broggawell demon is capable of letting out a potent, hallucinogenic gas that causes erratic behaviour in it's prey and often allows it to exert a measure of hypnotic control. It is often accompanied by the Willi-Willi, minor demons that travel in a cloud of red dust..."
Miranda cut her off, exasperated. "Honestly Irma, I've told you. Miss McGraw doesn't think this is a Broggywell..."
"Broggawell!"
"Yes, yes, I'm certain. Just as Miss McGraw is certain that this is a far more minor demon. Just because it seems to share a few traits with a Broggawell is no proof that it is..."
Irma looked worried. "But Miranda, you can't be sure! Perhaps Miss McGraw should wait a little longer, do a little more research..."
"But the picnic is tomorrow! And we shan't have a chance to go back to the rock for simply ages after that!" Miranda leaned forward and clasped her friend's hands. "My dearest, I do appreciate your concern, I do. But Miss McGraw is my Watcher, and I am a Slayer. This is my duty."
Irma stared at her friends determined eyes and sighed. "I know. I do worry so, though."
"Of course you do! And I love you for it."
"I shall come with you up the rock, you know. I may not be a Slayer, but I can assist, and I cannot let a friend go into such danger alone."
Miranda smiled at her. "I know I could not stop you. And though I know the Watcher's council disapproves of me having such friends as you and Marion and even Sarah, I am ever so grateful." She pulled herself up and for a few seconds the beams of light from the window lit up her hair and made her look almost like an angel. "After tomorrow, the beast that lives at Hanging Rock will be gone forevermore."
*************
That was how Irma remembered her, after. Smiling and confidant and looking like an angel. She tried to remember her being on the Rock, she did. She tried to remember the day in which everything had gone wrong.
The memory was gone.
So many memories were gone when they had found her on the rock, scratched but intact, a week after the disappearance of Marion and Miranda and Miss McGraw. No memories ever came back. None of the others were ever seen again. She never found out what had occurred. And the doctors fussed over her, and the detectives asked her questions, but she said nothing and none of them ever found out what happened either.
They told her that it was good to mourn, that it would make her feel better. But it was only a long time later, when she finally managed to penetrate the Council's and strict and unwavering security enough to find out that another Slayer had been called ten years ago...
It was only then that she cried.