Rise of Weirdness - Part 20

January 1, 1958

In Oxford, the Fog dissipates. However, the weirdness around St. Hilda's remains.

February 22, 1958:

Egyptian leader Hamal Abdel Nasser proclaims the United Arab Republic (UAR) in Cairo, demanding the withdrawal of Anglo-French Union troops,...

March 26, 1958
On the outskirts of Omaha, Nebraska, a second humming stone is discovered.

April 4, 1958:

Actress Lana Turner is killed by reputed mobster Johnny Stompanato in Los Angeles, California, triggering a debate on the issue of women's rights, sparking national controversy,....

April 27, 1958
There is a confrontation between an American and a Soviet submarine over a submerged artefact of suspected Atlantean origin.

May 3, 1958:

Marcel Roche, Venezuelan Association for the Advancement of Science, utilises inhumane radiation experiments against the Yanomami and Ye'Kwana Indians, in an effort to exploit the creation of Transformed into a military force in the Orinoco Basin, Venezuela, sparking international condemnation,.....

June 3rd, 1958 :

Beginning of the Dragon Hunt in Auvergne after the disparition of several children.

June 7, 1958:

Scientist Walter Tallman commits suicide in London after secretly being exposed as a "Transformed",...

June 9, 1958 :

Haitian Jacquerie; Haitian hougans unleash a zombie uprising in Port au-Prince, Haiti, threatening to overthrow the government in a coup d'etat,...

June 30th, 1958 :

The Dragon is finally located in the extinct volcan of the Puy de Dôme. The children are retrieved safe and unharmed.

July 6th, 1958 :

Establishment of the Initiative de Communication Inter-espèces after communications with the Dragon of the Puy fail miserably. While there is no doubt the Dragon of the Puy has at least human intelligence, it is physically incapable of communicating with the humans.

August 28, 1958:

Chinese forces launch a brutal military crackdown on Formosan nationalists in Taipei, shocking human rights observers,...

September 18th, 1958:

Winchester Tragedy. A young witch named Laura Neverton, after taunting by bullies, releases a massive burst of magical energy. The resulting explosion destroys half of Winchester High School (Winchester, Maryland), causing massive casualties (up to 100 dead). Laura herself survives, and flees the town in terror. The area around the school (up to four blocks away) is affected by the release of energy, creating strangeness that would be noted by nightfall.

It was early in the morning, but the Winchester Library of Magic was already busy, with more than a dozen people browsing the shelves. Theodore James was one of those customers. He had returned a copy of The Lord of the Rings – Words of Power Edition and was about to look for a copy of World Book Encyclopedia: Sumeria when she entered. Laura Neverton, the girl he had a crush on. She looked as she always did, with her long dark blonde hair obscuring the left side of her face and pale green eyes focused on the ground in front of her.

“Hi, Laura,” he said.

“Hi,” Laura said.

'Strange,' he thought. She usually said more than that. He would later regret not saying anything more, but he was too nervous.

Laura noticed Theodore saying 'Hi,' but she didn't respond as she usually would. She was preoccupied with what had happened the day before. They had been taunting her. Again. She just wanted to be left alone! She placed the book she was returning on the desk.

“Did you like it?” the Librarian asked.

Laura shrugged. “Yes,” she answered.

It must have sounded sad because the Librarian asked. “Are you OK?”

Laura wasn't sure how to answer. However, she was sure it wasn't the Librarians business. “Yes!” she lied. She was sure that if Theodore had asked, she would have told him everything, but he didn't.

The Librarian didn't press. “How can I help you?” she asked.

“Do we have Maskelyne's Analysis of the Sumerian Inscriptions?” Laura asked.

“I'll check,” the librarian said. She opened the filing cabinet. “Winchester Library: Do we have IMBIL Mask 1949-4012-A-O? Locate!”

The cabinet glowed and the index cards floated out and swirled around. Laura was sure the Librarian was showing off! Soon the index cards placed themselves back where they were.

“Sorry, we haven't got it.”

“Then how did you know the code?” Laura asked.

“I had read it some years ago, back in Philly.”

“Oh!” Laura said. “Nevermind.”

“Wait! I could get it for you. It would take until lunchtime via Spellspace.”

“I see,” Laura said. She was grateful for the fact that information could be shared over long distances by magic, but she wished that the bandwidth would be greater.

“So you want me to print off a copy?” the Librarian asked.

“Yes,” Laura answered.

However, events were going to conspire such that she wouldn't be able to be at the Library of Magic at lunch time...

Miriam Wells, Librarian of Magic, watched as Laura Neverton left the Library. She was sure there was something wrong there. But she couldn't help if she didn't want to share. Later, she would regret no pressing. As it was, she quickly dismissed the thought as a few more patrons came up to borrow books.

Winchester High School, a normal high school. Little did those attending know, that wasn't going to be true for much longer. Certainly, Laura didn't as she slunk towards the school from the Library of Magic, along various laneways and tree covered streets.

Nor did Theodore, as he walked to the school by a more direct route.

Nor did Helena Williams, one of those who would be later be called 'mean girls'. She met her friends, fellow cheerleaders Lucy Ballard and Erin O'Malley shortly before school. Together, they made up one of the most exclusive cliques in the school. To their face they were the 'Tops', but Helena knew that some of the other students called them 'The Posh Meanies'. She hated that nickname. “Hi, Luce,” she said to Lucy, in a commanding tone.

“Hi, Laya,” Lucy said. The two had been friends since before Kindergarten.

“I think I've found it,” Helena said.

“The Hidden Library for Winchester?” Erica asked. “Are you sure?”

Helena glared at Erica. She was sure. “I was in East Park shortly before sunset and I saw movement in some bushes. I went over and saw some sort of distortion in the layout of the area. The Library is there alright. I even saw some kids emerge from the strange thicket with books.”

“Sounds right,” Lucy said.

“It could just be a secret hiding place,” Erica said with a shrug.

“What about the distortion?” Helena asked.

“Could be a coincidence,” Erica said.

“Nevertheless, this afternoon I will go back and see,” Helena said. Little did she know that her own actions would scupper her chances...

As Laura entered the school via a rear entryway she had a sudden sense of dread. It stopped her cold. She wondered if she should truant to avoid them. After a few more moments, she decided that it wouldn't be worth it to truant just because of a sense of dread. Little did she know that this moment would lead to the event later that morning that would be a defining moment in world history, and massive regret for the rest of her life. She calmed herself and plunged into the school...

Thomas Allen, history teacher, sighed as he arrived at his classroom ten minutes before the Homeroom bell. It was more difficult each year as the District wanted more information on how each student was progressing in their studies. He took a sip from his coffee, hoping that the classes would be better than the previous day.

Theodore arrived at the school at the same time as this, and met his best friend, Benjamin Samuels. “Hi Theodore,” Benjamin said.

“Hi Benjamin.”

“What's wrong?” Benjamin asked.

“I ran into Laura on the way to school,” Theodore said, not mentioning the Library of Magic, as he was sure Benjamin didn't know about it.

“And you didn't say anything?”

“I said 'Hi, Laura,' but it's what she didn't say...”

“What didn't she say?”

“She didn't say my name,” Theodore said. “She usually says my name.”

“You're reading too much into that,” Benjamin said.

“She also seemed more... down.”

Benjamin was then silent. Theodore was shore he didn't know what to say to that. “It can't be too bad, right?”

“Still, something is wrong.”

“I still think you're reading too much into something.”

“Maybe.”

Laura paused as she approached the corridor with her locker. Bitter experience had taught her that location was the most likely place she would be ambushed. As she turned the corner, her heart was racing. Adrenaline was racing, she was ready to flee. (She didn't want to fight!) She saw... nothing. The coast was clear. She dashed over to the locker.

Laura had got her books from her locker. She closed it, and then heard a sound... Heart racing faster than earlier, she jumped 180 degrees dropping her books in the process. There were a few other students, but they weren't those she was afraid of. Two of them turned in her direction as they heard the books hit the floor. “Are you OK?” one of them asked.

“Yes!”