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Julie was taken aback. A curse?! That was ridiculous. She had adored Megan's hair for so long, to get some of her own that even came close to its beauty was a dream come true, despite the hassles it had so far brought her. And her newfound friendship with Megan, it was a blessing! Ms. Featherstone had some amazing abilities and seemed to know what she was talking about, but Julie didn't dare to be anything but skeptical.

Ms. Featherstone spoke again. "Julie, my dear; have you felt tired since this started?"

Julie considered. Well, her mind had been racing for the last several days, making it harder to sleep, so yes, she was a bit, but didn't understand what this woman was getting at. "A little. What does that have to do with anything?"

"How about we start from the beginning?" Ms. Featherstone replied. "Can you walk me through how this all started? Be as specific as you can; leave nothing out."

Julie searched her memory for every detail she could, and began to explain to the principal her experience the previous morning about being drawn to the construction site a few blocks away. The strange, void-like hole in the ground with the flower growing from it, and the voice that prompted her to put it in her hair, with promises of the flowing locks she had always wanted. With each detail she uttered, she watched Ms. Featherstone's eyes grow wider and wider, fear building up in them. It was unnerving.

"Oh, child," the woman murmured, tears almost welling in her fearful eyes. "I have much to explain to you, and not much time to do it in." Julie steeled herself. The surreality of her situation was starting to make her anxious, and she felt Megan's reassuring hand on her shoulder. Ms. Featherstone took several minutes, explaining the existence of the magic over which she was a steward. She went into detail about the various breaches around the world, and specifically the ones she knew of in this very town, along with the otherworldly beings who sought to use them. All the while, Megan busied herself by putting up Julie's tresses in an updo; the feeling of having her hair in her new friend's fingers was soothing to Julie, and helped her take in all that Ms. Featherstone was revealing to her. It was a lot to take in.

After several minutes, Ms. Featherstone stood and reached her hand out toward Julie. "Now, Julie, it is imperative that you show me where you received the flower. I believe you have discovered a new breach between dimensions, and I need to see to it that nothing else crosses over."

"But...what about this curse you went on about?" Julie asked. "You still haven't told me what it is."

"In due time, dear." Ms. Featherstone appeared composed, but her eyes were almost frantic. "This is our first priority! Megan, please accompany us, if you will."

*********

Several minutes later, the trio arrived at a nearby construction site. Julie looked confused. Where she had been only yesterday morning, there was now a large wall of lumber, topped with razor wire, surrounding the area.

"Um, well, it WAS behind there," Julie gestured to the wall.

Ms. Featherstone's brows furrowed. "Interesting...is it a coincidence that it's now hidden behind this makeshift wall?" She reached down and took a lock of her ebony hair, and placed it over her eyes. "I have a spell that should allow me to see what's behind it, at any rate." After a few seconds, though, she frowned.

"What is it?" Megan asked. "Can you see anything?"

"T-this is not good," the principal stammered. "Someone's placed a magical barrier behind the wall. It's a powerful spell...this is something I should have been prepared for."

As if seeming to have something occur to her, Ms. Featherstone whirled around to face Julie. Her long black hair whooshed in an arc, and Julie would have admired it if the astonishment in the principal's eyes hadn't caught her attention.

"Julie...Megan...where is the hair that's been cut off so far? Do you have it?!"

The girls looked at each other with blank expressions. "Oh," Megan began. "I-I have a little of it. Do you--?"

"The hair I cut off in the bathroom, I think someone cleaned it up. It had gum in it." Julie explained. "Then after Megan's haircut, I had it in a sack. I think it's still in my backpack, but I'm not sure."

Ms. Featherstone seemed on the verge of breaking down. "No, dear, I'm sure if you checked, you'd find it missing...This is all my fault. Mary's attack...your curse...it's all my fault!"

Megan approached her, apprehensive. "What do you mean?"

The principal's lip trembled. "Julie's hair has been infected with some very powerful dark magic. And it's being used by someone to protect this breach."

Julie was beginning to comprehend the situation. She looked at the woman next to her, urging her to continue.

"Julie, the nature of your curse is this: when your hair grows, it draws upon your very life force in order to do so. Every time your hair grows, your life span shortens. I'm afraid you may have already lost several weeks as it is."

"WHAT?!" Julie gasped.

"And what's more, the force that causes your hair to grow also wants it to be cut again. And again. The more life force it can drain from you, the more powerful it becomes." Julie remembered the words that came into her mind yesterday morning. This was true. There was something that wanted her hair cut very badly. Ms. Featherstone continued. "It will encourage you, or any susceptible minds close to you to desire to cut it, or destroy it in ways that it will use more of your life force to repair the damage."

Megan's hand shot to her mouth in astonishment. "Oh, no, Julie!"

"Just like with Mary's hair, someone or something is taking your shorn locks back to the breach to whatever is behind it. The magic in your hair is being used to create the barrier behind this wall. Since it's magic created from your life force, it is quite powerful. This...was all planned, right under my nose."

Ms. Feathersone slumped to the ground in despair. "I am to blame for this. This is my JOB, I should have been prepared, should have been more diligent. I should have seen this coming!" A tear fell from her cheek. "Someone from beyond this breach has declared war on us, and I'm responsible!"

Megan knelt down and put her arm around the woman. "Don't do this..."

"I should have told you girls what you were long ago, instead of keeping you in ignorance. I don't deserve your forgiveness for what's coming."

"Stop it," Megan embraced Ms. Featherstone. "You've still got me. And Dawn, and Mary again, soon. Julie will help, too!"

Julie was still trying to process everything that Ms. Featherstone was saying. She didn't know what she could do, or if she was now more help to this unseen enemy of her principal. But she knew which side she was on, regardless. She knelt down and put her arms around her principal. "You bet I will. You can't give up, Ms. Featherstone."

Description
Support the creation of DangerCurls on Patreon!
www.patreon.com/dangercurl

Julie was taken aback. A curse?! That was ridiculous. She had adored Megan's hair for so long, to get some of her own that even came close to its beauty was a dream come true, despite the hassles it had so far brought her. And her newfound friendship with Megan, it was a blessing! Ms. Featherstone had some amazing abilities and seemed to know what she was talking about, but Julie didn't dare to be anything but skeptical.

Ms. Featherstone spoke again. "Julie, my dear; have you felt tired since this started?"

Julie considered. Well, her mind had been racing for the last several days, making it harder to sleep, so yes, she was a bit, but didn't understand what this woman was getting at. "A little. What does that have to do with anything?"

"How about we start from the beginning?" Ms. Featherstone replied. "Can you walk me through how this all started? Be as specific as you can; leave nothing out."

Julie searched her memory for every detail she could, and began to explain to the principal her experience the previous morning about being drawn to the construction site a few blocks away. The strange, void-like hole in the ground with the flower growing from it, and the voice that prompted her to put it in her hair, with promises of the flowing locks she had always wanted. With each detail she uttered, she watched Ms. Featherstone's eyes grow wider and wider, fear building up in them. It was unnerving.

"Oh, child," the woman murmured, tears almost welling in her fearful eyes. "I have much to explain to you, and not much time to do it in." Julie steeled herself. The surreality of her situation was starting to make her anxious, and she felt Megan's reassuring hand on her shoulder. Ms. Featherstone took several minutes, explaining the existence of the magic over which she was a steward. She went into detail about the various breaches around the world, and specifically the ones she knew of in this very town, along with the otherworldly beings who sought to use them. All the while, Megan busied herself by putting up Julie's tresses in an updo; the feeling of having her hair in her new friend's fingers was soothing to Julie, and helped her take in all that Ms. Featherstone was revealing to her. It was a lot to take in.

After several minutes, Ms. Featherstone stood and reached her hand out toward Julie. "Now, Julie, it is imperative that you show me where you received the flower. I believe you have discovered a new breach between dimensions, and I need to see to it that nothing else crosses over."

"But...what about this curse you went on about?" Julie asked. "You still haven't told me what it is."

"In due time, dear." Ms. Featherstone appeared composed, but her eyes were almost frantic. "This is our first priority! Megan, please accompany us, if you will."

*********

Several minutes later, the trio arrived at a nearby construction site. Julie looked confused. Where she had been only yesterday morning, there was now a large wall of lumber, topped with razor wire, surrounding the area.

"Um, well, it WAS behind there," Julie gestured to the wall.

Ms. Featherstone's brows furrowed. "Interesting...is it a coincidence that it's now hidden behind this makeshift wall?" She reached down and took a lock of her ebony hair, and placed it over her eyes. "I have a spell that should allow me to see what's behind it, at any rate." After a few seconds, though, she frowned.

"What is it?" Megan asked. "Can you see anything?"

"T-this is not good," the principal stammered. "Someone's placed a magical barrier behind the wall. It's a powerful spell...this is something I should have been prepared for."

As if seeming to have something occur to her, Ms. Featherstone whirled around to face Julie. Her long black hair whooshed in an arc, and Julie would have admired it if the astonishment in the principal's eyes hadn't caught her attention.

"Julie...Megan...where is the hair that's been cut off so far? Do you have it?!"

The girls looked at each other with blank expressions. "Oh," Megan began. "I-I have a little of it. Do you--?"

"The hair I cut off in the bathroom, I think someone cleaned it up. It had gum in it." Julie explained. "Then after Megan's haircut, I had it in a sack. I think it's still in my backpack, but I'm not sure."

Ms. Featherstone seemed on the verge of breaking down. "No, dear, I'm sure if you checked, you'd find it missing...This is all my fault. Mary's attack...your curse...it's all my fault!"

Megan approached her, apprehensive. "What do you mean?"

The principal's lip trembled. "Julie's hair has been infected with some very powerful dark magic. And it's being used by someone to protect this breach."

Julie was beginning to comprehend the situation. She looked at the woman next to her, urging her to continue.

"Julie, the nature of your curse is this: when your hair grows, it draws upon your very life force in order to do so. Every time your hair grows, your life span shortens. I'm afraid you may have already lost several weeks as it is."

"WHAT?!" Julie gasped.

"And what's more, the force that causes your hair to grow also wants it to be cut again. And again. The more life force it can drain from you, the more powerful it becomes." Julie remembered the words that came into her mind yesterday morning. This was true. There was something that wanted her hair cut very badly. Ms. Featherstone continued. "It will encourage you, or any susceptible minds close to you to desire to cut it, or destroy it in ways that it will use more of your life force to repair the damage."

Megan's hand shot to her mouth in astonishment. "Oh, no, Julie!"

"Just like with Mary's hair, someone or something is taking your shorn locks back to the breach to whatever is behind it. The magic in your hair is being used to create the barrier behind this wall. Since it's magic created from your life force, it is quite powerful. This...was all planned, right under my nose."

Ms. Feathersone slumped to the ground in despair. "I am to blame for this. This is my JOB, I should have been prepared, should have been more diligent. I should have seen this coming!" A tear fell from her cheek. "Someone from beyond this breach has declared war on us, and I'm responsible!"

Megan knelt down and put her arm around the woman. "Don't do this..."

"I should have told you girls what you were long ago, instead of keeping you in ignorance. I don't deserve your forgiveness for what's coming."

"Stop it," Megan embraced Ms. Featherstone. "You've still got me. And Dawn, and Mary again, soon. Julie will help, too!"

Julie was still trying to process everything that Ms. Featherstone was saying. She didn't know what she could do, or if she was now more help to this unseen enemy of her principal. But she knew which side she was on, regardless. She knelt down and put her arms around her principal. "You bet I will. You can't give up, Ms. Featherstone."