The Appearances ℘ 14 September 2014
There was a storm brewing in the sky, one that spoke of hard wind and heavy rain. The gray clouds grew closer and closer as the air cooled and the smell of water falling from the sky filled the grounds around them. Wilhelm closed the book he held and moved away from the glass pane. It had been weeks since they'd had a good rain and he would enjoy the sound of the drops hitting the castle walls.
Jacob worked quietly behind him as he had for the past several hours. "Come, brother, there is something in the air. Let us go to a tower and enjoy the storm from a good height at which to see it." The older brother rolled his eyes with a smile and nodded. "I suppose it has been a while since we have enjoyed a good storm, brother. After you."
Wilhelm hated just sitting around all the time and this offered a break to their day. He skirted out the door frame and down the corridor. A set of staircases swirled upwards on his right and Wilhelm followed them with haste. The air pressure around them was increasing as the temperature dropped, the storm was moving closer, closer. Wilhelm heaved himself to the top with a final breath and slumped on the ground next to the open window. The towers here were so tall, and they wore on his stamina more and more lately.
Jacob's face appeared over the stairs just a few moments later. He was slower, calmer than his younger brother, but found this particular activity no less enjoyable than the other man. Wilhelm grinned at his brother and pulled himself up to peer outside. The clouds were rolling in, growing darker by the second. They could see sparks of lightning in the distance dancing around like wildfire. The minutes ticked by as the air cooled. They could see some rain far in the distance, but it wasn't here yet.
The two waited in silence with the ease of familiarity that required no words. Minor shifts in body movement were almost mirrored - after years of living together in the same building, they were incredibly in tuned to the other, almost down to their very breaths. The lightning trickled closer and they began to hear the far away sounds of rolling thunder. As it grew closer, the boys seemed to relax, as if this were not only entertainment to them, but comfort. As if for everything that remained the same inside the castle walls, the weather outside could be unpredictable.
Suddenly, there was a resounding boom that shook them to their very cores. Wilhelm ducked in surprise, clutching the window frame for support. After an incredulous glance to his brother, he turned out towards the grounds. Jacob was already staring out the window.
Four, five, eight, ten bodies now stood outside gesturing around in confusion. Wilhelm's jaw dropped. People weren't allowed in Grimm Castle - the witch had made sure of that. Until... until it was time to release the tales. But why did all these people just appear outside like this, and how? Another glance between the brothers and they were out the door, back down the stairs, racing towards the nearest postern to get outside.
Another crash resounded in the hallway, but this one was significantly quieter. Jacob nearly tripped over two bodies while Wilhelm collided with something and fell to the ground. Looking over, they saw... a girl. A girl inside the castle.
There was a stunned silence for just a moment. "Who are you?" Jacob asked in shock.
"I, what?" The girl held her elbow to her side and looked around in confusion, "I'm Sabine. What is going on here? What was that noise? Who are you?"
"No one can be in here." Wilhelm said softly. "No one's allowed."
The girl bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I was just looking for some help and I found that old book, I thought it might have some directions or something."
Wilhelm closed his eyes and prayed. "An old book. A red leather book? Older than time? With spells in ancient German?" Please say no. Please say no.
She nodded. "I suppose, yeah."
It was as if the air had turned to ice around them and Jacob and Wilhelm realized what had happened. With the spell on the castle, they were forbidden to use any other magic until it was lifted. The witch could not tell them what would come of any spells if they did, only that it could be catastrophic. And it was.
"Jacob, the people outside. They're here because they've been released. She didn't just lift the spell on the castle, she lifted the spell on the stories themselves."
"I know," the other brother responded. "We need to get them inside and make sure they stay. They can't change anything."
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