Shadows of a Smile Part 2

"Now please take care when copying the notes from the board as you will be expected to have memorised all of them in time for the pop quiz tomorrow."

The academic dragon, professor Flint spoke to his class in his usual calm yet the only thing Phantazma could think on was the topic of conversation from breakfast.  She still loved her adopted parents.. she had decided that this morning.  The two had raised her since she was a baby and they would always be her family.

"In regards to the fire drill this morning the staff have been asked to inform students that –"

She could vaguely hear the teacher's voice rambling on but her gaze had already drifted to the window.  They were two floors up allowing her to see clearly across the school grounds.  She looked lazily over to the forest's edge and her eyes widened at the sight she saw there.
  
"Jak????" she whispered in shock.

"Something you wished to add miss Cirque?" the professor spoke softly looking over to the interruption.

Surprised Phantazma looked to him having forgotten where she was.  "N-no..." she stammered.  "I- that is.. Please excuse me!!"

Without waiting for him to respond she leaped up and ran to the door.  Sprinting down the hall she descended the two floors and ran out across the field.
  
"Jak?  Jak!!" she called.

In the distance she could see the figure of her brother running into the heavily treed area.  His straightjacket was loose and he almost seemed to be skipping as he entered the forest and vanished from her sights.

Why would he be here?

She made to follow him, fretful of what he might do or where he might wander to if left alone yet as she looked around herself she could only see the endless expanse of autumn trees.  The reds and oranges of the trees, whilst beautiful, gave no comfort to her as she held her head and called out anxiously for a response.  Beneath her feet she heard the crunching of the fallen leaves and then, ever so slightly at first but with a growing intensity, music.  She stopped for a moment straining to hear the faint notes and was eventually drawn to follow them.  Down the wooded trail she got a sense of familiarity as if she had been here before yet could recall nothing.
  
"Jak...?"

She spotted her twin just ahead of herself.  He smiled at her quite happily before turning to look beside him.  There stood a figure that looked more like a shadow with a cloak that covered from head to foot.

Phantazma looked between the figure and her twin and then spoke aloud.

"Who are you?  Why have you brought my brother here?" she demanded.

From the figure there was no response.  Instead the cloak was lifted in an elegant arc and the figure turned around, the hem picking up leaves as it swept the forest floor and the figure walked away.

"H-hey!!" Phantazma called after them.

She followed them down the trail and was curious to find an abandoned circus tent resting peacefully in a small clearing.  The cloaked figure turned to her briefly before entering the tent and hesitantly Phantazma followed, determined to get to the bottom of this.

Passing the threshold of the tent she feels a little dizzy.  She pauses to close her eyes and hold herself steady and it is in doing so that she notices her clothes have changed!  Confused she looks down herself to find she is now wearing a black and white dress with matching tights and arm warmers.

Her thoughts are interrupted and her head snaps up sharply at the sound of laughter – manic laughter against the chilling harmony of circus music that plays through the dense woodland.  She feels a chill run through her as a realisation dawns.  She remembers that laugh... she remembers it clearly for it is the laugh that has haunted her dreams for the last 17 years...

It is 'her' laugh.

Taking a tentative step forward she follows the sound of laughter and music.  The trees are now white as winter claims the forest.  The ground still crunches beneath her feet at snow falls all around her and as she walks she never seems to blink following the sounds in a trance-like state.

The trees once again part this time revealing a grand tent – a Big Top, far larger and in greater majesty than the tatty one that brought her here.  She could imagine the tent in the vivid reds and yellows traditional to a circus and yet, almost stubbornly, it loomed in black and white tones and blending in with the winter scene around it.

Phantazma enters the tent looking around nervously.
  
"Jak...?" she whispers hopefully.

In the centre stage the cloaked figure stands waiting and Phantazma approaches questioning them again.

"Who are you...?  Where is Jak?"

The figure turns with a flurry and the cloak is lifted and cast aside revealing the figure beneath it.  It is indeed the woman from her dreams and Phantazma stands in stunned silence as the woman grins.  While she tries to gather her thoughts she feels a chill form behind her.  Without turning around Phantazma sees the grin on the woman widen with enthusiasm and glee as a voice made up of a million whispers speaks to her in a cold breath...

"My darling daughter, what troubles you so?"