Ten thousand words :)

I finally reached my month goal of ten thousand words. Here is a ceremonious passage:
 
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"I'm telling you, it's not natural," insisted Kallista.
"For the last time Kallista, I do not want to know about your issues."
   Kallista scowled and sat in the corner, staring at her foot. Winter sighed and rubbed her eyes. Oliver looked up and resumed his talk with her about escape. I didn't bother to listen. We were never getting out of this place.

   But then Winter looked over at me and tilted her head.

"What do you think, Val?"

   I raised my head, and everyone quieted down to watch me. Great.

"Um," I started, "maybe, like. . . I don't know."

   Oliver snorted.

"Shut it, Oliver," said Winter. "Val, do you notice anything odd about this basement?"

   Um. . . Odd? Other than the fact that a whole gang of magically gifted kids were hanging out about the place, I couldn't think of anything. I shrugged at Winter.

"Maybe it's too obvious."

   She focused at a puddle of muck on the ground, and soon it started to frost. Then it hit me.

"Our powers aren't bound," I gasped. She smiled. I started to think.

"Maybe," I said slowly, "we could use our magic to get out."

   Oliver clapped.

"We've got a winner here, everybody."

                                                                      ...

    Three hours later, we had a pretty decent hole in the wall. It hadn't gone completely through yet, and we were throwing everything we had on it. Well, everybody else was. I was hanging back, doing nothing. My powers didn't work on will.

    "Again!"

    Oliver had morphed into a monstrous eagle, and was clawing at the wall like his life depended on it. Actually, it kind of did. He swiped again. More pieces of the wall crumbled down. Finally, finally, what we had all been waiting for appeared.

    A gap.

   It was the size of an eyeball, but it was still enough. Winter hurried foward to peer through, and smiled a broad smile. She nodded. All clear.

   Oliver gave three more vicious swipes, and the gap widened. A very skinny person could go through. Oliver shifted back to human form, panting and sweating.

   "I'm done," he heaved.

   Hazel frowned.

   "Who's going to fit through that?"

   Everyone looked at me. I narrowed my eyes.

   "God damn."

   Alex shoved me forward, and I pouted. Facing defeat, I stuck my head through the hole. It fit. I slid my shoulders through, and then wriggled my torso out. I hung forward. Freeing my left arm, I got a good grip on a branch. I tugged myself through.

   Breathing hard, I looked around. Then I stopped breathing all together. I had just grabbed a branch. I was outside.

   And this place was not barren.