~Catch me as I fall
Say you're here and it's all over now
Speaking to the atmosphere
No one's here and I fall into myself
This truth drives me
Into madness
I know I can stop the pain
If I will it all away~
**
I remembered the tale that the strange old lady had once told me. The theme of the story was, 'Even when evil looks you in the eye, and offers your deepest wish, don't take its hand. Its love is empty, and its promises are lies.'
Sometimes you think, 'How can people be so cruel? How can people just be so evil? What's their motive?'
They were bribed.
**
Serena hated her life. She despised it. She had to have the worst life anybody could ever have. Sometimes, at night, she would cry herself to sleep. Serena would cradle herself in her green comfortable, and silently sob, wondering why God, or whoever was up there had decided to make her life so horrible. Serena knew she worried her mother with her somber attitude towards life, and her constant habit of locking herself in her room, but she didn't care. Her life wasn't worth living. Everyday, it was the same thing. Serena woke up, she went to school, got teased and was the loner on the playground, then came home, and wrote in her dairy. Serena wanted it to change. She wanted to have a best friend like on the television shows she watched. Heck, she wanted to have a friend. But no one cared. No one listened to her. Serena had the feeling that even her teacher ignored her. What was wrong with her? Was she really a complete outsider?
But in the books, weren't there other outsiders that the protagonist-freak made friends with? Then again, this wasn't a book. It was life.
And that's why on the day of June 20th, the last day of school, a smile was stretched across her small features. It drew attention to her pale face, and gave off a cheerful aura. Her honey-brown eyes were larger than usual, and were sparkling merrily. Her short black hair was drawn into a small ponytail into the back of her head, and she was clutching her school bag that was filled to the top with school supplies with excitement. It was the first day of freedom. She was free from the kids who tormented her daily; the kids who made her life a living hell.
Serena's older brother George was sitting in the front seat, eyeing her oddly in the mirror. He had just graduated from Jr. High and was moving onto High School. Serena had also graduated from Elementary school, and was moving onto Junior High next year.
George was five feet ten, with messy dark black hair ("As black as the night," as her mother called it), and large brown eyes. In Serena's opinion, George was lucky. He had tons of friends, and he was extremely popular in school. He even had a girlfriend.
George looked up from his lap and turned his head to look at Serena, a curious smile spreading across his attractive features, "You seem happy today."
Serena replied softly, "Last day of school. Everyone's happy."
"Except for Euclid," Joked George. "He's never happy that school ends. Then he has no work!"
"George," Serena's mother scolded softly, but in teasing tones. "That's not very nice. The boy is extremely kind."
"Just because you're friends with his Mother doesn't mean he's not a dork," George replied, grinning at Serena.
Serena returned the small smile, and fiddled with the straps of her backpack. She'd met Euclid before. He was geeky, like George had redundantly pointed out, but he was nice.
Serena's mother ignored George's comment. "Serena, honey, how was your day?"
"Good," Serena blandly said, looking up to meet her mother's tired eyes. "I got no homework over the summer, which is a first."
"Oh I'm sure they'll send something in the mail," Serena's mother responded playfully.
Serena laughed softly, watching the blur of trees rush by. She focused her small eyes on them, taking in every shade of green, every house, and every pedestrian. The suburbs were always her favorite place. She didn't know how anyone could live in New York City. Her family constantly went into New York City to visit her Aunt Rose and Uncle Chad. Her Aunt Rose was pregnant, and was due in August. It was going to be a girl, and her name was to be Hope. Serena thought that that was a very pretty name.
"Anything come in the mail for me?" George interrupted her train of thoughts. He was staring at their mother with curious eyes.
"No, hun. You expecting anything?" She responded, clicking the left signal on. Serena unbuckled her seatbelt as they turned onto their street and passed her neighbor's house.
"Just the new Aerosmith c.d.," George answered, shedding his own seatbelt as they pulled into their driveway.
Serena rolled her eyes. Her brother loved music.
"Haven't you been waiting for that for two weeks?" Her mother inquired, stopping the car in their garage. She unbuckled her seatbelt and unlocked the car. She stepped out of the car, and brushed her long ebony hair out of her eyes. Her mother was one quarter Japanese. She had small brown eyes and her long straight black hair. Her mother was fashion designer, and worked in a large firm in the south shore of Long Island.
"Yeah," George ducked and came out of the car. He slung his backpack lazily over his shoulder. "Music Heaven is slow. I think I drive them insane, always buying stuff from them."
Serena giggled softly, and stepped out of the automobile. Her mother cast a weak smile in his direction.
"I bought popcorn for you guys," Her mother beamed at Serena, eager to please her.
George grinned, "Awesome."
Serena grinned. Popcorn was her comfort food. The three of them trudged up the dark blue steps up to their large colonial house. The house had three stories, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It was a large house, with a reasonably big backyard. The house was painted navy blue and white, and gave off a pleasant aura.
Serena watched her mother as she fit the brass key smugly into the keyhole, and turned the doorknob.
Her mother gently pushed the door open, and Serena and George ran into their house. The house was placidly plain. The front door led to the living room, which had a large navy-blue couch and a big-screen television across the room. A fireplace was on the other side of the room, with a mantel over it. Three small windows where lined on the walls, and an old fashioned radiator was stationed in the corner. Serena dropped her coat on top of her mother's, and walked down the hallway to her room. She slammed the door shut, and threw her backpack onto the floor.
She heard a voice from down the hall. Her mother always asked her the same question everyday, out of habit, but after a while a bit of exasperation had worked itself into the genuine concern in her mother's voice.
"You okay, dear?"
Serena never answered. It was so obvious she wasn't okay.
But today was different. "Yeah," Serena called back. She smiled gently, and flopped onto her bed.
Serena automatically reached out for her diary on the dresser next to her queen sized bed. She rolled onto her stomach, and bit the top of her pen as she flipped it open, and scribbled the date on a fresh page.
Suddenly, a noise sounded from the window. Serena jumped off of the bed and whirled around, in the direction of the window. She peered out of her window, and wasn't surprised to see Lamar standing there, throwing pebbles from the driveway at her bedroom window. She tugged on the window and opened it. A cool summer breeze drifted into the house. Thank God it wasn't humid that day. That would ruin the actually nice day she was having. Serena narrowed her eyes at the boy.
"What do you want, Lamar? I'm actually having a good day today. I don't need to hear your pointless insults," She glared at him, ready to shut the window if he was going to insult her, like usual.
"Gabriel said that you told-" Lamar started to say, when a giant horned owl swooped from the sky, on cue, and bashed into the boy.
Since when do owls come out in daytime?
Lamar, looking completely horrified, jumped up, and leaped over the hedges into his own backyard. Serena screamed as the owl then made a beeline for her bedroom window. Her trembling fingers tried to fiddle with the window lock and she attempted to force the window down. Unfortunately, she managed to snap the window shut right after the owl had entered.
What great timing.
The owl swooped over her, dropped a letter from it's talons onto her head, and then perched on her desk, watching her through its yellow eyes.
"You okay, Serena?" She heard her mother call. She must have heard her scream.
"I'm fine!" Serena yelled back. She eyed the owl suspiciously before jumping off her bed and running over to the creature, intending to grab it. A furious hoot erupted from the owl. It flew up, beyond her reach. Serena growled at the owl, and grabbed the letter that sat up on her bed. She gave up. Let it stay there. She tore it open, and unfolded the letter. Who used owls to mail letters? It was probably some prank
Dear Miss Woods,
You have been accepted to Salem Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry under the powerful house of Aether. Term begins the first of September, but you may arrive in the last two weeks of August. We've included a portkey to ensure your arrival. Attached is a list of school supplies that you are required to bring.
Cheers, Headmaster Cromwell.
A small glittery object fell out of the envelope. Serena guessed this was the portkey-whatever it was. She placed it on the table, not sure how to use it. Serena re-read the letter, and then read the second piece of parchment included in the envelope. It was a long list of supplies, including books, robes, a cauldron, and a wand. At the very bottom, it specified where to get them.
Okay, this really was one big prank. But something in the owl's eyes said it wasn't. This was real. Serena clutched both letters to her chest, and tugged the door open.
"Mom?" Serena yelled, running down the hallway.
She wondered if she would let her go. Serena sure hoped they would. She could finally get always from all the kids who hated her at her school. And she'd always liked magic tricks-and she thought tarot card readings were awesome. Maybe she'd be able to hex all the kids in her grade when she'd learned some good spells.
Serena stepped into her mother's office, and avoiding stepping on a soccer ball that George had probably left there. "Guess what just happened."
Serena handed the letters to her mother, and allowed the woman to read them herself.
Say you're here and it's all over now
Speaking to the atmosphere
No one's here and I fall into myself
This truth drives me
Into madness
I know I can stop the pain
If I will it all away~
**
I remembered the tale that the strange old lady had once told me. The theme of the story was, 'Even when evil looks you in the eye, and offers your deepest wish, don't take its hand. Its love is empty, and its promises are lies.'
Sometimes you think, 'How can people be so cruel? How can people just be so evil? What's their motive?'
They were bribed.
**
Serena hated her life. She despised it. She had to have the worst life anybody could ever have. Sometimes, at night, she would cry herself to sleep. Serena would cradle herself in her green comfortable, and silently sob, wondering why God, or whoever was up there had decided to make her life so horrible. Serena knew she worried her mother with her somber attitude towards life, and her constant habit of locking herself in her room, but she didn't care. Her life wasn't worth living. Everyday, it was the same thing. Serena woke up, she went to school, got teased and was the loner on the playground, then came home, and wrote in her dairy. Serena wanted it to change. She wanted to have a best friend like on the television shows she watched. Heck, she wanted to have a friend. But no one cared. No one listened to her. Serena had the feeling that even her teacher ignored her. What was wrong with her? Was she really a complete outsider?
But in the books, weren't there other outsiders that the protagonist-freak made friends with? Then again, this wasn't a book. It was life.
And that's why on the day of June 20th, the last day of school, a smile was stretched across her small features. It drew attention to her pale face, and gave off a cheerful aura. Her honey-brown eyes were larger than usual, and were sparkling merrily. Her short black hair was drawn into a small ponytail into the back of her head, and she was clutching her school bag that was filled to the top with school supplies with excitement. It was the first day of freedom. She was free from the kids who tormented her daily; the kids who made her life a living hell.
Serena's older brother George was sitting in the front seat, eyeing her oddly in the mirror. He had just graduated from Jr. High and was moving onto High School. Serena had also graduated from Elementary school, and was moving onto Junior High next year.
George was five feet ten, with messy dark black hair ("As black as the night," as her mother called it), and large brown eyes. In Serena's opinion, George was lucky. He had tons of friends, and he was extremely popular in school. He even had a girlfriend.
George looked up from his lap and turned his head to look at Serena, a curious smile spreading across his attractive features, "You seem happy today."
Serena replied softly, "Last day of school. Everyone's happy."
"Except for Euclid," Joked George. "He's never happy that school ends. Then he has no work!"
"George," Serena's mother scolded softly, but in teasing tones. "That's not very nice. The boy is extremely kind."
"Just because you're friends with his Mother doesn't mean he's not a dork," George replied, grinning at Serena.
Serena returned the small smile, and fiddled with the straps of her backpack. She'd met Euclid before. He was geeky, like George had redundantly pointed out, but he was nice.
Serena's mother ignored George's comment. "Serena, honey, how was your day?"
"Good," Serena blandly said, looking up to meet her mother's tired eyes. "I got no homework over the summer, which is a first."
"Oh I'm sure they'll send something in the mail," Serena's mother responded playfully.
Serena laughed softly, watching the blur of trees rush by. She focused her small eyes on them, taking in every shade of green, every house, and every pedestrian. The suburbs were always her favorite place. She didn't know how anyone could live in New York City. Her family constantly went into New York City to visit her Aunt Rose and Uncle Chad. Her Aunt Rose was pregnant, and was due in August. It was going to be a girl, and her name was to be Hope. Serena thought that that was a very pretty name.
"Anything come in the mail for me?" George interrupted her train of thoughts. He was staring at their mother with curious eyes.
"No, hun. You expecting anything?" She responded, clicking the left signal on. Serena unbuckled her seatbelt as they turned onto their street and passed her neighbor's house.
"Just the new Aerosmith c.d.," George answered, shedding his own seatbelt as they pulled into their driveway.
Serena rolled her eyes. Her brother loved music.
"Haven't you been waiting for that for two weeks?" Her mother inquired, stopping the car in their garage. She unbuckled her seatbelt and unlocked the car. She stepped out of the car, and brushed her long ebony hair out of her eyes. Her mother was one quarter Japanese. She had small brown eyes and her long straight black hair. Her mother was fashion designer, and worked in a large firm in the south shore of Long Island.
"Yeah," George ducked and came out of the car. He slung his backpack lazily over his shoulder. "Music Heaven is slow. I think I drive them insane, always buying stuff from them."
Serena giggled softly, and stepped out of the automobile. Her mother cast a weak smile in his direction.
"I bought popcorn for you guys," Her mother beamed at Serena, eager to please her.
George grinned, "Awesome."
Serena grinned. Popcorn was her comfort food. The three of them trudged up the dark blue steps up to their large colonial house. The house had three stories, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It was a large house, with a reasonably big backyard. The house was painted navy blue and white, and gave off a pleasant aura.
Serena watched her mother as she fit the brass key smugly into the keyhole, and turned the doorknob.
Her mother gently pushed the door open, and Serena and George ran into their house. The house was placidly plain. The front door led to the living room, which had a large navy-blue couch and a big-screen television across the room. A fireplace was on the other side of the room, with a mantel over it. Three small windows where lined on the walls, and an old fashioned radiator was stationed in the corner. Serena dropped her coat on top of her mother's, and walked down the hallway to her room. She slammed the door shut, and threw her backpack onto the floor.
She heard a voice from down the hall. Her mother always asked her the same question everyday, out of habit, but after a while a bit of exasperation had worked itself into the genuine concern in her mother's voice.
"You okay, dear?"
Serena never answered. It was so obvious she wasn't okay.
But today was different. "Yeah," Serena called back. She smiled gently, and flopped onto her bed.
Serena automatically reached out for her diary on the dresser next to her queen sized bed. She rolled onto her stomach, and bit the top of her pen as she flipped it open, and scribbled the date on a fresh page.
Suddenly, a noise sounded from the window. Serena jumped off of the bed and whirled around, in the direction of the window. She peered out of her window, and wasn't surprised to see Lamar standing there, throwing pebbles from the driveway at her bedroom window. She tugged on the window and opened it. A cool summer breeze drifted into the house. Thank God it wasn't humid that day. That would ruin the actually nice day she was having. Serena narrowed her eyes at the boy.
"What do you want, Lamar? I'm actually having a good day today. I don't need to hear your pointless insults," She glared at him, ready to shut the window if he was going to insult her, like usual.
"Gabriel said that you told-" Lamar started to say, when a giant horned owl swooped from the sky, on cue, and bashed into the boy.
Since when do owls come out in daytime?
Lamar, looking completely horrified, jumped up, and leaped over the hedges into his own backyard. Serena screamed as the owl then made a beeline for her bedroom window. Her trembling fingers tried to fiddle with the window lock and she attempted to force the window down. Unfortunately, she managed to snap the window shut right after the owl had entered.
What great timing.
The owl swooped over her, dropped a letter from it's talons onto her head, and then perched on her desk, watching her through its yellow eyes.
"You okay, Serena?" She heard her mother call. She must have heard her scream.
"I'm fine!" Serena yelled back. She eyed the owl suspiciously before jumping off her bed and running over to the creature, intending to grab it. A furious hoot erupted from the owl. It flew up, beyond her reach. Serena growled at the owl, and grabbed the letter that sat up on her bed. She gave up. Let it stay there. She tore it open, and unfolded the letter. Who used owls to mail letters? It was probably some prank
Dear Miss Woods,
You have been accepted to Salem Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry under the powerful house of Aether. Term begins the first of September, but you may arrive in the last two weeks of August. We've included a portkey to ensure your arrival. Attached is a list of school supplies that you are required to bring.
Cheers, Headmaster Cromwell.
A small glittery object fell out of the envelope. Serena guessed this was the portkey-whatever it was. She placed it on the table, not sure how to use it. Serena re-read the letter, and then read the second piece of parchment included in the envelope. It was a long list of supplies, including books, robes, a cauldron, and a wand. At the very bottom, it specified where to get them.
Okay, this really was one big prank. But something in the owl's eyes said it wasn't. This was real. Serena clutched both letters to her chest, and tugged the door open.
"Mom?" Serena yelled, running down the hallway.
She wondered if she would let her go. Serena sure hoped they would. She could finally get always from all the kids who hated her at her school. And she'd always liked magic tricks-and she thought tarot card readings were awesome. Maybe she'd be able to hex all the kids in her grade when she'd learned some good spells.
Serena stepped into her mother's office, and avoiding stepping on a soccer ball that George had probably left there. "Guess what just happened."
Serena handed the letters to her mother, and allowed the woman to read them herself.