Welcome to newly revised version of 'Second Chance. I have revised and revised and revised this thing, and I'm finally satisfied…with the prologue. I still have heavy work to do to the other chapters. This story took a lot out of me, and I really love it to death. Half of my time is spent scribbling down minute details for this story. Anyways, here is the Prologue to this story. It's kinda short, but the chapters to come will be a lot longer. I hope you enjoy, and please review…or something. I really want to know what you people think. Also, I really need a beta-reader!!! I mean, I really need one! This prologue is probably crap because I haven't had anyone else read it over. I will probably repost it once I get a beta. PLEASE!!! I will beg!
And now, 'Second Chance'
Prologue-
Floating is a funny sensation. Kind of like a strange feeling of being out of control of your body, but it being ok. A relaxing feeling that doesn't seem to have a clear cause, but doesn't matter because everything feels all right. You are at peace with the world when you're floating. At least, Jennifer was. A serene smile crept upon her face as she lost all sense of time and reality. She was just a body, floating in the air without a care in the world. Pictures started to dance around in her head, fantasies of her father playing with her when she was young. They were in a meadow, running and laughing. She was giggling, hiding from her father as he searched for her. She could hear him calling her, only faintly. Her father had a pleasing voice, even when it was mixed with a bit of fear as he began to yell louder, looking for her. She didn't come out of her hiding spot, she didn't want to. Dream Jennifer didn't sense the worry in his voice, and kept thinking it was a game. His voice grew louder in her head, until it grew cold and cruel. This wasn't her father.
She then saw him transform from the great big loving man that she knew to a monster, someone that haunted her nightmares constantly. The monster saw her, and she began to run. Faster and faster she ran, not daring to look back in fear that he would catch her. She ran until she came to a cliff, and hundreds of feet below was a raging river. She looked back, and he was coming closer, still yelling her name. She looked back to the river, wondering if jumping was worth the risk, wondering what the monster would do once he got her hands on her. The time didn't seem to go by that fast, but before she knew it, the monster grabbed her arm viciously, and she screamed.
Jennifer didn't find out what the monster did to her because she shot up from her reclining position, screaming. She looked around fearfully before she realized that she was out of the nightmare. Now, she was in a room where everything was white, almost blinding. She looked under her, the floating sensation gone because there was linoleum floors. It looked like an unfurnished waiting room to a doctor's office.
"Well, you took long enough there." Said a voice from behind her. Jennifer slowing whipped around to find a man, sitting behind an executive-like desk and spinning in his chair. He stopped spinning, and looked her straight in the eye. His piercing blue eyes made her shudder, and she broke eye contact with him. She took a better look at him, noticing his somewhat handsome appearance. He seemed young, probably fresh out of school. Every piece of his jet black hair fell into perfect place, and his smile was charming, but misleading, like he knew something that no one else knew, and something he wasn't willing to share.
"Most people stir once their parent has turned into the creature of their nightmares, but no, you're special, you need the cliff and for the thing to get you before you get scared senseless." He said with an air of mockery. "But I suppose I should take that as a good thing for what I'm about to ask you to do."
Jennifer smiled weakly, not sure what to do. "If you don't mind, do you think you could tell me where the hell I am and what the hell is going on?" She asked, her voice taking a slightly annoyed tone.
"Funny you should use that word." He said, the debonair smile returning. "Hell, such a concept. We all fear it, try to avoid it, all that jazz. Yet, that's where you're going."
A vaguely confused face came over Jennifer, "Excuse me, uh…."
"Tom, just call me Tom." He said, fiddling with his wand.
"Yeah, great, Tom, but why would I be going to hell?"
"Because you died." Tom said. A shocked face came over Jennifer. "Sorry about being so frank, the guy that usually announces that whole 'damnation to hell' thing is down in Florida, and my friend asked me to take over. Don't know why, not that great at this all, already made 7 people cry, but whatever. I need to fulfill my end of the bargain."
"Which would be?" She asked, a bit skeptical about all this.
"Good of you to ask." He said, getting out of his chair to reveal his tall stature. He walked from behind the desk, and took a seat on top of it. "Well, how rude am I to not offer you a seat." He said, and with a flick of his hand, there was a chair behind her and she was pushed back into it. "Please, take one. Anyways, I have a bit of a mission for you. See there's this pesky little problem I have on Earth, and I really need you to take care of it."
"And why can't you do that yourself?"
"See, I would, I really would, but the problem is that I have no body on Earth. Bothersome little problem to only exist metaphysically. You may grow to learn this, you too now only exist metaphysically."
Jennifer began to stutter, not knowing what to say. " Wait a second." She said after finding her voice. "Metaphysically…so I'm dead?" She said reluctantly.
"You get used to it. Though doesn't really help with picking up material objects. Kind of a hard task there." He said, jumping off the desk. "But this little metaphysical episode could all end, if you do something for me." Jennifer looked at him strangely. "Dammit, do I have to explain everything to you? Stupid mortals." He sighed. "I will make sure you get your life back if you do something for me. No metaphysical existence. You're actually there. You can touch yourself…that didn't come out right, but it doesn't matter, because you can do that too." Jennifer was about to speak, but he put one finger over her lips and silenced her. "But you have to do something for me." He said in a low whisper. He got very close to her face, so close that she could see every freckle, the birthmark under his eye. He then whispered into her ear. "If you don't succeed, I could personally make sure that Adolf Hitler's time in hell looks like a joy ride compared to yours. But if you do succeed, I could also make sure that you don't come here again. That you go the other way when you die, and I could make that death date so late in your life that there won't be enough wax in all of London to make all the candles on your birthday cake." He slowly walked away from her, and took his seat in the chair and started spinning around again. He then stopped, and acknowledged a phone on his desk, with a light going off. "Great, I got another one." He said. "You know, you can speak now. I have another client waiting, so we kinda have to speed this up a little."
She soon found her voice. "Should I be scared to ask what it is that you want me to do?"
"Most people would be scared to do this, but I don't think something like this will rattle you. I'm sure you've done worse." He said, sitting straight in his chair. "I need you, to kill Harry Potter."
July in London was hot, and Marie never felt that more than she did today. However, she walked into that hot July day wearing a long sleeved shirt with her short skirt. But no matter to her. As hot as she was, waiting at the bar in Knockturn Alley, she knew what she was doing.
After a few minutes, butterbeer in hand, a short, unkempt man joined her at the bar.
"Pettigrew." She said flatly, not looking to her right where he was sitting.
"Lawrence." He said. "Why do not look at me?"
"Clean up and maybe I will." She said, taking a sip of her drink. "I've got important things to do. Could you hurry with this?"
"I have orders from the master, for you, so don't get antsy, you're going to be here for awhile." Pettigrew spat at her. "He has an important mission for you, something that he would do himself, but considering his present state, he is asking you to do. He would usually call in one in his circle, but everyone in his circle has something against them. Something that you don't have."
"And that would be?" She said, grabbing at her shoulder as another wave of pain went through it. Getting the Dark Mark put on you was not as grand and fulfilling as she thought it would be.
"Age. They're all rather old, but you are our youngest Death Eater, and only you could do this." He took a deep breath. "We need someone to go to Hogwarts, the wizarding school, and pretend to be a student. There, you shall kill Harry Potter."
This made Marie look at Pettigrew, eyes wide open. "Excuse me? You can just wave your wand, and boom, he's dead. You don't really need to send someone undercover, that's overly unnecessary."
"You shouldn't have said that." Pettigrew whispered.
"And why not?"
"Because," Pettigrew grabbed Marie's arm, and pulled her close to him. She tried to wriggle out of his painful grasp, but he was too strong for her. "the master is never wrong. You will do as he say, and you will like it, or I will personally see to your expulsion, and possibly your death, so you better do this right. And that boy better be dead by the end of this year, or he will make you wish that you had never become a Death Eater." He pushed her away from him, grabbed his cloak, and left.
Marie sat there, watching him walk away, completely shocked. "Who knew Pettigrew could be scary?"
"Kill Harry Potter? Why would you want me to do that?" Jennifer asked.
"Oh God, let's spell it out for poor Jennifer, shall we? Hmm…what person could want Harry Potter dead? What person wouldn't be able to do that themselves, but is extremely jealous of you because you're going to get the chance to do it? What person would, if not just a metaphysical being, would love to kill Harry Potter with their bare hands? Hmm, think hard and long about that!" Tom said, nearly yelling at her.
"Oh!" Jennifer said, when she finally figured it out. "I get it….oh shit, I'm in trouble, aren't I?" Realizing what might happen when the person in front of her gets angry.
"Yeah, pissing off Lord Voldemort probably isn't the best thing to do for your well-being. But I do need you, so I'm going to let that one slide."
"But why are you…" Jennifer began
"So young and dashingly good-looking? Well, you always sprinkle little parts of yourself everywhere to make sure you never die. My 16 year-old self in a diary, my 21-year-old self in limbo. You should see some of the crazy places I put my 28 year old self."
"So, you just want me to…kill him?"
"Not too complicated for you, is it?"
"And if I do, I'll live, and if I don't, you're going to make hell…more of a hell, correct?"
"That's about right, yes?" He said, putting his feet up on his desk.
"And how do you propose I kill him?"
"You go to Hogwarts, pretend you're a student, and just get him." He said, nonchalantly. "All I want is a dead Harry Potter, you can do whatever the hell you want to him. I couldn't care less. But he better be dead." He said, changing his tone. "And if this is all a wee bit too hard for you, I'm arranging help from one of my Death Eaters. You can consult her, have a little sleepover, do each others' nails, talk about how you're going to kill Harry Potter, and all that other girl stuff."
"I didn't make you out to be so sarcastic."
"Well, it happens. Everyone's got to have a little humor in their lives. Didn't have a lot when I was younger; have to make up for it now. Get used to it." He said. "Now that your mission, I'm expecting him dead by the end of the year, and I want your ugly face out of my office." And with that, she was gone.
Tom looked around the now vacant office. "I love doing that." He said, taking a seat and sending in the next dead person.
Thoughts and opinions will be greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoyed the prologue, and I will be back with the next chapter….sometime or another!
-Mystery Girl