Chapter 15. What? Already!!!!!!! Amazing! I know. Actually I'm a tad discouraged because I don't think anyone is reading this any more.....quelle domage............yeah well, here goes nothing.
Birds That Can't Fly
Chapter 15: Truth is beauty...............
He was there, somewhere in the dark. She could hear his breathing echoing around her in the darkness. It was all around her, but Charlotte didn't feel afraid. There was something comforting in the thought that it wasn't the riencour that was making her unafraid, it was her. She knew there was no longer anything to fear in this dark place, there was only family here. She smiled into the darkness and waited.
The breathing came closer, she could feel it on the back of her neck, hot and sticky as always, but it didn't repulse her anymore, it didn't send her reeling with fear. The scent of blood was no longer there. Charlotte turned to face the unseen person. Cautiously she held out her hand, the person took it. The grip was gentle and at the same time very firm, the hand felt calloused and wrinkled. But it also felt familiar and comforting. Gently the hand began leading her forward in the darkness. Charlotte followed feeling like a child being led to her Christmas presents. She could hardly contain her grin, even though she felt a little silly, not knowing what she was smiling about.
She heard the squeaking of an ancient door, it sounded heavy, like it was made of oak. Grey light flood the chamber, half illuminating the stone tower. She glanced up for a moment only to see that in the din light the top of the tower could not be seen. Charlotte gazed around in interest at the room that had been a part of her deepest night mares. Dark stone walls rising to the sky with strange little markings on them. A feeling of reverence washed over her, it felt as though she ought to be praying in such a place.
"Oh-" she gasped looking at the person who should have stood before her. But she saw nothing. Something invisible still held tightly to her hand , and again it urged her forward.
The grey light was coming from the sun that struggled to shine through a thick mist that surrounded her and her unseen guide as they stepped through the door. At one the smell of damp grass and wildflowers met her. far away a brook bubbled, and birds could be heard amid the lush forest. Charlotte shivered slightly in the cold and stopped walking for a moment to rub her arm with her free hand. But the invisible hand pulled her gently onward, more urgently this time.
They came to a clearing so silent and so still that it put Charlotte slightly on edge. Just beyond the tree line Charlotte thought she could make out a church. She was standing in a graveyard. It looked as thought it had not been tended in years. She followed the invisible person to a grave and at last she understood fully.
"Miserere Mei Deus." a voice whispered in her ear.
Tears sprung to her eye as she struggled to see some sign of him. " Lord, grant us thy mercy." she answered. Her words echoed into the mist and she felt the earth begin to hum with a new rhythm. The hand let go of hers and she could hear foot steps walking away from her. She made no move to follow them. Charlotte had waited her whole life to understand who she was. Her grandfather had tried for so long to help her, but it took more than just his love to show her the truth. She had to love herself enough to find the way to this place. And it had taken Freds love to show her how to love herself.
Charlotte gathered bright blue wild flowers in the mist and kneeled down beside the grave. She laid the flowers down on the earth and touched her hand to the head stone. In a state of serenity she traced the name inscribed there with her finger. Charlotte leaned forward and gently kissed the stone. "Thank you Grandfather." she whispered.
Slowly she stood and turned to go. Charlotte turned to gaze at the grave once more, to preserve it in her memory.
Tom Riddle.
"Thank you." She whispered.
