Rain Clouds.
Harry
walked to Mr. Mohebbi's shop a little later than usual. He was exhausted and
had compounded the matter by being unable to sleep all night long.
However,
Jasmine still arrived later than he did and she looked as if she had not had
much sleep either.
"Morning
Harry," she said. Harry noticed that her eyes were bloodshot and sleepy.
"Hi
Jasmine. Are you okay?" Harry felt a warmth blossom inside him that Jasmine was
still talking to him. What had happened yesterday? Harry still seemed unsure of
the events, but Jasmine seemed miffed and had stormed off.
"Oh, I'm
okay. I'll tell you outside," she whispered, shooting fervent glances at Mrs.
Mohebbi.
Mr. Mohebbi
watched the pair of them collect the papers and mount their bikes.
As they
left, his wife sighed "That Jasmine even brought him that bike to work. How
sweet."
"Yeah.
Well, something's not right with that girl if you ask me…" he sniffed. His wife
chastised his bitterness but let the matter be.
The
morning was cooler than yesterday and matched the mood.
"I was
up all night being as sick as a dog," moaned Jasmine. "I reckon Mrs. Mohebbi's
trying to poison me!"
"Well,
I'm alright."
Jasmine
moaned and kept stopping to rub her aching tummy once in a while.
"Did
you find your magician's stuff Harry?"
"No."
And that was the conversation. Harry did not feel like talking. Jasmine just
wanted to be in bed.
The
morning saw their job completed and Harry had decided to break this gloomy
mood.
"Let's
go out this afternoon. Come on Jasmine. I think we both need cheering up."
Jasmine
was feeling better and gave Harry the one thing he had been waiting for all
day: a smile. "Sure Harry. Let's go out."
"But
let's not drink again, I think."
"Wimp!"
smiled Jasmine.
They
got on their bikes and raced off into the countryside once more. The verdant
scenery of the Surrey countryside blurred past them. The sky was getting dark
and foreboding.
"Looks
like rain Jasmine."
"Well,
we'll go back in a while."
The
pair raced on and down through lanes and into fields. Jasmine was exhausted and
wanted to rest.
"Do you
still have your wand on you Harry?" Jasmine asked as they dumped the bikes in
the long grass.
Harry
nodded eagerly. After yesterday he had clung onto this one last possession even
tighter than before.
"Can
you really do magic?" she asked, cocking her head.
"Yes.
But I can't show it to you due to Ministry restrictions."
Jasmine
threw her arms around Harry. "It doesn't matter Harry," she sighed.
Over
the grass behind them moved a large dark shadow. Harry pushed Jasmine away and
looked up: circling high above the pair was a large dark red dragon. It hovered
and fixed Harry with a stare. Harry shook Jasmine.
"Look,"
he whispered.
Jasmine
turned around and peered up at the dark clouds above. "What Harry? What do you
see?"
Thunder
rumbled. The dragon hovered over the pair. Slowly, it began to descend.
"Don't
you see it?" cried Harry.
"See
what?" bleated Jasmine. "What are you doing Harry?" she laughed nervously.
Then
the dragon swooped. Harry threw himself on top of Jasmine. She screamed in
terror as the shadow passed over Harry.
"Get
off of me!" she screamed. Harry noticed claw marks on her shoulder where it
must have caught Jasmine and torn her blouse.
Then
the sky opened up and rain thundered down in a deafening cascade of water. The
Dragon was gone. Jasmine stood up and punched Harry hard in the face, flooring
him. She leapt on her bike and raced away.
Harry got
on his bike and gave chase. They were both soaked and Harry could not see the
road properly. He wiped his glasses of rain but could not see Jasmine.
"Jasmine!
Jasmine!? Where are you?"
"She's
not here Harry," growled a voice just behind him. Harry panicked and turned his
head to see a large yellow eye staring into his. Then he heard a car-horn.
Suddenly
the bike was gone from below him, the metal of a car bonnet, the crack of
glass, the scream of pain, the tarmac growing, blurring. Wetness becoming
darkness.
Harry's
last vision was of his wand, spiralling away and snapping in two against a low
stone wall.
TO BE
CONTINUED… [mess wiv yo mind J]