Chapter 14
I said those words to hurt him, I didn't truly hate him, I knew that. But I wanted to break him, to crack his shell, to get under his skin like he got under mine. I wanted to make him feel, though I didn't believe that he ever would. It was worth a try.
I was strangely calm as I walked out of the dungeons and up toward the lighter, more airy floors above and out the large doors. I noticed that the weather was still very cold, but at least it wasn't raining today. I hope I get sick, I thought. And become deathly ill, and then they'll all feel sorry for me. I walked across the grounds and began to wonder if I should turn back and get my cloak or some gloves. It was still January after all, and it could turn even colder any moment. No, I decided. I'm being dramatic, and it would ruin the drama if I went back up to my room to get a coat.
So, I kept on going, walking again, to I knew not where. This time, instead of heading toward the lake, I marched purposefully toward the Forbidden Forest.
And what, snapped that little voice, exactly are you going to do when you get there?
"I don't know yet!" I shouted, and then clapped my hand over my mouth. I glanced behind me to make sure no one was following. Of course, no one was.
Talking to yourself now. First you hear voices, and then you talk back. What next, hallucinations?
The already overcast sky seemed to turn darker the nearer I came to the ancient trees. At last I stood on the edge of the grass, hesitating, wondering if I truly should cross the threshold and step onto the mossy carpet. I could be expelled... but then again, I'll probably be expelled anyway. Never mind that, I am distraught. They'll forgive me. And even if they don't, I'll move to London and live like a muggle.
I took a deep breath and dove in. For the first few minutes I couldn't understand why the forest was deemed so dangerous. Students were once allowed to come here, weren't they? Why can't we go in now? I won't get lost, if that's what they're worried about.
I kept thinking about the events of the past two months: the kidnapping, the gossiping, Snape, Franco... I soon realized that I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I stopped and looked behind me, wondering how long I had been walking. I couldn't see anything familiar. There was no longer a path, or much clearing of any sort, actually.
If I just keep walking, I'm bound to come out of the end. This forest can't go on forever...
"Maybe it does," I whispered.
I felt even colder now, and the sun seemed to be going down. It can't be that late already, can it? I was starting to feel a bit creeped out. There were sounds everywhere. Each time I stepped on a twig or leaf, the cracking sound seemed to echo all around me, as if little beasts were mocking me from behind the gnarly trees. Once I even heard a shrieking sound come from not so very far away. I'm not scared, I'm not scared, I chanted to myself, but even as I said those words, my pulse began to quicken and I began to stumble on the roots and stones.
"Weeeeeeeiiiiioooooouuuuuu!"
I screamed and turned, running away from the screeching sound. I looked over my shoulder to make sure nothing was chasing me, and smacked my head into a low tree limb.
Ow, I vaguely remember thinking, before everything went black.
I said those words to hurt him, I didn't truly hate him, I knew that. But I wanted to break him, to crack his shell, to get under his skin like he got under mine. I wanted to make him feel, though I didn't believe that he ever would. It was worth a try.
I was strangely calm as I walked out of the dungeons and up toward the lighter, more airy floors above and out the large doors. I noticed that the weather was still very cold, but at least it wasn't raining today. I hope I get sick, I thought. And become deathly ill, and then they'll all feel sorry for me. I walked across the grounds and began to wonder if I should turn back and get my cloak or some gloves. It was still January after all, and it could turn even colder any moment. No, I decided. I'm being dramatic, and it would ruin the drama if I went back up to my room to get a coat.
So, I kept on going, walking again, to I knew not where. This time, instead of heading toward the lake, I marched purposefully toward the Forbidden Forest.
And what, snapped that little voice, exactly are you going to do when you get there?
"I don't know yet!" I shouted, and then clapped my hand over my mouth. I glanced behind me to make sure no one was following. Of course, no one was.
Talking to yourself now. First you hear voices, and then you talk back. What next, hallucinations?
The already overcast sky seemed to turn darker the nearer I came to the ancient trees. At last I stood on the edge of the grass, hesitating, wondering if I truly should cross the threshold and step onto the mossy carpet. I could be expelled... but then again, I'll probably be expelled anyway. Never mind that, I am distraught. They'll forgive me. And even if they don't, I'll move to London and live like a muggle.
I took a deep breath and dove in. For the first few minutes I couldn't understand why the forest was deemed so dangerous. Students were once allowed to come here, weren't they? Why can't we go in now? I won't get lost, if that's what they're worried about.
I kept thinking about the events of the past two months: the kidnapping, the gossiping, Snape, Franco... I soon realized that I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I stopped and looked behind me, wondering how long I had been walking. I couldn't see anything familiar. There was no longer a path, or much clearing of any sort, actually.
If I just keep walking, I'm bound to come out of the end. This forest can't go on forever...
"Maybe it does," I whispered.
I felt even colder now, and the sun seemed to be going down. It can't be that late already, can it? I was starting to feel a bit creeped out. There were sounds everywhere. Each time I stepped on a twig or leaf, the cracking sound seemed to echo all around me, as if little beasts were mocking me from behind the gnarly trees. Once I even heard a shrieking sound come from not so very far away. I'm not scared, I'm not scared, I chanted to myself, but even as I said those words, my pulse began to quicken and I began to stumble on the roots and stones.
"Weeeeeeeiiiiioooooouuuuuu!"
I screamed and turned, running away from the screeching sound. I looked over my shoulder to make sure nothing was chasing me, and smacked my head into a low tree limb.
Ow, I vaguely remember thinking, before everything went black.