The rickety bus hits every crack in the road with my head leaned against the cold glass. I hate this street. I hate this bus. But home I do not hate. That's why I can't wait to get there. I can sit in my perfectly warm chair by the fireplace with my computer and write away till the morning comes. Enter the world I created away from here.
The bus stop and the bus driver begins to yell in a tired and overly coffee induced voice thick with New Jersey accent
"Anyone off?"
I peel my forehead from the glass and stager off the empty bus. I give him a weak smile that isn't returned. Bloody bus driver. The sounds of police, yelling voices, crying, running cats, and gun shots fill the air as I stand in front of the run down apartment building. This is the place I call home.
I walk up five flights of stairs until I come to my hallway with the ugly yellow seventies wall paper. The brown dust covered bulbs give off a sickening light. It's empty and still. I look down each side and listen with mice ears.
No one.
I walk slowly to the middle of the hallway and stand at an empty wall covered in dirt. A child screams and another gun shot sounds afar off in the streets.
One last look.
I run my finger down the wall. With one pressured push I slink through the wall like liquid.
All the sounds are gone from the outside world. The only sounds that fill my huge living room are the cracking of the wood in the fire and the ticking of my faceless clock. I place my heavy coat on the hanger and look up at the clock to make sure everyone is where they should be.
All is well. Everyone is home and in bed.
My coffee pot turns on as I enter the kitchen. It pours and my spoon stirs in three sugars and two creams. The spoon jumps in the dish washer and turns on hot wash. The mail sits by the open window in a thick stack. I scan over them. Tall letters, thick letters, but notice nothing important.
"Gin! Gin where are you girl? Come here Gin…I've got a treat for you." I make little kissing noises and snap my finger close to the floor.
"Don't tell me she's got out again. Stupid cat." I whisper to myself as my coffee cup slides into my hand. Its warmth slides down my throat warming me all over. I close my eyes dreaming to be there again. To be where I belong again. I take slow deep sips of my coffee painting a picture of where I should be behind my eyes. I open them to see the fire casting big shadows of my furniture through the wide hall. I love the sound of a cracking fire.
Slowly I sink into the warmth cocoon-like skin of my chair as it slides closer to the fire. My laptop falls into my hand which is raised in the air. It hums on and I click to my folder that holds my creation. It scrolls down to the bottom where I last wrote.
"Gin…come here girl…Where is that cat?" I begin clicking away. This probably won't stop until morning and then I'll be that much closer to being finished and that much closer to being published. Then I can hold it in my hands. The will be title in dramatic letters and my name in small print at the bottom as I pick it off a shelf.
I push some of my long black hair away from my eyes where my brow is starting to get wet. I put my hand in the air and lightly lower it. As my hand lowers so do the flames in fire until they are at a perfect level. The flames dance in my eyes. Deep green, but crystal clear like after a summer storm. I begin typing again. My train of thought falters from the storyline and I'm there again in his arms by the fire place in the Common Room holding hands with him.
Stop it, this doesn't help.
His hands rough and burned from Potions Class.
Just stop! He's gone…forever. A single tear runs down my face followed by two or three more. I wipe them away and yell for Gin again.
His voice whispers how he'll never leave; never let anything happen to me. After N.E.W.T.s we'll both go on to be Aurors. That's our destiny.
"JUST STOP!" I scream out. Adiann is gone. My brother is dead. I hear Gin meow and begin clicking again with trembling fingers. As if a sheet is thrown over the whole room everything drowns out.
The fire ceases to crack.
The humming computer lay quite.
The keys make no click.
And Gin's voice and light running steps fade out.
The air gets thick and chokes me till I stop breathing. Just stay still. I don't move. I feel my bones freeze together with my flesh. A light swishing of clothe goes across the floor. A cold draft hit my bare neck where I pulled my hair up in a loose knot. Chills go across me and my spine stiffens.
He's here. No he is not. Why would he want me? My fingers dig into the thick arms of the chair till the tips turn white. A crash of books and the sound of pages tearing echoes off the wooden floors and high ceiling. I slide my computer off my lap and onto the floor that's cold to the touch. The legs off my chair scrape the floor as it turns around to face over fifteen tall hooded figures.
Death Eaters. There is no mistaking their cloaks and breathing. Slow, hollow, and lifeless.
I press my back into the chair as I stare into the blackness of their covered heads. What do they want? Why are they here? I have nothing of any importance to Death Eaters. Maybe they're just looking to have some fun and just torture me like they so love to do. I don't even have anything worth defending besides my life and what is that worth anymore? In a crumbled heap lay all my books and sketch books on top of my piano.
I go to rise up when two figures come and take my arms holding them behind me. I don't struggle all that much. If they plan on just killing me why give them the pleasure of a fight? There is no way to get to my wand anyways.
"Living as a muggle in America? Going to a muggle college? Living in your beautiful home stuck inside a rubbish bin hidden from the muggles? Inside of a wall like a rat. Poor little orphan witch wants to live out her dreams?" His voice hisses and my breath leaves me. To dark to see, in the corner stands a very tall figure in a cloak darker than rest covered in only what can only be described as blood. A black wand uncovers from the cloak held by a dead looking arm. A hollow muttered verse and blue fire erupts from the end onto my books.
"NO! NO! STOP IT!" I fight against the arms holding me. They burn and crack just the fire place had moments before only this isn't peaceful. It's as if I can hear my books screaming out for me to save them.
"Did you honestly think I wouldn't find you? That you could just go on with your life, live your dream, and be happy as some muggle by day? Did you? Well Alianna Order members don't get by me that easily. You don't defy me and live happily…ever…after…" Another muttered curse and a screeching cat scream fills the air. A low thud and Gin is dead. Her black silk fur shimmers in the blue flame of my books and art.
"YOU BASTERED!" Tears line my face. The grip of the Death Eaters holds me tighter as I strain to get free.
"Me a bastered? Why don't you look at me when you say such awful things? Say it like you mean it. Say it to my face Alianna. Say it to the Dark Lord."
A scream that starts in my soul pours out of my mouth as I come face to face with Voldemort's eyes. Slit like, dead, and venomous.
"No…no...Why are you here? Just leave…leave...please." I cry in fear. He moves close to me till I can feel his ice cold breath on my face.
"Please? Please? Please she asks…" He sneers. A loud crack and my laptop blows up. In one moment all my dream are gone. Papers fly through the air along with ashes. My book is gone. It's gone…forever.
"NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!" I scream out and fall to my knees. It continues until my voice is nothing more than a strained scratching croak.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" I screech.
"To see you in pain my dear sweet." His long finger pulls my chin up. His icy dead touch wipes away a tear.
"Haven't you caused enough? Now I have nothing. You took my friends, my cat, my book, my dreams! What else is there?"
"Your life, my sweet." He turns and in one loud crack he is gone.
Tyler emerges from the semicircle of Death Eaters. His triumphant smile and proud look painted on his face. His thick brown hair lies across his right eye. His voice, smooth like peanut butter begins to tisk at me.
"What a shame. What a shame. Living as a muggle all this time? I would have never known. Look at yourself. You disgust me. This is why I would never have you. Why I never returned your love. Why I-"
"Why you killed my brother!"
"Why I hated you so. You were always so fat, ugly, good for nothing witch. Couldn't cast a spell if your life depended on it. Why do you think I let you cling to me for so long? Let you follow me around. Led you onto to believe I loved you? I enjoyed it. I got a thrill out of you Anna. Seeing you happy then crushing your heart over and over again on purpose. You were such great fun." He runs a soft finger down my arm. His soft brown eyes once so full of life now are shriveled in evil.
"Don't touch me you filth." I jerk away best I can.
"Your whole life all you wanted was someone to love you. When you found your brother I took it away. Just like that…poof. Your friends…poof. And all you had was me. Someone who wouldn't even have you back. You weakling of a worm. I detest you."
I strained as hard as I can with all the strength I hold against the two Death eaters so I can reach my wand and Avada Kadavra his bloody ass.
"So now it's time to rid the world of another worthless Order member and witch. We won't miss you and those stupid muggles out there won't either so don't mourn for yourself…Wait go ahead. Because if you don't no one will." The other Death Eaters circle in closer as he raises his wand. I jerk and twist trying to get away before his lips start to mutter the Unforgivable.
"Crucio!" He shouts and my voice screams an unending scream inside my head of pure pain. Every nerve ending in me seems to burst into flames. My very skin is going to melt off and my skull is going to crack open. The pain is going to kill me, but yet it's too evil to even give the pleasure of death. The intensity of the pain clouds my eyes, but in a great flash of red and all the pain drains away. People I've never seen before flood in as hexes and curses begin to fly everywhere. My arms and legs are dawn into my chest and I'm shaking. I crawl up off the floor and stager a bit. Tyler looks around trying to see what to do next about the unexpected attack. My energy comes back in an adrenaline rush as I grab him and pull him close. My face lingers close to his for a silenced moment before our lips meet. I kiss him the kiss I always wanted to give him and have in return all those years ago. Every moment with him, every touch, every word floods back and then is gone as I pull away just enough so our lips are no longer touching. His breath and mine bounce off each other.
"What was that?" He sneers.
"One last kiss…" I whisper.
In one smooth movement as in slow motion I push him back and yank out my wand. He stumbles and looks up just in time for his eyes to catch mine. His eyes go wide as he sees my pointed wand. Good-bye Tyler…With no time on his part to react my lips slowly begins to mutter.
"Avada Ked-"