From Dawn To Dusk
Chapter 6 :
Running Away

Malanda fought tears as she stormed out of the library, running at full speed towards the three flights of stairs that would take her out of the manor. She closed her eyes, letting her feet guide her and allowing her thoughts to absorb her mind. She needed to think, and suddenly she didn't care which way she ran.

Antony hit me...Moros...new wand...I trusted him...Antony...

She was clearing the first flight of stairs, now...

...have to get away...have to tell Moros...

...the second flight was in view.

...Need to learn to stand up to Antony...

She was nearly there. Her boots thunk-thunked on the stone floors and her long, dark hair fluttered behind her head. She was so close...

...show him how I really feel...

Nearly, nearly... A few steps later her feet made contact with the dew-covered grass of the courtyard. It was getting hard to see, now, what with all the thoughts that were exploding in her mind.

...can't...

She quickened her pace even more, sprinting harder across the gras...

...make any more...

...she was almost there, almost free...

...mistakes...

She skidded to a halt before a giant, carved stone fountain and dropped to her knees in sobs. Finally, now, she came within reach of her emotions; she could finally turn her senseless thinking into organized thought.

She hated Antony so much right now, she hated herself for constantly giving in to him. She didn't like him...not like that... but that didn't matter. Antony liked to take advantage of her for his own personal gain. He did whatever possible to achieve power, and usually that included charming the female Îmblânzitors. Malanda wasn't sure where she stood with Antony on this front. She was being used and knew that, but still...

With some difficulty, she reached up and gripped the edge of the stone fountain and weakly pulled herself up. She had ceased sobbing, but a waterfall of tears continued to pour down her cheeks. Kneeling there on the grass in the center of the courtyard, she stared down at her reflection in the fountain, gazing into her own eyes.

She'd been through a lot that last year at Hogwarts. Once she'd finally convinced herself that Aaron, Jeth, and the others wanted nothing more to do with her, she'd become a total recluse. Sure, she'd gone out with friends now and then, but she was also one of the most anti-social Head Girls Hogwarts had ever seen. She knew in her heart, too, that that was why she clung to Antony so closely. He gave her a feeling of acceptance... of course, she'd had a short relationship with Artemis McLandre, but even that had been awkward, and she'd ended up spending most of her time with Moros anyway.

But now...all of that was over. She had a new life, now, where she was appreciated. She didn't need Antony, because here in Romania, she had friends. Here she was accepted... accepted for who she was...

With a shaking hand, she reached into the water, gently touching the hair of her reflection so that an array of ripples expanded across her face in the fountain. She watched herself for a moment, and soon a small smile crept across her lips.

Her arm still shaking slightly, she lowered her left hand once more and withdrew a jewel-encrusted dagger from a sheath at her side. She gripped the hilt tightly as she lifted the blade – much stronger, now – to her neck. The girl shifted her right leg so that she was kneeling properly before the fountain, as well, to have better balance. She then took a firm grip on her hair with her right hand and drew in a deep breath.

A handful of dark brown hair drifted to the ground by her feet.