Chapter 30: The Worst That Could Happen Part 3
"Leanne!"
"Leanne!"
"Leanne, come back!"
"We can't be out here!"
"LEANNE!"
How had she gotten away so quickly? I could run pretty fast, but I lost her in the forest.
The forbidden forest. The VERY forbidden forest. The forest with the strange noises, that was forbidden. The story of forbidden fruit came to mind. Eve bit that apple. Leanne ran into the forest. Then Adam had some apple. And now I'm entering the forest too.
We're both going to get kicked out of school. Why did I follow her?
"One of you is going to die before the school year is out."
"The point wasn't for you to find Leanne. You don't get it, do you? The price is going to be paid. There's no getting around it, no matter how hard you try. One of you will die…"
"Why can't we help each other? Hufflepuff are kind, right?..."
"You don't know what it takes to be Hufflepuff."
"The list reads as follows. Number eight, Leanne Merrymount-"
"Leanne came to me begging for a way that she could prove herself more capable than any of you lot. She was desperate for a way to show you up in particular. The precious McGowen who's only been ranked first because of your birth parents."
I wasn't paying very good attention to where I was going. The trees grew thicker until they blocked the sun. Had she even ran this far? Maybe I missed her in the dark and she'd turned around. That's what I should do. Turn around. "OOF!" There was a sharp pain in my foot and then immediately in my head. I think I had fallen? I did. And I hit my head. My vision was swimming. Everything was blurring and doubled in the way that I only ever experienced during an episode.
I landed in something wet and when I looked to my hands, they were silver and felt sticky. Whatever I landed in was thick and it smelled like…like…like honey? And farts? Like a sweet pie but filled with rotten eggs. The combination of the smell, the pain, and my eyesight made me throw up. I'm sure I looked a gross mess. I couldn't even lift my arm to wipe my chin without missing and there were chunks dripping down my neck.
I should have left.
Black spiderwebs began to take over my vision. Maybe if I just closed my eyes for a little? I laid back into the wet mess and rested my eyes for just a little. I must have hit my head pretty hard because I kept hearing this…a chattering click clacking sound. Like when Professor McGonagall chased after one of the students down the hall. I was hearing a lot of Ms. McGonalls.
A cold settled over me and I knew Death was nearby.