Chapter 32: The Worst That Could Happen Part 4

Back home in Mississippi, we had this yellow flower printed porch swing. When I was smaller, I'd throw my legs over the back and hang my head over the edge of the seat. And every now and then I'd reach my arms down and give the swing a push. I liked being upside down like that. I could feel the blood rush to my face, and my hair would swing back and forth cooling my scalp. I'd wear shorts under my skirt so nothing showed if it flipped up. I hadn't realized I missed those moments. Mama loved that porch swing. She'd had it since she was a little girl even.

She never forgave me for flipping the house on it.

If I concentrated real hard, I could almost imagine I was back in that moment. Hair swinging in the breeze, blood rushing to my face. I just needed to reach out and give the swing another push.

My arm felt fixed to my side. It wouldn't budge. Neither of them would. Slowly I pried my eyes open at to sound of quiet sobbing. The hot southern sun was nowhere to be found. It was dark. My eyes were blurry, but the trees of the forbidden forest finally came into focus. "What's going on?" I croaked. I didn't even recognize my own voice. I almost sounded like a frog.

And why was I hangin' upside down?

Instant panic shot through me. Where was I?! What happened?! I looked around but I couldn't see anyone, and I was dangling from a tree. Something very sticky and strong like a superglue had me cocooned from the shoulders down. I couldn't even wiggle a finger. "Hello!" I yelled out, listening to nothing but my own echo reply. "Is anyone there?! Help!"

"Don't waste your breath," came a growl from behind me. I recognized that voice.

"Leanne? Leanne is that you?" When the voice didn't respond I craned my neck to try and see. The cocoon wiggled just a little in that direction, so I kept it up, using the momentum until the string holding me up twisted me back and forth. There was Leanne, hanging from a branch behind me. "Leanne!" I shouted between passes. It made me dizzy to keep spinning back and forth like this but how else would I see the sour look on her face? "I found you!"

I think she rolled her eyes but I couldn't tell too clearly. "You sure about that?" I tried better to focus on her whenever she came into my line of vision. Her face looked a lot like a tomato. Did I look like that? "You shouldn't have come after me."

I tried my best to shrug but my shoulders didn't move at all. "Well we're here now. Where exactly are we? How did we get up here-"

"Keep your voice down," she hissed. "Or they'll hear you."

The spinning slowed until I swayed back and forth without being able to see her anymore. "Who?"

She almost seemed to choke on her answer. "The spiders."

Spiders? I wasn't afraid of spiders. "Well that ain't no big deal." I tried using my head to bounce my cocoon, testing the strength of the string I hung from. "If I could just get loose, I'll take off my shoe and-"

"Are you trying to land on your head? You won't get loose but if you did, you'd crack open like a cantaloupe." I stopped bouncing and looked down. I suppose she had a point. I should pray on it before trying again. I may not know how to get loose, but maybe Jesus would. "And I think you don't know exactly what kind of spiders trapped us up here."

"How did you get up here, Leanne?"

It was quiet for a moment. "I'm not sure exactly. And what does it matter anyway? You felt it." She didn't need to el…explain further. I knew what she meant, even if I wasn't sure what it was. "This is it, Mary. We're going to die. You really really should have just minded your own."

Death? I could feel the cold again. No! No no. I wasn't going to die. WE weren't going to die. I didn't come this far to die. Dean and Daphne would start to wonder where I was right? They'd come looking for me eventually. And Cedric- "Cedric! Cedric somehow always knows where I am. He'll find us! He's like a sheer on a sheep, he couldn't get any closer. Never lets me out of his sight for long. He's my Guide after all."

Leanne snorted at that. "Must be nice." But somehow, I could feel the small bit of hope coming from her, even though I couldn't see her.

And I could feel it fade as the hours winded down. It grew even darker. It got colder. These spider webs did nothing to keep us warm while we hung here. I couldn't feel my legs anymore.

"He isn't coming, is he?"

My teeth chattered. I could see my breath. "He'll be here. We just have to have faith that the Lord will guide him here…this deep into the Forbidden Forest."

"The Lord?"

"Do you believe in God, Leanne?"

"What, you mean like Merlin?"

Sometimes I forgot magic was religion here. "No. I prayed to God back in Mississippi. I prayed He would change my life. Maybe help me find out what really happened to my parents. Then a demon-err, a witch appeared. Brought me here. It was too late for me to meet my parents, but I suppose I had never met them anyway. Nothing to miss there. At least I found out my mom wasn't a prostitute."

Leanne choked on her spit. "Why would you think that?!"

"My Mama told me. She said she found me in a dumpster. That some teenage prostitute dumped me there."

"…If she found you in the dumpster, how does she know who dumped you there?"

It was quiet. I think I didn't have anything to say because I was faced with a very obvious question that highlighted how stupid I was. Leanne was raised English. These are the types of things you know to think when you're English.

I had a lot to learn.

"What-…what kind of prayers do you usually..um..pray?"

I was starting to get sleepy. Surely Cedric had noticed I was missing by now? Dinner had to have already started. "You can say anything really. Praying to God is all about just having a conversation. Most days I just tell him what I did that day. Pray for the motivation to do my homework." Oh did I just hear Leanne giggle. "Or if you know any Psalms, those are good too. Sometimes repeating them can make you feel better."

"Like what?"

I tried my best to shake off the sleep. I swung my head to build up the same momentum as before so I could spin and see Leanne again. Her face looked like a plum now. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Something like that. It helps me be brave when I feel scared and alone. Like when I have to go to the dentist er somethin'."

"What is a dentist?"

"Oh, um, someone who uh, cleans your teeth."

"Can muggles not clean their own teeth?"

"No, uh, I guess not." There was another pause before we both broke into laughter. I almost choked on my spit. The bit of if I coughed up dripped into my eye, reminding me of whatever was crusted to my eyelashes. Mud? Probably.

Another hour passed and it grew even colder. I felt myself beginning to fall asleep when suddenly, I heard a distant rattling sound. No not rattling. Click clacking? It was the same noise I heard when I passed out the first time. "Oh no," Leanne whispered. Her voice trembled. "They're back."

I threw my head with as much energy as I could muster. The sound came from behind me. At first there was nothing. Leanne began sobbing, tears rolling into her blonde bangs. I looked passed her, but I couldn't see anything at first.

And then I did.

First it they looked like stars in the sky. Glassy yellow and red reflections catching what little moonlight shined through the trees. It was beautiful. Then the first spider stepped out of the tree-line into the clearing. It was HUGE. At least the size of a German Shepheard. Then another, then another until they painted the floor. Their feet made soft thumps in the dirt but their pincers clicking together is what echoed into the woods. They were so big. So, SO BIG. I shouldn't have come here. The hair on my neck stood. We were in real trouble this time. I mean, with those trolls I was afraid, sure. But I wasn't alone. I had Dean and Daphne. I had my wand. I had magic. I had God.

As I watched the spiders climb the trees we hung from, terror gripped me. It's the first time since coming to Hogwarts that I felt like…this is a Godless place.

(Hey Everyone! Thank you so much to everyone that's been reading and an extra special thank you to anyone that left a review, followed or favorited. It really is a motivation and the notifications that pop up on my phone reminds me to try and make time to write when my mind is elsewhere. I've had a bit of a rough pregnancy. Then we found out my husband was going overseas so I am currently caring for the most adorable baby that needs all the love and attention and more attention in the world. She's a month old and in those few moments where she naps I selfishly chose to eat or sleep or shower. Now that she's a month old and I am getting slightly more sleep day to day, I will try to update more. Thank you all again!)