The circle is shivering.
It is cold, but the real reason the circle is shivering is because it is afraid.
It is strange when a group of people, especially ones so different, both share a emotion. But it was obviouse this group did .
They are whispering to eachother, but trying not to be to loud.
Scarlett smiles. She loves to scare the local village children with her storys. Scarlett knows so many amazing and scary storys . And she reads them so well ...
The circle of scared children are clinging onto eachother, wanting the story to begin, and yet hoping it never will.
Scarlett knows how to play suspence. She learnt that from the Master.
"Do you know where she gets her storys?"
"No! Where?"
"She used to be a you know what!"
Everyone gasps. They all know what you know what meens.
Scarlett laughs. The story is about to begin.
The children quieten down. Scarlett moves into the center. She laughs again, though her laugh is more bitter this time, with the memory of another circle, but no one else knows why she is laughing.
She opens her mouth. Everything grows still.
"This story is a true story, of course. All my storys are."
Everyone shivers. They wonder if this story is going to be as scary as the last.
"It happend near here. In a big house ..."
No one moves. Everyone is listening.
"Now, this story takes place in nineteen seventy nine. The Dark Lord has been gaining power for a long time now, and people are growing terrified of his name, let alone himself. So many people are giivng up their basic morals and joining him for a tiny crumb of hope. He offers protection.
But that is not all he offers.
There is this man who has just joined him. He didn't want to. Not many of them do. But he joined because he was afraid. This man is always afraid.
The Dark Lord knows this man is not a very good wizard, but he needs him for a very important job. He is a spy.
No one has found him out yet, but The Dark Lord knows that this man has made a mistake. The mistake is not very big, but the Dark Lord is angry.
This man has been punished in the past and fears punishments so much he would do anything to avoid it. But there is no escape for him.
The poor man stands in a dark room near the bottom of the house. He is shaking and his ehart is beating so loudly ... like this."
Scarlett claps her hands twice ... clap clap ... clap clap. All the children are spellbound.
"The Dark Lord is talking to him. The Dark Lord is not raising his voice. This is what makes it terrifing. The Dark Lord is hard to read.
The man is begging now. Pleading. Grovelling. Crying. He often does this. He has only been a follower for a short time, but he has already done this a lot.
I do not know if it ever works. He doesen't either. But he doesen't know what else to do.
The Dark Lord is laughing. That laugh is so chilling. Like a cold finger running down your back ..."
Scarlett suddenly grabs one of the children and runs one of her fingers down the childs arm. The child screams. So does everyone else.
Scarlett laughs and continues with the story.
"The man is growing histerical. Panicking. The Dark Lord enjoys this. He is laughing again. He is raising his wand and-"
Scarlett stops. The children are frozen. They are all staring at her.
Scarlet smiles. "The cruciartus curse is not very nice. I am sure most of you know this, but none of you have watched it being peformed. You do not know how cruel it is. How painfull ... it is a un-bearable form of torture. The Dark Lord knows this even though no one has used this curse on him. He enjoys the pain. He laughs at it.
He also has other forms of torture.
Have any of you heared of the "Lactus" curse? It makes the person you have cursed see there worst fears. It is not like a Bogart. It is a thousend, milion, billion times worse. Your fears are all around you. If you were afraid of snakes snakes would be all around you .. biting you ... and you would feel them. You can die in this curse. You may know it cannot be real but you are terrified all the same. If someone curses you with Avda Kedavra while this curse is on you you will die.
This man has not had this curse used on him before, but he knows his master is controlling it. He knows if his master lifts the wand he will be free of it. He knows he himself has not power over this. He knows he is completely at his masters mercy.
He knows his master is not mercifull.
Fear is such a amazing weapon. If the person is already scared it works fantastically well.
The Dark Lord knows this.
The Dark Lord knows everything.
There are rumours that the Dark Lord can see inside peoples heads. That he can see their fears. That is why he terrifies everyone.
But maybe he just knows that everyone is in some way the same. He knows what will scare most people.
He knows people so well. It is terrifing on it's own.
I do not know exactly what the man in tonights story is seeing or feeling. Only he and the Dark Lord can know that. Or maybe only the Dark Lord really knows.
But we all know he is petrified.
The Dark Lord is smiling. He knows his power.
He waits untill something is happening in the mans vision ... living nightmare .. whatever name you choose, before he slowly lifts his wand.
The man is crying, ... the sobs are terrified and tortured sobs.
The Dark Lord smiles again. His amusment is so obviouse you do not even have to look at him to see it. You can feel it.
The Dark Lord is completely at ease, walking slowly around the man, letting the full weight of his power sink in.
The man is begging again. He is even more scared than he was before ... it is painfull to watch.
"Now, do you think you have learnt your lesson ...?"
"Y-yes, Master. Please ... please ... please don't ... please."
The Dark Lord laughs. "I disagree ... maybe a night with Nagini will make you realise your errors propally."
"No! Please! You-you ... you can't!"
"I can't...? I think you will find I can."
The Dark Lord turns and walks away. Leaving the poor wretch with the snake ..."
Scarlett stops talking and looks around at the children. The children are terrified, it is obviouse.
Scarlett loves scaring the village children. It is a hobby of hers.
Sometimes Scarlett thinks of the past as the same village. Though she does not believe she compairs. She likes to scare them, but she would not hurt them.
The past is the past. She now makes storys about it to scare village youngsters.
It helps. It really does.