Not having my parents by my side was starting take its toll on me. The feeling of abandonment was beginning to sprout like a weed, planting roots within my heart. My second year of school had come to its closure and not having my mother or seeing my father was starting to ache more and more.
After stepping into my room and locking the door behind me- both manually and magically- I quickly went and sat on my bay window, pulling my legs up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them, staring out into the starlit midnight sky, wondering if my parents were alright and if I'd ever see them alive again.
I lost track of time as I stared into the blinking stars in the darkened starry sky, soon I began to see the stars disappear under the flashes of purple, pink, orange and yellow sky. I was startled out of my revere when I heard two loud knocks on the door of my bedroom. Realizing I never unlocked my door, I sighed as I stretched out my body, feeling the pinpricks going up and down the length of my appendages. I giggled uncomfortably as I wobbled unsteadily towards the door, unlocking it manually and magically.
I was met with both a worried Leilah, Tom, and their mother as I cracked the door opened. Misty quickly squeezing into the room through the cracked open door and jumping onto the unslept bed. I smiled sadly at her, shaking my head as I watched her stretch on the bed before she threw herself onto her side, curling in on herself as she did so.
"Good morning." I greeted tiredly.
"Annie, why didn't you tell me Tom was the one who was studying dark magic?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips, and raising an eyebrow at me.
My eyes flicked to Leilah's in question, before she shook her head slowly, eyes wide in response.
"I-I... w-hoo-who told you that Aunt Mer?" I asked, trying to conceal my shock.
"I took one look at him and knew. I can look daft but I am from being so." She said, crossing her arms, looking at me amused.
"You're not daft, Aunt Mer." I disagreed, sighing before I began my explanation. "It's not that I didn't want to tell you, I-it's just- "
She automatically raised an eyebrow, "Don't lie. Tom and Leilah already told me that he asked you not to tell me. To which they've already received punishment for... I understand that you were trying to protect him but you three were going about this the wrong way." She reprimanded, looking at both of us.
I nodded, feeling my upper lip begin to tremble.
"You know, if you ever need to talk that I am right down the hall, right?" She whispered, kneeling before me to make eye contact.
I nodded, looking down at me feet, tiredly.
"Go freshen up, you're going to eat breakfast then come back up here to get some rest. No arguments, you didn't sleep, I know this is the first day of summer break but nothing is worth compromising your health." She said, standing upright, eyeing my knowingly as she took in my tired stance, and clothes I'd worn the night before.
"I also know that there has been an ongoing argument between Tom and you, that stops this instant. After you're nap I want you to go downstairs to the sitting room, then we shall discuss the problem going on between you two. No questions asked, I don't want to hear it. End of discussion." She said, as she put an arm around Tom's shoulder and lead him down the stairs to the kitchen.
Sighing tiredly, I went into the bathroom, showered quickly, and changing into a nice summer dress before draping a shawl on my shoulders, slipping on my sandals, before I braided my hair and going down the stairs, through the narrow hall and into the kitchen.
When I walked into the kitchen my sense of smell was assaulted by different foods. I slowly stepped into the room, eyeing all the food that was on display, as I sat down on the breakfast nook. Merope quickly grabbed one of the plates from the counter near the stove and set it before me. It had too much food on it, more than I could probably eat.
"Eat. You don't have to finish the food, but you do have to at least eat a portion of it." She said as she sat down.
"What's with all the food?" I asked, eyeing the weird concoctions that were place before us.
"Oh... well, I decided to try different things earlier. However, some of the food isn't edible." She admitted, as she began eating from the plate before her.
I heard Leilah and Tom let out a snort before getting the evil eye from their mother, shutting them up immediately.
Interesting enough I managed to finish most of the food on the plate before my exhaustion crept back into me. Noticing how tired I was Merope quickly excused me, and told me to go rest while she cleared the table, and washed the dishes.
All I remember was slipping off my shoes before climbing into bed with Misty cuddling on my side. When I woke up the sun was now shining the opposite direction of what it was when I fell asleep. Realizing that Merope probably wanted me to go down soon as I woke up, slipping my sandals back onto my feet, went to the bathroom to wash the sleep off my face, and made my way down to sitting room, with Misty strutting behind me as I did.
I was met with the sight of Merope calmly sitting down in my mom's old chair, while Tom paced along the far wall, next to the windows. Leilah laying half-hazardlessly on the floor with her feet up on one of the empty armchairs.
"Well... isn't this a unusual site. What did you want to discuss, Aunt Mer?" I ask, sitting down on the overstuffed chesterfield, with Misty hoping onto my lap, purring as I stroked her fur softly.
"First, I want to know why you were both fighting, and in nonspeaking terms." She said, looking up from her knitting.
I looked down at Misty, focusing on stroking her head, trying to ignore the gaze I felt. Finally, I heard Tom sigh, before he plopped down on the other end of the chesterfield, making Misty hiss at him.
"I didn't exactly tell her I was studying dark magic, she found out one day through the telepathic link, when it slipped my mind." He said, almost grumbling.
"That's not all.." Leilah chanted from her spot on the ground.
Merope stared shock at him before she regained her composure, and looked over to me. "You hurt her feelings, and you expect her to talk to you? Tom, even I know you're not that dafo think that are you?" She asked incredulously.
"My feelings were hurt... not because he didn't tell me, but because he included someone else, I had to find out when he let it slip through his mind. Its the lack of trust that hurt me not the fact he was studying the dark arts." I said.
That's right. Let him have it! Leilah thought amused.
Merope was quiet before she finally looked at me, nodding before she stood up. "You can go now, Sophie. I know that things have been difficult for you, especially not have your parents at your side. Get some more rest, you look tired. We'll continue this discussion tomorrow." She said, as she stood up, and made her way out of the room.
I left right behind with Misty right behind me. Feeling too tired to do anything else I quickly climbed up the stairs. By the time I made it into my bed I could feel my eyes close on their own accord. I blindly shut the door, and made my way to the bed.
As my head hit the pillow I began to feel a weird feeling from the pit of my stomach. Knowing already what it was I let it happen, I let myself be pulled into a vision as I felt myself being pulled into a dark abyss.