Chapter Three: Escape
I have to get out of here, what am I going to do?! She's going to find me and they're going to kill me! Harri was panicking, unsure of what she should do. She dove under the bed in hope that they wouldn't see her, but she knew with Ripper coming there wasn't much of a chance. I always hated that dog, and now he's finally going to kill me. And if he doesn't the Dursleys and Marge will finish the job. Again, why do these things always happen to me.
The door slammed open, rattling the hinges and hitting the wall so hard chipped paint fluttered from the ceiling to the floor. Harri's shaking increased, rattling her body so hard her teeth chattered and she held her breath. Ripper burst through the door howling and snarling, with Aunt Marge thundering in behind him. "Girl! Where is the little freak?! Find her for mommy Ripper! Dig the little freak out of whatever hole she's managed to hide in." Harri's heart fell into her stomach when immediately Ripper came charging towards the bed. Everything was a blur, one second she was hiding safely under the bed, and the next ripping pain tore through her as she was dragged out from her spot under the bed.
Everything was muddled as Ripper continued to bark, biting her and still dragging her towards Aunt Marge. Aunt Marge's shrieks and yelling from the Dursley's as they stormed up the stairs, sounding like a herd of elephants. This is it. This is how I finally die. It's almost funny, I survive Voldemort, and dozens of other insane things, yet here I am. About to be murdered by my own family. Surprisingly it didn't hurt too much. They had never really been much of a family. The Dursleys had always hated her, even when she was too young to even understand what hate was. But she had learned quickly, by the sting of Uncle Vernon's belt, or Aunt Petunia's frying pan, or even Dudley's fat little fists. No, she thought. They were never family. And maybe that's why she didn't feel so bad about this whole situation. She didn't feel betrayed because she had never trusted them. Sure she was afraid, terrified really, she didn't want to die. But there was nothing she could do. No amount of fear or crying would stop what was sure to happen. And yes, she would struggle, she wouldn't make it easy for them, but there was also a sort of acceptance she felt. For her death. And that scared her more than everything.
She felt determination surge through her as she was yanked up by the scruff of the neck, quite painfully, by Uncle Vernon. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to make it easy. There was screaming and chaos as she squirmed and scratched at him to no avail. "That filthy little freak brought one of her freaky pets into my house and had the nerve to leave?! When I find her I'll beat some sense into her freaky, little, air filled head! Vernon boomed. "Lets kill it Dad! And show her what happens to freaks and their freaky pets!" Dudley squealed, laughing and sweating from too much excitement. Vernon tightened his hold on her and started storming down the stairs. "Petunia! Get me a sack that'll hold this monster", Uncle Vernon yelled, and Aunt Petunia came running in with a burlap sack, just large enough to stuff her inside.
Harri yowled and struggled but with a punch to the head and a large hand squeezing the life from her she was jammed into the sack, that was quickly closed and tied shut. Uncle Vernon hollered on his way out the door, "I'm going to throw it off the bridge and into the water, it'll never survive that, a freak or not. Stay here I will be back soon, rid of this filthy thing." Harri could hear the muffled voice of Aunt Petunia apologizing to Aunt Marge and the whiny voice of Dudley pouting that he wanted to go help get rid of the freak's freaky pet. That's all Harri heard before the door was slammed and she was thrown roughly onto the floor of what she assumed was the car.
The drive was short and had Harri being thrown about and trying not to cry out every time one of her wounds was jostled. Uncle Vernon came to a jerky stop and she heard the car doors slamming before her sack was snatched up and she was taken out of the car. Harri felt fear shoot through her, wondering what her Uncle was about to do. She braced herself and not a second later she felt herself flying through the air. There were a few wonderful seconds where she was airborne and free before she came down hard with a splash into the terrifying, cold water below. Harri squirmed and struggled, holding her breath, but nothing was working. She was trapped, drowning, and she was going to die. Harri felt water fill her lungs and saw darkness blurring her vision. She gave her last bit of energy to a few more halfhearted attempts of escape, before letting herself fall into oblivion.