Mildred had no idea where she was going or what she was running towards. All she knew was that she had to get away. Away from Miss Hardbroom, away from Cackle's, and away from the entire world. All she wanted was for this to end. She wanted her life to end. Everything was too much for her and she couldn't continue with it anymore. Every single day was torture, every emotion she felt was agony and everything she did was just awfully, awfully wrong. There was no way out. She knew she would have to live like this forever unless she didn't live at all, and she knew which option she would rather choose.
The rain was torrential by this point and the wind was so harsh that it stung against her skin. She didn't mind however. She liked the pain, it reminded her that she was still stuck in this bitter world, and that she didn't want to be in it for much longer.
Lightning struck nearby as the thunderous sounds from above were deafening her ears and blurring her senses. She had no idea where she was at this point. So many hours had passed by. All the trees looked the same and there was no life for miles. But one thing was apparent: she was well beyond the castle's walls and that's all that mattered. No one would be coming to find her out here. No one would be coming to save her from herself. Mildred was all alone.
She had been running for what felt like hours, but eventually, Mildred found that her legs were no longer able to carry her. Her body was slowly starting to give up, having been starved of energy and seriously injured all within the last 24 hours, but most important of all, her mind had decided it was her time. She wanted to go, and Mildred found herself ready to as she laid eyes on the lake that was coming into view in front of her.
She knew where she was now - Miss Drill had taken their class around here on a cross-country run many months ago. That felt so far away now. So long ago that it could have been in a different lifetime. For that's what it was back then, a different life. Mildred had been a different girl then, with different hopes and dreams, but that Mildred was no longer. The lake wasn't as far away as she thought but it was definitely far enough from the school. She could disappear here without a trace here, and no one would ever suspect it.
Salty tears were streaming down her face as she found herself hyperventilating. She couldn't ever remember feeling this much pain. She wanted to rip her heart out from the sheer agony it was causing her, so as she wished for that, she edged closer and closer to the lake. She knew that she could just slip in and sink down to the bottom. She could cast a heavy-weight spell to stop her from ever being able to come back up again, no matter how much she kicked and screamed and begged for it. Or she could just knock herself unconscious as she drifted far away from the shore. She wouldn't float forever. Maybe if she was lucky, the lightning would strike at the perfect moment, and the universe would finally win her over after trying so hard for the last few months. It would be so easy. She was their's now, she was surrendering herself.
Mildred violently shook as she launched herself forwards into the water, thrashing in violent rage as she waded through underwater roots and shrubs that caught around her ankles, trying to prevent her from going. The water was swirling around her as currents appeared within the middle of the lake. Her arms stung from the dirty water and she found herself feeling utterly hopeless.
'Weightous b-ba bb-arbatious, sinkus morphis-' she stumbled, choking over her words as she tried to cast the spell. She felt herself slowly start to sink while wading her way even further into the water, thinking about nothing other than herself and how miserable she was.
This was it, she was finally going to die. And it was all she'd ever wanted.
Meanwhile, Constance had never moved so fast in her entire life.
She had been absolutely destroyed by what Mildred had just said in Amelia's office, but seeing the girl run out that fast worried her more than anything else could as she reflected on what she had just said: 'I'm not sure I can live anymore, I'm not sure I want to live anymore'.
Miss Hardbroom knew what Mildred had gone to do. She wasn't even sure if the girl had realised where she was going herself yet, but Constance knew that she was going to try and leave this world behind, for she had finally told her the truth, and for some reason, that was the worst thing in the entire world.
She shot up from her chair like a rocket, grabbing her cloak from the back of the door before Amelia could lecture her for going out in such a dangerous storm like this. The woman just didn't get it. She didn't get anything that was to do with Mildred.
Constance just ran, shoving past bewildered students and teachers in the corridors. She ran and she ran based on her pure instincts, having no idea if this was the direction in which Mildred had also fled to. Constance didn't even have the mental capacity to think let alone use magic right now. All she could worry about was Mildred and making sure she found the girl alive. For if she didn't - if Mildred wasn't, Constance knew she would follow straight after her, right into death.
It was in that moment that Constance realised that she must love Mildred. She had known her for such a long time now, having spent almost every single day and night with the girl for four years. She had seen her at her best and of course, at her worst. She saw how Mildred brought life back into every place she entered, how her smile lit up rooms and broke down barriers. She had seen her succeed and fail, fall and try again and again. She had seen her love and be loved, inspire others and finally belong somewhere. She had watched her grow into a beautiful little character. She had witnessed every celebration and every set back, and she had always been there to pick up the pieces - every. single. time. Just as Mildred had always been around for her too. It was now that she realised how deeply she cared for Mildred, as the girl had managed to seep into every little corner of Constance's shallow life and had changed her outlook on the world for the better. She couldn't bear to loose her. Mildred had taught her too much. She meant too much. She couldn't cope with what that would do to her as heaving gasps started to leave Constance's chest, begging that Mildred would see it wasn't her time to go yet.
Unfortunately, Constance's hopes were short lived as the ominous lake started to creep into view in front of her. Mildred had walked right into the middle it of it and was beginning to struggle as she fell further and further submerged into the water. Constance could hear her cries from the shoreline as she watched in horror at the scene unfolding in front of her.
'MILDRED - MILDRED NO!! STOP IT, PLEASE STOP IT. COME BACK, COME BACK HERE PLEASE!' Constance wailed, holding her arms out in a separate attempt to reach the girl, alas to no avail. She was sobbing by this point too, mascara smudged all down her cheeks as she found herself unable to cope with the agony she was feeling anymore. It was destroying her as she struggled to see through her own tears. This was her girl. One of her girls that she had been responsible over for so many years. This was her child who she had looked after since her first year here, and now the girl was trying to leave her behind before she'd even had the chance to save her. Constance had failed her.
With that final revelation, she had dived head first into the water before she could give it a second thought. She didn't think about the storm above or the lightning that could strike at any moment. She didn't think about removing her cloak or her boots as she felt them weigh her body down. She didn't think about what was happening in front of her at all. All she could think about was Mildred - saving Mildred - for the girl was in terrible danger.
As the potions teacher came closer and closer, Mildred desperately tried to swim away, but her body was too weak. The water was freezing as well as strong, being sat in a brutal storm right in the middle of October. The only thing she could do was continue to recite the spell that she wanted so badly to drag her under the water.
'Weightous b-barbatious, sinkus morphis, ilio alio aquatortis. WEIGHTOUS BARBATIOUS SINKUS MORPHIS-'
Before Mildred could finish yelling the spell, she was pulled straight under. Constance didn't even have the chance to process what had just happened. The girl had completely disappeared and she thought for a second that she was gone forever, for, if it wasn't for her presence, she was.
The next thing Miss Hardbroom knew was that she had also been pulled rapidly underwater herself, at a violent angle. She hadn't cast the spell, and nor had Mildred, but something almost natural within her body had pulled her down at record speed, exactly below the spot where Mildred had been just seconds before. Her hair was cascading around her face, having fallen from her up-do long ago, as she finally came face to face with Mildred under the water.
Even from below, she could tell that the girl was terrified, probably regretting what she had started to do. If Constance hadn't have been here, she believed Mildred would have realised she didn't actually want to go, as she was currently thrashing at the water around her, unable to breathe and slowly starting to drown.
Her form tutor pleaded with her silently under the water, but Mildred was not able to experience clear thoughts right now. However, as she briefly looked up at the woman in front of her, with her long hair floating around the both of them, Mildred almost believed she was some sort of guardian angel. She looked ethereal. She was so pure and so beautiful as she flicked her wrist towards Mildred's shoes before placing both of her hands directly under Mildred's arms, wrapping her in an embrace before lifting her hands towards the surface, launching them both upwards from the lake's bed.
After what felt like years, they both surfaced, thrashing at the water around them and gasping for breath. Mildred had not let go of Constance but was still inconsolable. Constance couldn't quite tell if she was going to try again or not, or if she had finally accepted defeat.
'NO - LET ME DIE! Please let go of me miss, please don't make me stay here any longer, I just want to go' Mildred bawled as she clutched on to Constance for dear life. Her chin was resting in the nook of Constance's neck and her face was leaning against the side of her teachers as sobs continued to rack her body. Her arms were tightly clasped around her upper back and she refused to let go, clawing for as much closeness as humanely possible. It was then that Miss Hardbroom realised that the child did not mean her words - she just wanted her pain to end. Constance knew she had saved her life as she held onto Mildred tightly before slowing trying to move her forwards towards the shore again. Both of them were absolutely exhausted.
Once she they reached the shore, Mildred had become too weak to stand up, so Constance scooped her up in her arms, carrying her like a small baby as the child sobbed into her chest, with her arms looped around her neck.
They then both collapsed onto the earthy floor by the side of the lake. They were covered in mud and rain, weeds were also strewn across their hair and their clothes as they held onto one another for a little while in the midst of the storm.
Constance was the first to speak again.
'Please stay until the morning, Mildred. I promise the monsters wont seem so big in the daylight' she whispered into her ear.
All Mildred could do was silently nod before her eyes began to drift shut. She was absolutely wiped out by everything that had just happened.
With that reassurance, Miss Hardbroom managed to sum up enough energy to apparate them both straight into her own bedroom, before getting an unconscious Mildred changed into Constance's dressing gown and leaving her to sleep under her plush duvet, stroking her head as she did so.