Behind Amethyst Eyes

Chapter 6- Voldemort is Real

        UGH! I throw my pen down on my notebook in a heap of frustration. I have a term paper due in three days and not a single damn word on the paper. I sit in the middle of my bed with my legs crossed surrounded by textbooks and highlighted papers. I silently scold myself for picking such a broad and heavy topic like ‘the causes of educational shortcomings of foster children: abuse and neglect’. The professor said pick something close to our hearts and put everything we have into it. Naturally, I picked the darkest thing I could think of. Letting out an exasperated sigh, I throw myself back against my pillows and close my eyes.

            It’s been a week since Daniel walked out. A week since my hand magically healed itself in mere minutes. I had sat there for a while trying to wrap my mind around how it happened. I even tested this new-found magic. I had grabbed the steak knife and cut my finger open. I waited and within a minute, there was nothing there except a thin line of pink skin. The next day, I made the appointment to get my cast off, 2 weeks before I should have. I had to convince the doctor to take it off early and just check. He was surprised that there were no lingering fractures or weakness of muscle for being in a cast for a month. He had said, “You are one lucky girl”. Hah! One lucky girl my ass.

            I looked for Daniel that day at the hospital, even asked the nurses at the front desk if they knew his schedule. They told me he took the week off. So there went my only way of finding him since I still don’t have his number. I’ve been angry all week, lashing out at every inconvenience. I haven’t told Katie about what happened, but she knows something is off. Her and I don’t fight, but I’ve lashed out more this week than I ever have before. My extra moodiness is uncharacteristic and we both know it.

            I want to know where he has been. What he has been doing. What he is thinking. More than anything, I want answers and I think Daniel has them. So many questions have been running through my mind. What do my eyes have to do with anything and why does he think we’re destined for each other? There’s only one thing I know for certain. I’m not going to get any answers until Daniel comes back. I make it my mission right then to find Daniel and demand answers to the questions that have been plaguing me all week.

            I look back at the mound of books and papers scattered around me. I sigh as I know I won’t be getting any work done with my mind as cluttered and confused as it is. I shove everything aside, put on my boots, and walk out the door. The warm sun beats down on my pale skin as it sits on its throne in the middle of the sky. Late March can be a tricky time of year in West Virginia. While the sun and the actual temperature is fairly warm, the breeze still holds a stinging bite to it. Needing the time to think, I abandon my car and decide for a long walk. My boots hit the sidewalk with excessive force as I push all my aggression through my steps. The brisk wind ruffles the leaves of the tall oaks and the birds chirp along without a care in the world. I find slight comfort in the calmness of nature in the early evening. I walk with no destination in mind, not caring how far I go.

            During my walk, I take in the scenery around me. The white rose bushes framing the sidewalk adds color to green landscape surrounding it. Newly laid mulch adds a certain aroma, though not necessarily an appealing one. Squirrels meander in and out of the streets, looking for any scrap of food they can find. The charming houses, different in color from one to the next, look quaint and homey. As I walk, I imagine the lives of the families living in them. The bright yellow house with the white picket fence has a son and daughter who get along perfectly. They all go to church on Sundays and then have a big southern meal when they get home. The baby blue house with the overgrown but tame garden inhabits an elderly couple who have been married for over fifty years. They have eleven grandchildren who visit frequently. They sip their morning coffee and sometimes bicker on their front porch swing as most elder couples do. Then the deep burgundy, slightly run-down house is owned by a newly married couple. They’re young, probably early twenties, and bought their starter home. They’ll probably get a small dog soon.

            As I make up stories for the rest of the homes I pass, the day slips away from me. The sun started its descent right around the same time I created the story of the faded green house with the disgruntled teenager and worried mother. I hadn’t realized just how far, nor where, I walked until the sky was full of bright yellow and orange outlined in a line of pink and a sea of purple that fades into deep blue. I reach into my pocket to grab my phone but come up empty. s**t, I think to myself. I guess I’ll be making the long trek home on foot.

            As the night begins to take over, the air chills. I silently curse myself for forgetting my phone or, at the very least, my jacket. I shiver and wrap my arms around myself as a gust of wind whips all around me. Goosebumps rise on my arms and my hair is knotted in a clumpy mess surrounding my face. Pinprick needles form on the back of my neck as I shiver but not from the chill of the night. I get the funny feeling like I’m being watched or followed, but when I turn around, nobody is there. The wind picks up, thrashing and raging through the trees. The branches creak and moan as if they are a young child talking back to its mother. Thunder rings out in a demanding boom over my head and rain begins to pelt my skin. As I walk, the streetlights crack fizzle as they explode around me. I begin to pick up my pace to get home quicker. I’m almost at a sprint as fear begins to bubble deep in my gut. This ominous weather only heightens my fear. I glance back again but still see nothing.

            The wind picks up only, this time, I could almost swear that something was whispered in the onslaught appearing before me. Aquarian, a scratchy, eerie voice whispers. The word brings about a chill that the wind couldn’t accomplish. I’m sprinting at full force now. My lungs burn and my legs ache as I run away from whatever is out there. As I attempt to look backwards, I swear there are three hooded figures about five hundred feet behind me. My eyes widen and I turn back to look in front of me when a thunderous boom rings out from above, frightening me enough to trip over the uneven sidewalk. I skid across the concrete, scraping my hands and knees. I scramble around to find the figures much closer. Their hands are held out to their sides, palms pointed to the sky, with tiny black orbs floating just above. The closer they get, the more I can see they’re not solid black orbs, but what looks like black smoke in the shape of a circle.

            The three figures are dressed alike with dark pants, dark shirts and long, flowy black hooded capes. They each have a matching set of glowing white eyes. As they creep closer, I notice their skin pale, like the sun has never kissed it. The storm continues to rage on as time seems to freeze. It yanks their hoods off, showing the dark ink of tattoos wrap up their necks and billows out across their bald heads. The one on the left turns to whisper to the other figures. As he does this, I notice his ears are melded to his head. Their noses are void of skin, looking like Voldemort's. While they seem to be distracted, I get up quietly, letting the raging storm act as a silencer. I take one last glance and run away. 

    I run like I never have before, feeling my muscles ache and fatigue but pushing myself past my limits. Just then, something whizzes past my ear and lands a few feet in front of me. I quickly slow to a stop as I see a spot on the sidewalk that's been charred. I turn around with my hands held up in front of me.

    "Please don't hurt me. I won't say anything. Please just let me go," I try to plead. The one in the middle raises its left arm pointing his hand, along with the orb, at me. He shoots the black orb and I dive to my left through the bushes, narrowly escaping it. Thorns from the bushes scrap and pierce my skin as I try to untangle myself. I manage to do so just in time as another black orb is flying my way, but I wasn't so lucky. Instead of hitting me in the chest as was the intended target, the orb managed to hit my leg instead. Pain erupts as the orb sears its way into my skin. The smell of burnt flesh permeates the air. I look down and see a gaping hole in my jeans as well as a crater in my shin where chunks of flesh and muscle have burnt away. 

    I wish more than anything I could just get out of here. I want to be anywhere but here. As the three figures close the distance between us, I close my eyes in anticipation of the end. At least I'll be with my parents soon enough. I focus on their sweet faces as I place my hands over my heart. I think of happy memories with them holding me close, reading me bedtime stories, and always letting me know how much they love me. As I think this, I feel a warmth spread through me, slowly at first. It builds and builds until I feel as if I had already exploded. Surely this is what death feels like; explosion, then nothing. I stay there a second waiting for something more final. I still feel the pain in my leg so I can't be dead yet, can I? 

    I slowly open my eyes to find the hooded figures are gone. I look around to find that I'm not on the sidewalk anymore and the bushes I flew into have disappeared. Instead, I find the gas station near my house two blocks away. I have no idea how I got here, but now is not the time to figure that out. I manage to push myself up and begin my wobble towards it. If I can just get there, I can call for help and I'll be safe. I repeat this mantra to myself over and over. With each step I take, the pain grows, billowing out to more than just my leg. By the time I reach the edge of the building, my entire body feels as if it's burning from the inside out. My head throbs as I hang onto the wall with everything I have in me. 

    'Just a few more feet and then you can rest' I say to myself, urging me to keep on. I'm all but crawling by the time my legs finally give out. I'm still not even around the corner, but I have nothing left to give. Hopefully someone will find me and help me. I try to yell out but only raspy whispers escape my lips. I focus on my breathing as it is the only thing I can focus on at this moment. My breaths are coming in fast and shallow. I know it's not long before I pass out, either from the pain or the hyperventilating. Does it really matter? Black dots form around the edges of my vision as I notice someone walking by. I put all my energy into moving my arm, hoping to catch this person's attention.

    "Help," I manage, just a little more than a whisper. The black dots start connecting to each other, taking my eyesight from me. All energy leaves me and I don't even know if the person saw me. I feel myself slumping over, waiting for my face to meet the concrete. But it never comes. I feel a hand catch my head, cradling me. I feel the person tug on my pant leg and curse under their breath. The hand moves behind my head, wresting low against my neck as another hand snakes underneath my knees before I'm hoisted in the air.

    "Kara?" A frantic voice says to me. It sounds familiar but the last of my energy is fading too quickly for me to connect it to someone I know. "Kara, stay with me. Listen to my voice. I'm here Kara, stay awake" The voice continues to talk to me but it's growing distant. It keeps getting softer and softer until I catch it one last time. "Kara, I can't lose you. Please stay with me" Then my world is completely black.