Post by Firestar on Feb 23, 2009 1:16:30 GMT 9
I WAS CORNERED. I AM ASHAMED OF WHAT I HAVE DONE, BUT THERE WAS NO OTHER OPTION. AS THE TALLEST ONE ADVANCED ON ME IN THAT DARK ALLEY, I POUNCED. IN SECONDS HE WAS DEAD.
THE OTHER MEN SCRAMBLED TO GET AWAY, BUT I HAD TO INTENTION OF FOLLOWING THEM. IN THEIR HASTE THEY HAD DROPPED SOMETHING. IT WAS RED FROM THE BLOOD STILL STREAMING FROM THE DEAD MAN AND GLEAMED IN THE MOONLIGHT.
A TINY VOICE INSIDE ME SCREAMED AT ME TO STOP, TO TURN AROUND AND LEAVE THE OBJECT ALONE, BUT ANOTHER, STRONGER VOICE THAT SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM THE OBJECT EGGED ME ON.
I PICKED IT UP. IT WAS A NECKLACE OF SOME SORT. THERE WERE LITTLE TEETH STRINGED ONTO IT, ONE TOOTH FOR EVERY BLOOD-STAINED BEAD. OPPOSITE THE CLASP WAS A LITTLE SHELL. I TOOK MY SHIRT AND WIPED THE BLOOD OFF. THE LAST THING I NOTICED WAS THE WOLF LIKE PATTERN INPRINTED ON THE SHELL.
THEN MY LIFE WAS CHANGED FOREVER.
…..
I WOKE UP WITH A START. THIS WAS THE FIFTH TIME THAT I HAD HAD MY NIGHTMARE. NO, NOT MY NIGHTMARE. I SAW OUT OF THE WOMAN’S EYES, BUT IT WASN’T MY NIGHTMARE. I COULD STILL SMELL THE BLOOD WELLING FROM THE MAN. NO. TIME TO GET BACK TO REALITY.
“TORI!” I HEARD MY MOTHER CALL. I KNEW I COULDN’T FACE ANOTHER DAY OF SCHOOL, BUT MY MOTHER WAS ALREADY SUSPECTING ME. I COULDN’T PRETEND TO BE SICK AGAIN. SO I FORCED MYSELF OUT OF BED.
I RAN DOWN THE STAIRS. THE PORTRAITS ON THE WALL SEEMED TO STARE INTO MY VERY SOUL. ONE PICTURE SEEMED STRANGELY FAMILIAR. I STARED AT THE ANGRY OLD WOMAN. AT LEAST SHE WAS STUCK IN THE FRAME. I HEARD MY NAME BEING CALLED AGAIN AND HURRIED ON.
THE MORNING WENT BY IN A BLUR. A BOWL OF CEREAL. THE BUS TO SCHOOL. SOME BORING LESSONS. MY MIND WASN’T FOCUSED ON MY LIFE, IT WAS RELIVING THAT HORRIBLE DREAM.
I FINALLY FOCUSED ON MY LIFE AT LUNCH TIME. HANNAH, MY FRIEND, WAS STARING AT ME AS IF EXPECTING AN ANSWER. OH CRAP. SHE WAS EXPECTING AN ANSWER. “UM…. YES” I ANSWERED. “GEEZ TORI, YOUR HEAD IS IN THE CLOUDS TODAY, JAMES WAS RIGHT.” SHE GIGGLED. “YOU JUST AGREED TO CLIMB ON THE ROOF OF THE SCHOOL!”
…….
I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M DOING HERE. I CAN SEE MY FRIENDS LAUGHING AND POINTING, THE
TEACHERS ARE YELLING AT ME TO GET DOWN. THEY ALL THINK I`M TRYING TO KILL MYSELF. HANNAH OBVIOUSLY SPREAD THE RUMOUR THAT I WAS DEPRESSED. I DON`T KNOW WHY SHE`S MY FRIEND. BUT I CAN`T BE POPULAR IF I DON`T HANG WITH HER. UNTIL SHE ACCEPTED ME INTO HER GROUP I WAS THE NERD, BUT COMPARED TO THAT, HANGING WITH HANNAH ISN’T SO BAD.
I CAN`T UNDERSTAND WHY I`M DOING THIS! I AM SERIOUSLY AFRAID OF HEIGHTS. IT’S BAD ENOUGH THAT I’M STANDING HERE, GAZING OVER THE EDGE, BUT I HAVE TO JUMP AS WELL! ACTUALLY, COMPARED TO DEATH, BEING A NERD DOESN’T SEEM SO BAD AFTER ALL. I START TO WALK BACK TO THE LADDER, BUT HANNAH PULLS IT AWAY. I CAN’T BELIEVE THE TEACHERS DIDN’T NOTICE HER DO THAT! THAT’S THE LAST TIME I’LL EVER TRUST A TEACHER.
GREAT, NOW HANNAH KNOWS I CHICKENED OUT. NOW EVEN IF I DO JUMP SHE WILL MOCK ME FOR IT. MY LIFE JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER. I GUESS I WILL HAVE TO JUMP AND HOPE FOR THE BEST.
I TAKE ONE LAST SAD LOOK AROUND ME. THE WIND BLOWS FORCEFULLY, TELLING ME TO TURN AROUND AND FIND ANOTHER WAY DOWN. EACH TREE IN THE SCHOOLYARD HOSTS A FACE OF SOMEONE CLOSE TO ME. THEY ALL HAVE AN EXPRESSION OF HORROR ON THEIR LEAFY FACES. EXCEPT FOR ONE RIGHT BY THE WEST DOOR. I RECOGNISE THE LADY FROM THE PHOTO ON THE STAIRS, SHE SMILES AND WINKS AT ME ONCE, THEN I BLINK AND THE TREES ALL BECOME JUST THAT, TREES.
THEN I TAKE A DEEP BREATH, TAKE A FEW STEPS BACK AND LEAP INTO THE AIR. AT FIRST I FEEL LIKE A BIRD, SOARING THROUGH THE SKY, THEN I AM FALLING. SUDDENLY… EVERYTHING……… GOES……………. BLACK.
THE OTHER MEN SCRAMBLED TO GET AWAY, BUT I HAD TO INTENTION OF FOLLOWING THEM. IN THEIR HASTE THEY HAD DROPPED SOMETHING. IT WAS RED FROM THE BLOOD STILL STREAMING FROM THE DEAD MAN AND GLEAMED IN THE MOONLIGHT.
A TINY VOICE INSIDE ME SCREAMED AT ME TO STOP, TO TURN AROUND AND LEAVE THE OBJECT ALONE, BUT ANOTHER, STRONGER VOICE THAT SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM THE OBJECT EGGED ME ON.
I PICKED IT UP. IT WAS A NECKLACE OF SOME SORT. THERE WERE LITTLE TEETH STRINGED ONTO IT, ONE TOOTH FOR EVERY BLOOD-STAINED BEAD. OPPOSITE THE CLASP WAS A LITTLE SHELL. I TOOK MY SHIRT AND WIPED THE BLOOD OFF. THE LAST THING I NOTICED WAS THE WOLF LIKE PATTERN INPRINTED ON THE SHELL.
THEN MY LIFE WAS CHANGED FOREVER.
…..
I WOKE UP WITH A START. THIS WAS THE FIFTH TIME THAT I HAD HAD MY NIGHTMARE. NO, NOT MY NIGHTMARE. I SAW OUT OF THE WOMAN’S EYES, BUT IT WASN’T MY NIGHTMARE. I COULD STILL SMELL THE BLOOD WELLING FROM THE MAN. NO. TIME TO GET BACK TO REALITY.
“TORI!” I HEARD MY MOTHER CALL. I KNEW I COULDN’T FACE ANOTHER DAY OF SCHOOL, BUT MY MOTHER WAS ALREADY SUSPECTING ME. I COULDN’T PRETEND TO BE SICK AGAIN. SO I FORCED MYSELF OUT OF BED.
I RAN DOWN THE STAIRS. THE PORTRAITS ON THE WALL SEEMED TO STARE INTO MY VERY SOUL. ONE PICTURE SEEMED STRANGELY FAMILIAR. I STARED AT THE ANGRY OLD WOMAN. AT LEAST SHE WAS STUCK IN THE FRAME. I HEARD MY NAME BEING CALLED AGAIN AND HURRIED ON.
THE MORNING WENT BY IN A BLUR. A BOWL OF CEREAL. THE BUS TO SCHOOL. SOME BORING LESSONS. MY MIND WASN’T FOCUSED ON MY LIFE, IT WAS RELIVING THAT HORRIBLE DREAM.
I FINALLY FOCUSED ON MY LIFE AT LUNCH TIME. HANNAH, MY FRIEND, WAS STARING AT ME AS IF EXPECTING AN ANSWER. OH CRAP. SHE WAS EXPECTING AN ANSWER. “UM…. YES” I ANSWERED. “GEEZ TORI, YOUR HEAD IS IN THE CLOUDS TODAY, JAMES WAS RIGHT.” SHE GIGGLED. “YOU JUST AGREED TO CLIMB ON THE ROOF OF THE SCHOOL!”
…….
I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M DOING HERE. I CAN SEE MY FRIENDS LAUGHING AND POINTING, THE
TEACHERS ARE YELLING AT ME TO GET DOWN. THEY ALL THINK I`M TRYING TO KILL MYSELF. HANNAH OBVIOUSLY SPREAD THE RUMOUR THAT I WAS DEPRESSED. I DON`T KNOW WHY SHE`S MY FRIEND. BUT I CAN`T BE POPULAR IF I DON`T HANG WITH HER. UNTIL SHE ACCEPTED ME INTO HER GROUP I WAS THE NERD, BUT COMPARED TO THAT, HANGING WITH HANNAH ISN’T SO BAD.
I CAN`T UNDERSTAND WHY I`M DOING THIS! I AM SERIOUSLY AFRAID OF HEIGHTS. IT’S BAD ENOUGH THAT I’M STANDING HERE, GAZING OVER THE EDGE, BUT I HAVE TO JUMP AS WELL! ACTUALLY, COMPARED TO DEATH, BEING A NERD DOESN’T SEEM SO BAD AFTER ALL. I START TO WALK BACK TO THE LADDER, BUT HANNAH PULLS IT AWAY. I CAN’T BELIEVE THE TEACHERS DIDN’T NOTICE HER DO THAT! THAT’S THE LAST TIME I’LL EVER TRUST A TEACHER.
GREAT, NOW HANNAH KNOWS I CHICKENED OUT. NOW EVEN IF I DO JUMP SHE WILL MOCK ME FOR IT. MY LIFE JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER. I GUESS I WILL HAVE TO JUMP AND HOPE FOR THE BEST.
I TAKE ONE LAST SAD LOOK AROUND ME. THE WIND BLOWS FORCEFULLY, TELLING ME TO TURN AROUND AND FIND ANOTHER WAY DOWN. EACH TREE IN THE SCHOOLYARD HOSTS A FACE OF SOMEONE CLOSE TO ME. THEY ALL HAVE AN EXPRESSION OF HORROR ON THEIR LEAFY FACES. EXCEPT FOR ONE RIGHT BY THE WEST DOOR. I RECOGNISE THE LADY FROM THE PHOTO ON THE STAIRS, SHE SMILES AND WINKS AT ME ONCE, THEN I BLINK AND THE TREES ALL BECOME JUST THAT, TREES.
THEN I TAKE A DEEP BREATH, TAKE A FEW STEPS BACK AND LEAP INTO THE AIR. AT FIRST I FEEL LIKE A BIRD, SOARING THROUGH THE SKY, THEN I AM FALLING. SUDDENLY… EVERYTHING……… GOES……………. BLACK.