Poisoned Antidote

Chapter One

Embers were scattered throughout her bedroom. She clutched her knees to her chest, unable to breathe due to excruciating pain in her lungs. Flames licked her body as they engulfed the bed she was sitting in. The tears streaming down her cheeks seemed to melt into her skin.

She was always crying.

Her father stood at the doorway across the room. This time, she paid him no attention, but she could tell he was yelling at her. He was constantly shouting, and his voice merely served as an echo in her thoughts. He simply made matters worse by speaking to her in such abhorrent ways. He never showed any affection for her or her mother.

It wasn't her fault; it was his. None of it was her intention.

She gasped, attempting to gather enough strength to move. She couldn't do it. As her neck craned back, she felt strain on her shoulders like something was pulling her up. Her spine started to feel as though it was splintering.

"Adeline!"

Her body twisted, limbs sprawled across the burning mattress. She was now blinded by the intense heat. Her eyes screwed shut trying to stop the pain.

The force had drawn her up once more. She opened her eyes to find herself in the woods behind her house, not her bedroom.

She was sitting in the ash-covered forest. Her vision warped as she attempted to crawl forward, knees scraping against the rough surface. Her hands swept the ground in search of something to steady herself with since she couldn't see clearly. There was vibration beneath her body, causing her movement to be even more distorted.

The house behind her began to shake as the roof started to separate. Fire billowed through the openings, obscuring the sky above with cascading, darkened smoke.

There was a tremendous groan, followed by snapping as the framing could no longer sustain the weight of the damage, and finally, all the windows shattered. As the shards whirled, they sliced through the air as well into her. When she tried to cry out in pain, her swollen throat prevented her from releasing any sound. Instead, she started to pluck at the hot glass that had embedded itself deeply in her skin.

In a matter of seconds, nearly half of the home had fallen. It resulted in an explosion, causing her to lose both her hearing and her sight. She lost consciousness, everything went numb, and darkness took over.

Again, the sensation of her being pulled came and she abruptly sat up straight in her bed. She inhaled sharply and cried out.

"Adeline, oh thank goodness you're awake." Her Aunt wiped away the sweat from her temple with a cool washcloth, she held it to her forehead. Giving a sorrowful glance, she sighed, "it happened again, didn't it?" Her voice lowered. "Was it the same dream?"

Adeline collapsed onto her pillow, to which she responded with a faint attempt.

"Yes."

She draped her arm over her eyes to shield them from the late-morning sun. Her body was soaked, and her limbs were strangled by the bedsheets. It felt impossible to move, but it was too late in the day to continue slumbering.

"Best get up and moving, darling." Aunt Melva got up from the bedside and tossed the cloth on the table. "We've got lots of goods to gather for your upcoming year." She softly clasped her hands together, beaming with a warm smile and anticipation. "Are you not excited to finally finish out your education? Only two more years in this new school. I've heard great things about this place." Melva drifted over to the closet and started pulling out a sad attempt of packed luggage.

"What was the name again," grabbing onto a sweater, folding it, and putting it into the suitcase, "Hogwarts!"

She turned around noticing the lack of movement. "Oh, come on Adeline, get up. Or we'll be behind on everything." Her dress twirled as she moved out of the room, closing the door.