Right Where You Left Me | Sebastian Sallow |

CHAPTER EIGHT: Taunting Words

I found myself standing alone in my dorm room.

Where is everyone?

I walked to each of my roommate's beds, finding a single parchment on each with the same note.

Goodbye Eliza

Confused, I left my dorm and hesitantly walked to our common room's grand fireplace. As I entered the room, to my surprise I gazed upon its silence and emptiness. I now found myself running to Garreth and Leander's dorm.

As I burst through their door, I was greeted with the familiar silence. Walking over to their beds, I looked down at the same note with the same words.

Goodbye Eliza

With panic starting to set in, I left my common room and started to run aimlessly through the hallways alone. Trying to seek comfort in any familiar face.

No ghost, magical beast, or the magical paintings hung on the wall even cared to make an appearance. No one was in sight.

Now, I found myself standing at the entrance to the Undercroft. I was delusional, convincing myself that Sebastian and Ominis must be in there.

As I entered the now unfamiliar room, it was terribly dark. The only presence to greet me were two candles lit in the center of the room.

I forced myself to walk over and found two more letters, one in front of each candle.

With trembling hands, I picked both up and read the familiar taunting words.

Goodbye Eliza

My breathing increased along with my heart rate. I dropped the letters and bolted towards the exit. I was truly alone, abandoned.

"Eliza."

I whipped my body around to the unexpected, unfamiliar voice coming from behind.

There was a dark figure standing in the center of the room behind the two candles.

"Eliza." The figure spoke again, making their way towards me.

I turned back around to a solid stone wall, the only point of exit seeming to abandon me as well.

"Help! Please hear me, anybody!" I was desperate, banging and kicking the wall. I was crying out to no one.

The footsteps continued to close in on me, and at this point I was hysterically screaming.

I now felt the figure's mysterious hands start to grab and drag me away, pulling me into the dark abyss.

"Eliza? Eliza! Wake up!"

I woke up shooting straight out of bed with heavy breathing. Looking over to my right with Natty shaking my shoulders.

Attempting to control my breathing, I curled up in a ball and placed my head between my knees.

"A-are you alright Eliza? You were screaming in your sleep." Natty spoke, rubbing my back and sitting with me on my bed.

"I'm fine Natty it was just a dream, nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about? You look exhausted Eliza."

"I'm not Natty, I'm fine."

No, I was in fact not fine. I'm completely exhausted, fighting to stay awake this week in my classes. On top of Quidditch practice and assignments, I'm worn out.

I've been at the library late every night again this week perfecting my Transfiguration essay for Professor Weasley. It's now been a week since my last encounter with Sebastian and I still planned to keep my distance.