Me And The Dark

Chapter 10

Valentina

I watched Emily play in the sunflower field. Our laughter rose into the air as we ran carefree between the yellow flowers.

Mum and Dad were chatting to the local shop assistant, so we took the opportunity to play a bit.

The sky was pure blue and the sun shone brightly. It was my turn to count, and Emily's turn to hide. I crouched down among the sunflowers and hid my eyes with my hands.

One...

Two...

Three...

I finally heard a shrill howl and jumped to my feet. I ran towards the scream, zigzagging between the big yellow flowers until I reached the edge of the field.

My heart started beating wildly when I saw Emily lying on the ground on her elbows, facing a man wearing a black mask and dressed in dark clothes.

An unspeakable terror invaded my whole being. All I could see clearly was the tattoo on his left forearm: a skull with a snake emerging from its mouth.

I was petrified, unable to move. My sister's screams tore at my ears as that man cast a spell on her.

I saw the terror in her eyes, then the life slowly leaving them. The man finally lifted her inert body and threw it carelessly over his shoulder.

"NO!" I shouted and ran to catch him before he disappeared.

"NO!"

I woke up with a start, my heart beating wildly. My breath was short, choked by the nightmare that had just shaken me. I put my trembling hand on my chest, trying to slow the frantic beating of my heart.

I slowly sat up, taking in my surroundings. I was lying in the hospital wing.

The darkness of the room was soothing, but my thoughts were still trapped in the nightmare.

A movement next to me caught my attention, and I turned my head to see Aura also startled awake. My screams must have woken her up, and I felt a pang of guilt for having disturbed her.

"Val? Are you all right?" worries Aura as she moves closer to me.

I take a few moments to gather my thoughts, still shaken by the nightmare. "Yes... I... No! What am I doing here?" I ask in a panic, my memory giving me no clue as to why I'm in this wing of the hospital.

Aura looks at me worriedly. "Don't you remember?" she asks.

I close my eyes and try to replay the scene in my head. "All I remember is that I was at the quidditch game and..."

"You've fallen from the top of the pyramid, Val," she said, taking my hand. "You slept for three days"

"THREE DAYS?" I exclaim, then quickly pull myself together, embarrassed at having drawn attention to myself with my scream.

"Yeah.. We took turns with the boys to keep you company. Most of the time it was Mattheo who was with you, he made you listen to music while you slept." she says softly.

I'm overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions when I hear Mattheo's name. "Mattheo was there?" I ask, trying to hide the confusion that overwhelms me at the thought.

Aura nods gently. "Yes, he came to see you almost every day. He seemed really worried about you, Val."

I'm puzzled. My mind is still a little fuzzy from prolonged sleep, but this revelation gives me a strange feeling of warmth.