Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Josie impatiently awaits Dorcas' return, yet again. Frustration mounts, and she gazes up at the ceiling, struggling to stay awake. The anticipation is wearing her down, lying in bed and playing the waiting game.
She can't take it any longer.
Without further ado, she swiftly gets ready, refusing to continue waiting for Dorcas. Just when she decides to act, Dorcas finally walks in.
"Josie?"
"I can't sleep," she fibs. "I'm going for a walk."
Dorcas, her concern evident in the dimly lit room, inquires, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," Josie insists.
Dorcas gently implores, "Josie, you don't have to lie."
Josephine swallows hard and fixes her gaze on the shoes she'd hastily put on, avoiding Dorcas's concerned eyes.
She needs to leave.
Josie hesitates but finally confesses, "I'm not okay. I can't talk about it because then people start worrying about me, and that's not how it's supposed to be. I'm the one who worries and tries to fix things. I can't burden you with my problems."
"Josie..."
She cuts Dorcas off, determined to stand her ground. "I'm going to pretend I'm fine because the only person who can truly help me is myself, right?"
That is her firm belief, her way of coping.
Dorcas replies, "You don't have to lie."
"I can't help it," Josie admits, feeling as though she's opened up too much, revealing her vulnerability. It makes her feel weak.
Without further explanation, she brushes past Dorcas and leaves for her walk.
As she walks away, Josie can't help but feel like she's being cruel. She never wants to inflict pain on innocent people, nor does she wish to be the one who tears others down and makes them feel bad. But maybe that is who she has become.
~~~
Josephine's apprehension weighs heavily as she makes her way to the Shrieking Shack. Although she has grown accustomed to Tom's presence, today feels different, making her uneasy.
She can't shake the thought that the boys who had attacked her have connections with Death Eaters. There is a lingering doubt that Tom might have had a hand in it.
Upon entering the Shrieking Shack, she finds Tom, and the look on his face is unsettling.
"What?" she asks, sinking onto the sofa with a weary sigh, her back still aching.
"You look terrible," he remarks from his seat on the other sofa.
Her initial impulse is to snap at him, but she opts for a more composed response. "I feel terrible."
