The Diaries Of Liz Davids: Secrets Uncovered (Book One : Complete)

Chapter 14

  January 6, 2011

Dear Diary,

 I woke up in the hospital yet again. I passed out due to lack of blood, but I came back to my room as soon as I woke up. I have to admit, cutting my arm open wasn’t the cleverest thing I’ve ever done in my life – my whole forearm burns like hell.

 The nurse said she couldn’t heal the wound – no matter what she’d tried, it still stayed fresh and blood red. It’s so pretty, and so sore …

I missed my first three, and least favourite, classes: Divination, Astronomy and History. It’s lunchtime now, so I think I’ll go. If I miss any more, then there would be even more work to catch up on.

 I shoved my diary in my hiding spot and went downstairs for lunch. People stared and pointed shamelessly as I passed them, but I soon noticed that their conversations weren’t at all to do with what Charini had said.

 "My God, look at her arm-"

 "Must be two inches deep, at least-"

 "Why would she do that-"

 "Maybe it wasn’t her-"

 "It might be Felore’s power-"

"She's crazy-"

It went like this everywhere I went, and I felt like screaming at them, but decided against it. I was not going to ruin my luck of escaping gossips about my fire by hurting even more people unnecessarily. When I entered the Hall I was fed up and put my leather jacket back on, only taking a bacon and cheese sandwich and orange juice.

 "Are you alright now?" Mekisha asked as I sat down.

 "Yeah, I’m fine," I said through a mouthful, and when I swallowed, added, "Have we got any homework for yet?"

 "What d’ya think?" Mekisha said, rolling her eyes.

"Essay on the different means for seeing the future, one hundred words," Johnny started, "Star chart sketch of Saturn, and elven rebellions essay, five hundred words."

 "The elves rebelled?" I asked curiously.

"Human sorcerers in the Forgotten City started manipulating them into doing their dirty work, and kings and queens from hundreds of years ago made them fake promises in return for their services," Johnny said, "They went against the country and destroyed everything – that’s how the Deadlands came to be."

"That’s cool," I said. Mekisha rolled her eyes.

Why did I feel so good now? Did it really help to cut yourself? No, it didn't, because otherwise I would not have felt this falling sensation in my chest, as though I was being thrown from a cliff, just by thinking what I had done to my arm. The small drawing I had done had no particular form, and it was tiny, but clearly visible. The wound was bright red and seemed to shine from my skin. I felt the smile fade from my face, and I could faintly hear Mekisha and Johnny calling my name, but they sounded so far away.

Pull yourself together, I commanded myself.

"Liz? Liz!" Mekisha was saying, "Dude, are you ok?"

 "Fine," I lied, "I’m fine."

  "You don’t look fine," Johnny said, "You’re really pale …"

 "Come on, we have to get to class," I said, desperate to get away, especially from this conversation.

 I kept as far away as possible from my troubles, as far away from anything that might link my pain to my parents. I was being rejected – everyone had accepted my fire was cursed, and no one blamed me for it, but the cut on my arm had them believing my rightful place was in the most isolated cell within an asylum.