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

Chapter 17

  I jerked awake. There was blinding sunlight coming from a large window to my left, and I was in an unfamiliar room, with quite a few round tables draped with crimson red fabric. Atop all the round tables were regular kinds of things – lava lamps, little arched instruments, statue guitars, drums and pianos. The blanket on top of me was also crimson and gold, and so were the walls, but the floor was cream-coloured, and the ceiling was white. The walls were covered in detailed drawings of vampires, werewolves and tribal dragons. I noticed at once that, on one of the tables were my book bag and my fruits. I checked and saw I was still in the clothes I had been wearing when my screaming fit started. On the regular desk on the far left against the wall was a bed lamp (that was switched off) and a stack of parchment, several bottles of ink and on the chair sat Nicholas.

"About time you woke up," he said, turning around and smiling at me, "You slept like a rock all through yesterday afternoon and last night."

"What happened?" I asked. My voice was hoarse and my throat was sore. I did not have my potion with me.

"I was hoping you could tell me, Liz," he replied. He stood up and sat down next to me on the bed. "I heard you screaming on the fifth floor while I was busy with my exam. I’d just finished, and I came as soon as I could. You were sprawled on the floor, clutching yourself and screaming yourself hoarse. No one knew what to do because you shouted for everyone to leave you alone. I carried you up here and the nurse injected a sleeping draught. Why were you screaming like that?"

"I can’t remember," I lied, forgetting his special senses.

"Don’t lie to me, Liz, please," he said, "Your heart always faster than any of the other people’s in the castle, but now it’s close to a failure. Please, tell me."

"There’s nothing to tell," I said, "Where am I?"

"You’re in my room."

"What’s the time?"

"It’s nearly noon."

"Noon?" I shouted, "I’m late for my exam-"

I had made to stand up, but he held me by the shoulders and pushed me gently back onto the bed, "You need help, I’m not joking. It’s Thursday, we wrote our last exams yesterday."

"Right," I said, and made to stand up again, but this time I fell down of my own accord. My head was spinning.

"You got very little oxygen while you were screaming like that," he said, "You’re going to have to stay here for a while."

"Arentium somineare nervius virescus," I whispered before my mind could dwell. I repeated the incantation and caressed my heart, and felt myself calming.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"It’s none of your business," I snapped, "Please, take me to my room."

"No, not until you’ve owned up."

"Owned up to what? I’ve done nothing wrong-"

"You’ve done nothing wrong, but you nearly screamed yourself to death yesterday, and you can’t even think straight! Tell me what is bothering you, so that I can help you!" he said. 

"Fine!" I shouted, and my voice faltered, so I spoke softly, "Professor Gildeneye’s death torments me a little, alright? Now, leave me alone."

"Give me a full explanation, and I’ll take you to your room," he said.

I groaned angrily, "I keep seeing his death, and my parents’, over and over and over again in my mind. It bothers me, so I put a calming spell on myself every morning. It works awesomely until about four-thirty in the afternoon, then the effects wear off and I get worse."