Lilly Riddle

Exploring the great outdoors

  “So what do you want to do now?” Cole asked eagerly as the three of us walked through the field.

 “Want to explore the woods?” I asked, looking around bored. Cole and Jake both looked at me.

 “But we aren’t allowed to go in there on Monday’s.” Cole said raising his eyebrows at me.

 “Yeah, but aren’t you curious as to why we aren’t allowed to go in there only on Mondays?”

 “It’s crossed my mind.” He said slowly.

 “I don’t see why we can’t go today. We have nothing better to do.” I said encouragingly. Cole thought for a minute and sighed.

 “Fine, but we have to be back by nightfall, alright?”

 I nodded excitedly and led the two boys into the woods.

  We walked around the woods for a while, climbing trees and jumping over small streams.

  “Hey Lilly, I think we should start heading back.” Jake said looking at the sky. The sun had already started setting and it was getting dark.

“Aw come on guys, just five more minutes!”

 “Fine, but no more than five.” They both said. I smiled and nodded leading them through a patch of bushes.

  “Lilly, come on!” Jake said with urgency in his voice. “The others are going to start getting worried.”

  “Shh, did you hear that?” I whispered crouching down. The boys did the same and we all listened closely.

  “It sounds like voices.” Cole said quietly.

 “Why would people be in the woods at this time of the day?” I asked. They both shrugged so we decided to get closer. We quickly put our backs to trees when we saw a circle of people in black cloaks. I nervously looked over to Cole and Jake who both looked scared. Then I heard the words I dreaded hearing, and they were coming from my cousin’s voice.

  “Lilly, Cole, Jake, why don’t you come join us.”

 I looked over to Cole and Jake and we stepped out from behind our trees to see that the cloaked people were Death Eaters standing in a circle around my cousin and something on the ground.  He smiled and motioned us forward. I don’t know what was scarier, the 20 or so killers I was about to stand next to or the fact that the Dark Lord just smiled at me. When we got closer, I noticed that it was a person on the ground, a muggle to be exact. The Dark Lord hates muggles.

  I stayed a little behind Cole so they could only see half of me. Everyone’s eyes were on us when we stopped outside the circle. The people parted so we could walk towards the middle. I noticed that all the Death Eaters had on their silver Death Eater masks that have always freaked me out. The muggle squirmed as we came closer and was letting out little whimpering noises. This isn’t the first time I’ve walked in on a sacrificial thing like this. I don’t understand why we do them, but I’ve never questioned my cousin. The other Death Eaters closed the circle around us, and Cole, Jake, me, and the Dark Lord formed a smaller circle around the little muggle.

  “Lilly, why don’t you make the first cut.” He said holding out a knife. I looked up at him and back down at the knife. I hesitantly took it and knelt down next to the lady causing her to scream through the gag.

 “Come on Lilly,” the Dark Lord encouraged. I looked down at the lady who had fear written all over her features. She was looking up at me with wide eyes as I took a deep breath. She looked to be in her late 30’s or early 40’s. I put the knife to her arm and cut a gash from her elbow to wrist. She started whimpering and crying as I stood up and stepped back. I handed the knife to Cole, who handed it to Jake, and so on. After everyone had made some sort of cut on the women the knife was handed back to my cousin. The woman was pretty close to death as she was practically bleeding out. The Dark Lord slowly circled her as he wiped the blood off the knife. All of a sudden he crouched down and stabbed her in the chest. I jumped at his speed and grabbed Cole’s sleeve. Cole looked down at me with a grim look on his face as the other Death Eaters cheered.

  The Dark Lord elevated the woman and led the way back to the safe house with her suspended in the air in front of all of us. Jake and Cole walked on either side of me, the three of us silent with all the others either in front or behind us. They were talking and laughing the whole walk back. By now it was pitch black, so the others were lighting the way with their wands.

  When we got to the safe house, Cole, Jake, and I went separate ways to our rooms. Lying in my bed, I was trying to remember why we would go against orders to not go in the woods at night on Monday nights. Well, I guess it’s a lesson learned, never ever go in the woods when you are told not to, or you might have to do something you really don’t want to.