Dragon's Heart ~ Hiccstrid

Chapter 20

 PLEASE READ THIS~~

This video is from Hamilton. You'll probably have to turn the device to see it, but I needed this to show how Astrid (and everyone else, but mostly Astrid) feels at certain points. I found myself in tears while writing this chapter. 

This chapter includes a lot of really, really heavy material, but I felt like it needed to be talked about. Too many people dismiss the subject, and I'd like to take a stand for girls everywhere and say that we matter. We aren't toys, and we all deserve love. As do men.

Thanks for understanding. If you feel uncomfortable reading about subjects like this, go ahead and skip the chapter. 

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I often find myself alone, in the dark corners of my room, and no one to talk to.

But I guess that's my fault. I'm the only reason people are sad here. I should just do them all a favor and leave. When I say leave, I don't mean go somewhere else. I mean leave.

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Sven comes to me with a wild expression, tears filling his eyes. He collapses into my arms, grabbing my tunic. I'm shocked, but gently lay my arms around him.

"Sven! A- Are you alright?" He shakes his head no, coming up to look at me. 

"I- I had no idea.." I frown and he bites his lip, shaking his head again.

"No idea about what?" He looks up to me, tears slowly streaking down his face.

"S- She was in so.." He sniffs, wiping his eyes again. "So much pain, a-and none of us had any idea." I wipe one of his tears away, pulling him closer to me.

"Hey, it's fine, she didn't tell any of us." I'm curious now. "So, umm.. Wh- What's wrong with her?" He shakes his head again, pulling away from me. 

"No." He purses his lips, sniffing and looking away. "I can't tell you." I feel my insides crumbling at this, the fact that she doesn't trust me, but if that's what she wants, it's what she wants. So, I oblige.

"Oh..  A- Alright." He shoots an apologetic look at me, then sniffs again.

"I'm sorry. She didn't want me telling anyone. Thanks for understanding, Astrid." I nod, and watch him leave, then dash out of the room towards the clubhouse. Something's wrong.

I speed inside to have Tuffnut cheer for me, and Snotlout wave me over, with hair still intact from yesterday. I sit down between them, grabbing a roll and quickly eating. 

"Woah, Astrid, calm down!" Snotlout laughs and grabs the half eaten roll away from me. "It's like you haven't eaten in weeks!" I snarl and grab the roll back, snapping at him.

"I have somewhere I need to be." He raises his hands and shrugs.

"Okay." I quickly finish up and burst out, leaving everyone behind and heading for Ingrid's hut. I step inside to see her sitting on the couch, talking to someone. I frown and look around, but no one's there. I inch closer from behind, still not seeing anyone, when she shrieks and grabs her stomach. I jump back, shocked by her outburst. She whimpers and bends over, gasping against what seems to be crippling pain. 

She's starting to sweat uncontrollably, and I'm confused. Is.. Is she on her period? But then her eyes roll back and she groans, falling back onto the couch. When I come back over to look at her, her eyes are shut, and she breathes heavily. Like she's struggling to breathe.