Forever And Always | D.M

Chapter 7

Walking through the dark, shadowy forbidden forest, as the trees loom over me like menacing giants. I felt cold and alone, with no idea where I was going or how I'd gotten there. Suddenly, I heard a voice calling my name. It was Marlene's guy friend, Travis, who had always given me a creepy vibe.

Travis was standing in front of me, grinning in a way that made my skin crawl. "Hey there, Sofia," he said, his voice low and menacing. "Marlene's not here to protect you now."

I felt a surge of fear, but I tried to stay calm. "What do you want, Travis?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Travis just laughed, a harsh, cruel sound that echoed through the forest. "What do I want? Why, I want to have some fun with you, Sofia."

I turned around and saw Marlene standing behind me, her face twisted in a cruel, mocking grin. She didn't say anything, but I could tell she was enjoying my fear and pain.

Travis stepped closer to me, his breath hot on my neck. I tried to run, but my feet felt like they were rooted to the ground. Travis grabbed me by the arm and pulled me close, his eyes gleaming with evil intent.

"Sofia, are you okay?" I open my eyes to see my roommate, Angelina, looking down at me with concern in her eyes as she removes her hand from my shoulder.

I quickly sit up in bed glancing at the time as it reads 3 am. "Yeah, it was just a nightmare," I said.

Angelina nods sympathetically. "I know how that feels. Is there anything I can do to help?"

I hesitate for a moment before nodding. "Maybe if we talk for a little bit, it'll help me relax."

Angelina smiles and takes a seat on the edge of my bed. We start chatting about random things - our favorite movies, our families, our dreams for the future. As we talk, I feel my mind start to calm down and my body relax. I realize how lucky I am to have such a caring roommate.

After a while, Angelina stands up and stretches. "Okay, I think it's time for us to try to get some sleep," she says. "But if you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me up."

I thank her and watch as she heads back to her bed. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, feeling grateful for the comfort of a good friend.

As I lay in bed still unable to sleep, I began to ponder intently over the idea of permanently shifting realities. In my research on shifting, I read that it was possible to make the transition permanent. So this thought gave me hope and fueled my determination to make the shift successful. I was determined to make this work, no matter what it took.

Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply and whispered my safe word, "Peace and Love". Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled back to the present moment. As I opened my eyes, I was struck by a wave of sadness as I was no longer in Hogwarts and realized my safe word had done its job.

Everything was exactly as I had left it, yet it felt like something had changed. Despite the familiarity of the scene, a subtle shift in the atmosphere made it feel different.

As I got up and stretched, I wasted no time heading to my desk to review my script. Once I had perfected it, I decided to check in with my mom before I make my permanent transition to my desired reality.

"Mom?" I called out, my eyes scanning the living room for her.

"What do you want?" She asked, her voice sharp, as I froze in place, halfway into her room, under the impression that she was inside.

Not sure of my plan, I nervously asked if she was hungry and if I could make her something to eat, causing me to inwardly cringe.

She laughed as I opened the fridge to see there was nothing inside. "I can head to the store if you'd like?" I offered. "No need," she said as someone leaned into me from behind, making me jump in surprise.

"Hey there, Sofia," They said, their tone made me feel unwell.

Travis.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice trembling with apprehension.

He was about to continue his thought, but he was interrupted by Marlene walking back into the room, prompting him to take a step back.

Marlene rolled her eyes as they both made their way out, her voice filled with determination as she said, "Alright, let's get going!"

"Where are you going?" I asked, prompting her head to turn quickly toward me. "I'm going out, so don't wait up for me," she replied.

•••

I know Marlene told me not to stay up for her, but since I was little, I have had a habit of consistently waiting for her to come home securely, with periodic check-ins to guarantee she is alright during the night and not at risk of choking on her vomit.

As the hours dragged on, I finally heard the sound of a car arriving outside, so I rushed to the window to see if it was her. It was, but she was unsteady on her feet as she got out of the car. The smell of alcohol on her breath confirmed my suspicions that she had been drinking.

Coming inside, she sees me waiting and gets angry. "What are you still doing up?" she slurs. "I told you not to wait for me."

I try to explain that I was worried, but she was not listening. She starts yelling at me, accusing me of not trusting her and invading her privacy. I'm hurt and confused, and I don't know what to do.

Eventually, she stumbles off to bed, leaving me alone and upset. I stay up for a while, crying and feeling abandoned. It's not the first time my mom has come home drunk, but it hurts just as much every time.

Once I had calmed down, I rose from the couch and tiptoed to her room to check on her before turning in for the night. To my surprise, she was lying on the floor instead of in her bed.

Hurrying in, I let out a sigh of relief as I saw that she was still breathing. Suddenly, my mind was filled with memories of finding her sprawled out on the couch in this same state.

{ Flashback 8 years ago }

My mom Marlene had always been a little eccentric, but lately, I had noticed a change in her behavior. She would stay out late at night and come home looking tired and exhausted. I was concerned and so I started to ask her what was going on, but she refused to tell me anything. I had a feeling that something was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I wanted to help her, but I didn't know how. I was worried and confused, as I had never seen her like this before.

I was in shock when I came home from school one day and found her lying on the couch, unresponsive. I had thought she was asleep at first, but when I tried to wake her, I quickly realized something was wrong. My heart raced as I called out her name, but there was no response. My mind raced with thoughts and questions as I tried to figure out what was happening. Fear and worry filled my heart as I desperately tried to understand what was going on and what I should do.

I was overwhelmed with fear as I shook her, but she wouldn't wake up. I felt so helpless, not knowing what to do. I wanted to stay with her, but I was scared to be alone with her. I stayed there, tears streaming down my face, holding her hand and hoping that everything would be alright.

{ End of flashback }

As I lay in bed, I take a moment to settle into my breathing and concentrate my energy on the shift. Comfortably positioned, I start counting from one to a hundred, feeling the same tingling sensation from the first time I did this, growing more and more intense until I find myself back in Hogwarts.