I walked with everyone up to the Hospital Wing, too worried about Alice to think of anything else. Once we got her there, she was left to see if anything could be done, so we stood outside in the hall.
"Man, this really sucks." I said, facing Kate, Sedry, Jesse, and Calder.
"Tell me about." Kate said.
"I wonder if she'll be ok by the dance." I said.
"I doubt it. It's going to start pretty soon." Jesse said.
"I guess this kinda ruined it for everyone." I sinked to the floor and sighed
"No, of course it didn't. Jesse, Kate, Linds, Sedry, go on. I'm gonna stay with Alice." Kate and Jesse decided to head off but promised they'd come back. I grabbed Sedry's wrist and pulled him away.
"Do you want to stay here or go to the dance? I know she's more of a friend to you, but I mean...whatever you want, I'm gonna stand by you, so what's it gonna be?" I asked.
"After it happened I thought that I'd just try to live as normally as possible and bury it, but things like that don't stay buried. I didn't think it would, but it taints your whole life."
"My desires were bestial, obviously." -Jeffery Dahmer.
Adam creeped into the darkening wood. Wondering where the thing could be, if it was watching him. the trees were growing dense, making it difficult to navigate and even harder to surpress fear.
There was a rustling behind Adam, his senses tensed, instinct took over as he spun on the spot, "Lumos!" Light burst from his wand tip. Sarabella fell backwards in shock, tripping over a buldging tree root.
"Mind getting your wand out of my face," she said, getting up.
"Why did you follow me!?" Adam protested, trying to be as queit as possible.
"I can't let you go in here alone."
"This is my fight, it's all my fault Alice is messed uop and I wont stop till that thing tells me how to fix it."
"The come on, Alice is my friend too, ya know." Sarabella marched in front of Adam, wand raised above her head and glowing with the lumos spell.
"Maybe Senpai ate Yuka-tan's last bon-bon?" ----Stupei, Ace Defective
Alice sat in the hospital for as long as she could stand it, and then some. But the boy who called himself Calder stayed right next to her, like he was fighting the urge to grab her hand.
Tears burned her eyes, she wanted to cry, but at the same time she wanted to be coherint so that whenever she found out what was going on she would be able to understnad it.
Sedry grinned as an idea popped into his head. "I have a better idea."
Lindsay looked at him, her eyes clouded with confusion. "What is it?"
A mischievous grin spread on Sedry's face, letting a light chuckle escape his lips as he let out his outlandish idea. "We will bring the dance to Alice."
if you were to die today, would you be able to tell yourself that you did everything you wanted and everything you could?
* * *
life is a puzzle. want to put it together with me?
"It's not very bright to just point that wand at anything and everything, ya know," Sara pointed out nonchalantly as they walked along. She was doing her very best to create small talk in a not so great situation.
"Well, mind you we are in the Forbidden Forest. With my luck, if I hadn't of pointed my wand when I turned around it would have been the thing i'm looking for!" Adam replied. "Oomf," he grunted as he ran into Sara. "Why'd you stop?"
"I found...that....that...that....thing," Sara stammed a reply, slightly preoccupied by the creature in front of them.
"Would you care to dance?" Jesse asked as we entered the great hall. I nodded nervously and placed one hand within his and wrapped the other around his body. Clumsily trying to recall the dance steps, I stared down at my feet but I could feel his breath warm against my cheek and when I looked up those beautiful, entrancing eyes were staring down at me.
"Kate! Jesse!" Sedry shouted, hurrying into the great hall with Lindsay at his heels. Jesse and I broke apart both blushing and I at least was just a touch furious with our friends but I pushed it away at the note of urgency in Sedry's voice.
"What is it?" Jesse asked. "Is Alice okay?"
"We're going to take the dance to Alice!" Lindsay exclaimed excitedly. "Come on, we need your help."
"Adam, don't," Sara warned quietly, pulling Adam closer to her.
"Why not? It's my fault, I ought to do what I can to help," Adam protested.
"No; you're not strong enough to just take it on like that. Last time it was in you, it pretty much had you completely helpless. I've read up on these things; once it's inside me, I may be able to stop it," Sara argued. Adam looked at her worriedly. "Trust me, I'm trying to do what's best for all of us."
"Alright..." Adam answered uncertainly.
"Ok, you take the memories and run back to the others then. Tell them everything, so that no one kills me if I do slip up; alright?" Adam nodded, and Sara looked over at the blob. "How about me? Will I do for a new body?" Bella was certain that if she could make out the blob's teeth, it would contain an evil grin.
Alice sat there in fearful silence for a while longer until the short little boy called Adam came running in with a silver orb in his hands.
"Alice!" He gasped and handed her the orb.
"What is this?"
"Your memories."
Her eyes lit up, "how do I...do whatever I have to do."
"I think you have to eat it," Adam said, finally catching his breath.
Alice shoved the thing into her mouth, where it dissolved instantly and everything came back in a quick rush.
"Alice...?" Calder said hesitantly. Alice looked at him, grinned and tackle-hugged him. There was a giant mass of hugs that lasted only two seconds before Adam interupted.
Sarabella could feel the creature's aura meshing with hers. The pain was unbearable, and in seconds she was on the ground, writhing in pain.
At least Alice will be ok, she thought through the pain. And Adam, he'll be ok too. she added. She screamed and instinct took over quickly. She began fighting against the creature, doing everything she could to get it out. She had warned Adam not to let Alice do the same thing to her as she had to him; it would make the effort completely pointless. There was nothing more she could do.
"Let me in," the voice in her head was alluring, but cruel. "A deal is a deal, now let me in," it crooned.
"No...I won't...let you..." she argued through clenched teeth. A huge blast of pain ripped through her temple, and she screamed loudly. In seconds Sara was unconcious.
When Sara regained conciousness, she was lying in Hagrid's pumpkin patch.
"How did I get here?" she asked herself, looking around curiously. She shrugged her shoulders and stood up, walking towards the school and humming to herself carelessly. As she walked, she suddenly remembered Alice. "Oh yeah, Adam went to get her memories," she noted, running into the building and heading toward the Hospital Wing.
SHe was about half way there when she ran into Alice.
"What are you doing here?" Sara asked, getting to her feet and holding out a hand to help Alice up. Alice ignored her and jumped up, grabbing Sara none to gently by the shoudlers.
"Get out of her head you crazy blob!" she shouted, shaking Sara violently.
"What are you talking about Alice?" Sara asked, grabbing Alice's wrists and trying to stop the shaking.
"I know its in there, controlling your every move. Don't let it Sara, I know you can stop it!"
"Alice, I have no idea what you're talking about. Are you sure you're alright?"
Sara went up to the Gryffindor dorm and changed into her dress. The satin purple material slimmed her figure, and she examined herself in the mirror happily. She had no one to go to the dance with, but maybe she would be lucky enough to meet someone.
"I wonder if any of the others are still single," she thought to herslef as she slipped on her shoes and exited through the portrait.
Adam was standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall, quite alone.
"Hi Adam, what're you doing here?"
"Um...nothing, actually. I thought you might like to walk with me...unless you have a date who's going to meet you here..." Sara smiled, noticing the way Adam was looking her over.
"No, I don't have a date. It would be an honor to walk with you." Sara smiled...Adam did look very nice in his tux, even if he was two years younger.
