BEAUTIFUL FLOWER | MATTHEO RIDDLE

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

She sighed deeply and placed her hands in her lap, moving her long hair so that it stayed behind her slanted shoulders, and her cheeks turned a rosy pink. "Now, that's not important, but you'll know soon enough."

"What do you mean? Why can't you just tell me who you are?" I began to grow thoroughly frustrated with her lack of answering my questions.

"Like I said, you will know soon enough. You will understand more after you've spoken to others like me."

Others like her? What was she, and why was she here of all places?

My mind only began to spin more. There was a curse that I'd never heard of, and supposedly, Mattheo had used it on me, and now I was seeing. . . whatever it was I was seeing, and I had no sense of any of it.

"I don't understand, are you a real person?"

"I was, once. Now I'm just here." she sighed, speaking nonchalantly. She was so comfortable, it was almost as if she'd done this all before, like it was a usual thing.

"What do you mean 'once'?"

"I passed on."

"Then, how can I see you, and talk to you?" I reached out and touched her arm, and though it was cold and chilling, it was soft. "And touch you?"

"I told you I would tell you about that later, but for now, I need you to rest. We have to regain your strength for what's about to happen."

"You sound insane, what are you talking about?"

"Nevermind that, just lay down. Yes... like that.... good, now... No, lay back down. Yes, now... rest your head and--"

"Who are you talking to?"

Next to me, Mattheo sat up in his chair, a confused expression plastered on his droopy face, and I laid on my back frozen in my place.

I didn't know what to say, and I couldn't mention whoever the girl sitting next to me was, and how he couldn't see her, or anything else that was going on.

"Myself," I nodded my head, trying my best to sound convincing.

He looked at me warily, knowing full well that I wasn't telling the complete truth, or so he thought, but didn't choose to push it. I was, in all certainty, surprised with his calmness.

He rubbed his eyes and sat himself up straighter in his chair. "Is everything okay?"

I nodded again.

"Pomfrey says you can go back to your dorm now, she said when you wake up you're free to leave the hospital wing." he yawned, his eyes half open. His hair was messy, too, and his cheeks flushed a deep pink.

"She doesn't want to check up on me or anything?"

He shook his head and smiled at me, pausing as he observed my pale face. "She doesn't." he whispered softly.

I let out a deep breath and threw the covers off of my legs, moving to stand up. Quickly, feeling my head grow heavy, I grabbed a hold of the bed to keep myself up straight, and watched as Mattheo moved over the bed to try and grab my arm.