Lincoln's School of Magic - Creating the Beast

In the Flames

"Adrian?" I ask, a little distraught.

    How did he get in the fire? And why does he want to talk to me?

    "Happy birthday, love!" Adrian smiles brightly through the flames.

    "You remembered?" I ask, a little unsurely.

    It's been a while since we last saw each other, so I thought that maybe he would have forgotten about me by now.

    "Of course I did!"

    "Did you remember David's birthday a few months ago?" I ask.

    "Yeah," he answers, "but I didn't bother making an appearance. He did rat me out you know."

    I look over at Daniel who is still sitting next to me on the couch, staring at Adrian's face in the flames.

    "About that," I say nervously while turning back to him, "was the cruciatus curse necessary?"

    He thinks for a moment before replying.

    "Perhaps not," he says with shame, "but I had to make a statement."

    "What statement was that, exactly?" I ask.

    "That you shouldn't mess with me," he answers with confidence.

    I can hear Daniel start to breath heavily next to me. I turn towards him to see that he still has not moved.

    "Has Adrian been threatening you too?" I ask him.

    David told me all about Adrian's threats. He used David as a test dummy on all sorts of dark spells and potions. Of course, Adrian healed him after, but it is still so wrong. David was terrified to say anything because he thought Adrian would kill him, and he just about did. David was lucky Burnaby was there otherwise he might not have been with us today.

    Daniel turns his head to me with blood shot blue eyes. He thinks for a moment before shaking his head no. I don't believe him. Adrian must be threatening Daniel too. I sigh before turning back to Adrian in the flames.

    "Remember in January when you sent that owl to Daniel?" I ask Adrian.

    "The one where I told him to show you?" He asks for verification.

    I nod my head.

    "I didn't think you would read an owl from me," he continues, "but you would read something Daniel handed you."

    "You're probably right."

    I continue to hear Daniel's breath getting louder and louder. He must be uncomfortable.

    "We're done here," I say while standing up.

    "I'll come back tomorrow, ok?" He asks.

    "No," I say sternly. "We are done."

    "Done?" Adrian shouts as Daniel and I walk away.

    I turn around just before exiting to common room to see Adrian's face fade out of the flames.

    I split from Daniel and head straight to my dormitory. Dinner should be over any minute now anyway.

-

    Lucia joins me in our dorm room shortly after I arrive. I am sitting at our desk, reading a book.

    "How did Adrian get in the school?" She asks me as she climbs up to her bunk.

    "He didn't," I say, not looking away from my book.

    After a moment of silence, Lucia asks, "then how did he talk to you?"

    I turn around in the wooden chair and look up to Lucia who is on her knees looking down at me.

    "He appeared in the fire in the boys common room," I answer.

    "Oh," Lucia says in realization, "like a hologram?"

    "Sort of," I say, "but I will not be talking to him again."

    "Why?" Lucia asks curiously, "what did he say?"

    "Happy birthday."

    "That's it?" She asks disappointedly.

    I nod my head and Lucia crosses her arms.

    "And that made you mad?" She continues with a confused look.

    "No," I chuckle lightly, "but I have a feeling he is threatening Daniel too."

    "That poor boy," Lucia says sadly, "he has enough problems already."

    "I'm worried that he's threatening other people," I say, "not just Daniel and David."

    "He could be," Lucia replies.

    "We have to stop him," I say sternly.

    "How?"

    "We will find a way."

    I turn back around and pretend to read my book, but in reality, I'm just thinking of ideas to stop Adrian from hurting anyone else.

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Published January 4th, 2022