Long Lost Family - Teddy Lupin Fic

Chapter 12

It starts at eleven forty-four pm. It always starts at eleven forty-four pm. A searing pain at the back of my head, waking me out of my nightmares. I fall out of bed and crawl to the window. With trembling hands I manage to pry it open and take deep breaths as the cool night's air washes over me.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

With each breath, the pain ebbs away slightly. I count to fifty, take one last deep breath and then stumble out of the common room. Myer, Will and Bonnie camped out in the common room last night so they know when I need them. My heavy footsteps wake them up. They all rush over and help me manoeuvre out of the castle and into the forbidden forest. They release me and I collapse on all fours, the soft dirt cushioning me. It's not long before there are two dogs standing in front of me, Myer appears to have disappeared completely. Bonnie the dog nudges my shoulder and I move into a sitting position. I lean forward and put my head in my hands, breathing deeply until the pain is almost tolerable. Bonnie the dog lays her head on my shoulder and I try to match my erratic breaths to her steady ones. Will is out in the forest making sure there's no-one around and I still have no idea where Myer is. Will the dog comes into view and lays down in front of me, resting his chin on my knee. Myer is still nowhere to be seen and Twelve o'clock is getting closer and closer.

It's like I have an internal clock and know exactly what time it is.

Eleven fifty three — The pain has pretty much ebbed away.

Eleven fifty four — Nausea wracks my body and I heave everything that I ate for dinner onto the forest floor.

Eleven fifty five — There's a sharp pain pulling in my stomach, like there's something inside me that's trying to get out.

Eleven fifty six — All the energy drains from my body and my head flops loosely on my shoulders.

Eleven fifty seven — The world starts spinning.

Eleven fifty eight — Confusion invades my brain and I have no idea who I am or what I'm doing or why I'm sitting on a forest floor.

Eleven fifty nine — Pain. Nausea. Weakness. Dizziness. Confusion. They all hit my like a tonne of bricks and I know this must be what it feels like to die.

Twelve o'clock — Nothing.

When I regain consciousness, I'm not in control of my own body. It's like I'm watching from the side-lines, I'm a ghost, watching as my body twitches and contorts in pain. The minutes blur by, from one second of pain to the next; it's relentless.

Bonnie and Will have backed away in terror and I don't blame them - I'm terrified.

Someone is screaming.

I think it's me.

Suddenly my body stops moving and I don't recognise it. It looks old and faded; my skin is pale and fragile, my hair is as white as snow and my eyes have been worn out to a dull grey. I look like a corpse; my leaking eyes the only way someone could tell I'm still living.

I know I'm still living.

If I was dead I wouldn't be in this much pain.

I wish I was dead.

The sweet release of death is something I wish for every full moon.

I wonder if it's this painful for full werewolves.

My body staggers to it's feet and Bonnie and Will spring into action trying to push me back down. But I overpower them and stumble around the forest. The thing inside of me is trying to claw its way out. It's hungry. My body staggers from tree to tree, clawing at the bark to stay up-right. It falls into a ray of moonlight and collapses on the ground in agony. Animalistic screams and growls escape my lips.

I'm back in my body. Not watching from the side-lines anymore. The pain is more extreme and nothing makes sense. Everything is green and brown. One big blur of green and brown. Green and brown and green and brown and green and brown and green and brown and green and brown

And

Green

And

Brown

I am so sorry I have been taking soooo long to update recently! I'll try and get better!! Hope you enjoyed it!! XOXOXO