Destined

Chapter Sixteen: The Waters Below

 Suspense, the longing feeling to know what is to come, to be left hanging on words and not knowing what they mean. It is a hard feeling to describe, to want to know desperately what the answers are to your questions. I lie in my bed, staring at my ceiling as the minutes tick away. That is how I feel. I long to know what Tommy had meant, and midnight won't come fast enough. The small clock on the far wall by the door is nearly impossible to read in the dark, but I know that it is finally getting closer. My heart races in anticipation, and the events from breakfast are only small thoughts compared to what I question midnight will bring.

I bypass the hours until midnight by lying in bed, as I am doing now, staring at my ceiling. I am starting to get impatient, but there is nothing I can do to speed up time. I glance over at the clock again.

11:40.

What's the harm in leaving a little bit early? I ask myself, but I know that I should wait. The less time I stand out in the open the better. I close my eyes, willing myself not to fall asleep.

It's dangerous, walking all the way to the bottom floor. I could be caught, and have another detention- which won't be that bad considering it is Professor Ward- or attacked. I shake my head, trying to clear the images and thoughts from my mind. I'm not letting them stop me.

11:50.

I can't sit here anymore. I quietly get out of bed, not wearing my pajamas but an old pair of faded jeans and a black sweatshirt- all of which used to belong to Stephanie. I refuse to wear the ugly black dress shoes we have to wear with our school uniform, so instead I slip on my old converse. On the days we aren't required to wear our uniforms, which is mostly the weekends, I would wear my converse. It is weird, to think so much of a pair of old dirty shoes, but they are a reminder of my past. No matter how much I want to forget it, my life before is still a part of me.

I silently tiptoe to the door, slowly opening it and closing it behind me. The corridor ahead is empty, with nothing but pale glowing lumias. I start off down it, quickly reaching the exit. I had snuck out enough times with Sophia to go to the library to know how to be cautious. I stop at the corner and peer around it. The staircase and corridors I can see from this angle is empty. I make my way down, floor by floor, stopping at every corridor. I finally reach the first floor and I dart into the next corridor, afraid to stay out in the open for too long,

The whole way down I have been forcing myself not to think about when I was attacked. I could easily have just traveled by wind down here, but who knows what might await me. The corridor is empty, Tommy has not arrived. I lean against the wall, my heart racing from all the walking, and fear of being caught. The memory of being attacked suddenly flashes in my mind. The feeling of helplessness as the attacker had pinned me to the ground, the medallion in hand. What would had happened if it touched me? I wonder. Would it have worked, would I be possessed by Aerona Vlasta? Or when it failed would the attacker had used the poison to put me to sleep like the others?

I had done it again, I realize, called him the attacker in my mind instead of who it really is. I am still in denial, even with proof, but we still haven't found any compelling evidence to go to any one like the headmistress. Suddenly, the corridor is filled with a gust of wind and I open my eyes and sit up straight. I was startled by the sudden breeze, but once I see Tommy appear next to me, I relax.

"God, Tommy! Don't do that!" I demand in a hushed voice, still slightly startled.

He smiles at me, before saying "Come on, we can't wait here for a professor to find us." He turns and starts off back in the direction of the staircase. "I need to show you something."