Modification || T. Riddle || Completed

Chapter 22: Heirlooms

Chapter 22: Heirlooms

A flash of lightning jolted her awake. She looked around the dimly lit room with squinted eyes, her body aching as she attempted to move, but realised she could not. She was tied up - her back pressed firmly against a cold stone wall as metal shackles kept her in place and dug their way into her skin. She winced at the pain in her wrists and ankles before a sound made her entire body freeze. A cold, shrill laugh echoed around the dark circular room.

Her breath was caught in her throat as she stilled, her ears twitching as she listened for any form of movement. And then she saw them. From the dark pool of shadows she could just make out two bright red eyes. And they were watching her. A gasp escaped her lips as she pulled at her shackles, but it was too late. A flash of light surged towards her, hitting her squarely, causing her to double over in pain as she cried out.

The piercing laugh grew louder and louder, and seemed to be making its way inside her head. Inside her very brain. She screamed as the cackle and the pain overwhelmed her, but both seemed intelsify the more she reacted.

Through the pain and darkness she managed to looked up. She could see it a bit more clearly now. A figure looming in the shadows. Its face was as white as ivory and had a strange waxy effect to it. Those evil red eyes were centred with bold black slits, similar to the slits that were situated where the nose should normally be. The figure grinned cruelly down at her, enjoying every moment of her torture. Another flash of lightning illuminated the room, sending a thousand images flashing through her mind.

A manor, a pair of amethyst eyes, a necklace, an old man, a blond-haired boy, a room of dead bodies, a cave and a tiara. Two strange looking symbols flashed before her eyes. One that looked like a crescent moon, another that looked similar to the legendary mark of Merlin. Then fire. Lots of fire emerging from the darkness as it took the form of something soaring through the air - golden and bright against a strange shape hanging in the dark night.

The she jolted awake.

She was breathing heavily and her skin was damp to touch. She looked around her to find that she was safe where she had fallen asleep. She wrapped the covers around her tightly as she tried to rid her mind of her nightmare.

She had seen that vicious monster in another one of her nightmares, but she had to assure herself that it was exactly that – a nightmare and nothing more.

As her eyes met the window she saw it was snowing again, and she watched the little white flakes fall down serenely for a moment as she realised it was Christmas Eve. She had told Tom last night that she was going to go into town today, and so she got out of bed, her hands still fumbling slightly from the shock of the nightmare as she got dressed.

Walking into the living room, she saw Tom was hunched over the small dining table with parchment, books and the stolen ring surrounding him. He stopped writing and glanced briefly at Estela before he continued scribbling on a long piece of parchment which already seemed to be very full.

Estela rolled her eyes as she made her way into the bedroom.

She spotted the glint of one of her potions from her suitcase. She paused before walking over and taking out the box with the five phials of miniature potions that she had packed. She looked over her shoulder hastily to make sure Tom was not watching as she slipped the Invisibility Potion into her cloak. She was considering making a quick detour on her travels.

She entered the living room once more, and Tom acted as though she did not exist as he scribbled away at the parchment vigorously.

"I'm going into the village, then." She said, to which she got no reply, not even a nod of the head or a look of acknowledgement. She opened her mouth to speak again but thought better of it as she slipped the hood of her cloak over her head and headed out of the room.