11 Mar 2021, 18:09
Screaming Heights
@Haley RoseBecause today was a holiday Adlai had ventured up the tower to the owlery so that she may have a letter of loving words delivered to her family.
Although today was a holiday for Adlai she felt rather agitated, though she knew she shouldn't feel that way she just couldn't help it. The past few days had been rough between the numerous unit tests, which she didn't do very well on, the howlers from her great aunt, and none of her friends having the time to see her.
Adlai hated feeling anything besides happy, she hated hating it. Though she wanted to talk about what she was feeling she felt as though she could not, not when she was the one everyone else went to with their problems. She felt as though she had to put on a strong front, as she had for years.
Over the years she had crafted her normally genuine happy go lucky air, Adlai had begun to bottle up all of the negative emotions she experienced which lead to random bursts of internal angry or depression that she often dealt with on her own.
Often times she envied the people who were able to scream and yell and cry around others as much as they liked. She envied those who were comforted by friends. Normally Adlai was able to be comforted by her parents however, now they were miles away.
Adlai Winifred Rod
12 Mar 2021, 12:54
Screaming Heights
Englisch: #008000 Parsel:#008080
@Adlai RodCurrently there was a lot going on with Haley, but there were few people she wanted to see or talk to. She was grateful that her family seemed to accept her decision because they had not sent her another letter. Haley would need her time and would reach out to them again on her own. But she had kept in touch with one family member. With her grandfather, whom she had only recently learned about. And for that she was glad, because he was honest with her and finally she learned about her own family history. Just a few days ago she had received a letter from him and now she set out to send him her reply.
She tried to ignore all the whispers and stares at her. By now it was making her not only angry and now and then sad, but also annoyed. Haley kept wondering when it would finally stop, but there was no end in sight. Rolling her eyes, Haley walked up the stairs to the Owlery and was pleased to hear no voices from upstairs. She was very hopeful that she wouldn't run into anyone but when she got to the top, she was disappointed.
The disappointment was quickly gone, however, because it wasn't an unfamiliar face she saw there. "Oh, hey Adlai, we haven't seen each other in a while." Haley smiled at her as she walked over to an owl and handed it the letter. She didn't know if Adlai had also heard about the howler and all the rumors about her, but she was sure she wouldn't judge Haley or be afraid of her. And there was a very simple reason why Haley could be so sure. Adlai was also a Parselmouth, as well as Haley. And not just any, she was the one who had made Haley understand that she was a Parsel. Thinking back on it made Haley smile to herself, it had been such an absurd situation but Haley liked that memory.
When Haley was done with the owl, she watched it for a moment as it turned into a small dot on the horizon and now turned to Adlai. "How are you?" she now wanted to know curiously. Haley regretted this question for a moment, because she would have to answer it in a moment as well. She would say she was fine, but if Adlai had heard about the rumors, she would know that was a lie. And even if she hadn't heard about it, she would still see the dark circles under Haley's eyes. And it wasn't just the dark circles under her eyes, Haley had also become thinner as she hardly felt hungry anymore.
The only one who fear death are those with regrets
12 Mar 2021, 18:15
Screaming Heights
@Haley Rose"Hey Haley, I'm doing as well as I can," Adlai started, her voice sounding a bit more flustered than she had anticipated for it to, "how about you?" Just by looking at Haley Adlai could tell something must be up. In a way the poor girl looked sickly.
Haley was a gryffindor and thus Adlai wondered if she had possibly been on the same train that had been attacked on the way back to hogwarts from winter break. Her closest friend, Elena, had been on that train and was still suffering from the injuries that had been inflicted on her that day.
"You don't look too well, is something the matter?"
Although Adlai wasn't in her highest spirits either she had told herself in the bathroom where Haley and her had first met that she would held Haley and guide her as she technically had nobody that she could think of that would do the same for herself.
"You know you can talk to me, yeah?" At the same time if Haley didn't want to talk about anything Adlai understood. In fact in some times of sadness, guilt, or anger Adlai liked to be left alone, or speak of it so that she may marinate in her own feelings, so that she may gather her thoughts before she acted on any kind of impulse.
Adlai Winifred Rod
13 Mar 2021, 10:03
Screaming Heights
Englisch: #008000 Parsel:#008080
@Adlai RodIt seemed that Adlai also had something on her mind that she seemed to be preoccupied with. Not only was her answer an indication of this, but the way she spoke also made Haley pay attention. And again Haley realised that one was never alone in a difficult situation. Because especially in the last time, when Haley had so many inner conflicts, she met others again and again who were also going through a difficult time. Because far too often one was busy with oneself to realise that many in the corridors were going through the same thing. But she didn't want to push Adlai to say anything, she knew only too well that it was also pleasant not to be preoccupied with one's own problems and thoughts.
But as Haley had already feared, Adlai had noticed that Haley was not looking very well. And there was nothing she could have done to cover it up. "I'm doing my best but it's been busy lately." Haley explained. That was the truth, just not the whole truth. She didn't know if Adlai had heard about all the rumours, but it just wasn't a nice topic to start a conversation on. 'Hey, I'm doing pretty badly because my own mother had sent me a howler telling the whole school that I'm a parselmouth and now everyone is talking about me and making up rumours. Most people are scared of me and avoid me in the corridor. On top of that, I can't sleep at night because nightmares haunt me and I don't feel hungry and stoped eating. Right, not a good topic of conversation.
But it seemed Adlai was looking at Haley's inner conflict and she gave her a small smile. "Thank you." She replied, genuinely grateful for her words. It meant a lot to Haley to know that someone like Adlai, a person she had only met once, was so warm to her. And so she tried to find the right words that didn't sound too frustrating. "So basically there is a lot of talk and rumours around me at the moment and they are not nice things. It's been up and down with the acceptance of my special talent and by now I've reached a point where I want to shout out all this frustration, anger and sadness." Haley sighed and shrugged. Still sounded frustrating but Haley couldn't have said it better.
"But it looks like you're not okay these days either." Haley remarked cautiously and gave Adlai an understanding look. "The same offer goes for you. You can always talk to me."
The only one who fear death are those with regrets
14 Mar 2021, 18:01
Screaming Heights
@Haley Rose"For someone reason I am never one to catch wind of rumors, so I had no idea, I'm sorry." Adlai felt as though she had done a disservice too Haley by not hearing any of the rumors about her, then again they were in different years so perhaps the rumors were only spread amongst Haley's fellow first years? No-Adlai thought, that wouldn't be the reason why she wouldn't have heard anything...she didn't hear because she was ignorant. That only made her feel worse.
Hearing Haley say that Adlai could also tell her what was wrong with her she let out a shaky sigh. Adlai was sure her problems were much less important than Haley's, the poor girl was probably being thrown back-and-forth between scuffles that people had no business being involved in.
"I'm exactly sure how to explain it," she began "It's not like anything in particular has happened that's made me upset...I've been feeling a mixture of emotions, mainly stress...sometimes it feels like I'm stuck underwater and whenever I try to get back to the surface a wave just knocks me back down, if that makes sense?" In all honesty Adlai had no idea what she was talking about.
Adlai Winifred Rod
14 Mar 2021, 20:41
Screaming Heights
Englisch: #008000 Parsel:#008080
@Adlai Rod
It was nice to know that there were still students who hadn't heard about all the rumours about Haley. It caused a kind of relief in her that she couldn't quite place. But it was no reason for Adlai to apologise, why should it? It only spoke for the Hufflepuff girl that she wasn't like many others. Who took pleasure in the suffering of others, or worse, added their own stories to it. "Really, no need to be sorry. To be honest it's refreshing to meet someone who hasn't heard any of this" and with those words she gave her a smile.
She listened to Adlai's words and thought for a moment about her explanation. But Haley could understand her, in a certain way , but she too did not know how to describe this feeling. "I think I know exactly what you mean." Haley replied now, trying to put it into her own words, "Sometimes it's all the little things that go almost unnoticed to you but deep down are super nasty. That trigger feelings and you can't even understand where they're coming from. And then, when you finally take steps forward, you get pulled back by an invisible hand."
Did that make sense? Surely it didn't. Did it sound silly? Most certainly yes. And as Haley ran the words through her head again, she started shaking her head and had to laugh. "I'm sorry, that must have sounded totally silly. But really I just wanted to say, yes, it makes sense. Even if it doesn't make sense at the same time." She shrugged her shoulders but hoped Adlai would understand what Haley was trying to convey.
And so the two stood there in the owlery. So different but yet so similar. Each with their own package, with their own feelings but in the end it was common ground again. Haley walked over to one of the holes in the tower that resembled a window without a pane and gazed into the distance. "You know what helps me sometimes? Just letting it all out."
The only one who fear death are those with regrets
19 Mar 2021, 15:43
Screaming Heights
@Haley Rose"No it's ok, I understand what you're trying to say." Adlai stated, glad that Haley understood what the premise of what she was trying to say as well. She found it amazing how even though two people can lead very different lives that they can somehow relate to one another through their emotions.
"How do you do that?" She asked Haley she talked about letting it all out. Adlai knew people express their emotions through different means. Her mother would clean when she was anxious, or angry and when she was sad she would practice her hand needle work. On the other hand when her father was anxious he'd go for a run, when was angry he would chop wood, and when he was sad he'd read old letters between him and her mother when they were younger.
Everyone had their own way of doing things, but Adlai also know that sometimes people didn't know what to do when they were upset. Often times it was young children, whenever they would become frustrated or upset they was scream and cry which seemed to work best for them. Adlai had seen adults do the same in films but she couldn't rap her head around how they found the energy to do it.
Adlai Winifred Rod
26 Mar 2021, 13:26
Screaming Heights
Englisch: #008000 Parsel:#008080
@Adlai RodHaley thought for a moment about Adlai's question. How did she do it? How did she let it all out? She had a lot of different ways she did that. Sometimes she just needed her quiet and turned off her head and the world around her while reading a good book. Sometimes she sat down at the piano and let her emotions speak through the music and sang the frustration out of her lungs. But sometimes she just had to scream really loud. It was like an outlet and things would get better.
Haley had never done this screaming before in front of anyone else. First of all, she didn't want to scare or frighten anyone and secondly, she didn't want anyone to think she was crazy. But currently there were already enough rumors about her, it really couldn't get any worse. And also she didn't expect Adlai to think she was crazy and even if she did, it probably wouldn't bother Haley.
So she smiled briefly at Adlai, "I'll just show you how." She took a few steps forward until she stood in front of one of the openings in the walls and could see into the distance. She briefly looked down, right and left, checking to see if she could see anyone. No one in sight, but she didn't look closely either, let them think what they want, Haley thought to herself. She turned her head to Adlai one last time, "watch and learn." She started laughing now and turned her head back to the window.
She took a few breaths and closed her eyes. She thought for a moment of all the things that had happened. The howler, her mother, the rumors, and all the other students. Quickly all those feelings came back up inside her. It was like a fat lump mixed with anger, contempt and sadness. And with a deep breath, she shipped that lump up her body and into her throat. Bracing herself against the wall with her two hands each on the right and left, she leaned her head and upper body slightly forward through the opening and let out a loud and long scream.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH" she screamed with all the strength she had and it almost seemed as if she wouldn't run out of air. But after a few seconds she fell silent, but some owls liked Haley's screams rather less and so they now made a short fuss, but were also quickly silenced again.
The only one who fear death are those with regrets
10 Apr 2021, 03:34
Screaming Heights
@Haley RoseGuttural, vulnerable, invidious. That is what the scream was. Adlai could feel the echoing torment full agony Haley had been dealing with but she could also feel her relief. The relief that Adlai longed for. Her own voice began to rise and bubble in her throat.
"Only a bit more..." she thought, "Only a bit more and the height will be gone, right?"
Taking a few steps forward, so that she was beside Haley, Adlai began to think of anything and everything that had ever upset her in the slightest way. Moving to Wales, meeting an aunt that wanted nothing to do with her until she learned of her magical abilities, the kids on her block who ignored her since she didn't attend any of the local schools, her sister Dorothy when she nagged at her for any small mistake, her poor grades, standardized testing, being parsel, and the secrets...so many secrets.
Her chest rose with an influx of oxygen, her lips parted. Then came the sound, the same guttural, vulnerable, invidious sound that had come out of Haley was now coming out of Adlai. As it went on Adlai began to bend into herself, her lungs steadily deflating before the sound cut off. Although the height was still there, it was far, far lighter.
Adlai Winifred Rod
12 Apr 2021, 09:57
Screaming Heights
Englisch: #008000 Parsel:#008080
@Adlai Rod
After her scream disappeared into the distance and the owls quieted down again, Haley just stood there quietly for a moment. She continued to look out the window and let the silence wash over her. Just a few seconds ago it felt like she was screaming out all her frustration and it was loud. But suddenly there was only silence and a feeling that she couldn't place at first. Did she feel weird? Stupid? Relieved? It was a feeling of freedom, because all the frustration that had built up inside her seemed to be carried away into the distance with her voice waves.
She now looked with a slight, satisfied smile at Adlai, who was about to stand next to Haley. The two looked at each other silently but no words were needed at that moment and Haley was more than glad that Adlai didn't think she was completely crazy. Haley directed her gaze out the window again and waited for the moment when Adlai would also let out all her frustrations.
And she didn't have to wait long for it, because only a few seconds later the silence was now interrupted by Adlai. She screamed, just as Haley had just shown her, and the owls complained loudly again. After Adlai's scream died away, it was silent for a moment. Nothing could be heard except the owls in the background. But Haley couldn't help laughing and started giggling, shaking her head.
She looked back at Adlai now, and though Haley wasn't sure, it seemed she felt some relieve as well. "That was great!" Haley said to her and laughed again.
The only one who fear death are those with regrets