Letting it All Go Solo

Interacting with: N/A Mentioning: N/A Date: 03/15/25

Word Count: 1423

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Avery was exhausted. So much had been going on that she didn't even recognize herself when she looked in the mirror. What she saw when she looked in the mirror was a woman. Hardened by the constant burden she had been holding for so long. Maybe that's why she barely recognized herself from the innocent little girl she was just a couple years before. Before she was dragged away from her family and brought into a new life she had never asked for. A life with fighting, darkness, and a hidden light that Avery couldn't ever find again. Avery sighed. She knew she had to do something to get her mind off everything happening. She knew she couldn't dwell on what had happened the past couple of years forever. She had to eventually shake off the hold it had on her. And the only way to do that was to finally fell free, She knew what she was about to do was a terrible idea, and that she probably shouldn't do it considering what happened last time, but she had to do something else besides sitting around and waiting for all her problems to disappear. She knew know that sitting around and waiting wasn't going to end all her problems. She had to take the leap to end them herself. And that leap had to be now or never. Avery walked to where the school brooms were kept. Choosing one that she thought looked in decent shape. Then she checked it to make sure not a splinter of wood was out of place. One splinter would be disastrous for Avery, and, after just coming out of the Hospital Wing about a week ago, she didn't really want to go back soon. It was enough that she had already been there twice this school year. Who knows how many more times she would end up there when she became a Quidditch player. She shook off that thought. She didn't want to think about that. Well, it wasn't that she didn't like the Hospital Wing. It was just that she didn't enjoy the healing part. It wasn't exactly pleasant whenever she was getting healed. After Avery was satisfied that her broom wasn't going to randomly go rouge on her, she got a better grip on it and headed for the Quidditch Training Pitch. In the back of her mind she knew she probably shouldn't be doing this alone again, but her will to do something overpowered that thought. It would take too long to find someone willing to practice with her. She needed to be in the air now, but first she had to get to the pitch. She grabbed a box of Quidditch balls on her way to the pitch. Determined to finally catch the snitch that caused her doom only a few weeks ago. She couldn't let a tiny ball destroy her. That would mean she was weak, and she wanted to know that she wasn't weak. She wanted to be strong. Especially right now. When she finally approached the familiar dirt path that led to the Quidditch Training Pitch, she let out a sigh that she didn't realize she was holding in. She had so much pent up energy that even her nerves felt like steel. She felt fearless for the first time in her life. It was as if she was invincible. Like she could destroy any obstacle in her path. She remembered a song that her mom used to play for her when she was little. Before she changed to the unrecognizable woman she was today. Avery remembered the song being about diving in and not backing down once you got started. Avery was surprised that she remembered that song in this moment. She must really need it's upbeat style and determined words. It's what was going to make her succeed and land the thing that caused her lots of pain and suffering in the first place. Avery began to sing that song in her head. Remembering the melody by heart due to the thousands of times her mother had played it for her. She released the golden snitch at that moment and watched as it took flight. It's small golden sphere beautiful in the light of the sun. It glittered in the sun as it dashed back and forth. Not completely set on which course it would take. Avery was so mesmerized by its agility that she had completely forgotten what she was doing here. She quickly snapped out of her daze and launched into the air. Letting the light breeze softly lick her face. She breathed deeply into the fresh air. This was exactly what she needed. Freedom. After all this time, she finally felt herself again. Something she hadn't felt since she was dragged out of her grandparents house two years ago. Avery focused on her job after relishing in the fact that she was flying again. Something she hadn't had the chance to do in a while. Well, do it alone. She had been flying during flying class, but there she couldn't be herself. She couldn't be free. But now? With no rules and no one to tell her she couldn't do something that was to dangerous? She could finally soar through the skies and fulfill her wildest dreams and ideas. And it all started with trying to catch the little orb with wings that fluttered like a dragonfly in the air around her. Finally, after searching the air, she had found it. Now it was time for the best part. The chase. Avery dived in and out trying to catch the snitch. This time paying careful attention to where she was going. She didn't want a repeat of last time and end up either breaking her other leg or breaking the same leg. She didn't want to be a burden on someone else. Actually, she didn't want to be a burden to anyone anymore. It was time for her to take flight and deal with her problems herself instead of sharing her burdens on others. If she couldn't handle her own problems, how would she be able to handle her friends' problems too? She would much rather be there for her friends than her friends be there for her always. She felt that she always made her friends be there for her through everything bad. She kicked herself for not checking up on her friends and being there whenever they were going through a rough time. She had been so blinded by her own problems that she hadn't even thought about checking to make sure everyone else's worlds weren't falling apart around them. Wow. What kind of a friend was she? Avery was so close to getting the snitch. It was as if she was the predator and it was the prey. She was just like an owl. Silent as the breeze and zeroing down on its prey. Avery knew she was within reaching distance of it. She let one of her hands off the broom and stretched towards the snitch. Inching closer. This moment reminded Avery of last time. When she had crash landed. This time that wasn't going to happen. This time she would finally catch that little orb and prove to everyone that she could do it. That she wasn't completely useless whenever there were rough times in her life. She had to do it. It was now or never. Avery was about to do it. The snitch was right there! She closed her fingers tightly around the little orb and slowly stopped her broom in the sky. Staring at the little orb in her hands in shock. She had done it. She had channeled everything she had gone through and had managed to catch the snitch without crashing into something or someone. She began to cheer silently. Pumping her arms into the air in excitement. She landed gracefully onto the ground and placed the little golden orb back in its place and closed the lid to the box it was in. She was proud of her work for the day, but she knew she still had a lot of work to go before she was ready for a real match with other people and bludgers flying at you in all directions. But this was a start. A beacon in the dark. A way to get out of her pain and suffering when it got to hard to bear alone. Maybe she could actually do this. She just needed to be strong.

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OOC Note: The song mentioned in this is called "Dive" by Steven Curtis Chapman