4 May 2020, 15:54
A Chance To Breathe
It had only been a couple of days since she had arrived at Hogwarts, but to Alyssa it had felt like it had been weeks at least. There was always so much happening!! She finally had a little free time and had decided to spend it exploring the grounds. At some point, she came to rest at the Great Lake, anxious to see if the stories that she had heard about the Giant Squid were true.
When she was young, her father had told her a story of when he was a first year at Hogwarts himself. During his first week of classes, he was running late so he wasn't really paying much mind to where he was going. As he was running past the Great Lake, he had stubbed his toe on a rock and had fallen down. The books that he had been carrying went everywhere. As he was picking his books up, he had realized that his wand was no longer in his pocket. This caused even further panic as he looked around on the ground, hoping to see it there. When he didn't find it, he sat down among his scattered books, defeated. What was the point of even going to class now if he didn't have a wand? As he stood up to send an owl to his parents explaining the whole thing, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun around and was terrified to see that a tentacle had risen up from the water. In his shocked state, he couldn't move as the tentacle twisted and pointed his own wand at him. Numbly, he grabbed it and the Giant Squid went back down into the lake. After that, he always tried to see the Giant Squid again to thank it for returning his wand, but he never saw it again.
When Alyssa had been young, she had first been terrified at the thought of seeing such a thing in a lake. As she grew older however, she realized the kindness that the Giant Squid had shown her father. She hoped one day that she could come across it as well.
For now though, she was just happy to sit down and breathe in the fresh air. It had been awhile since she had time for herself, and she wanted to enjoy this feeling while she could.
When she was young, her father had told her a story of when he was a first year at Hogwarts himself. During his first week of classes, he was running late so he wasn't really paying much mind to where he was going. As he was running past the Great Lake, he had stubbed his toe on a rock and had fallen down. The books that he had been carrying went everywhere. As he was picking his books up, he had realized that his wand was no longer in his pocket. This caused even further panic as he looked around on the ground, hoping to see it there. When he didn't find it, he sat down among his scattered books, defeated. What was the point of even going to class now if he didn't have a wand? As he stood up to send an owl to his parents explaining the whole thing, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun around and was terrified to see that a tentacle had risen up from the water. In his shocked state, he couldn't move as the tentacle twisted and pointed his own wand at him. Numbly, he grabbed it and the Giant Squid went back down into the lake. After that, he always tried to see the Giant Squid again to thank it for returning his wand, but he never saw it again.
When Alyssa had been young, she had first been terrified at the thought of seeing such a thing in a lake. As she grew older however, she realized the kindness that the Giant Squid had shown her father. She hoped one day that she could come across it as well.
For now though, she was just happy to sit down and breathe in the fresh air. It had been awhile since she had time for herself, and she wanted to enjoy this feeling while she could.
"Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress?"
4 May 2020, 18:51
A Chance To Breathe
Clay felt like drawing something. She wasn't exactly sure what but it had to be something great because she was sending it back to her grandmother. Her sole guardian, elderly her strong, deserved something beyond the best and Clay was going to give it to her...even though her artistic skills weren't the best.
She hadn't brought much with her on her journey to the Lake. All she carried was a small sketchbook and a mechanical pencil with the thinnest of leads, just so her mistakes could easily be erased. And so it would be harder to see the catastrophe.
Clay hurried down the stairs, even though there wasn't really a rush. But her heart was pumping and her head was racing; she knew that she would hardly be able to stop herself from plummeting down the stairs if it that time came. But she wasn't thinking of that. No, Clay was thinking about the letter her grandmother had sent her back after she had ranted about the damned school and it's sad occupants. Something was always going wrong and even though the right usually balanced it out, Clay couldn't help but feel like it was next to torture just being here. One minute someone was being beaten to a pulp and the next friends were laughing their guts out like nothing in the world mattered.
This school just had to be possessed.
Clay found herself walking across the grass soon enough. The loved the feel of the wind on her skin. She was dressed in a black hoodie and a pair of beige shorts. With the hood tight over her head she might've looked like a boy from far away, given her thin frame and long legs. She wasn't much to look at at the moment but Clay hardly cared.
Her eyes landed on a small figure near the shore, staring out at the water. Clay frowned, figuring she should mind her business, but she realized that she kind of didn't want to be alone, despite usually drawing in solitude. She didn't care what other people said about her artwork, or at least that's what she told herself, but companion was always welcome.
Clay walked over to the person and when she close enough she cleared her throat loud enough for the girl to hear. She smiled at her and sat down next to her, placing enough space between them so it wouldn't be weird.
"I'm just here to draw, and you stole the best view," she said, spinning the pencil around with her fingers. She laughed at herself, then sighed softly, gazing, too, out at the Great Lake. "Sorry if I'm bothering you, I just didn't feel like sitting alone. I'm Clay.
She hadn't brought much with her on her journey to the Lake. All she carried was a small sketchbook and a mechanical pencil with the thinnest of leads, just so her mistakes could easily be erased. And so it would be harder to see the catastrophe.
Clay hurried down the stairs, even though there wasn't really a rush. But her heart was pumping and her head was racing; she knew that she would hardly be able to stop herself from plummeting down the stairs if it that time came. But she wasn't thinking of that. No, Clay was thinking about the letter her grandmother had sent her back after she had ranted about the damned school and it's sad occupants. Something was always going wrong and even though the right usually balanced it out, Clay couldn't help but feel like it was next to torture just being here. One minute someone was being beaten to a pulp and the next friends were laughing their guts out like nothing in the world mattered.
This school just had to be possessed.
Clay found herself walking across the grass soon enough. The loved the feel of the wind on her skin. She was dressed in a black hoodie and a pair of beige shorts. With the hood tight over her head she might've looked like a boy from far away, given her thin frame and long legs. She wasn't much to look at at the moment but Clay hardly cared.
Her eyes landed on a small figure near the shore, staring out at the water. Clay frowned, figuring she should mind her business, but she realized that she kind of didn't want to be alone, despite usually drawing in solitude. She didn't care what other people said about her artwork, or at least that's what she told herself, but companion was always welcome.
Clay walked over to the person and when she close enough she cleared her throat loud enough for the girl to hear. She smiled at her and sat down next to her, placing enough space between them so it wouldn't be weird.
"I'm just here to draw, and you stole the best view," she said, spinning the pencil around with her fingers. She laughed at herself, then sighed softly, gazing, too, out at the Great Lake. "Sorry if I'm bothering you, I just didn't feel like sitting alone. I'm Clay.
"And this mortality hit me like a hammer and left me reeling."
4 May 2020, 20:52
A Chance To Breathe
At some point while Alyssa had been sitting, her mind had wandered and she was just staring absentmindedly at the Lake. It had been such a nice sunny day, and now the sun was setting. It made for a very pretty view and she lost track of time.
Her black tennis shoes had gotten mud on them at some point as she had been out exploring the grounds. It had long since dried, so it was easy to kick off. She was happy that she had changed out of her robes though before coming out to the Lake. Jeans and a sweater were much more comfortable in her opinion than a long black robe.
She needed to send an owl at some point to her parents to give them an update on how she was doing. For the time being though, she would keep putting it off.
Then, she heard someone approach and clear their throat. She turned her head and saw another student sit next to her. "Oh hello," she said giving Clay a bright smile in return, "You aren't bothering me at all. I've just had a crazy day and I was hoping to escape for a little while. My name's Alyssa, it's nice to meet you."
As Alyssa talked, she noticed that Clay had brought a sketchbook with her. She gave Clay another slight smile and said, "I'm sure that you'll find something great to draw though out here. The view really is the best."
Her black tennis shoes had gotten mud on them at some point as she had been out exploring the grounds. It had long since dried, so it was easy to kick off. She was happy that she had changed out of her robes though before coming out to the Lake. Jeans and a sweater were much more comfortable in her opinion than a long black robe.
She needed to send an owl at some point to her parents to give them an update on how she was doing. For the time being though, she would keep putting it off.
Then, she heard someone approach and clear their throat. She turned her head and saw another student sit next to her. "Oh hello," she said giving Clay a bright smile in return, "You aren't bothering me at all. I've just had a crazy day and I was hoping to escape for a little while. My name's Alyssa, it's nice to meet you."
As Alyssa talked, she noticed that Clay had brought a sketchbook with her. She gave Clay another slight smile and said, "I'm sure that you'll find something great to draw though out here. The view really is the best."
"Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress?"
6 May 2020, 18:08
A Chance To Breathe
Clay smiled back, appreciating her comment, but she wasn't entirely sure about what she'd said. She didn't know whether she'd find something draw, they were literally facing a giant lake. Sure, she could draw the shoreline or try to picture how the castle would look from the other side of the lake, but for some reason it didn't feel right. It was as if Clay knew what to draw deep down but she couldn't figure it out on paper.
"Nice to meet you, too. It's rather nice today but not nice enough for me to figure out what to draw." Clay placed her sketchbook in her lap and hugged her knees, resting her chin on the sketchbook as she gazed at the water.
She'd heard rumors about what lied enough, and also things that weren't really rumors. Something about a giant squid, though she thought they preferred salt water to fresh water, and even mermaids. So much for Disney's Ariel, because she'd heard that they looked nothing like red haired maiden.
Clay kind of wanted to know but also didn't. Water wasn't exactly her forte, especially after she half-drowned as a child. It wasn't anything truly traumatic but water made her feel uneasy, especially when it seemed to go on forever like the oceans.
"The lake looks especially great from the Gryffindor Tower, which is why I usually sketch from there. Sometimes it's hard, though, because of the dumb bird nests." She stretched out one leg and yawned before glancing at Alyssa. "Have you ever wondered what's underneath there?" She hoped the girl knew more than her. It was hard to tell how old people were around here, even the professors, who sometimes were mistaken for students themselves. Alyssa didn't look much older than Clay, but she didn't really seem the exact age. She would guess she were eleven or twelve, even thirteen.
"Nice to meet you, too. It's rather nice today but not nice enough for me to figure out what to draw." Clay placed her sketchbook in her lap and hugged her knees, resting her chin on the sketchbook as she gazed at the water.
She'd heard rumors about what lied enough, and also things that weren't really rumors. Something about a giant squid, though she thought they preferred salt water to fresh water, and even mermaids. So much for Disney's Ariel, because she'd heard that they looked nothing like red haired maiden.
Clay kind of wanted to know but also didn't. Water wasn't exactly her forte, especially after she half-drowned as a child. It wasn't anything truly traumatic but water made her feel uneasy, especially when it seemed to go on forever like the oceans.
"The lake looks especially great from the Gryffindor Tower, which is why I usually sketch from there. Sometimes it's hard, though, because of the dumb bird nests." She stretched out one leg and yawned before glancing at Alyssa. "Have you ever wondered what's underneath there?" She hoped the girl knew more than her. It was hard to tell how old people were around here, even the professors, who sometimes were mistaken for students themselves. Alyssa didn't look much older than Clay, but she didn't really seem the exact age. She would guess she were eleven or twelve, even thirteen.
"And this mortality hit me like a hammer and left me reeling."