Hey everyone, here's chapter 6
Hope you like it.
“A time of reckoning is coming.”
“Beware the of the darkened end.”
“Darkness will enthrall you, and be your doom!”
“Life will become colder in a heartbeat.”
Tom thrashed about, moaning in his sleep. “No, I refuse to end that way! You will not overtake me..” he groaned, his voice pained.
“Reckoning! Reckoning! A time of reckoning is coming!” A voice taunted Tom savagely. “The plagues of sin and hate will overcome you and threaten to destroy you!” it hissed into his ear. “Your one protector will be no more!”
Tom shot up, gasping for air. Beads of cold sweat trickling down his face. The demons sickening cries echoing in his mind still. “Will be no more, no more, no more…” He got up and washed his face, trying to get the last strands of the dream out of his mind. ‘Nothing will happen; I will be okay. It was only a horrible nightmare…’ Or was it only that? Suddenly thoughts of Gabby’s ominous dream swirled into his mind. What if they were related somehow..?
Suddenly a soft churr came from the window pane. Tom looked up, startled. “Oh it’s only you,” he sighed with relief.
The spotted owl swooped down and landed on Tom’s shoulder, nuzzling his neck. “You feeling okay, Tom?”
“Eh, I just didn’t sleep very well,” he murmured softly.
“Oh,” the spotted owl preened Tom’s hair. “It’s all messy, Tom!” she chirped softly.
“Hey, Gabby!” Tom put his hands over her head. “ Stop it, that tickles!” he chuckled.
“Oh does it now?” Gabrielle nipped at his ear affectionately.
Tom blushed. Was Gabby flirting with him? He decided to play along. “Yeah, it does!” he laughed.
Gabrielle murred and nuzzled his face with hers. Their eyes met, both twinkling in happiness. She fluffed out and sat on his head, churring in laughter. “You’re my best friend!” she giggled as she covered his eyes with her brown spotted wings.
‘I am?’ Tom thought, his heart skipping a beat. He then said playfully, gingerly pushing her wings out of his face. “Am I now?”
“Yes!” Gabrielle squealed happily and began to tickle-preen Tom’s hair again.
Tom burst out laughing. “Gabby! Please,” he gasped, his eyes streaming with tears of joy from laughing so hard. “I give,” he murmured, looking up at her.
Gabrielle crawled off his head and transformed into her human self. She giggled and hugged Tom. “I love messing around with you.”
Tom, startled, looked at her. ‘She loves me?’ His heart began to beat rapidly. He loved her too, he concluded. This beautiful feeling he felt with Gabrielle was love. ’I love you too, Gabby.’ he thought to himself, too afraid to say it out loud, even though she was less than a foot away from him. He tried to speak, but found that his throat had run dry. ‘Does love make your throat do that too?’ he thought worriedly. He suddenly had the overwhelming urge to hold her close and nuzzle her cheeks against his. He knew he would scare her if he did that suddenly. He knew girls would take that the wrong way. He didn’t want to lose his close friendship with Gabrielle over stupid feelings in his heart. But…how could feelings this strong and beautiful be stupid? He loved Gabrielle, and he wanted to show her just how much he’d do for her. She had taught him it was okay to show people how much you really care and to be yourself. He didn’t understand why people saw a freak in Gabrielle, she was so beautiful, her personality was perfect, flawless, really. She never had anything too mean to say and she was always there for him, totally devoted. She even believed in the same things he did and she believed in him. She didn’t use him because he was smart or because he was attractive. She didn’t even flinch when he would yell, because she wasn’t afraid of him…because she…loved him. She did, she said she did. His heart began to beat even faster and this beautiful feeling grew stronger. Before be could stop himself he had clutched her in his arms and was resting his head against her neck. “Gabby…I…don’t be scared…please.” he managed to choke out, petrified, his heart hammering into this throat.
Gabrielle chuckled and hugged him back. “It’s okay, I’m not scared.” she murmured into his ear. “You’re my best friend, I trust you with my life.”
Tom sighed softly and hugged her tighter. “I will never hurt you, I promise Gabby, no one will ever hurt you. I’ll protect you because I…” he cut off, his face glowing a bright red.
“I love you too,” Gabrielle whispered, hugging him back and kissing his cheek.
“You do?” Tom asked, looking deep into her eyes, his heart throbbing.
“Mhm,” Gabrielle nodded, her eyes twinkling. She took his hand with hers. “We will be together forever, I promise,” she then folded her fingers into his finger-spaces of his hand and locked them together. She looked down at their joined hands. “Like our hands right now, our love will never part.” she held his hand tighter, pressing her palm into his. “Can’t you see how close we are? I want to always be this close. You’re my best friend.”
“You’re mine too Gabby!” Tom exclaimed, blushing a deeper crimson. He looked into her soft hazel eyes. He suddenly felt a strong lurch in his stomach; love was truly a beautiful feeling.
Gabrielle smiled and stroked his cheek with her other hand. She then kissed him gently. “I love you.” she murmured.
“I--I love you too.” Tom stammered, dazed. Had all that just happened? He looked down, their hands still enjoined. He rested beside her, watching the sunlight stream into the dormitory windows from the slightly parted curtains. He closed his eyes, his heartbeat slowly returning back to normal as the shock began to die down.
“Are you feeling alright?” Gabrielle asked, looking at him.
Tom opened one eye and looked back at her. “Yes,” he whispered. “If this is what perfection feels like…then I have achieved it.” he then took out the golden locket that Gabrielle had given him. He smiled, it really was a lovely locket.
“Yes…” Suddenly the memories of his dream flooded over him. The demonic voices crying out into his mind. “Death, destruction, your one protector will be no more!” He cringed and shook his head, trying desperately to get the voices out of his mind.
“Tom, what’s the matter?” Gabrielle asked, looking at him frantically.
“Th-they won’t…go…” Tom gasped, wincing as the images sliced across his mind. ‘Why is this happening?!’ he thought frantically.
Darkened trees surrounded him, a gale whipping past him. Thunder crackled ominously. “No more!” it hissed, white lightning streaking across the sky.
“Then the rains will come, a downpour so fierce, like an ocean in a storm. Salty rain; you will it feel against your skin!” the daemon shrieked, swirling devilishly around Tom.
“A river, a river of blood will soak across you, drenching your soul!” a winged daemon howled, flying past him.
“STOP IT!!!!” Tom roared, a loud blast of thunder rattling across the sky. “I AM STRONGER THAN THIS!” and, like a flash of lightning, the nightmare scattered. All was darkness.
“…Tom….”
The void, so cold, so empty. The storm was gone, but he was still drenched, his heart throbbing rapidly in his chest. What had just happened? Was that a curse someone put on him? A jinx? He opened his eyes wider, trying to see in the blackness. There was nothing. He stopped, fear beginning to seep into him. Where was Gabby? “Gabby!” he called out frantically, beginning to run in the darkness. “Where are you Gabby?!” he howled. “Gabby come back!”
“…Tom, wake up….please…”
“Gabby!!!”
“Tom, you’re screaming, please wake up.”
“Wha…?” Tom blinked his eyes open, the blurred image of Gabrielle coming into focus. “Oh thank god you’re okay!” he gasped and hugged her.
“Tom, are you okay?” Gabrielle asked, her voice deeply concerned. “You were screaming and thrashing about, talking about how you were stronger than something.”
“I was?” Tom blushed. He had not known he was screaming out loud as well.
She nodded. “Yes, you were,” she said, stroking his hair. “I was worried, I thought that you had fainted and then I saw you thrashing and tried to rouse you from it.” she explained, her voice full of worry and anguish.
“Oh…” Tom looked into her scared hazel eyes. “I’m sorry Gabby…I…must have fainted… and had a horrible nightmare.” he said, feeling rather stupid.
“About what?” she prompted softly.
Tom sighed, this would be a difficult dream to describe. However, he had to try. He didn’t want to dismiss her worries. “It was about me being in a dark forest. There were daemons telling me horrid things that made no sense.” as he explained the dream, pieces of it came back to him vividly. “It then began to storm and when I told the daemons to stop, a lightning bolt struck nearby and everything went black. Then I thought I had lost you and began shouting your name…I guess I was for real too…” he admitted, blushing.
Gabrielle nodded. “Yes,” she said, her voice barely audible. “I’m just glad you’re safe. Please, just rest.”
“Alright,” he leaned back and rested on the bed, taking a deep breath. So much had happened in such a short time and what could it have all meant? As he began to nod off again, a voice entered his mind. “A time of reckoning is coming. Come forth and embrace it Tom….”
A fraction of a glimpse into Chapter 7 (I know that makes little sense
)
“What do you mean the locket? What locket?”
“Where did you get this from Tom?”
~The boys (Rookwood, Avery, and Knott) are back from Christmas break and things are back in full swing at Hogwarts! Tom is back to his regular school schedule. It’s the dead of winter, but an ominous prophecy looms over both Tom and Gabby’s heads “A time of reckoning is coming, but come forth and embrace it.” What could that mean? What is in store next for the TR crew? Find out in Tom Riddle’s Life Chapter 7! Coming soon!
*Tom Riddle, Hogwarts and other Harry Potter related characters and themes are owned by Scholastic co.
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Topic: Tom Riddle's Life Chapter 6 (Read 81 times)
