The Beginning of Never (The Never Trilogy #1) (7 page)

The bathroom was on my way out so I stepped into the
hallway to quickly use it. When I came out minutes later, I noticed an exit
door to my right. I had never been through it and expected that there was
probably a way that led directly to the ground floor. So I went in and took the
stairs.

It did take me to the ground floor but I found that the
exit that indeed led
outside,
was locked. Irritated, I
turned so that I could return to the staircase, when I noticed that another
door, a little ways down the dim corridor, was slightly ajar.

The corridor was empty, and I expected the room to be
empty too but somehow, I found myself walking towards it. I pushed it open to
find a dark room, with only the entrance slightly illuminated by the light from
corridor. Thankfully, there was a switch to the side of the wall so I
immediately flicked it on.

A bright warm light filled the room from the single
bulb that hung from the ceiling, and I saw that it was an untidy storage room
filled with books. There were various boxes in the middle of the room, some
sealed and others opened, as well as piles of books just stacked carelessly
against the walls. There was nothing of interest here, so I started to turn
back when I noticed what appeared to be the side of a metal lion’s head. It
wasn't particularly eye-catching, but it was peculiar enough for me to want a
closer look. It was behind a bookcase that seemed to have been moved to the
side, so when I reached it, I had to push the case even further away so that I
could get a decent look.

It was indeed a huge lion head knocker, to a small door
that had been hidden behind the case. The knocker was extremely unsettling; its
ferocious dentition was exposed through a gaping jaw, and as I continued to
stare at it, a sliver of dread crawled down my spine. I intended to leave but
found myself reaching out to run my finger along its fang-like tooth. It was
surprisingly smooth, considering that it looked like it had been there since
the school had been established. As expected, it came away with a thick layer
of dust that showed that it had been ignored for a long time.

Cautiously, I poked at the fang, marveling at the
detail that went into it only to be startled by the gentle creak that ensued.
Looking carefully, I realized that the door had come slightly ajar. This, I
realized, was my cue to leave, but instead, I pushed the door open despite its
stiffness, and then squeezed myself behind the bookcase so that I could slip
inside.

The darkness I met was overwhelming, but it wasn't
enough to deter me. Encouraged by the light still visible through the slightly
open door, I slowly moved forward until my eyes adjusted to the darkness enough
to notice a string dangling from what I expected was a ceiling. It was too dark
to be certain.

The string had a small knob attached to its tip, so I
pulled on it. Thankfully, a soft light which flickered for a few moments before
finally
stabilizing,
filled the room. A quick glance
around showed me that it was another storage room, so I was able to breathe
more easily.

It wasn't a very large room. It had an irregular shape
and was stacked with ceiling high bookshelves. I could see cobwebs and dust
that had made
themselves
at home in every corner of
the room, and piles of books that couldn't fit into the bookcases scattered
around the floor. The grime and the lack of windows made the room so stuffy
that I could almost touch the dust in the air. It was agonizing to breathe, and
soon I began to feel like I was going to collapse. I had had enough.

So I turned around and started to head towards the
door, but suddenly, my foot caught on something hard. I tripped, and fell head
on into a pile of books by the corner. I did try to break my fall, but it
didn't stop the pain I felt in my ribs and elbow when I landed on the dusty
floor. I thought about getting up, but for a second just decided to remain the
way I was, since life wasn't tired of throwing obstacles in my way today.

I was definitely tired of trying to stay sane, and at
that point, I felt like just losing it and strangling somebody or destroying
something. However, I wasn't ready to be bitten or attacked by whatever
could’ve been hiding in the shadows for the last century. So I got up, and
dusted my uniform.

Turning to examine what had tripped me, I noticed a
slight bulge protruding from underneath the worn out rug on the floor. I hadn't
even noticed that there had been a rug on the floor, and as I bent down to
examine it, I noticed that once, a very,
very
long time ago, it had probably been in a deep, exquisite red with delicate gold
embroidery. Now, and like everything else in sight, it was drenched in dust.

Casually, I tried pushing it aside but it was too
heavy. So I stood up and with both hands, grabbed the edges to pull it away.
Thankfully it complied, but by then alarm bells were already going off in my
head, asking me what the hell I thought I was doing and why I wasn't running
away from this place. But I just wanted to see what was beneath the rug, so I
promised myself I would leave as soon as I discovered it.

As I suspected, it was a trap door. And it was also
time to leave, but I wasn’t going to. My curiosity wasn't going to let me, so
ignoring my inward struggle for reason I pressed on.

Holding the latch attached to the door, I pulled firmly
but was met with resistance. Then I tried pushing it down, and it instantly
gave way.

My breath caught as I peered through it, but I couldn't
see what was down there because again, it was too dark. I did however notice a
ladder leading downwards, so as I stared down into the darkness, I thought hard
about what I was about to do.

It was a stupid idea, I knew, but even if I didn’t go
down today, the fact was that I now knew that it existed and the knowledge was
going to bring me back. So I might as well just get it over with. I mean, what
could possibly be down there? The school had probably examined the entire
premises, and I was sure they wouldn't have allowed anything to exist that
could cause any potential damage or harm to the lives of their students.

I swallowed, and at that moment, tried really hard not
to think of Hogwarts as I reminded myself that there was a reason the room had
been shut off and hidden behind a bookcase. Nevertheless, I managed to push
past that. I did wonder who had opened it today and thought it possible that
maybe Nathan had also found it. Either way, it encouraged me to think that
someone else might be down there already. So as gently and as slowly as I
could, I climbed down the dirty and rough, but thankfully firm, wooden ladder.

After about fifteen steps, my feet finally connected
with a hard floor. I didn't look backwards or wait to assess my surroundings. I
just moved forward because I was on the brink of climbing back up, and
returning. Strange thoughts kept recurring in my mind, especially since I could
barely see. My mind started to paint pictures of monstrous and unforgiving
creatures who were just watching me in pity, but thankful for the meal that had
been sent their way. I shivered, and then shook my head to dispel the thought.

I continued meandering down a narrow path - it seemed
to be a tunnel – and after tripping and falling on a few stony edges and
surfaces, I learnt to be more careful. After a few steps, I started hearing
sounds – more like brief whispers.

They would come and startle me, but then just flutter
away like they never actually existed. It was creepy, and it made me to start
questioning my sanity which seemed to be leading me in all the wrong directions
lately. Luckily, I hadn't stumbled on any bones, or worse, flesh, and no animal
or beastly grunts either so I figured I was still okay. But the darkness was
overwhelming; murky and portent.

As my eyes adjusted, I became aware of the long passage
stretching out in front of me. The darkness made me
want
to turn back so badly and return to safety, but I hadn't looked back since I
began this craze and I didn’t want to now. Not because of the fear of a
hampering on my ‘unshakable courage’, but because I was scared of what I would
see, or better yet what I wouldn't see. For all I knew, the ladder had
disappeared, and I didn't think anything could spook or zap me into a frenzy of
obscene panic more than that. My only source of safety, gone … I was sure I
would collapse.

So I walked on, even though the tunnel somehow seemed
to be getting darker, and creepier. The whispers had translated into full
voices now, but no words. I was trembling, and the bite from the cold that
rushed over me didn’t do my bruises any good.

After a long while, I got to a part of the tunnel that
seemed less dark. The walls were also a little bit wider as I didn’t have to
press my arms to myself anymore to keep them from brushing against the wall.

Eventually, I saw the end of the tunnel, and an
indescribable relief rose up within me. Its wide opening was set ablaze by the
sunlight beyond its walls, so I increased my pace to reach it. I still didn't
have the courage to look back because there was no need to get ahead of myself
in determining my fate- the day had still not ended.

Nervously, I stepped out, relieved to be out of the
tunnel but afraid of what I might meet here. Before me, was a thick
forest.
And although it was very visible from the school grounds
as it rose up beyond its tall walls, the only thing I knew about it was that it
was called the
Bowland
Forest.

Now that I was in it, I wondered why I’d never been
more curious about it. I suppose it was because it was so shut off from the
premises and too far away to bother me, but now that I was here, I was
fascinated by it.

It was so surreal because as I looked around, I found
it hard to believe that I had just come through a tunnel that led me to it. I
was so overwhelmed that I felt like I needed to sit down, but instead, I just
continued to stand there and stare, until eventually, the darkness from the
tunnel got to me. So I took a few more steps forward, before turning around to
see where I had emerged from.

It looked like the entrance to a small cave, and
appeared to be constructed of stones and rocks placed haphazardly against each
other. However, the moss, algae and plants that littered the entrance rendered
it almost nonexistent to the untrained eye.

The forest was not as bright as I would have liked
because the sunlight was held at bay by the canopy of the trees, however, I
decided to go a little further. I had to at least justify putting myself
through all this by exploring some of it,
but
you can’t go too far,
I cautioned myself.
Only a few steps, otherwise I doubted that I would be able to find
my way back.

Walking straight ahead, and as softly as I could, I
ensured that I kept on a straight path – despite the obtrusive plants and trees
– in order to ensure my safe return. I was still too tensed to relax, darting
my eyes around me to limit as many surprises as I could. But it didn’t stop me
from noticing how loud the racket of the birds here were, compared to the ones
we heard in school. It felt like I was in an entirely different world, similar
but different.

It was so calm that I could hear every tap of my feet
against the ground as I walked, and although no distinct scent stood out from
all the plants and trees that surrounded me, the air felt a little bit more
fresh and clean. It slid in and out of my nostrils so smoothly, like I had just
consumed peppermints and washed it down with cold water.

I had only been walking for about fifteen to twenty
minutes, and was about to turn back when I heard it; the unmistakable whooshing
of water and its lapping on rocks. Every nerve in my body rose to attention and
I stopped, stilling myself as much as I could so that I could clarify my
suspicion.

But despite the deafening racket the birds made, I
still heard it – the rushing sound of a stream or river. Instantly I was
overcome with intrigue, but instead of being excited, I sighed deeply. It was
truly beginning to feel like someone somewhere really wanted me to get lost
today, or get into whatever trouble was lurking in this forest.

The gushing sound seemed to be coming from the east so
I walked a few steps ahead to avoid colliding with a tree, and then headed
towards my right. Locating a lean, crooked branch amidst the weeds and small
plants, I picked it up and used it to navigate my way onwards. I walked as fast
and as carefully as I could, paying as much attention as I could to the path I
was taking so that it would be easy to find my way back.

So I trailed on and on, maneuvering through obtrusive
plants with the help of the branch I had found earlier, all the while
whispering silent prayers for protection. Everything around me was
overwhelmingly green, so apparently spring had been generous to the forest, but
not to me. I was getting colder with each passing minute, even though I had my
blazer on and buttoned up.

After a while, thousands of scurrying sounds and a
million crackles, I finally reached it. And the exhilaration at sighting a
lighter part of the forest from afar, where there were no trees to shade the
sun was nothing compared to seeing the stream.

It was, of course, beyond beautiful. Utterly
breathtaking, and it was also noisy, but that I could overlook. I gazed in awe,
transfixed to the exact spot that I had stopped in. The stream was not too
wide, but it was a little rocky. That however, didn't stop the waters from
gushing heartily over it. The serenity it promised drew me in, and I needed to
be even nearer to it so I tossed my branch aside and walked closer.

The banks were sprinkled with shrubs and fallen trunks,
but thankfully, I wasn't on the most abundant side. The side I was on, although
having numerous trees, was more bare and easier to tread through. Walking
forward, I eventually reached the banks of the stream.

The ground dipped slightly, so I had to be careful as I
slipped gently down onto the rocky shore. My shoes were already muddied, but I
didn't want to damage them completely so I slipped them off, and carefully laid
them on the smaller rocks. My hands and pinafore were soiled from clinging to
the earth as I crawled down, so I held my hands on the surface of the water,
wincing in delight as it erased the traces of dirt off my palms.

Straightening, I found leveled rocks situated
consecutively against each other, slightly beyond the edge of the stream. So I
walked over them until I came to the biggest one, and then settled on it.
Bringing my knees up to my chin, I watched the stream, and as my eyes caught a
particularly low tree trunk that loomed over it, ideas began to form in my mind
about how it would be possible to swing from it and brush against the water. I
shivered at the thought of falling in, and dispelled the notion from my mind.

Inhaling the crisp, clean air, I sighed and wondered at
how I could feel the silent and equally boisterous presence of everything. It
felt as if I was drugged, and I wished so much that I didn’t have to go back.
But after only just a few minutes in my blissful state, I was interrupted.

"Lenora!" someone yelled, and I froze.
Instantly, I knew who it was and at first I was relieved; the burden of finding
my way back and braving the walk through the tunnel again now gravely reduced,
but I cursed under my breath when I remembered how angry he'd been with me
earlier.

If he hadn't felt like killing me then, he was
definitely going to want to now. But how the hell had he found all this in the
first place? There was no doubt now that he was the one that had left it open,
and it all made sense why I hadn’t been able to find him in the library.

Rising to my feet, I turned around but almost lost my
balance when he barked out my name again. With a frown, I steadied myself and
then carefully made my way up the bank. When I emerged at the top, I
immediately saw him so I stopped a considerable distance away. He had his hands
folded across his chest and looked like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“How the
hell are
you even
here
?” he asked, in a tone that
suggested that the question was directed more at himself than at me. But still,
the wind carried it over to me. I didn’t think a reply was expected so I just moved
my eyes away from his, and down the length of his body.

His hair was disheveled, shirttails hanging out of his
trousers, collar button undone and sleeves rolled up to just below his elbow.
He looked very different from his otherwise usually well-put-together look, but
I could have sworn that I almost preferred it. I did though, still note the
unmistakable air of superiority and control that hung around him, and that was
what kept me from lowering my guard.

"I don't think you can even begin to fathom the
level of grief that you're giving me,” he
said,
every
word heavy with restrained anger. "How did you find this place?" he
asked,
a hint of panic in his tone. It would have elicited a
bit of remorse on my end but I wasn't sure if it reflected his concern for my
safety, or if it was simply because I had found the place.

"It doesn't matter," I said.

Tired of his harassment, I began to walk ahead with the
intention of finding my way back on my own since I didn’t expect that he would
want to help me. However, just before I moved past him he caught my arm in a
grip that showed more than anything, his fury. I looked up to meet his eyes but
they were closed in anger. A vein throbbed at his temple. He reopened them, and
then looked at me.

"What is wrong with you?" he said, and even
though I was turned off by the rebuke in his tone, the emotions of frustration
and genuine concern that he allowed to show on his face made me hold my tongue.

"What do you think this is?" he asked.
"Do you think this is a joke? A million and one things could happen to you
out here. What if I hadn't seen you? This is
exactly
what we just fought about."

"It's none of your –" I started but he
interrupted, shaking his grip on my arm with a ferocity that intensified the
pain.

"Why do you keep doing this? You have no sense of
care for your wellbeing and it is driving me crazy."

"I can take care of myself," I said, and I
jerked my hand away from his.

"Let's go," he said after a deep breath and he
took my hand again to lead me forward, but I pulled it away.

"Let me go!” I said. “I got myself here and I'll
get myself back, so you don't have to bother."

I started walking, but stopped after a few steps and
turned back to him.

"You know me being here in the first place is your
freaking fault,” I said. Then my tone rose. “I was calling out to you and you
just ignored me, so you know what, just mind your own business and leave me the
hell alone."

With that, I turned sharply and started to stomp along
to find my way back. As I walked on, I vowed to kick him out of my mind and
only vaguely realized that I wasn’t paying attention to where I was headed. But
at that moment, I was angry enough to convince myself that the path looked
familiar enough anyway so I continued on, certain that I would find my way.

As I continued to rant about him in my mind, the sounds
that I relished when I had first arrived here had now dimmed behind the
deafening hum and heat around my ears. He acted like he cared but he actually didn't.
All he felt was a twisted sense of responsibility towards me and that was the
last thing I needed. I almost wished I could have told him to his face that he
needed to learn to look the other way so that his conscience, at seeing me
‘endanger myself’ wouldn't prick him.

Asshole!
I
cursed, and continued walking, stumbling a few times on stumps from not paying
attention. Soon I had calmed down enough to start looking out for the stumps,
as well as where the hell I was heading. A few minutes later, the path, I now
realized, didn’t seem as familiar as I had previously thought. I should have
taken a left by now, but I hadn't. And I shouldn't have been approaching muddy
ground, but I was.

Fear started to slowly creep into my heart, especially
since the sky seemed to be getting darker by the second. As I walked along the
muddy area, I had to cling to the trees by the side to avoid stepping in it but
still, one of my legs got stuck. I tried pulling it out, but it became so messy
that I finally just had to slip my feet out of the shoe.

Wondering how I was going to continue the rest of the
journey with just my pantyhose, I bent down to retrieve it. But just then, I
heard a snapping sound from the tree above me, along with a loud rustle of
leaves. With a shriek very close to a scream, I took off in the opposite
direction without my shoe, and refused to look back.

I eventually slowed down when I figured that my hurried
steps would probably attract grumpy animals whose peace I was possibly
disturbing, and the last thing I needed was any more misfortune. Ahead of me
was a small clearing that kept the greenery a healthy distance away, so when I
reached it, I sat down in the middle and thought about how I was going to find
my way back.

I should have
listened to him,
I thought.
I really
should have
, but now was not the time for regrets. I didn’t know what next
to do so I sat there for countless minutes, and kept my eyes glued to my
surroundings so that I would be able to pick up on any unusual movements, and
follow any unacceptable sounds. My neck moved around quite a lot as it hurried
from one point to another, until eventually, I was too tired to remain sitting
up.

So I
laid
down, but on my back
so that I could still monitor my surroundings from both sides, and as well as up.
Snakes could still fall down from the trees or crawl towards me, and frankly,
they were my biggest fear. I hated them more than anything in the entire world.

As I waited and watched, the minutes seemed to drag on
until I began to literally shake with fear.

What’s going to
happen to me?
I
wondered.

Out of despair I sat up, and with my arms hugging my
knees, continued watching all the available paths, hoping that somehow, Nathan
hadn't left or that even if he had, he would be concerned enough to notice that
I hadn’t yet returned.

But oh, how I prayed that he would notice immediately
and not in another ten minutes from now, or an hour, or God forbid, the next
day. Thankfully, the darkness had been temporarily chased away in this part of
the forest so I could see, despite the canopies, a quite healthy and jubilant
sky.

Suddenly I heard rustling, and with my heart in my
throat, turned to search for its source. It was coming from my right and
sounded as though it was heading towards me, so I rose to my feet, ready to
take off if need be.

I hoped with all my heart that it was Nathan, so the
moment I saw him coming towards me, my heart dropped into my stomach.