The Labyrinth

𝑷𝑨𝑹𝑻 𝑶𝑵𝑬

𝑭𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒉-𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓

❀𓆙❀

𝑶𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒓 16, 1995

𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆

The cold frightens me. More specifically, fall. When the leaves begin to change color and Halloween nears—I get a chill. And I know many people are in love with this time of year but I'm not; its beauty is a mask. It only reminds me of fear, but I don't know why.

Another thing to add to my list of weirdness.

People at school keep adding to the list. It's why I hate school but I can't go home either, it's a prison there. I'm told what to do and insulted wherever I go.

So my only escape is after school or when I do errands. And right now I wait for my last class to end, I hold my jumper closer to my body to lock in heat. But it doesn't work, the cold stares of my classmates pin me down and open an invisible hole to let the cold in.

I shiver, and the bell rang. I'm the first one up and out the door. The group that always picks on me follows. My breath came out faster.

And I begin to get angry—because will I have to go home with another bruise? Do I have to be told I deserved the beating? Am I going to cry myself to sleep again?

I tremble at the thought of getting punched again by these idiots. The pain is too much. I'm always afraid to be in class, I'm afraid after school like right now. I'm always terrified. And it gets so damn tiring.

But I run once I'm out of school, I don't care about the coldness or the start of rain. And my heart skips a beat when I slip. But I keep going because Henry's and Olivia's laughs motivate me. Adam and Thomas' insults encourage me.

I look back and they're running, the four of them laughing and shouting. The people walking the streets, and the street vendors we pass by don't do anything to help me.

All I hear now are the splash of puddles I stomp on, and then I realize where I'm running to. If I take a detour I can get to The Labyrinth, a series of tunnels you can get lost in. I can escape them there—but I risk getting lost myself.

No one knows their way around. But I'll take my chance.

So I make a sharp turn and almost run into a man. "Sorry!" I don't bother looking back but then once I'm near The Labyrinth I couldn't hear their snarling.

When I look back it's only Olivia chasing after me. My whole world flips.

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠?

I didn't want to know, I just go into the tunnels and hold my shoulder bag closer to me. I pretend the cold doesn't turn my bones to ice. I pretend this doesn't make me want to cry. Either way, there's no point in crying—it'll just show my weakness. And they can't see that any more than they already have.

But for some reason deep in my brain, I can't help but think they'll catch me. I don't know where the three idiots have gone and I can hear Oliva's feet behind me. I'm lost and I'm cold.

I'm done for.

"Stop running you little shit!" Olivia sounded farther than before and I thanked God for that.

I thanked my instincts because it seemed as if a light grew closer. A circle of light, practically heaven to me, was yards away and my legs couldn't work any faster. My lungs feel like they'll collapse. My hands will fall off because of frostbite.

And even with all these feelings, I got closer, and I even smiled. But before I could run out of the tunnels, a piece of wood suddenly appeared. It swung toward me, it was thick and my eyes widened. I tried to stop but I was running too fast.

My feet slipped and I slid, my forehead slammed into the wood and I got flung onto my back. I couldn't feel; couldn't 𝑠𝑒𝑒. That was worse.

𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑜 𝐼 𝑓𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑛𝑜𝑤?

I couldn't, it was useless. All I saw were moving images of the world, it was distorted and so was my hearing. I heard evil laughter that made my skin crawl with fear. What made matters worse is seeing two of each of them. One was already enough.

"Go away," I breathed out. They only cackle more.

I'm grabbed from my upper arms and made to stand up, two of them on my sides to keep me upright, and Henry and Olivia stood in front of me. Wicked smiles plastered on their faces and I scowl, my head hanging low. I'm so tired.

Henry grabbed my face forcefully. "Look at me, slag." I struggle to get out of his touch but it's no use. He keeps a tight grip that has me wincing from the pain.

"Oh look, the trollop feels pain. I bet she's okay with it when she lets the professors shag her."

They all fucking laugh.

"I pay attention in class, Olivia. I'm not as dense as you." I said impulsively.

I just got so tired and damn angry I didn't want to take their shit. But everything I do is a mistake because Adam is obsessed with her. He'd never let anyone hurt her. And when she gasped and looked hurt by my comment, I earn myself a punch to the gut.

I could feel my ribs break. It felt like they did. All I could do was gasp through the pain and bite my lip to keep from yelling.

If only I could get out of their hands and jump the fence that's a few yards away. If only...

"Too honest, love?" I ask.

I 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑖𝑒, 𝑑𝑜𝑛't 𝐼?

She frowns and then slaps me. I try to hit her too, I use my legs and kick. It all goes crazy when she flew backward into Henry and they fell to the ground. I smile and keep going, the adrenaline building, and I loosen an arm from Thomas.

"Let go of me, you gits!"

The fence rattled and I looked sharply at it. I gasp with surprise and confusion. Thomas and Adam got distracted as well and we stopped moving. Perfect. I hit them in the groin and they go down. I run to the fence.

"Hurry!" he screamed. I began to climb and once I got to the top I looked back at the idiots. I smile even with a throbbing head and stomach.

God, I could feel bile rising in my throat.

I don't bother shouting something stupid at them and look down at Benjamin. I let go and fall. I land in front of him and he helped, his arms ended around me a second before I touched the ground.

I breathe hard. "What are you doing here?"

He holds me tight and helps me walk, Olivia and Adam shouting insults as we walk away. But I don't bother and keep staring at Benjamin. I can't stop looking at him.

The Benjamin Howers is here with me. I thought that all the little conversations we started to have meant nothing. They probably do, he's probably here at the right time right place. He's too nice to not stop and help.

This is why he's class president. He's the sweetest person ever—and the most popular. That's why people found it weird he began to speak to me, but trust me, I found it just as weird.

I wince. "Why—gods, why are you here?"

He looked concerned. "I was on my way home and I saw what they were doing to you. So I stopped to try and help, I didn't know what to do though."

Of course, honest little Benjamin stopped to be the hero. I didn't need help, I'd been doing fine just like every other time.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked, and we finally ended up somewhere public and beyond tunnels and long grass.

I found this place familiar.

"Forever," I whispered.

He shook his head and muttered things under his breath. I couldn't understand and I started to feel like I'm falling. The ground felt closer to my face but then I wasn't. He caught me. I don't understand what's happening.

"It's okay, we're almost there Rose. Hold on."

𝐴𝑙𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡...𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒?

❀𓆙❀

I woke up to warmth, which was already a good sign. It made me feel safe but I don't move, I felt numb so I stare at the ceiling. But the itchy sheets felt too close. I could feel them 𝑜𝑛 my skin and I realized I'm not wearing clothes.

This springs me upright. I frantically look around for a living soul and I jump seeing a woman. She sat in the corner of the room, her legs crossed and staring at me.

I hold the sheets close. "Who are you?" I ask.

She smiled the same big one I see on Benjamin, the smile lines are there too. But no freckles. Her hair is a light brown like his. They must be related.

"I'm Amelia, Benjamin's sister, and um, if you're wondering why you're naked it's because your clothes were wet. You were already shivering like crazy so I didn't want you to get sick."

Oh. "So 𝑦𝑜𝑢 undressed me." She nods and I sigh with relief.

"You're in our clinic, we live upstairs... BEN!"

I jump from her sudden shout, but then the stomping of feet coming down the stairs makes me tighten my hold on the sheets. Benjamin comes around the corner with a smile and relief, he looks so ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 to see me.

And his smile falls, he stops short and stares at me on the bed. I tilt my head with confusion but then I realize he noticed I'm still naked.

I blush from embarrassment.

"Erm, hi," He laughs nervously. "You're awake and you look...better, so much better. How are you feeling?"

I gulp down the lump that formed in my throat and try to breathe. But I couldn't and kept looking at him. I didn't know what to say. Until Amelia spoke.

"Why don't we let her get dressed so she's more comfortable." She ushered him away and closed a curtain that surrounded the bed I'm on.

Amelia quickly came back with my clothes and I'm alone again, I could finally breathe. But now I begin to feel the light pounding in my head and sore stomach. So I get dressed quickly and then leave my private bubble.

I find them in another room, a waiting room I suppose and I stand awkwardly.

"Thank you for everything but I should go. Where is my school bag?"

Benjamin got up from a chair. "Are you sure you don't want to rest? It's better if-"

"I'm sure."

I need to get back home as soon as possible. They don't care about me but they'll want me there for chores. They want to humiliate me. This will be a good reason to punish me. And no matter how much I don't want to go, I have to. The longer I stay here the worse punishment I'll get.

Amelia hands me my bag and I rush out of the clinic. It's still cold but no longer raining and my jumper once again does nothing to block the cold. So I walk faster until eventually, I run.

When I get to Privet Drive my heart is pounding but not because I ran, it pounds from fear. So much fear I think of climbing into our room to avoid them. And the fear won, I go around to the tree in front of the window.

I look it up and down, I look at all its branches and consider which way up is best. I say fuck it and go whichever way, and as I go up my head starts to hurt more.

I could feel my blood pulsing and my breath shallowing. But I press on and reach the top, I sit on a thick branch closest to the window and search for the nail in my bag.

It's rusty and bent, used many times to unscrew the bars on our window. I know exactly how to loosen them and move them aside to go inside, and once I do I put the bars how they were. This room never felt so good and safe like right now, so I collide on our bed and breathe hard.

Everything that happened seems unreal. It is unreal. Maybe my brain is playing tricks on me. But I don't think of it any longer and fall asleep, even if I'm in pain and starving.

❀𓆙❀

"ROSE POTTER!"

I fall off my bed, being startled so much that I didn't understand why I'm on the floor. But I groan as I process everything and stand, still in yesterday's clothes.

I go downstairs in clean clothes, making sure I look semi-presentable so aunt Petunia doesn't have anything to say about my appearance.

When they see me, Dudly eating cereal and looking pristine as always, their anger goes off the roof. I should've seen this coming. Should've known that aunt Petunia would cross the room and hold my ear in a death grip and drag me to stand in front of uncle Vernon.

"And where were you last night young lady?" she asked, still gripping my ear. It felt like she'd rip it off.

"I was here!" I lied. "You didn't notice me walk in? I just came downstairs!"

She yanked. "Listen, you vermin, don't lie."

I gulp, and uncle Vernon's beady eyes look straight into my soul. Aunt Petunia hovers close to me and Dudley stares with a snicker. It makes me feel pressured to tell the truth, but I won't.

"I'm not lying, I swear."

She scoffed and pushed me away. "Fine, eat Dudley's scraps and go to school."

I nod and look down. "Yes, aunt Petunia." I felt relieved to be let off the hook, but it was too simple. They would've punished me for 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 I lied.

But when I look at Dudley and his plate, it's spotless. I scowl at no one in particular then leave, I grab my school bag and rush out the door. I wish I could just leave this place forever.

I don't want the pain or bullies, I don't want to starve or be here. My mind pauses at my next thought.

𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 live.

And they caused it. Everyone did.

I stop myself from crying and walk into school, they all stared at my bruise. My forehead felt so exposed to everyone and it meant rumors would start—again. The stupid scar was bad enough.

I'm considered a slag for being smart, they think I shag the professors for it but they're just incompetent. They say my aunt and uncle abuse me, but they're not wrong there. So they pick on me for being weird and weak. What's another bruise from school, right?

I make it through some classes, and a few give me pity looks but that's worse. Until I get to the class I have with Benjamin I wake up to the real world.

I look at him walk in and he immediately goes to me. He even smiled, causing his fangirls to frown. But I didn't care, he sat next to 𝑚𝑒. And I breathe faster when he faces me. I try to smile.

"How you feeling?" he asked.

"Great," It was most definitely a lie.

"Hey so I reported what happened and I got them suspended but I was coming up with a few things that-"

My heart stopped. "What did you just say?"

His face paled at my question and began to stammer an answer that seemed like it would be pathetic so I huffed. I can't believe this. He just made this worse, so much worse. I'm so fucked.

I grab my stuff and rush out the door before the late bell rang and class started. I need to get the hell out of here.

But the four of them waited for me at the school entrance.