It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing ((Gabriel))

[India Nightingale]

India was not in a good mood at all. Thankfully she had not reached the stage yet where she could probably murder someone in cold blood, but she sure felt like she was on the edge of it. Life was so, so stupid, and so, so pointless. Argh, India just felt like jumping off a cliff right now, fall into oblivion without having a single worry or bother in the world. Obscenities ran through her head as she continually cursed the planet and the people on it. Especially Skye. Damn Skye. Damn damn damn Skye. That stupid lookalike that had stolen her name, her appearance, her love. Everything. Whenever India felt like this, Skye was the first person she blamed, the first person she wanted to go and kill. In her gradually increasing fury, India sent another plate crashing against the wall, only just containing a loud scream of rage. Why was she like this? Why couldn’t she control her boiling emotions? And why the hell couldn’t people leave her alone? India was not some sort of specimen. India was not somebody’s puppet. And India certainly was not about to be told what to do.

The truth behind what had brought on her sudden anger was due to the fact that one of her teachers had just given her a detention. Her first detention in months. India was furious. Apparently her homework had not been good enough, and she had no idea what was wrong with it. Like everything else she did, she had thrown herself into it with passion and tenacity, only to come out with this result? Preposterous. It had been the last lesson of the day, and India could’ve slapped the teacher if she hadn’t been aware of the fact that double detention would’ve been inflicted upon her. India was not about to waste even more of her precious time. Now she had to spend Friday evening redoing that ridiculous essay. Who did the teacher think she was? India hated having to be forced into pulling away from confrontation; she hated adults’ powers over children and teenagers. One day she’d get them back. Oh, she would. They shouldn’t have messed with her in the first place.

India was well aware of the fact that she was only angry. She wasn’t depressed by the incident, which was good, because she knew how bad it felt to be feeling her depression rise. When that happened issues about herself surfaced; problems with her appearance and weight; her perfection that was nonexistent. And more. India didn’t want to face those demons until… well… she never wanted to face them. But they always came at her, hungry for more negative thoughts. At least the burning fury blinded her from any other emotions and thoughts. Now that she had polished off her last plate, India stared down at the mess she had created, and slowly sank to her knees, wand still pointing outwards. She was in a secluded area in the grounds, a place she could come when she needed to release her rage on her plates. India knew that perhaps she needed anger management, but smashing these things had always worked for her. Just as she had expected, the anger was now slowly fading away into hollow emptiness. Great.

Breathing heavily from the quick exercise she had just done, India flicked her wand at the chaos around her, and soon the plates were in a neat stack behind her resting figure, looking almost brand new and unbroken. Heaving a loud sigh of relief mingled with other such emotions, India was just letting her guard down by pocketing her wand, when a rustle in the dark bushes to her left alerted her to someone else’s presence. Horrified, India sprang up immediately, her wand already out again, ready to pounce on whatever, or whoever, had trampled on her space. In the distance the sun was slowly setting, but India ignored the beautiful sight. Her mind was preoccupied, and she was partly glad that she no one had come across her whilst she was raging. First of all, someone would have seen a side of her she preferred to keep locked up, and secondly the intruder would probably have been murdered in the process. India had no intention of going to Azkaban ever. “Come out, whoever you are.” India finally shouted after realising her stalker was not going to reveal themselves. Anger and suspicion was laced in her guarded voice as she stood there inactively, waiting. Just waiting.

[Gabriel Roche S6]

Gabriel awoke early that morning, before the sun rose. Rather then going to his classes, he dressed quickly, grabbed his camera off his nightstand, and left the castle before too many other people woke up. All afternoon he roamed the grounds with his camera poised and ready for the perfect shot. He didn’t often get a good day, or the urge to do this sort of thing. Gabriel thought along the lines of a dream. Nothing was real unless he accepted it, but more then that he had an amazing ability to see beauty in the most mundane things. It is unfitting for a boy like him to take pictures of flowers and trees, therefore he leaves before anyone realizes he has gone, and he stays outside, away from the castle, until the sun has long since set. Within the last year, all of Gabe’s care for curfew and rules had dissolved into a heap of nothingness inside his being. He had lost all consideration for his elders, seeing them as being no better then he himself. Ditching class was no big deal today, it wasn’t last week, and it wouldn’t be for the rest of his life.

He walked along the edges of the Forbidden Forest, for though he didn’t regard the rules very much, he did regard not being eating as a good idea. Just inside the forest though, just past the point where the light from the sun blinds you, just to the point where shadows dance along tree trunks and you can’t hear a sound from outside; that’s where Gabriel’s mind and heart ventured. He had walked all along the edges of the grounds with his camera, finding art in all manner of things, from animals, to flowers, to nothing at all but a shadow. It soothed him to be alone with his camera and nothing else. It was like trapping a moment of time, trapping a thought or idea and encasing it in film. There it would stay until time destroyed it; never forgotten. Gabriel would die if he forgot these things.

Nearer the end of the day, as he made his way back to up the edge of the forest for one last time before heading to the other side of the grounds to watch the other students make fools of himself, Gabriel found that he was not alone out here. He knew who she was, he knew who everyone was. Her name was India; she was his year and his house. She was a snide girl, and Gabriel knew he wouldn’t be greeted in a friendly manner if she saw him. He didn’t care about that.

As much as Gabriel might have known about her, she probably didn’t know him. If she did, it was as ‘that kid who always gets into fights’. He’d gotten into at least three in the past month; all with kids from didn’t houses, normally kids who’d given him a funny look. No one knew Gabriel. Within the past three or so months, Gabriel had ceased to exist among most of his peers. The few that still remembered him, remembered him as a jerk that didn’t deserve any friends because he doesn’t know how to treat them. He was forgotten completely, known now, only as a violent, anti social guy in Slytherin. No one cared about him as a person, they’d all left him. He’d left all of them. He’d done it to himself. Gabriel closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and reminded himself that he didn’t care.

As he opened his eyes Gabriel looked around for India, but did not see her; he heard her. He listened as he stood still on the grounds. At first all he heard was a breeze, a bird or two, and maybe the sound of distant voices of kids by the lake, but then he heard what he knew to be the sound of a lonely person. Smash, smash the sound of something breaking. What Gabriel hoped to find though, was not plates being broken, he hoped to immortalize in film the sight of a spirit breaking.

He hoisted his camera into his hands as he crept closer to the noise until he had found a clearing surrounded by rather dense bushes. He crouched down, peeking through the bushes using his camera’s lens to see clearly. He snapped a few pictures as he watched what he had hoped to find. He watched the angry, distraught girl throw the plates, smashing them to pieces. Gabriel’s camera clicked again and again, capturing the vision of a broken soul from moment to moment all the way until she finished. He took a picture of the girl after she cleaned up her mess and rested. Finally he stood up to leave, but a branch beneath his feet snapped.

The girl jumped up behind him, pulling out her wand and commanding him to show himself. Gabriel actually had to hold back a chuckle. This girl was threatening him; how quaint. What’s the harm? Gabriel turned, pushed aside the brush and walked into the clearing, not even looking at her. “Oh please, put that thing away, you’re making a fool of yourself.” He leaned against a tree and finally turned his eyes lazily to meet hers, glaring at her in one of those ‘greater-then-thou’ ways.

[India Nightingale]

India tried not to show her surprise as a familiar looking boy emerged from his hiding place, and eyes narrowing, rolled her eyes to the heavens, watching his every move suspiciously. “Oh, it’s you.” India had rarely ever spoken to him, but she knew all the names of the Slytherins in her year; other people didn’t realise how much she knew about them, but she was pretty attentive to even the most minor of details. This particular boy, Gabriel Roche, stuck out like a sore thumb in her mind; not due to the fact that she had heard any rumours, but merely because of his hair. India wouldn’t admit it to him, but she quite liked the blonde streak in the midst of the black. Though blonde hair tended to remind her of Skye, she found the look appealing, though she couldn’t say the same for the rest of him. India didn’t think much of his personality either, and was aware that he had gotten in some fights recently. It seemed he was living up to his reputation too with his next “intelligent” quip.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared of my wand now.” India smirked as she lowered the said item whilst twirling it in her fingers expertly, “And I don’t think I could care less if you thought me a fool.” She added as she stared straight into his eyes with a less-than-appraising look, “Because quite frankly, it doesn’t affect me, and you don’t know me either. If you see this as me making a fool out of myself, then keep your opinions to yourself. Tell someone who cares.” India didn’t snort incredulously, but merely found a comfortable spot in the middle of the clearing, watching her companion with guarded eyes. What was Gabriel doing here anyway? Barely any of the students knew about this place, and people rarely wandered around this area. That’s why India liked it. Solitude. Time to herself. A place where she could do her own things and no one would be able to see her. Right?

“Oh, and you’re the one who snuck up on me like that. I think I’m allowed to be defensive. Other girls might have gotten the wrong idea.” India remarked with a disapproving tone of voice whilst smirking, pocketing her wand again as she watched his still figure by the tree distrustfully. She didn’t really want to have a conversation with this guy; Gabriel had a reputation of being violent, and though India admitted that she had a similar problem, she was not interested in a confrontation right now. India just wanted to calm her head down a little before getting back to studying. She still had a Herbology essay on her bed lying in wait. Eyeing Gabriel up and down carefully, India finally noticed the innocent-looking camera in his hands, and her eyes narrowed with suspicion. What was the idiot doing with a camera?

Suddenly a thought struck her, and with a gradually angered visage, India tried to maintain her temperament as unstoppable fear rose in her throat. “Did you see anything?” India suddenly demanded with a loud tone of voice, beginning to take a couple of steps towards her fellow classmate. She wanted to be perceived as threatening, but knew it was hard since she didn’t expect someone like Gabriel to be scared of a girl like her despite her reputation, and in all honesty, India felt threatened by him rather than the other way round, though had yet to let him onto that minor fact. He may have something India didn’t want anyone to possess. It was useful she was about one or two inches taller than him, and this gave her a psychological advantage. India hated people taller than her, male or female.

“I said, did you see anything? Answer me!” India commanded again, her voice rising with unhidden rage. She really didn’t want to feel this pent up emotion again, but if Gabriel had done what she suspected he had done, then India would be beyond angry. Oh, she would kill him. Though a fitful crying session also seemed inevitable. Now standing right in front of him, eye to eye, India refused to let her clenched up fists punch him; not until he had answered her, at least. Hopefully she could keep in her wrath, but since she had just had an anger management session, India highly doubted this, and knew it. She could possibly have a nervous breakdown if Gabriel admitted he actually photographed her smashing her plates. It was none of his business, her life. She didn’t stick her nose in other people’s affairs, and she wanted the same respect. That was the only courtesy India gave to people, and she wanted it to be carried out right.

“For crying out loud!” India swore at the boy, leaning forward quickly to snatch at the camera in a desperate bid to retrieve it. She knew it. India could just tell that he had. She hadn’t given him enough time to reply, but she wasn’t willing to wait. “Give me that!” She ordered harshly, trying not to show how desperate she really was. If those photos… If anyone saw them… India felt her inner walls waver a little in doubt. She hated being made to feel small, weak, like a specimen people could observe and make notes on. Gabriel had made her feel like that, and India had to stop him before he did anything else. He held all the power though if her had obtained photos of her, because there was no doubt he could probably blackmail her with them… Would he do that? India wouldn’t put it past him. She wouldn’t put it past any human being, because they were all lousy scum. All selfish and manipulative to gain things for themselves. India could barely stand the thought of blackmail. No, she couldn’t let anyone subject her to that! Mind reeling with her usual paranoid thoughts, India lunged again, intent on retrieving that camera. She hadn't felt this vulnerable in a long, long time.

[Gabriel Roche S6]

Gabriel didn’t show his surprise when India reacted so carelessly. So she recognized him, so what, no big deal. He fiddled with the zoom on his camera as the girl rambled. Girls always seemed to do that when there were upset. They just talked and never shut up, why did they never shut up? Not only did they ramble, they rambled in a hopeless and needless attempt to defend themselves. By the end of their cute little speech they had only succeeded in making themselves look over defensive. Gabriel thought India was pathetic at this point.

“Darling, darling, darling. First off, me afraid of your want? Wow, that’s hilarious.” Gabriel mocked a laugh and then continued, “And second, if you didn’t care if I thought you a fool, then you wouldn’t be talking so much.” He smirked still; it was a lifeless, careless smirk, letting her know exactly what he thought of her. If there was one thing Gabriel loved doing, it was talking down to people; if Gabriel succeeded in lowering the moral of one person a day, his week was complete.

“Other girls would have gotten the wrong idea? Hah, what would that be?” Gabriel chuckled for real this time. India seemed to care what other people thought of her more then she’d like to admit to herself. At this point, Gabriel was in an amazingly light mood; India was a fun game for him right now. His day had gone nicely, and India was doing a nice job of being an easy target. He watched her look him over and then frowned when her eyes rested on the camera. When she asked if he’d seen anything, he quickly put back on his careless smirk and just stared at her.

She moved toward him and he didn’t flinch. Not a muscle moved, of his body, or of his face. The same smirk lay, plastered on his face and his arms had moved to cross his chest in a casual manner. She was trying to intimidate him and he wanted to laugh out loud. A girl like her trying to intimidate him? She was really, really funny. Good pictures and entertainment; lovely.

She was closer then he had thought she would come and she was yelling at him. Gabriel began to get a bit frustrated. He absolutely hated when people yelled at him. When she reached for the camera Gabriel growled and he moved his hands and grabbed the thing, taking it from around his neck and holding it to the side so that if she grabbed it she would not strangle him.. She was insane at this point, and Gabriel knew she was on the verge of a breakdown. Over pictures? It seemed so pointless. When she lunged towards him for the camera, he moved his hands again and time slowed as it flew from them. He reached out, desperately trying to grab it before it hit the ground but it was no use. The camera fell to the forest floor with a loud snap, as a piece on the back broke off, exposing the film

When Gabriel caught his breath, he knew his chest was heaving in anger. No, not anger, rage. Even fixing the camera with magic would not matter, the film was ruined, and with it all his pictures. Aside from the good ones he’d gotten throughout the day, he’d lost the ones he’d really wanted; he’d lost the ones of India. In those pictures Gabriel had captured the soul of unbridled passion; now they were gone. He turned around India, his teeth clenched as he fought back the urge to slam the back of his hand straight across her face. “Do you…have any idea…what you just did?”

[India Nightingale]

India rolled her eyes at Gabriel’s ranting, trying to ignore his obvious cockiness and the sneer in his eyes. “Don’t call me darling.” She growled softly, glaring at him without fear. There was something about Gabriel’s personality that really grated upon her every nerve, that made her want to punch his arrogant little face in so badly. But India had more self-control than that. She didn’t bother to retort to his next sentence, knowing it pointless to continue. In Gabriel’s eyes, he was probably winning, but India didn’t really care. If he wanted to feel superior, then so be it. If he wanted to make it seem like he was in control, then so be it. India had a similar personality trait, but knew she didn’t care right now; she only did this whole attitude thing to younger pupils, and didn’t bother wasting her time on her peers. This was petty, really, and she just wanted to be left alone to her own devices. Was that too much to ask? “I think you know what I mean.” India smirked to herself as she twiddled with her fingers, staring with a bored attitude at her immaculate fingernails. “Or are you just thick?” She challenged with a cool sneer, proceeding to take a lock of black and weaving it expertly around her slender, but cold fingers.

When India was screaming at Gabriel, she was already feeling that crazy fear consuming her like wild fire, and knew that if he didn’t cooperate with her insane self, then she could possibly kill him. That was why India kept to herself, and stayed away from enemies despite the odd confrontations. She never knew what she was truly capable of, she honestly didn’t. India was scared of herself. As she fought with Gabriel over the camera, both of them scrambling furiously over a little metal object, they froze as it flew from Gabriel’s hands and landed with a snap against the floor some feet away. Freezing from the sight, India rapidly backed off from Gabriel, her hand still gripping his other one as tightly as possible but letting it go now. Lowering her fist that was ready to punch him, India stared at the exposed film, already able to see with moist eyes that the camera had indeed held pictures of her. Blinking back threatening tears of relief, India tried to replace the brave, cold mask of hers whilst Gabriel was still looking away. She clung onto her alternate self almost desperately, willing it to be strong for her for one moment, even if it diminished her true self a little every time.

Breathing calmly now as Gabriel turned to face her with the rage that she had felt only moments before, India stared coolly back at him, wand now taken out from her pocket, ready to finish off what she started. “Yeah, I know what I just did. I just destroyed the photos of me which you had no right to take. I am no one’s model.” With clenched teeth, and before Gabriel could react, India pointed her wand at the broken camera a few metres from her, and whispering a spell she never thought she’d use, though she had been taught it by Duke, a shot of bright orange flare flew from the tip of her wand to set the pile on fire, the glaze of the colours reflected in India’s eyes, turning the cold orbs a diamond-like colour. Watching in silence, India was able to keep her gaze for a few seconds, before backing away slowly, the adrenaline wearing away and her absolute fear replacing it effortlessly. Throwing some money onto the ground beside Gabriel, who India didn’t bother acknowledging, she turned to run away from the scene, leaving only the words “for the camera” behind with her fellow classmate, sick to the core at what had just occurred.

Falling onto her knees helplessly into another clearing not far from where she had just left, India realised she had left her plates there, but didn’t care. She’d get some new ones, and all that she could think of right now was the fire that burned in her eyes, burning away her retinas, burning away her life. India could barely help the sobs that caught in her throat, the fear that enveloped itself like a blanket around her, trapping her beneath its many chained layers. India didn’t care about Gabriel, she didn’t really want to think about him, but what had almost occurred scared her stiff. What if India had never caught him with the photos? What if he had those photos lined across his wall one day without her knowledge? How had she been so careless? Letting her head fall into her arms, her black hair touching the ground and mixing with the dust, India did all she could to hold back the sick that threatened to escape, but couldn’t prevent the tears that flowed openly down her pale cheeks. ”Someone, please just save me from this life!” Her mind screamed, and screamed, and screamed for salvation, but none ever came. Because India was all alone in the world.

[Gabriel Roche S6]

At the site of India’s wand Gabriel’s hand flowed smoothly and unnoticeably into his cloak, gripping his and waiting. Gabriel was a superb dueler, always had been. There’s not to say why he is a good dueler, he’s never had any sort of training or anything, it just comes to him. Gabriel attributed it to his ability to memorize things effortlessly. Any spell he learned in class was committed to memory and could be conjured on the spot in seconds. He worked hard to master spells he might need in a duel. His aggressive nature might have had something to do with his ability to think quickly in a dangerous situation; he was always getting himself into them.

When India lit the camera on fire, Gabriel unintelligently turned his back on her and pointed his wand at the flaming thing. A fire in the forbidden forest was not a good thing, and even a small fire such as this would spread easily through the dense underbrush. He didn’t raise his voice, amazingly, when he spoke, “Aguamenti” dousing the fire in water. He turned back to look for India and realized she had fled, leaving behind a bit of money. Gabriel swore to himself as he turned back to the broken and steaming camera.

What was he to do with this thing? The money on the ground would not pay for this, it was his most expensive possession, more then that though, he cherished the thing. Not only had India ruined the camera, she had ruined the pictures inside it, the ones Gabriel was already coveting. “Reparo…” The camera remained motionless and the in the same state. “reparo…” still nothing. “reparo…” and again, nothing. “REPARO![/I]” on the last try, the camera flew, smashing into India’s plates, shattering and scattering them. Gabriel through back his head and swore loudly before turning and bolting off in the direction India had run.

“Come back here you worthless, lower then muggle wench! Come back here!” He tore through the trees, his heart pounding and chest heaving in newly emerged rage, having over come the first rush. When he broke through the trees into the clearing, he stopped abruptly, seeing India on the ground. “YOU WRETCH!” He was beyond angry now and directed his want straight at her. She was crying, sobbing in fact but Gabriel had no care for her emotions. His anger filled him, fueled him and he cursed loudly at her before taking a deep breath and growling in a voice too deep for his years, “get up off the ground you scum, get up and face me.” It was not a request, it was a command.


((SIDE NOTE TO ALL READING THIS: I'm sorry if he scared you...dont fret...he wont hurt her lol...I realize I've worried some people, but really....it'll all work out.))

[India Nightingale]

India could hear footsteps behind her through the sobbing and the screaming. Angry footsteps, footsteps filled with rage and fury. But she wasn’t scared. Nothing could scare her now. All she could feel was such emptiness, such loneliness hidden inside of her pouring out, more and more, over and over. ”STOP!” Was it too late to mend such fragility, such brokenness? India wasn’t so sure anymore. Every person had a limit, and perhaps she had reached hers. ”No!” But giving up was not an option for India. There was no such thing! Thoughts ripping her out of her mind, India barely processed Gabriel’s words as she arrived in the clearing she was weeping in, yelling furiously from behind her. India knew she shouldn’t have burned his camera, but he shouldn’t have taken those photos of her. Did he have the right? NO!

“No, no, no, no!” India screamed out loud before Gabriel could say another word after “get up the ground and face me”. “NO!” She cried one more time before standing up numbly and turning to face the dark haired boy, her loud voice echoing throughout the glade, scattering lurking birds nearby, their wings the only sound after a taut silence. India’s face was tear-streaked, her eyes red and bloodshot; she barely registered Gabriel’s fuming face, didn’t particularly care right now. “You know what, Gabriel Roche, you think you are so amazing!” India was now advancing on this boy was bigger, taller, stronger than her, and although her conscience knew she could never physically beat Gabriel, she just didn’t care. Her voice was thick, quivering from the tears, but steady enough to be obviously bitter and resentful. “You – idiot.” India was now directly in front of him for the second time that day, eye to eye with him was she trembled from the pressure of just standing up. She felt like her legs would collapse on her any moment. “I am no one’s model! You got me? I am no one’s!”

Sticking a finger into Gabriel’s chest, India was going to continue, wanted to keep screaming and letting out the injustice she had swallowed for so long, but could hardly keep up physically. It was too demanding. “I – You know, I – Just, just –“ India took another deep gulp of air, trying to sustain a proper sentence through her wavering and sobbing, but couldn’t formulate anything with her mouth. With an audible gasp, India suddenly sagged and her body gave way, her legs buckling and falling lifelessly to the ground, eyes rolling to the back of her head as she fainted gratefully to the earth. She barely felt the arms that caught her, the voices that called her name. India merely welcomed the darkness with a small secretive smile. ”Hello.”

((Yeah, it'll work out! Apologies to people slightly scared there will be heavy violence involved. As you can see.... Slightly impossible because India is now unconscious. ))

[Gabriel Roche S6]

Gabriel caught the girl just before she hit the ground, completely on instinct. It was awkward, catching this girl in his fury, but when she fell he seemed to forget he was angry. He lowered himself down to the ground, onto his knees, cradling the girl in his arms. “India? India please wake up….” The girl didn’t move. Oh lord, please say she didn’t just have a heart attack or something…

“India, come on now, wake up…” He shook her slightly and then reached a hand to her neck, trying to check her pulse. He wasn’t prepared for this, he wasn’t trained to check someone’s pulse. He felt a thudding beneath the skin though and it seemed to set his mind a little bit more at ease. What was he to do now? He could just leave her in the forbidden forest, even if he did leave to go get the nurse. He could carry her out of here, but that would look very very bad. She had just fainted, that was all, just fainted. She must have over worked herself in her anger. Next time Gabriel, we don’t make this one too mad.

He shook his head and closed his eyes, bowing his head in prayer. If someone where to walk out of the forest right at this moment, it would have been the strangest sight; a fainted girl in the arms of a praying boy, but not just any boy, Gabriel Roche. Gabriel was devoutly Christian. He prayed for a calming of his anger, he prayed that India would be ok, he prayed that the whole issue would be worked out, and he prayed for a new camera; ok, so he was slightly selfish.

This was one of the only times when the size of Gabriel’s heart became apparent; in prayer. If anyone knew the kind of person Gabe truly was it was God. The boy had trouble with anger, but who could blame him, he was fifteen and had a broken heart. He prayed for God to heal him, he hated this anger. He prayed for God to heal India, he hated having upset her so. He prayed for tomorrow, and for today, and for yesterday. He prayed a long prayer, still cradling India in his arms and he kneeled on the ground, hoping she would soon awake.

[India Nightingale]

”Is she going to be okay, Doctor Harrison?”
“I’m afraid, Mrs Colchester, it’s bad news…”
“What? What’s wrong with my baby?”
“Alison, shush, listen to what he has to say…”
“You’re telling me to shush when our daughter is in there? What if she’s going to die!?”
“Alison…”
“I am glad to inform you, Mr and Mrs Colchester, that she won’t die.”
“She won’t? Really?”
“You mean that? You can promise us she won’t?”
“Absolutely. I’m afraid there’s another problem though, despite it not being life threatening…”
“What is it?”
“As long as my baby doesn’t die...”
“I’m sorry to say that… Skye has lost the ability to speak.”

Skye…

”Tas entendue à propos des jumeaux? Quelle horreur!”
"As-tu entendu parler des jumeaux? Quelle horreur!"
“Eh? Non, je ne sais pas!”
“La professeure dit Skye ne peut plus parler!”
“Skye!?”
“Oui.”
“Pourquoi!? Comment?”
“Je ne sais pas, la professeure n'a pas dit…”
“Et India?”
“Elle est… Ah, elle est là-bas!”
“Shh!”

Skye…

“Leave me alone! Go away!”
“India, what are you doing to Skye?”
“Nothing! She won’t leave me alone!”
“India, stop disturbing your poor sister. Come along, Skye, just ignore India. She’s just taking advantage of your… 'problem'. My poor baby..”

Skye…

“We’re leaving.”
“What are you talking about?”
“We’re leaving, don’t ask questions.”
“Why? I’m not leaving without an explanation!”
“Be quiet, India! See, your sister is taking the news just fine! Now be quiet and stop asking stupid questions!”
“No, I’m not going!”
“Well, do you want to stay here with your dad, eh? I didn’t think so. Now come on. NOW!”

Skye…

“She’s been a bad girl, Alison.”
“Tim…”
“I HAVE NOT! I DIDN’T DO IT!”
“India! Keep your voice down! Why can’t you be more like Skye, eh?”
“You want me to throw myself in front of a truck and lose my voice like her, do you? DO YOU? Fine, I will!”
“You come right back here, little lady!”
“Listen to your mother, girl!”
“No, go away, I don’t need you, I’ve never needed you! Let go of me!”
“Alison, for Christ’s sake, just tell her already! It’s not as if she cares about you and your feelings.”
“You’re right, Tim.”
“Tell me what?”
“I see that’s certainly got your attention.”
“What?”
“You’re adopted.”
“Tim, I can tell her myself.”
“No, Alison, she needs to hear the truth now. No one wants you either, India, you stupid kid, so go somewhere else! We don’t need you! See if we care!”
“Tim…”
“… YOU’RE LYING! YOU’RE LYING!”

Skye…

“Here comes the Fire Witch!”
“Shush, or she’ll burn you for sure!”
“I ain’t scared of her. Ha. As if she could ever scare me.”
“She’s lookin’ at us… Maybe we should just go…”
“No, I ain’t backin’ down from a challenge. She thinks she’s well tough, but we’ve got the upper hand. None of ‘em will believe her if she talks, and she knows it. Hey, Fire Witch, wotcha lookin’ at? You wanna fight ‘bout it? Where’s that stupid dumb sister of yours, eh? You two should just—AH! Gerroff me, you little--!”
“India, what do you think you’re doing? Get off her!”
“She attacked me!”
“I saw. India come with me.”
“But—“
“But what? And what’s with that acid stare? Stop it. Act your age, for god’s sake. Now come with me.”

Skye…

“My name is Duke.”
“Duke? Hmph. Some name.”
“Thank you.”
“Not a compliment, smart a**.”
“And you are…?”
“What’s it to you?”
“I could change your life, India.”
“Sure you could. And if you knew my name already, why bother asking, eh?”
“I can change your life. I could get you out of this hellhole. That is, if you let me.”
“… Fine. I’m listening... Duke.”

Skye…

“Why me?”
“Excuse me?”
“Why me? Why Skye? Why us?”
“… Why do you ask?”
“Because I want to know. Because no one has ever wanted me before. That’s why.”
“… I only adopted Skye because I wanted to adopt you, and I knew that it was a package deal.”
“You know I hate being known as a package rather than an item on my own.”
“But it’s true. You would not have left without your sister. You can’t deny that to me. She may be a dog, but she’s your dog.”
“… True. But you haven’t answered my question, Duke. Why me?”
“… Because you, India, are special.”

Skye…

“Skye!” India heard the scream fall out of her lips before she could help herself. Bolting forwards, she saw the bright colours fade to grey, darkness swarming into her vision as her eyes adjusted to her shady surroundings. Where was she? Why was she here? Her desperate cry echoed in her ears as she glanced around frantically, confused and scared as she felt someone’s arms wrapped around her trembling body protectively. Tears sprung to her eyes as her fear escalated, and glancing up, she saw a pair of anxious eyes staring down at her. India thought she heard her name being spoken, but could barely register it. She was still reeling from the after effects of her dreams, stuck in the moments of her pasts as it ran to catch up with her.

Making a strangled cry which was muffled in the boy’s sleeve, India’s body pitched forward in his arms, clinging onto him for dear life. India couldn’t recall anything that had happened previously. She didn’t remember the burning of the camera, her screaming fit with Gabriel, the uncontrollable rage and pain. All that remained within was wild fear that was consuming her steadily. Forgetting self control, forgetting pride, forgetting all she was made to be, India cracked underneath the fear as she let the tears stream outwards, released in a gasp of relief and salvation. They ran, ran down her face, her nose, her lips, wetting his clothes, and her choked, anguished cries and sobs were muffled by his chest heaving by her face. Clinging to Gabriel as though she could never let him go, India let herself come undone, let her walls crumble into nothing as she wept and screamed her heart out.

((Translation:
“Did you hear about the twins? How horrible!”
((Means the same thing, just... eh. Actually means it, I think... *huggles Viv* Who wants some germs?))
((I got that translation from Chloe. I wanted a proper colloquial version rather than one off Babelfish. *huggles* You feeling any better? I'm starting to wonder whether I really did or did not spread that to you... but it's obvious ting gave that to you in the first place. Lol. Anyway, thank god for the weekend, I feel like dying... *sigh* So much work to do... Art's stressing me out now.))
((Must be me that's wrong then. Well, at least no colloquial. And yeah, not well.))
“Eh? No, I don’t know!”
“The teacher said Skye can’t speak anymore!”
“Skye!?”
“Yes.”
“Why!? How?”
“I don’t know, the teacher didn’t say…”
“And India?”
“She is… Ah, she’s over there!”
“Shh!”))

((I apologise for the dream… It probably makes no sense to you, lol, so please, just ignore it. And sorry for taking so long to reply.))

((Discontinued thread.))