‹ Prequel: We Can't Wake Up
All You Wish For and All You Need
Inescapable
Marcus forced himself to smile at her and he kissed the top of her head.
Maybe there is some way that I could atone for what I have done, Marcus mused as they sat there. Maybe if I do something good then I will be able to get rid of these thoughts of my father. If I could prove to myself that I can be good then I won’t have to think about him. He will be gone. He looked down at Anne. Her head was rested on his chest and her eyes were closed. But what could I do to prove to myself that I am not completely evil? That was a question he was sure he could find an answer to.
He thought about it for the rest of the day. Every heroic deed he thought up always seemed ridiculous and even pompous at times. Perhaps it need not be heroic. Just good. Marcus frowned and scratched his quill through a sentence he had just written. But what can I do?
He slipped into bed that night, his mind still full of questions. He knew there had to be something that he could do. There just had to be.
The last thing he thought of before he closed his eyes was Anne.
Marcus wandered through the thick undergrowth, pushing the clawing branches away from him. But they reached out to him and snagged his skin. The sharp ends cut into him and separated skin from flesh. Blood poured over him and fell to the ground. But Marcus still walked forwards.
The only thing he could see was the suffocating trees around him. There was no light, but he knew it was daytime. If only he could reach the other side then he could be free of this. If he could reach the light that he knew was waiting for him then he would be free of this darkness. This darkness that inhabits his mind.
The branches morphed into arms and they grabbed him, held him back as he struggled uselessly.
“Reducto!” he screamed and pulled against his restraints. The tress grew faces and smiled maliciously as they walked towards him. “Stupefy!” he cried and broke free. He ran and ran, legs pounding the ground, breath coming hard and fast.
There it was - the light ahead. He could see it, smell it, and taste it. It was there infront of him. All he had to do was reach it before the demons behind him caught up and dragged him backwards.
But there was no light here. There was no end to the Darkness. Marcus spun around and stared hopelessly at the black surrounding him. It was everywhere. It inhabited all of him and he knew there would never be any escape. Ever.
“Anne!” he cried and looked towards the sky. He was standing in their clearing. And it was daytime. But the sun didn’t reach him. The light shining down from above touched the trees but it did not touch him.
The demons surrounded him and Marcus could see that they were not demonic creatures at all. They were the Death Eaters. They surrounded him and right before him was Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange.
“You can never be rid of me Marcus,” Voldemort sneered and stepped closer placing his cold dead hand on Marcus’ cheek. “I am a part of you that you will never be free of,” He laughed coldly and without mirth. Bellatrix joined him with he deranged cackle and she too stepped forwards.
“My son,” she smiled crookedly, “My darling one. Never to be free of us,”
“NO!” Marcus shrieked and leapt backwards, away from his parents. “I will not be like you!”
“Marcus, you are like us,” Voldemort spoke softly. “The proof is all around you.” He gestured to the inky surroundings. “All that is around you is darkness. You will never be able to reach the light to be with your beloved,” he sneered and laughed again. Voldemort looked towards the sky and then back at Marcus. “You are trapped here forever,”
Marcus followed his father’s gaze to what was above them. He could see Anne dancing among the tree tops. She smiled down at Marcus and beckoned for him to join her. Marcus reached out towards her and called her name silently. Anne smiled wider and nodded. “Come to me.” Her words floated down to him.
“Anne,” he whispered and walked towards the trees. If only he could reach her. The Death Eaters stood still and silent as he began to climb. No-one seemed concerned that he was trying to escape them.
“Marcus, come to me. Be with me,” Anne smiled and laughed, the beautiful sound like a gentle breeze.
Marcus pulled himself up and up again. He climbed towards her, ever higher. But never closer.
“Anne,” he gasped as he struggled to keep his balance. “Help me Anne,”
But she shook her head, “You must do this on your own Marcus.” Her smile faded and a tear slipped from her eyes. “If you want to be with me then you must reach me. Climb to me and escape them.” She could see his strength waning. “Marcus, be strong for me. Reach me Marcus. Climb to me,” she pleaded and stretched out her hand.
Marcus sucked in air, struggling to find the strength inside of him. “Anne,” he whispered.
“Yes Marcus,” she smiled at him and stood there, arms outstretched, waiting.
He pulled himself up again and reached for the next branch.
But fell short. The wind raced past him as he fell back into the darkness. He screamed as he fell and watched as Anne became smaller and smaller. Unreachable.
He did not die when he hit the ground. But he was consumed into the darkness once again.
“ANNE!” he shrieked as the Death Eaters closed over him, shutting out the light.
Marcus sat up abruptly and looked around him. All he could see was darkness. His heart raced as he thought that he was still trapped. But then he could see a light from the corner of his eye.
“Marcus?” It was Richard. “Are you okay?”
Marcus swallowed and shook his head. “Yes,” he said sharply and pushed the bedcovers off. He was covered in a cold sweat. He quickly changed into jeans and a jumper before hurrying out of the room. He ran through the common room, thankful that it was empty.
His bare feet slapped against the cold flagstones as he walked through the dungeons. He did not know where he was going, only that he had to be out of that place.
Marcus knew that it was not only a dream. It was what was happening inside of him at this very moment. The darkness inside that had been in him ever since he was born was struggling to take him over completely. And it had nearly won. Inside of him there was only blackness. The only light was far above. And he was not strong enough to reach it.
Maybe there is some way that I could atone for what I have done, Marcus mused as they sat there. Maybe if I do something good then I will be able to get rid of these thoughts of my father. If I could prove to myself that I can be good then I won’t have to think about him. He will be gone. He looked down at Anne. Her head was rested on his chest and her eyes were closed. But what could I do to prove to myself that I am not completely evil? That was a question he was sure he could find an answer to.
He thought about it for the rest of the day. Every heroic deed he thought up always seemed ridiculous and even pompous at times. Perhaps it need not be heroic. Just good. Marcus frowned and scratched his quill through a sentence he had just written. But what can I do?
He slipped into bed that night, his mind still full of questions. He knew there had to be something that he could do. There just had to be.
The last thing he thought of before he closed his eyes was Anne.
Marcus wandered through the thick undergrowth, pushing the clawing branches away from him. But they reached out to him and snagged his skin. The sharp ends cut into him and separated skin from flesh. Blood poured over him and fell to the ground. But Marcus still walked forwards.
The only thing he could see was the suffocating trees around him. There was no light, but he knew it was daytime. If only he could reach the other side then he could be free of this. If he could reach the light that he knew was waiting for him then he would be free of this darkness. This darkness that inhabits his mind.
The branches morphed into arms and they grabbed him, held him back as he struggled uselessly.
“Reducto!” he screamed and pulled against his restraints. The tress grew faces and smiled maliciously as they walked towards him. “Stupefy!” he cried and broke free. He ran and ran, legs pounding the ground, breath coming hard and fast.
There it was - the light ahead. He could see it, smell it, and taste it. It was there infront of him. All he had to do was reach it before the demons behind him caught up and dragged him backwards.
But there was no light here. There was no end to the Darkness. Marcus spun around and stared hopelessly at the black surrounding him. It was everywhere. It inhabited all of him and he knew there would never be any escape. Ever.
“Anne!” he cried and looked towards the sky. He was standing in their clearing. And it was daytime. But the sun didn’t reach him. The light shining down from above touched the trees but it did not touch him.
The demons surrounded him and Marcus could see that they were not demonic creatures at all. They were the Death Eaters. They surrounded him and right before him was Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange.
“You can never be rid of me Marcus,” Voldemort sneered and stepped closer placing his cold dead hand on Marcus’ cheek. “I am a part of you that you will never be free of,” He laughed coldly and without mirth. Bellatrix joined him with he deranged cackle and she too stepped forwards.
“My son,” she smiled crookedly, “My darling one. Never to be free of us,”
“NO!” Marcus shrieked and leapt backwards, away from his parents. “I will not be like you!”
“Marcus, you are like us,” Voldemort spoke softly. “The proof is all around you.” He gestured to the inky surroundings. “All that is around you is darkness. You will never be able to reach the light to be with your beloved,” he sneered and laughed again. Voldemort looked towards the sky and then back at Marcus. “You are trapped here forever,”
Marcus followed his father’s gaze to what was above them. He could see Anne dancing among the tree tops. She smiled down at Marcus and beckoned for him to join her. Marcus reached out towards her and called her name silently. Anne smiled wider and nodded. “Come to me.” Her words floated down to him.
“Anne,” he whispered and walked towards the trees. If only he could reach her. The Death Eaters stood still and silent as he began to climb. No-one seemed concerned that he was trying to escape them.
“Marcus, come to me. Be with me,” Anne smiled and laughed, the beautiful sound like a gentle breeze.
Marcus pulled himself up and up again. He climbed towards her, ever higher. But never closer.
“Anne,” he gasped as he struggled to keep his balance. “Help me Anne,”
But she shook her head, “You must do this on your own Marcus.” Her smile faded and a tear slipped from her eyes. “If you want to be with me then you must reach me. Climb to me and escape them.” She could see his strength waning. “Marcus, be strong for me. Reach me Marcus. Climb to me,” she pleaded and stretched out her hand.
Marcus sucked in air, struggling to find the strength inside of him. “Anne,” he whispered.
“Yes Marcus,” she smiled at him and stood there, arms outstretched, waiting.
He pulled himself up again and reached for the next branch.
But fell short. The wind raced past him as he fell back into the darkness. He screamed as he fell and watched as Anne became smaller and smaller. Unreachable.
He did not die when he hit the ground. But he was consumed into the darkness once again.
“ANNE!” he shrieked as the Death Eaters closed over him, shutting out the light.
Marcus sat up abruptly and looked around him. All he could see was darkness. His heart raced as he thought that he was still trapped. But then he could see a light from the corner of his eye.
“Marcus?” It was Richard. “Are you okay?”
Marcus swallowed and shook his head. “Yes,” he said sharply and pushed the bedcovers off. He was covered in a cold sweat. He quickly changed into jeans and a jumper before hurrying out of the room. He ran through the common room, thankful that it was empty.
His bare feet slapped against the cold flagstones as he walked through the dungeons. He did not know where he was going, only that he had to be out of that place.
Marcus knew that it was not only a dream. It was what was happening inside of him at this very moment. The darkness inside that had been in him ever since he was born was struggling to take him over completely. And it had nearly won. Inside of him there was only blackness. The only light was far above. And he was not strong enough to reach it.