The Diary of Tom Marvolo Riddle
A Trip is Announced
“Children! Children, you’re attention!” Mrs. Cole cries to the clamoring crowd of children. I do not bother to look up, but instead, poke at the burnt porridge that was handed to me. I am the only one at the table that has not finished my meal; I vaguely wonder how they could choke it down.
I feel eyes boring into my bent head, and reluctantly, lift my eyes to Mrs. Cole. She watches me closely now, much too closely. She does not like me. It’s not that I care, but it does make things difficult. She does not like me on my own, I am sure that the teachers and the orphanage staff have been told to never let me on my own. It has been weeks since I was able to slip away, and I am never without some sort of mindful eye on me. It makes my…favorite pastimes…more difficult.
Mrs. Cole claps her beefy hands once more and then she smiles as if to bestow a great gift.
“We’re going on a trip tomorrow!” she shouts, beaming around the room.
Immediately, the children around me clap and whisper, trying to decide on whether the coast or the countryside would prove to be more fun.
“I want to go to the seaside!” a small, blonde girl says to her little friend. “The last time we were there we found that cave, ‘member?”
The other girl nods and turns to the boy sitting next to her, “Do you wanna come?” she blushes.
Ah…love. I roll my eyes, and poke at the cold porridge in front of me.
The boy grins, exposing a rather large gap-tooth in front, and then nods. The two girls giggle and I frown at their frivolous joy.
12 noon, Wednesday
I overheard seemingly mindless chatter today. I say “seemingly” because the owners of such conversation have no idea that it is not mindless…not at all. It has never occurred to me to search out the caves at the seaside. I have never thought of the possibilities of having such a cave, of owning such a hide-out. I was jealous when I heard that those girls had found such a place. Why should they have a cave, and why should they have someone to share it with when I have no one to even sit with on the way to the coast? The way that girl looked at the stupid, gap-toothed boy….it’s not fair! I am smarter, more handsome, and more talented than that boy, why should he catch such fancy?
I wonder…what will happen tomorrow…
Surely something will happen. I can not let such an opportunity go by. I will find that cave, and I will punish those stupid fools for not sharing their trip with me. I was sitting right next to them; they could have just as easily turned to me!
I feel so stupid, with this jealousy burning inside of me. But I cannot help it! They have friends, memories to look back on, and places to explore.
I have nothing.
I put the pencil down, and I stretch out my worn fingers. I wiggle them, first slowly, like a spider, than faster and faster. Suddenly, the pencil lying on the table catches fire, the flames licking it but not catching the rest of the table on fire. I pick it up by the point and I watch the flames grow. They are not a usual color, but instead…almost black.
I smile…and a plan begins to form.
I feel eyes boring into my bent head, and reluctantly, lift my eyes to Mrs. Cole. She watches me closely now, much too closely. She does not like me. It’s not that I care, but it does make things difficult. She does not like me on my own, I am sure that the teachers and the orphanage staff have been told to never let me on my own. It has been weeks since I was able to slip away, and I am never without some sort of mindful eye on me. It makes my…favorite pastimes…more difficult.
Mrs. Cole claps her beefy hands once more and then she smiles as if to bestow a great gift.
“We’re going on a trip tomorrow!” she shouts, beaming around the room.
Immediately, the children around me clap and whisper, trying to decide on whether the coast or the countryside would prove to be more fun.
“I want to go to the seaside!” a small, blonde girl says to her little friend. “The last time we were there we found that cave, ‘member?”
The other girl nods and turns to the boy sitting next to her, “Do you wanna come?” she blushes.
Ah…love. I roll my eyes, and poke at the cold porridge in front of me.
The boy grins, exposing a rather large gap-tooth in front, and then nods. The two girls giggle and I frown at their frivolous joy.
12 noon, Wednesday
I overheard seemingly mindless chatter today. I say “seemingly” because the owners of such conversation have no idea that it is not mindless…not at all. It has never occurred to me to search out the caves at the seaside. I have never thought of the possibilities of having such a cave, of owning such a hide-out. I was jealous when I heard that those girls had found such a place. Why should they have a cave, and why should they have someone to share it with when I have no one to even sit with on the way to the coast? The way that girl looked at the stupid, gap-toothed boy….it’s not fair! I am smarter, more handsome, and more talented than that boy, why should he catch such fancy?
I wonder…what will happen tomorrow…
Surely something will happen. I can not let such an opportunity go by. I will find that cave, and I will punish those stupid fools for not sharing their trip with me. I was sitting right next to them; they could have just as easily turned to me!
I feel so stupid, with this jealousy burning inside of me. But I cannot help it! They have friends, memories to look back on, and places to explore.
I have nothing.
I put the pencil down, and I stretch out my worn fingers. I wiggle them, first slowly, like a spider, than faster and faster. Suddenly, the pencil lying on the table catches fire, the flames licking it but not catching the rest of the table on fire. I pick it up by the point and I watch the flames grow. They are not a usual color, but instead…almost black.
I smile…and a plan begins to form.