Down a hole..... on Labyrinth Gardens

Kaylie Brockert

May 28, 2005 8:42 PM

Down a hole..... by Kaylie Brockert

It was a lovely autumn day in the Gardens. It was surprisingly green and cool for the desert. Kaylie strolled along the empty paths, exploring.....and avoiding schoolwork, as usual.She wasn't looking for anything in particular, just anything different.

Kaylie came to a dead end, where there was nothing but a statue of a man, with a plate naming him as "Barnabas, the Cautious." Barnabas was holding a sign that said something Kaylie couldn't read because the lettering was worn away. As she leaned in closer, hoping to tap the sign with her wand and use a decoding charm so she could see what it said, the ground gave way beneath her. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" She screamed, as she landed on her behind with a thud. "Ouch!" Kaylie cried, rubbing her sore backside.

She took stock of her new surroundings. A dank, dirty hole in the middle of a deserted path, Kaylie didn't have to be a genius to realize that this was not a good thing. "HELP!!!" She screamed. "Anyone???"

Over her screams, Kaylie could almost swear she could hear Barnabas laughing above her. It was really to bad she hadn't been able to read that sign, for she would have seen that it said,

Watch Your Step.\n\n

11 Kaylie Brockert Down a hole..... 43 Kaylie Brockert 1 5

Tally

June 10, 2005 6:54 PM

...with Peter Rabbit by Tally

Tally had been wandering (as usual) around the gardens. She loved to walk along the paths of the gardens, to explore, to seek, to just be outside and out of the stuffy castle. She walked without any real reason, but just to stretch her legs and think about nothing in particular. Oh yes, this was her favorite pasttime. Well, this and Quidditch.

As she walked, lost in her own world, Tally could have sworn she had heard a scream. She paused in her track, head tilted, as she listened. If anyone were to come across her at that very moment, they would probably have laughed. Her long hair blew about her casting a shield around her perfectly still body. Her eyes looked slightly toward the sky, a hard green as if they were preying apon something, her body stiff and unmoving, her ears straining to listen.

There, there it was. A cry for help. Tally immediately started moving again, her ears still listening for any more cries. It had been close, the next path over. She paused when she came to the path, seeing nothing but a statue of a man. At the base of the man stood a hole. Tally took a cautious step toward the statue...and the hole. Because she was only a few feet away, she was able to catch the 'Anyone?' from down below in the hole. Tally took the last remaining steps and fell to her knees close to the hole. Peering down, she could see anything but outlines of what she assumed was a person.

"Hello?" She called down, her voice only a few notches louder than normal. She was afriad of what might answer her calls.\n\n

0 Tally ...with Peter Rabbit 0 Tally 0 5

Kaylie

June 12, 2005 2:26 PM

No rabbits, just lots of worms and dirt.... by Kaylie

Kaylie was surrounded. Surrounded by dirt and grime. It was fortunate that she wasn't a clean-freak. It was also good that she wasn't claustrophobic, as the hole seemed to be three feet wide all the way around. Worms and centipedes crawled around her feet. A spider was on the wall by Kaylie's ear, but it was only a little one. She wasn't afraid of bugs per se, but there was a certain type of spider that she knew to be poisonous because it bit her cousin and almost killed him.

So the bugs didn't bother her, the dirt didn't bother her, the enclosed space didn't bother her. However, Kaylie did not want to stay down here forever. She'd eventually starve to death!

That's when Kaylie saw it, the scorpion. "HELP!!!!!!!!" She screamed loudly. Scorpions were deadly . She could die if it stung her. She wouldn't have to worry about starvation then!

A shadow fell over the hole and someone called out, "Hello?"

Kaylie looked up at the person and yelled "Hey,I'm down here! Get me out!!...Please?" \n\n

11 Kaylie No rabbits, just lots of worms and dirt.... 43 Kaylie 0 5

Tally

June 15, 2005 3:48 AM

I'd prefer Peter Rabbit by Tally

Tally was surprised to find that it was a girl in the hole. Or at least someone who had a very feminine voice. But she also sensed terror in her words as she cried out for help. Tally, having never fallen into a hole nor been stuck in anything like a hole, couldn't understand the desperate need to get out of one in such a hurry.

Of course, she didn't know how to get someone out of a hole either. "Erm, okay, let me think." Tally told the girl. She didn't know transfiguration, so she couldn't transfigure something into a rope. She didn't know charms either, so she couldn't just conjure up a rope either. But, unless she wanted to run off and grab a rope (where she could find a rope, she didn't know), Tally had to find a way to get her out using some form of magic.

And then she remembered. In her charms book, she had read about the Wingardium Leviosa spell. Also known as the levitating charm. She had practice it on her trunk back in the dorm, but that had been an inanimate object and most certainly not a human being. Besides, she wasn't sure how strong she was to hold the spell.

"Listen, my name's Tally. Erm, I'm going to try to levitate you out, but I'm not really good with the spell, so you might have to prepare yourself for another fall or to grab onto the opening if you're able to, okay?" Tally called down to the girl, still unable to see her face in the gloom.

Tally sat back on her heels and took a couple of breaths. She practiced the wand movements while saying the spell under her breath. This was a habit of hers she had grown into since the previous year. She seemed to believe that it helped her learn the spell better. Once she was sure she knew the spell properly, she leaned back over the hole, wand pointed downward, "Ready?" After a brief hestitation, Tally did the proper wand movements while saying the incantation, "Wingardium Leviosa" She looked down to make sure the spell had worked.\n\n

0 Tally I'd prefer Peter Rabbit 0 Tally 0 5

Kaylie

June 26, 2005 5:19 PM

Rather than that scorpion? Yea, me too! by Kaylie

Tally? That name sounded familiar. Wasn't that her roommate's name? Kaylie felt slightly guilty for not befriending the girl. They were roommates, they were stuck with each other for the entire time they were here. Kaylie should have at least made an effort. It was just last year there'd been difficulties at home, and she'd spent so much time worrying about her little brother, that she'd sort of let making friends go by the wayside.

Well, Kaylie would make it up to her now. Especially if Tally could get her out before that scorpion attacked. "Tally? It's me, Kaylie. Your roommate" She added

After Tally cast the spell, Kaylie could feel herself begin to move off the ground. "W-whoa" she said as she floated upward "This is kinda fun!" she exclaimed. As she neared the top, Kaylie gripped the entrance and pulled herself up. "Thanks a lot!" she told Tally, as she brushed dirt off herself.\n\n

11 Kaylie Rather than that scorpion? Yea, me too! 43 Kaylie 0 5

Tally

July 06, 2005 11:20 PM

Yes, most definitely rather than the scorpion by Tally

Kaylie? Her roommate? Tally knew the girl only by name and sight even though they had been living together for more than a year now. It's not like Tally hadn't wanted to be friends with the girl, but for some reason, it just never clicked between them. Tally hung out with the boys while Kaylie did her own thing.

Of course, Tally still didn't mind being friends with her. They were only in their second year, so they had plenty of time to get to know one another and maybe the bond of friendship could still be made.

When Kaylie was out of the hole, Tally stared at her in disbelief. Partly because Tally couldn't believe her own spellwork and partly because Kaylie had called it fun when moments before she had sounded completely terrified at the idea of being in the hole in the first place.

"Yeah, it's no problem." Tally looked her over for a moment, a small frown of curiosity turning the corners of her lips, "So, uh, how'd you get in the hole?"\n\n

0 Tally Yes, most definitely rather than the scorpion 0 Tally 0 5

Kaylie

July 09, 2005 5:59 PM

I fear scorpions by Kaylie

Even though she'd enjoyed the ride up to the surface Kaylie was glad to be back up. Anything to be away from that scorpion. Poisonous insects were one thing she truly feared, after that spider bit her cousin and nearly killed him. They were the one thing Kaylie tried to have as much knowledge of as possible so she could identify them and avoid them

"So, uh, how'd you get in the hole?"

"I was wandering around and I came upon the statue" Kaylie pointed at Barnabas, "I looked in to see what the plate said, and try a decoding spell that would make the lettering show up better, but apparently the ground was all soft over this hole, and I fell in." She was clumsy, but this honestly wasn't her fault. For once. Kaylie smiled brightly at Tally. "I'm sure glad your spell worked. There was this scorpian down there..."\n\n

11 Kaylie I fear scorpions 43 Kaylie 0 5

Tally

July 12, 2005 4:20 PM

I fear spiders. by Tally

Tally giggled without meaning to as Kaylie told her her story. She wondered why it was that she had Kaylie had never actually spoken or became friends. From what she could tell, Kaylie seemed nice and fun.

"I'm glad too. I've been practicing on my trunk back in our room." Tally said with a large grin. "But, spell work is pretty okay for me. Charms is my favorite subject and I try to practice that as much as I can."

Tally stood up and brushed some of the dirt from her robes. She then looked around the paths for a moment. She hadn't really taken much of the gardens in since her first year. Of course, her last stroll had been last term where she met up with Sorrel and that had been a very odd meeting.

"Are you afraid of Scorpians?" Tally asked her, remembering what the girl had just admitted to her. "I've never seen a scorpian upclose, but I can tell you that I'm horrified of spiders. My dad always laughs at me whenever I tell him to come get rid of it, but I can't help it. They're hairy and have lots of eyes and have eight legs." Tally said, shuddering slightly, "I mean, okay, I know they're necessary to the environment, but they should stay in the environment and not in my room."\n\n

0 Tally I fear spiders. 0 Tally 0 5

Kaylie

July 15, 2005 1:20 AM

I'm not fond of them either. by Kaylie

"Consider yourself lucky, I just saw one up a little too close. It's all poisonous things I'm afraid of really." Kaylie admitted. "Including spiders. I'm okay with the tiny little harmless ones or even big and harmless ones. But I'm always kind of paranoid about which ones may be deadly. See," she went on, "a few years ago, my cousin got bit by a spider and nearly died. He got the potion to save him just in time." In her memory, Kaylie could see Marshall after he'd been bit. His face had been white as a sheet and he'd been sweating profusely and gasping for air. His temperature had shot up to 104 degrees and the actual bite had swollen up real big.She had been sure he was going to die. Kaylie had never been so scared in her life.

"So ever since then, I've been extra cautious about creatures I know to be poisonous or creatures I don't know about either way." She continued. "I would hate to be bitten or see anyone I care about be bitten again." Kaylie gave Tally a small smile. "So I don't think your fear of spiders is silly. In fact," she grinned "I declare our room a spider-free zone! Especially if" Kaylie added "they're poisonous."\n\n

11 Kaylie I'm not fond of them either. 43 Kaylie 0 5

Tally

July 17, 2005 8:39 PM

I'm not sure anyone is by Tally

Tally was intrigued by the girl's story and even gave a gasp at the right moments. She could never imagine actually seeing someone who nearly died and she doubted that she would have acted or felt any differently than Kaylie had.

"Yup, that would do it for me too. If I ever saw anything like that, I wouldn't want a bug period." Tally commented as she started back into the gardens and away from the statue. "I always think it's strange when people are afraid of simple things like...public speaking. I mean, I understand why they are afraid, but I don't see the point to being afraid. Public speaking can't really hurt you. Things in the dark can, you can drown in water, you can fall from great heights, and spiders can bite and kill you." Tally spoke in a matter-of-fact voice. She continued walking for a moment without saying anything.

"Anyway, you're out of the hole now and away from the scorpion. All is well now." She said with a grin.\n\n

0 Tally I'm not sure anyone is 0 Tally 0 5

Kaylie

August 08, 2005 1:57 AM

Sorry it took so long, Author has a job and many characters by Kaylie

Kaylie smiled "Yea, I was really worried about him. We're pretty close. He's almost like a big brother in some ways. See," she said. "I'm the oldest of five. There's me, then Adam, who's 10, Chelsea who's seven, Nina's three and Hope is just a baby. Marshall, my cousin, is 15 and has an older brother and sister. So we're like his younger siblings and he's like our older brother, especially to me and Adam." Kaylie explained. Marshall was pretty much the only person other than Kaylie herself that Adam would even willingly talk to. It would have crushed her brother if he had died.

"We aren't as close to his older brother and sister. I mean, Lucy's nice but she is so much older than us, she's 21. She used to baby sit us and her brothers sometimes. Oliver, on the other hand, is a jerk." That was about as close as Kaylie ever got to insulting anyone. Oliver and her uncle Liam were about the only people she didn't really like. She couldn't stand the way Uncle Liam treated Marshall and Aunt Rachel. Uncle Liam was also the only person Kaylie had ever heard her good-natured father say very nasty inappropriate words about.

"I've never had a fear of public speaking myself" Kaylie went on, walking along with Tally. "But some people really worry that people will tease them if they say something stupid or worse." Her own brother was one of those people. "And for them, the fact that people are picking on them hurts them so badly that its rough for them to have to deal with it." Kaylie could remember Adam coming home crying after some kid had picked on him. He wasn't at all good at sticking up for himself. They even had a cousin on their mom's side of the family who had tormented Adam so mercilessly at Nina's first birthday party that Marshall had taken it upon himself to beat him up. \n\n

11 Kaylie Sorry it took so long, Author has a job and many characters 43 Kaylie 0 5

Tally

September 23, 2005 3:59 AM

sorry, I was even longer.. by Tally

Tally listened to Kaylie talk about her family, her green eyes widening when she realized just how large Kaylie's family actually was. She couldn't imagine having a family that big.

"Wow, you have lots of siblings. It's just my dad, brother, Angel, and me. They aren't ever around much though, cos of her jobs, but that's alright." Tally told her, she had been raised having them both gone that she never really thought much aboutit anymore and Angel was there with her so she was never really alone. "Josh is 25, but we're pretty close. I don't know what I'd do if something terrible were to happen to him." Even the thought of him never returning to their little muggle home back in New York caused a shudder to run through her body.

She listened to Kaylie explain just how much public speaking could hurt someone that Tally felt a bit dumb for saying otherwise. "Yeah, I never thought of it like that. But, I guess it's because I don't really care what people say to me. Dad always tells me that I should never listen to anyone that I've never spent more than 5 minutes talking to." Tally told her with a shrug. Most of the kids in her muggle classes she hardly ever talked to. And, she had been friends with all the boys, which helped matters greatly. "It was only the girls who really said anything mean to me and it was always something that was so stupid, I laughed."\n\n

0 Tally sorry, I was even longer.. 0 Tally 0 5

Kaylie

October 21, 2005 6:36 PM

I think we're setting records... by Kaylie

Kaylie grinned "And I love each and everyone of them. I don't see my parents slowing down anytime soon either. My mom and dad love kids. There's five of us, and my parents seem to want to take in Marshall too." Marshall didn't have the best home life but she really didn't think she should tell Tally that. The last thing Kaylie wanted was to have any sort of gossip getting around that might humiliate her cousin. Not that she really thought Tally would, but she didn't want to take any chances."I understand that, I mean I don't know how I'd take it if anything happened to anyone in my family either. What happened with Marshall and the spider was really scary." Kaylie worried about her cousin and her brother all the time. Adam, especially was the source of a lot of it. Her brother seemed so fragile emotionally. Kaylie couldn't wait for him to come next year, so she could protect him and be there for him. She knew he'd had a rotten time since she'd gone to Sonora. Kaylie also hoped he'd be in Teppenpaw. Adam had his heart set on it and she felt he needed to be with her so she could protect and take care of him. She knew he couldn't handle being on his own.

"I never had a problem with others saying anything nasty to me at all." Kaylie replied. She believed everyone was nice and had the best of intentions, mostly. She tended to interpret almost everything in a positive way.\n\n

11 Kaylie I think we're setting records... 43 Kaylie 0 5