Post by daphne on Dec 6, 2011 22:29:19 GMT -8
monday, october 31st, 2011 – 10:30 pm
if someone should fall b e h i n d, just let their suffering slip your m i n d.
tag: open! | lyrics: are there giants too, in the dance? by meg & dia. | notes: daphne wanted some danger, i wanted some laughs, feel free to pick either.
if someone should fall b e h i n d, just let their suffering slip your m i n d.
All Hallow’s Eve. If one were superstitious, now was not the best time to be out, especially after dark and in this neck of the woods. It wasn’t that it was particularly dangerous, at least, not more so than anywhere else. It was just the typical sorts of people associated with darkness, the ones who could lurk about and not seem strange this evening. Still, most of the crowds who would be out would likely be heading to and from parties. It wasn’t quite late enough for children to all be in bed. Had she been like most girls her age, she probably would have viewed Halloween as an opportunity for some sort of social gathering. Of course, when one spent all day taking care of sick and injured witches and wizards, that wasn’t exactly realistic. No, instead she was shuffling about the city, searching for just the right ingredients for the next several days. A woman being alone at night was never a particularly grand idea, yet alone a time when many of those out could easily be intoxicated or unaware of their surroundings.
Of course, that didn’t stop her.
Daphne wasn’t particularly known for being realistic.
When the first shopkeeper had given her a strange look, she dismissed it for being her age or bubbly demeanor. She never once thought that this was perhaps not the best idea. She wandered about Hogsmeade frequently alone; the Harding House was much closer to it than London. However, she needed a wider variety of supplies this evening. Sticking to the smaller shops was simply not an option. She had merely shrugged it off before thanking the man and moving on. The next shop keeper had made some sort of quip, asking if she was doing anything. It had taken her a while to remember what the day was, but when she had replied no, she received yet another strange look from a stranger. She was young; they weren’t expecting her to explain that she was just out gathering things for her business. Still, she had paid it little mind before reaching her third and close to final shopping stop. The third shopkeeper had made some sort of remark about the night of Halloween, but Daphne had merely smiled at the woman before continuing on her way.
It was only when she stepped outside that she began to feel slightly unsettled. It must have been the chilliness that the air held, and she felt goose bumps rising on her arms even beneath her yellow leather jacket. She tugged at the sleeves with one hand before making sure that she still had everything tucked neatly in her undetectably extended tote bag. She fiddled with her purple scarf before she began to walk, her eyes focused on the pavement. She was going to take the long route to the last place she intended to go. Even with the eeriness that seemed to perk up within her, she still enjoyed being out and about. It was a well-deserved break, Daphne felt. Her crimson ballet flats made little noise on the sidewalk as she made her way down the alley, her eyes scanning over the display windows of shops that were still open. It was still down a couple of blocks and around the corner, but she wasn’t in a hurry. The others could hold the house down for a few hours, she imagined.
It took her twenty feet before she was distinctly aware of the fact that she couldn’t see anybody on these streets, nor in any of the shops she had walked past. It was an unusual fact. Normally, even at night, there were at least a few people visible. Was it possible that most of these shops were closing up and that was the reason? Even if everyone was tucked inside their homes or in pubs, it didn’t seem realistic that she could be the only one walking. A slight frown found its way to her face as she tugged at the bottom of her skirt, suddenly aware of the fact that wearing tights underneath the mid-thigh article of clothing didn’t mean that it was warm. She began to pick up her pace. She was not superstitious, at least, she like to think she wasn’t. She was just being paranoid right now. There was a gust of wind and she found herself nearly jogging in an attempt to get to the shop even sooner, her eyes growing wide. She clutched her bag closer to her body, nearly freaking out.
She could see the turn up ahead, not very far. She continued to move at her pace. Goodness, Daphne didn’t understand why she was so unnerved. Another rippled of cold burst through her jacket. Was that motion off to the side? She didn’t even want to look, biting her lip. What had gotten into her? Why had she allowed all of those snide remarks to get to her? There was no immediate danger; she still had her wand on her person. Besides, if anything did happen, she could run into a nearby shop to seek shelter. Surely, they would understand until she calmed down enough to get herself out of there. There definitely was motion as she looked off to the side. She only got enough of a glance to see someone stretching an arm out in her direction. Quickly, Daphne turned to keep moving, but her foot caught on a crack on the pavement. Her eyes slammed shut as she mentally ran through a list of who the person could be or what they could possibly want. The paranoia induced by the atmosphere and day was enough to make her jump to rather upsetting conclusions.
She couldn’t help it.
She screamed.
tag: open! | lyrics: are there giants too, in the dance? by meg & dia. | notes: daphne wanted some danger, i wanted some laughs, feel free to pick either.