#keep quiet

Wolfstar April 7, word count 403

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He’d never thought about how hard it would be to run through a forest in the dark, but he certainly was now. A low branch whipped across his face, and when he felt his cheek, it was damp. They stumbled and tripped their way through the trees until a small stone structure came into view. It was round and crumbling, but big enough for them all to hide in. 

“This is the fort,” James whispered as he wrapped one of Albus’s blankets around Regulus and another around himself as they settled down to wait. “I spent most of my summers here with my parents, playing knights and marauders. It was a lot of fun.”

That was the last bit of talking they did; after that, they sat in silence, starting at every crack and groan that floated through the trees. 

Half an hour passed, and Sirius was sure he could hear something coming towards them. With courage he didn’t know he had, he silently poked his head over the top of the fort. He ducked back down just as quickly as a beam of light travelled across the forest towards them. 

“What did you see?” Remus asked, his voice so quiet Sirius had to read his lips to figure out what he was saying. 

“Torch,” he mouthed back. He could feel the tension between them. Should they stay and see if it was Effie and Monty coming to look for them, or run now while they still had time to get away? 

Their decision was taken from them when Effie called out into the gloom. “PRONGS!!!” 

“MUM, DAD!!!” James jumped to his feet and bolted towards the light. Sirius and Remus helped Regulus gather everything and followed after James. 

“We’re so sorry, darlings,” Effie apologised, pulling each of them in for a hug. “We had to swap cars. The people carrier stuck out a bit too much around here. McGonagall insisted we change it, and what a palaver that was.”

“Come on, let’s get back inside, and we can tell you all about it, and you can meet our guest.”

Sirius, Regulus and James all looked at each other in confusion. Who on earth could Effie and Monty’s guest be?

“He came then, did he?” Remus asked, not sounding overly enthusiastic. 

“He did,” Monty confirmed. Remus let out a loud sigh and rolled his eyes before starting to walk back towards the castle.

(If anyone has seen this elsewhere, don't say anything. And yes, I DID DRAW THE DRAWING, E-ermm, I d-didn't m-mean to do i-it 🥶🥶🥶🥶)

The one who knows too much is lost. He doesn’t remember getting lost. He does not know where he is. That is one of the few things he really should know right now. He was walking home. Now he’s here. In this alleyway. He does not see the end of it, even though he should. He does not know where here is. He wishes he could remember how he got here. He is walking with a tense anxiety that tells him he should really be running, especially now. Why isn’t he? And why can’t he remember that? He needs to remember. There is a woman.

They are speeding up. Walking quicker. Only adrenaline lets him leap over a pile of bricks without knowing one hint about why he needs to. The alleyway is tightening. Colors are fading to tones of brown and grey. He is still jogging. Not sprinting yet. Not until he knows. He thinks to himself. He should know why he’s here. Knowing is half the battle. What battle? He needs to remember.

There is a woman, finger held to Her lips.

He is sprinting through twisting bends, metal structures grasping the backs of unknown buildings as though trees swallowing signposts, obscuring the way out of the maze of pillars and paths. There is something they need to remember. He can’t. He hears nothing. Why does he hear nothing? He needs to remember.

There is a woman. Skin colored with the mixture of a flower and an almost healed bruise, finger to lips in secrecy.

The cephalid is searching. Abandoned streets are rare in the city. Where could this one be? It’s too dark here, yet still too bright. No contrast. No information. He has to find a way back to the starkly split lights and shadows. He can’t. He tries to remember. Why?

There is a woman, Veil covering Her eyes, skin a sickly lavender, singular finger beckoning nothing but Utter Silence.

He is hiding against a corner. The dumpster against his back is cold as ice and the wall to his left is rough without any features of note. How did he get here? Where does he need to run to not be trapped? They try to remember. He can’t.

There is a woman. She is telling him to be quiet. She is forcing him to be quiet. A Veil covers Her eyes. Her skin is the tinge of a lost memory. She knows this. She holds a finger to Her lips, trapping a promise no one gave.

The victim is scrambling through the alley. His shoes catch on the exposed metal and loose concrete, ground long ruined with disuse. He needs to remember. How did he get here? He is slowing. He can’t run anymore. He just needs to remember. How? There is a woman. Her eyes are as empty as the slot this impression filled in his mind. A Veil covers them. Looking past it was a failure of will. Her skin makes sense now. There is no flesh to show life. She holds Her fingers to Her lips in the semi-universal sign for silence. Her lips likely open to nothing, the same void Her eyes lead to. 

He stops. Darkness expands. He stops. … …. …..

……

Vasro.

…

Jenny is the singer from Ace of Base. She's been doing solo work. She's been online for about a year now. Her new songs. They're practically brand new. Three songs. Three videos. And it all started with the video for "Keep Quiet." The pop genre remains the same. But the sound here is definitely new. Not Ace of Base, but its own new sound. Its own sound design. But quite similar, I guess. But actually, it's its own. Ace of Base fans will love it. And anyone who enjoys that kind of thing will love it too.