Torture of the Heart

Harsh orange candlelight fills the dark stone cellar, squashing down the sleep I've pleaded to come. Even without the massive candle in the sky, I can tell it's the time when people go to sleep, for the only sound that permeates the cells is the drip of a leaky pipe. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Fighting the candles glow, my mind wanders back to the happy memory of today. I've started to become numb to her pain magic. She started to try everything since that spell started to fail on her. They dragged me out of the room! I never thought I'd ever escape here, let alone get released personally.

She never touched me of course, made Mr. Malfoy took me by the arm and forced me up the stairs. He made sure to grab the arm he broke a long time ago. I was excited in the beginning! Have they finally allowed me back as their decoration? Warmth was about to heat my chest until I saw her face, smiling at me. That razor-thin smile that was reserved for only the brutalist of tortures.

I tried to fight but I was a mouse in comparison. He took me through the halls I used to explore when no one was watching; when I used to sneak off the platform and look around. I was outside! They put me out there! Strung me on a pole and left me in the green field. I got to see the sunrise! Not just from a window, but up close. I didn't even care about why she did this. The wind pushed through me, the sunlight on my face, even the air was better than in here. It was all great!

"Tired already? But I haven't even started yet?" her voice slithers into the room and cracks me like a whip. As if her voice was an actual whip I can't stop myself from letting out a whimper.

The door opens with a crack as she steps in, twirling a strand of her curly black hair around her finger, "Oh come on? Just a whimper? Is that all? I'm starting to think you've begun enjoying our little one on ones."

Pleading screams can be heard just outside the room. My eyes snap large with fear as I try to crawl as far as I can from her. My retreat to the corner cut short, for I've reached the limit of the chain; causing the connected shackle around my neck to tug me back to the middle of the room. They put me in this when I almost escaped. If they never caught me with that shard of glass then I'd be free. Drip. Drip. Drip.

"Or maybe it was that disappointment of a torture this morning? Did going outside fill you with joy and happiness?" Her words linger on disappointment and fall vile in the second sentence, "Well you have this oaf of a man to thank for it."

At her words, a large Deatheater enters the room, dragging a sniveling one. Is she going to have him pummel me again? Letting him out of his grasp, he takes a bow to her and leaves. A sigh of relief escapes my mouth as her smirk only widens. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Not wasting any time, he immediately goes to her feet and grovels, "Please forgive me Great Lich! I never would have thought that a part-vampire would be immune to the sun."

"Very well. I will give you one last chance to redeem yourself," Her sharp smile only brightens at his look of joy and relief.

"Thank you Great Lich! I swear to perform this task with all of my being," he moves from the floor to a kneel, wiping away his snot and tears. Sadistic joy dances in her eyes as she moves to grab something inside her robe. I can only watch in fear as she throws a knife onto the ground.

"Thank you oh Great Lich for allowing me to remove the scourge of your bloodline," He stammers, his eyes piercing me like daggers. The shackle chokes me as I continue to retreat.

Her murderous cackle fills the room, drowning out all sound, stopping all movement like the growl of a wolf. For a moment, silence screams through the room as both I and the Death Eater have the same look on our faces.

"No, you blubbering buffoon!"

"Then what does your greatness want fro-" His words are cut off.

"Kill yourself," the words match her flat expression as sweat continues to seep into his already drenched cloak.

His breathing slows as his eyes whirl. The hand holding the blade starts to shake as he slowly brings it to his neck. The still air of the dungeons weighs on the room as the quiet struggling of the Death Eater moves through it. Drip. Drip. Drip.

As the dagger shakes on his throat, sweat beads down his wrinkled face. I try to look away but her eyes switch to me, begging me to do so. He looks up at her and his breathing starts to become heavy. Although the air enters his lungs in gasps, his forehead unwrinkles and a change passes over his face.

Calculated stupidity unfolds and the Death Eater springs up to take out her neck instead. The attempt on her life doesn't even earn a slight change in her eyes as she whips out her wand, "Avada Kedavra!" A green stream of magic fires out the dead wand and hits the dead center of his stomach.

Black scorch marks are left on the area of impact as his lunge loses momentum. His grip on the dagger leaves him as it falls with him. I can only watch in horror as the body of the one who caused my happiest memory to fall to the ground with a thud. The clang of metal on stone joins the thud as the dagger bounces around. Drip. Drip. Drip.

"Now that natural order has been restored, let's continue," Unbridled joy doesn't leave her face as she points her wand at the corpse, "Crucio!"

Adrenaline courses through my veins as I shoot up from my bed. Breath rapidly exits and enters me as I frantically take in my surroundings. Blue moonlight glides through the window as my brain registers that I'm in the Silver Shield Dorms. My hand holds my heart as it thumps fast and loud.

My breath begins to level and my heart rate returns to its snail's pace. As the adrenaline leaves my veins, my throat begins to clog up. Shivers sweep me as my hands go to my face. A steady stream of salty tears seeps from my eyes and muted sobs meet them.