Good Girl Gone Bad [LIV BLACK]

October, 1993

THE COLD WAS suffocating, but not as much as the deep unhappiness settled in the air like a deep fog – so thick and heavy she couldn't move, not even lift a little, delicate finger.

The familiar sound of grinding metal rang through her ears, echoing through the small space she was entrapped in. It was enough for her to force her eyes open, revealing light. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Liv was seeing more than black darkness.

It illuminated the space around her. Damp brick walls with strange carvings as those before her would drag stones along it in boredom. The floor, cold and soiled with rats – unknown if they were dead or alive, and, where the light exploded from the outside world into the hidden cell... a door.

Weakly, she stared at the new-found light. It's brightness made her eyes ache and swell with tears, but she couldn't stop looking at it. If only she could find some strength, she'd be able to escape once and for all.

But that unhappy fog was holding her down. She couldn't move, and that little voice in her head was making it harder to care about saving herself.

What's the point? You're better off rotting in here anyway!

If only those warm, delicate hands would come and wrap themselves around her again. She always came to save Liv, why oh why had she not come this time! It was only a matter of time before it would be too late.

A shadow fell upon her, easing her eyes from the bright light. A blur of silhouettes grew closer, maybe it was Liv's weak eyesight, but it seemed as though they were floating a few inches above the ground – but it couldn't be so, besides, Liv recognised the sight.

The men she thought with relief. The men are here to save me.

The men continued to float closer, but as they did so it got colder, and Liv began to feel weaker. She groaned at the feeling, but the men were so close. All light was blocked as they came in through the doorway, and she was plunged into darkness again. Why was it so cold again, why did her heart ache? Liv felt a draft of cold air brushing over her body as the dementors flew up over her body, and once more she was left with nothing else to do but scream.

The pressure of that weakness lifted in a quick second, as if the fog has suddenly decided to part. Liv sat up quick, continuing to scream as loud as she could with the little energy she had. Desperate to escape wherever she was, her feet tried to find the floor so she could run – run as far away as she could. But a pair of strong hands pushed her back down onto the ground, except, the ground was now much softer and scarily pillow-like.

"You're alright," a soft voice reassured. "...you're alright,"

Liv desperately looked around the room, frighted. Her eyes still hadn't adjusted as they darted around the large, white space of blur.

"Where am I?" she gasped, unable to control her gaping breaths. "The– the dementors..."

"The dementors are gone, love, don't worry,"

Liv immediately recognised her fathers voice, and the way he was stroking at her knee reassuringly. She could also begin to make out the small bed she was in, but it wasn't hers, nor that of which she slept in in her dormitory.

She fell back into the pillow hard, desperately trying to control her gasping breaths. Although she was still cold, Liv was sweating rapidly. She often had nightmares, but nothing like what had just occurred. As her heart raced she ran a stressful hand through her hair – it was painfully cold. She brought it forward in front of her face and had to fight the urge to pull out the pitch black locks right from her scalp.