Mischievous Secret | J. Potter | R. Black

C H A P T E R | T H I R T Y - O N E

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C A Z H V Y R E

MEMORIES OF THE TORTOROUS PAST HOURS flashes in my head as I have finally regained consciousness. I gave the hard, stone wall several blows to the back of my head to remind myself how naive I was to even try to beg and plead with him to stop. I ought to have just kept my lips shut, let him lash out at me, and moved on from the arguments without further ado. I simply need to let myself blather and pour crude oil to the flames, though.

Despite knowing how it will all end, I still fought stupidly. It has been three days since I came back to the house, the starting point of my suffering. Afternoon hours are always his tortuous time with me, not even feeding me before he throws curses at me like this was supposed to be any other normal afternoon.

I'm so parched.

My eyes were moist from the tears that fell even though I told them to cease and numbed my feelings. My vision doubled. I had severe back pain—fuck that. My body burned everywhere. I'm starving that I begin thinking back to the times I've gone without food when I don't have the vitality, and how bad it feels to not be able to nourish myself even though I wanted to—even to the bleeding old me.

The lights started to come back on in this cellar, a torture dungeon designed to punish me, and I had to stop tracking my thoughts.

Why was he here when it was already evening? By now, the torment ought to have ended, and by tomorrow, it ought to have resumed. Is he feeling grumpy again?

I was about to cry out for our wonderful house elf to come to me at this divine hour, saying, "Misstress, Dorey brought something to eat." She seemed worried, but she handed me something to consume, and I furrowed my eyebrows as I remembered something: "You shouldn't be here, Dorey. Uncle would be outraged."

"Dorey is worried for the mistress. Dorey can heal some of the wounds of the mistress," she stated to me. I mean, I wouldn't turn down the opportunity to breathe at last without inflicting so much misery on myself. I made it obvious that I didn't want to involve Dorey in my own mess: "Thank you, Dorey. Please only heal those that are not visible to uncle." Uncle doesn't have to know that I had assistance.

She gives me a pleased nod and begins bandaging my wounds. Once she had done so, she fed me because the chains prevented me from moving my arms. Knowing that the house still contains a good spirit in spite of the awful things that have happened made me feel incredibly thankful.

I couldn't resist but whisper to her, "You might as well depart this place, Dorey." Being aware that I could let her go and allow her to relish an even more idyllic life was filling me with remorse. "Dorey could not do that! Dorey wants to be here with mistress!" She said.

I said gravely, "There's nothing left for you here."

"Dorey prefers here with mistress!" It was a clear reference to me throughout every line. All it did was make my heart ache. Not even she could be saved from this hellhole by me.

I quiet my racing thoughts and emotions. I grinned and added, "Dorey, go to my bedroom on Christmas morning. When you see a package with your name, I want you to receive it and cherish it."

"With pleasure, Dory will take the mistress's advice!" she exclaimed. After that, I asked her to return to the kitchen and to stay away from the basement for a while. If we are discovered, it will be an issue. She tried her hardest to stitch up my wounds and injuries, but I could not allow her to fix my arm and fractured ribs since I knew my uncle would notice. I had to put up with it until he decided it was enough punishment and allowed me to return to my room.