Oh, my dear... (Mattheo Riddle ff)

how he found out...

(I'm just going to repeat the trigger-warning from two chapters ago here, just in case:)

M.R.

I had never felt such pain. 

My arm felt numb and on fire at the same time. I could barely open my eyes, and the little vision I had was blurred from the pain. 

It felt like I was on a very thin line, between the greatest pain imaginable and not feeling anything anymore. 

My ears were closed, and something dripped down my burning face. Tears, blood, sweat... Could have been everyone of those. 

I could feel my heartbeat through my whole body, pulsing painfully against my skin from the inside. But at least... At least I was still alive. Barely, from what I could tell. But I was, somehow.

,,Get up." 

Suddenly, there was a voice, ringing clearly in my ears. But it wasn't in front of me, or behind me, or anywhere around me. It was nowhere...

,,Get up!"

Through still half-closed eyes, I saw next to nothing. But the voice was so clear, so loud, like somebody was talking right down to me. Down, because I was still on the ground, I could make out that much. But nobody was there...

,,Mattheo, get up!"

I recognised the voice, and my heart seemed to stop beating again. Tom... And now it was clear, why the voice didn't come from any direction. It was inside my head. Tom had entered my thoughts. 

Hearing myself grunt and wince in pain, I lifted my head from the floor slowly, but I couldn't keep my eyes open for the life of me. They felt so dry, almost burned... 

,,Mattheo! Get up, now!" 

The sense started to return to my arms and legs. I managed to move my fingers slightly, curling them around the fabric of my suit jacket. 

A cough shook my whole body, making me lean over in pain, and something red appeared in front of my still blurry eyes. Blood... I've been coughing up blood. 

,,Now!"

Finally, I managed to lift my head. I had to blink a few times, wincing with every move as I pulled myself up into a sitting position. 

,,There he is, our young boy..." Bellatrix's mad giggle came from somewhere next to me. I flinched, but it was more of a weak jerk of the head. 

,,Back from the dead, are we, my dear?" 

Each of her words made me shiver. The pain slowly faded from my body, seeping into my left arm only. Finally, I managed to take a deep breath, more or less gasping for air. 

Eventually, I was able to keep my eyes open long enough, to take in my surroundings, even if they were still a little blurry.

Bellatrix was crouching on the floor next to me, and I barely escaped her yellow fingernails as she reached for my face. 

,,Get up from the floor." Tom's voice spoke up again. ,,You're looking pathetic." 

I looked up in his direction, and saw him still sitting at the head of the table, glaring down at me coldly, not the slightest trace of an emotion on his face. 

,,Now!" 

Grunting in pain, I gritted my teeth and lifted myself onto my knees. My left forearm was still pulsing and throbbing in pain, so I only had one hand to steady myself. 

,,You are now a part of this society." Tom said coldly. ,,You are now one of us."

Panting heavily, I looked down at my hurting arm, because it felt like someone ran the sharp side of a knife over it with too much pressure. And then once again, I felt like my heart stopped beating. But this time, I was sure.