Poison Ivy | T. Riddle ✔

[37] Fruitless Freedom

There was utter silence in the cottage except for the occasional humming that drifted out from the corner where the stairs were located. Perseus was seated on the third step, using sticks to create a melody by striking against the rails, softly humming along with the tune.

"Come alive on the stage... Every single day..." his words were incoherent and meaningless but he was stringing it all together in a random snippet of a song. The clanging sticks somehow harmonized well with his euphonious voice. "But still I can... Never have my way..."

Only a few of his sentences were audible while the rest came out in an incoherent mumble, drowned by the sound of the sticks rhythmically striking the rails.

"I'm not even living... Yet I wanna die..."

The only other sound which interrupted his soft singing was the key turning in the lock at the main door. Soon enough, the door stood ajar and Tom Riddle stepped in.

"Keep on pulling my strings... That's all I've got left..."

His head snapped in the direction of the tune, realizing that he wasn't alone in the cottage. He clearly recognized the lilting yet hollow voice, knowing that it was Perseus up to some weird nonsense like usual.

Ever since Perce had lost his memories, Tom had begun to lose his patience with him. He was much more childlike with no idea why he was captive. In fact, he didn't even realize anymore that he was kept captive against his will.

His eager acceptance about his situation, like an unaware innocent child, seemed to piss off Riddle. He had preferred it more when Perseus fought back; it always left room for him to get pleasure while torturing him.

But with the current state Perce was in, inflicting torture seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever.

He would endure the Cruciatus curse, without a word or even a scream, as if there was nothing left in him that could feel the pain. He no longer objected to Legilimency for his mind hosted nothing but darkness or rather a few fresh yet short lived memories of the time passed after the Whitburg incident.

He would eagerly obey Tom and that was what annoyed him the most. He, who had grown accustomed to see Perseus always opposing him, could not wrap his mind around the fact that this half mad Perseus displayed none of his former traits that made him so much fun to be tortured by Riddle.

"Go back to being nothing... Every single night... Can't escape even if I... Try with all my might..."

Tom was already in a bad mood, having had to digest the fact that he had completely and utterly blown away any chance he had had with Demelza, and now seeing Perseus like that seemed to have ticked him off.

"Get up," he forcefully yanked him up off the steps, "and cease this nonsense immediately."

"Oh, hello Tom," his blue eyes flickered in recognition, "how have you been?"

He glared at him murderously, "does this look like some kind of joke to you? How have I been, you ask?"

Perseus merely shrugged, "not very well then, I suppose."

He didn't reply immediately, staring at him for a whole minute as if weary of him, "I am in no mood to put up with your freaky childish habits. So do me a favor and get out of my sight."

"Yes of course, I get it," he mumbled, gathering his sticks and preparing to leave, "get out of your sight, hide away in yet another corner and pretend to not exist. If you dislike me so much, why don't you get rid of me once and for all?"

Tom eyed him wearily yet again, of course he had a point. He had no idea why he had kept him around even now when he was just useless to him. In fact, his presence only seemed to worsen up his mood every day. Why didn't he get rid of him once and for all? The thought was really tempting to him.