A/N: It's always strange to wonder what Tom must have been like as a little kid. Diving into his loveless mind was really odd.
If You Dare Challenge - #412 (Cruel laugh)
Are You Crazy Enough To Do It Challenge - #126 (Tom Riddle)
Build A Zoo Challenge - Lemurs (Tom Riddle's Cave)
Board Game Challenge - #16 (Write about someone kicking the bucket.)
Conversation Starter Prompt Challenge - #40 (Include the sound of waves in your fic.)
Character Diversity Boot Camp - #39 (cabbage), Tom Riddle
Future Death Eater Challenge
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all of this beauty.
Tom Riddle knew he wasn't like the other children. He knew that he could do things that the other children couldn't. He knew that the other children left, adopted by tall, warm mummies and daddies who sang to them and laughed with them and cherished them while he was left alone in the cold, rundown orphanage.
No one must love me, he thought, but it didn't really matter as much as it should have because he didn't know how to love anyone back. He supposed the one thing that he did love was the look on the other orphan's faces when he did something unexpected. For instance, at breakfast that morning...
The new girl was cute. She had bouncy, red curls and a faint smile. Tom thought it was extremely funny that she thought life would be good here. Due to her obvious assumption and the fact that she was drawing far too much attention than anyone should other than himself, Tom decided it was a wonderful idea to make a display of power that morning. He marched up to her and the other children shrunk back like ants cowering from a shiny, black shoe. "What's your name?" he asked simply.
The girl didn't realize what she was in for quite yet. "Maria," she said cheerfully. "Yours?" Her baby pink dress annoyed Tom. He hated that color.
"The name's Tom," he said, practically spitting the word from his lips. "But no one calls me that."
"What should I call you, then?" Her large, olive green eyes opened and closed in front of him innocently.
"Nothing," he growled sharply. Didn't she get it already? "No one uses my name unless they want their arms broken."
The girl's smile dropped off her face. She seemed to realize now that Tom was a threat. "Oh."
Tom smiled, and she flinched. He liked that reaction. "You're new here, right?"
"Yes." This reply was quieter than the rest.
"Well," said Tom, speaking to the whole room now, "don't you think it's a good idea to give Maria" —he said her name as if it were even lower than his— "a little initiation ritual?"
Maria gulped. Tom grinned. The whole room shook with anxious silence. "Well?" he repeated.
Slowly, the chorus of nods grew. They were all afraid of him. Unless they wanted bruises and broken bones like the ones he was about to give her, then they were going to agree with him.
"Good." Tom leaned towards the girl. "Give me your hand." She obeyed, a flicker of hope springing across her face. Tom was going to like crushing that hope. That always gave them a funny expression. Tom took her hand in both of his, palm up, and then twisted it sharply, far enough to the left that a sharp crack resounded throughout the room. The girl shrieked, tugging at her arm. Tom grinned. He had broken it clean through.
A cold, but warm feeling passed through Tom's chest. He usually didn't feel anything at all. He was just one of those kids, he guessed. But when he hurt people... it gave him this feeling. He let out a cruel laugh. He liked this feeling. He... he loved this feeling. Just a week ago, he'd broken Paulie's fingers, one by one, as he whimpered in silence, because the boy had refused to give him his treats after dinner. The same feeling had rushed over him, sparking through his soul and sending tingles through his fingers and toes. He... This feeling made him breathless. He named the feeling Nagini, because it was the loving part of him. He didn't know there was a loving part of him. He was curious to discover the aspects of the feelings, and how good it could truly feel. It was the only thing he felt.
Later that week, the matrons took all of the orphans down to the beach. Tom, while the other children splashed and played in the waves, sharpened a stick and stabbed crabs with them like a chicken skewer. Nagini rose and fell in his chest as he did so. Soon, he saw the little red-headed girl over by the cave after he finished killing the crabs. He smiled. She was having far too much fun. He trudged through the sand towards her, and found himself staring her down at the mouth of the cave.
"You don't scare me," Maria said, curling up her fists. Her broken arm was bound in a thick, white cast. Today, she was wearing a violet dress. Tom wondered where she got all of this colorful clothing. The matron never allowed colorful clothing. His own shirt was a washed out, ugly grey, like cabbage."You're just a big bully." Her mask of bravery made Tom laugh.
Her mask of bravery made Tom laugh. "That's right," he replied. Tom knew what he was. "I am."
"You're nothing without your little subjects!"
"Yes," he said, in the same soft tone. "I am. Would you like to see what I can do?"
Maria folded her arms. "Sure."
Tom smirked at her, and then rose his arms. The cerulean waves outside of the cave rose higher than ever before, and then washed back. Stronger this time, Tom made the waves grow as high as the entrance to the cave, scaring the girl. "Stop it!" she cried, shoving him. "Stop it right now!" The waves towered above her, roaring like lions.
Tom grinned. Now she would know how powerful he was. He licked his lips and flooded the cave with water. Maria screamed, and then everything went silent.
When the waves washed back, Tom was perfectly dry, and Maria was lying on the cave floor. Her lips were blue, her skin was ghost white, and her eyes were open. She was not breathing.
Tom felt the biggest surge of Nagini he had ever felt overwhelm his senses, making everything perfectly euphoric for a few moments. He drank it in, the feeling, and allowed it to overtake him. Nagini was his drug. Nagini... Nothing could stop him now.
He left Maria's body in the sand and went back to the beach to lie to the matron.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Please follow, favorite, and review!