No way out
"Wake up boy!"
Harry grumbled, struggling to open his eyes, -he had been dreaming, he had been peaceful.
"Now!"
Harry wearily sat up, biting his lip as not to cry out. As his new round of injuries protested against any form of movement. He steps outside the confines of his cupboard, conscious of the due consequences of passing out before.
His Uncle was stood glaring at Harry as he tried not to cry out in pain.
"You've got chores to complete boy, and I want them to be completed." He snarls throwing a piece of paper at his nephew. "Or there will be consequences." He whispers menacingly his face into Harry's, who tries not to flinch, -to no avail.
His Uncle Smirks and steps back.
"Petunia!" He bellows suddenly turning his back on Harry, "Petunia, I'm off out, make sure you keep an eye on the boy."
Vernon passes Harry giving him a nasty grin on the way out. "If I find out you have been any bother boy, you will pay. Just remember that."
Harry gives him the dirtiest look he dares, before scanning the list before him, his heart sinking at the amount of jobs that was to be done, there was no way he could get these done in time, and that was sure to end in an beating.
'But that was probably the plan.' Harry mutters darkly, he groans as he sees that cleaning the bathroom is top of the list. He wasn't sure if his hands could handle any more cleaning products. The feeling was already starting to disappear in them.
'Oh well.' He thinks as he made his way up the pristine staircase, 'at least I can finally have a wash.'
Locating the cleaning supplies easily, he set to work abruptly, the already raw skin on his hand protesting painfully to the invasion of yet more cleaning products, Harry knew that the bathroom was already spotless, as he has cleaned it twice this week already, however he knew the Dursley's would find fault with whatever he did. So trying desperately to ignore the jibes his Aunt made whenever she saw fit to check on him. Which unfortunately was often, -he tried to stay focused on his task.
The only thing he actually liked about the chores was they occupied his mind, not allowing them to stray onto dangerous topics. Such as the impossibility of his future destiny. No, these topics now only plagued him at night, whilst he tries to sleep.
Fortunately Harry was soon finished, and after a quick glance in the hall, he decided to risk a quick wash.
Seizing one of the flannels due to be washed he ran some hot water and dunked the flannel in it, proceeding to rinse it out thoroughly he placed the flannel, on the back of his neck, wincing as it angered the wounded skin there. However now wasn't the time to be wimpish, he knew that he needed to clean his recent wounds to avoid any infection, -if it isn't already to late.
A sharp gasp behind him made Harry drop the blood soaked flannel and turn around sharply. His Aunt was stood in the doorway her features a mask of both horror and anger.
"How dare you-" She whispers her voice shaking with anger. "You- you, filthy thing. How dare you touch my families' things? You will pay for this."
Harry stared at her frozen, to shocked to even move.
His aunt opposite glares at him, "You just wait till Vernon gets home."
Harry's insides drop at these words, he was truly frightened.
"Now get back into your cupboard and stay there!"
Harry was huddled up in a ball. To scared to even move. His left hand clutched his knife tightly, -to tightly he realised, as the skin broke and droplets of blood ran down his hand. However he could not somehow bring himself to care, as thoughts of his immediate future controlled his mind. Then as he looks down at his hand he realizes it mightn't be such a bad idea to forget what is to soon happen for a while. So he brings the small knife up to his arm, and presses down again and again.
"BOY!"
Harry flinches as he immediately recognises his Uncle's voice, dread settles in his stomach as the cupboard door is flung open. He closes his eyes, as large beefy hands rap around his sweatshirt and yank him out. Harry bites on his tongue-hard. Trying to stop the cry of pain that threatens to escape, as his Uncle's fingers graze along his recent cuts.
"I am going to teach you a lesson you won't forget boy."
Harry feels himself being dragged into the living room, and trips over something.
Lying in a heap in the middle of the floor he can hear a high pitched sound -Dudley laughing.
"Dudley, out."
Harry's heart sank as he heard these quietly spoke words. What's coming must be bad he realised.
"But Dad-"
"OUT!"
Harry squeezed his eyes further shut as he heard the sound of a belt being unbuckled.
He heard the belt before he felt it, a high swishing noise and a faint breeze in his back. And then he thought his body was being split in two. He squeezes his eyes shut and bites down hard on his tongue, -not wanting to cry out yet not being able to stop himself. His body curled in a foetal position he tries to protect any part of his body that he can, as the relentless whips lashed down upon him.
Finally numb, he has no idea how much time has passed, his body is numb, tired of the whipping his Uncle has resorted to kicking, and Harry vaguely recognises the sounds of multiple bones breaking as he is thrown about the living room. His body lifeless.
He can feel his hold on reality slipping, the dark beckoning to him. Promising him peace at last. He doesn't have the will to stay alive, and the last thought before he slips under, is who is going to tell Ron and Hermione?