Title:
Only
Author:
Daria
Category:
Horror
Sub-Category:
Angst
Rating:
M
Spoilers:
PoA
Summary:
..And maybe satisfaction burning within them - a sick sort of triumph
in knowing that soon, the petty injuries would be nothing compared to
what the full moon would bring..
Disclaimer:
This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by
JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to
Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner
Bros., Inc. No money is being made from this, and no copyright
infringements were intended.
Only
The thin fingernails had raked through the soft skin of his palm in the same repetitive movement for so long that blood was beginning to rise in little droplets, leaving the more fleshy parts of the hand red and inflamed. His fingertips were pressing into his palm so hard that he would wake in a few minutes, wide-eyed and repulsed, and massage the fingers of his shredded hand as he walked, unsteadily, to the adjoining dormitory bathroom to shakily wash the blood away.
He would close his eyes as the cold water (never hot, as he didn't want to be soothed by the sensation) trickled down the open wounds he had subconsciously inflicted. He would purposely not look at his reflection or what he had done to himself, for fear of seeing eyes that weren't his own, and maybe satisfaction burning within them - a sick sort of triumph in knowing that soon, the petty injuries would be nothing compared to what the full moon would bring.
At last, the broken skin would stop hurting so much and the rust-colored ring around the sink's drain would be rinsed clean and he would feel a bit more human and return to bed with a book and newfound courage. It was a game he played with himself - this learning to be ashamed and self-loathing only while the blood was there.
Note: Self-mutilation during the later stages of the lunar cycle is something that I've always considered but a thought that I'd hardly expressed in my formal writing. This is just a (tame) drabble in that it's a glimmer of an idea that might turn into something more, but it's a start, I suppose. Thanks to Ra for putting up with me (and my gore).