Chapter 17: Psyche
Loud screams echoed through Lestrange Manor, over and over again. Whenever some birds lost their way on one of those dead trees outside, they instantly took off once they heard the noise. They just flew away, to a better place. Edenia did not have such an option. Instead of happy chirping from a bird, the Cruciatus curse woke her up whenever Bellatrix caught Edenia asleep - and she fell asleep multiple times due to maximum exhaustion after a torturing session. She lay there in her nude self, as Bellatrix still did not allow her any clothes, and whimpered. Her throat was raspy and the flavor of blood was an ever-present friend on her tongue; the constant screaming got her throat very sore. It was only a matter of time until other health problems occurred, and physical ones weren't the only available issues here. She looked up to the witch with a blurry vision, was on the edge of passing out again, her lips moved up and down, she wanted to say something but was too weak. Eyelids kept closing but she forced herself to stay awake, terrified of falling asleep knowing how she would be waken up again.
"I can't hear you! Say it! Say it again!" Hissed Bellatrix and cracked the whip in her hands down the ground so loudly that Edenia's eyes were wide again.
"I'm...I'm yours..." Squeaked the girl and tried to crawl away on the floor but she only hit a wall that she used to rest against. Her swollen eyes hurried to the whip but a glance to her thighs reminded her that they could get her if Bellatrix truly wanted; the wounds from their last impact were still fresh and bloody. Never in her life had she imagined how insane Bellatrix could truly get. Everything she has experienced beforehand with the witch at Hogwarts was only a taste. The true flavor of it towered right before her - and it was bitter. Very bitter.
Bellatrix rushed down to the girl and Edenia had her eyes already squinted shut, expecting another slap to her face but it did not come. Instead, she felt how her wounds dissolved into nothingness. Edenia knew this was not an act of kindness, she had learned this much. Bellatrix always got rid of any wounds so she could start all over again. From zero. Her body quivered so much that the witch had trouble pointing her wand at the shaking spots, of course it frustrated her and resulted in sharp fingernails boring into the girl's body to keep her in place. "Hold still!" She hissed but the sound of her voice only caused Edenia to shudder even more; not to mention that the ongoing absence of clothes did not help either.
"I'm..I'm sorry.." Said Edenia in a tiny voice, eyes got all teary again. She sniffled softly and looked away from Bellatrix but the latter laced a hand in the girl's hair to pull her back. She noticed she had to grab a little more to the side; a lot of hair has already been ripped out of the usual spot. "Look at me when you are speaking!" She growled but let go of Edenia harshly and too abruptly, which resulted in hearing how the girl's head bumped against the wall with a thud.
Edenia whimpered softly and rubbed the stinging spot, thick droplets of tears ran down her cheeks. Her head was burning and stinging. Everything felt so dizzy again but she must not fall asleep. No, she must not fall asleep. Her eyelids began to feel heavier and heavier. But No. She must not fall asleep. No, she mustn't. Unable to fight it any longer, she gave in. She fell asleep, her eyes closed and did not reopen for the next hours.
When she woke up again, it was not by the Cruciatus curse. This time it was from a nightmare. She shot up in panic and looked around panting heavily. She was alone but something was strange. A glimpse to the window and she realized that it must have been morning or noon. Quite in fact, whenever she looked out of the window, it was day. Never night. With a feeling of having hit her head too hard, she rubbed her forehead softly and wanted to get up but she was bound to the bed. Had she not been on the ground the last time? Edenia soon started to question a couple of things. The door opened and in walked Bellatrix with the regular dish; bread and water.
"Lucky for you. I just came to wake you up..." Purred the witch with a raised eyebrow and she handed over the tablet for Edenia. The girl took it without a second glance once she was allowed to move again and sat up; her full attention went to her meal. Bellatrix watched her little toy, nibbled slightly on the tip of her wand and a dark, mischievous grin grew on her face. Edenia noticed this and, full with fear, stopped eating, expecting something to happen. "Is...is it poisoned?" Squeaked Edenia and glanced to her bits of bread with big and sad eyes. Bellatrix laughed; slowly but surely she got the girl to doubt everything. She watched with a grin as Edenia put the bread back down, clearly not wanting to do that, though. More inner conflict showed when she was too insecure to drink. Her shaking hands reached out for the glass and she smelled on it, nipped lightly, waited for something to happen but nothing did. Feeling more secure about it, she drank it all but her eyes filled with worry when it appeared that her mind ran through all the possibilities of poisoning water. It soon resulted in having herself worried so much that she became sick of it, her stomach rumbled and ached terribly but Edenia believed that Bella put something into the water and bread.
"Stop crying!" Shouted Bellatrix somewhen in the middle of the night. Edenia shot up her eyes in fear, looking at the witch or trying to make out where she was because the room was pitch black. It was never pitch black. For some time, it was day. All the time it was day and now Edenia realized that it did not match. She had endured so much within a day? It felt different. Felt like weeks. She sniffled again, not able to suppress her tears. "I said stop crying!" Yelled Bellatrix now, causing Edenia to almost fall out of the bed. She tried to hide underneath the blanket but couldn't as it was the same large cover she had to share with the dark witch. Bellatrix growled in frustration when she could still hear Edenia's muffled crying; she knew the girl tried to keep quiet but was not necessarily successful.
"I have been way too gentle with you the past few days! Why are you crying now, huh?! Why?!"
"Bellyache..." Whimpered Edenia and balled up even more. Bellatrix rolled her eyes but she pulled the girl against herself roughly and wrapped her arms around Edenia's cold body, slightly surprised by the low temperature of it herself before she began to rub and stroke the soft and nude skin in a circular motion. Edenia lay there stiffly, did not move at all, was way too scared to budge; her body, however, set on alert. She expected pain each second but it did not come. The rubbing on her stomach began to feel good. Her sniffling got less and Bellatrix was sure that it was completely gone after a while; the girl seemed asleep.
The other day, Edenia shot up again. Her eyes were wide open but she could not see. The room was pitch black, still. She could not even see where the windows were. It was as if she was locked in nothingness. She tried to find a light source, something securing after this horrible dream of Bellatrix, but there was nothing soothing enough to rest eyes on. Why was it so dark? Her heart began to beat faster, she found no orientation, instead lost it and it made her feel dizzy. Wherever she turned her head, it was the same information her eyes collected. Blackness. What day was it? She did not know. It felt like December. She lay back down and heard Bella's amused cackles. She was somewhere in the room, Edenia did not know where, was unable to determine the position. Nervousness increased.
"Like it? It's quite effective." Said Bellatrix and her voice was next to Edenia suddenly.
"I...I don't understand..." Whimpered the girl and tried to hide in the pillow.
"Well dear." Bellatrix started. "Let me show you." And suddenly, the blanket flew off of Edenia's body. She yelped at the unpredictable movement and coldness, tried to crawl away but was grabbed back and felt the dark witch on top of her, kissing her down while her hands touched the girl basically everywhere. She did not know when and where it would hit her next. This feeling of being exposed to her like this, it was unbearable. Not only physically but it was like Bellatrix had access to Edenia's deepest fears. She stripped the girl off of everything. Clothes. A name. A future. A life. But mostly, she started to strip her off of her sanity. What day was it? Did another day pass already ever since she woke up in this blackness? She did not know. Bellatrix was suddenly gone again, did not lay on top of her and when she called out for the witch, it was like she was not even there. Was it a dream? Did, whatever just happened now, only happen in her head? Moments passed. She was not sure anymore. What day was it?
"Good morning my dear." Said a voice next to her suddenly. It's about time you wake up." She continued and was pulled closer against the body to her right. Had Bellatrix been next to her all the time? But she was gone, wasn't she? Edenia did not hear her, did not hear a single shifting.
"You have been sleeping for almost a whole day." Said the witch and Edenia heard an arm movement, and with that, the black curtain swung to the left and daylight filled the room again, erasing the darkness. But something was still odd. Why was Bellatrix so nice? Usually, she would be waken up with the Cruciatus curse. Was this just a dream? What day was it? The pictures in her head began to turn again, she had to hold onto the bed to not fall out of it. She sat up and rubbed her head, her leg waggled in anxiety, she mumbled something inaudible but suddenly, she just screamed. Screamed as though someone stabbed her right into the heart, screamed as if another Cruciatus curse was shot at her, screamed like there was no tomorrow. And then cried, just lay back and cried, whimpering in between her tears. "St-op...stop...thi-this psycho-terror...s-top...ple-plea-se..." She pleaded and her eyes turned to Bellatrix who watched the girl closely, then shook her head.
"I don't think I know what you're talking about. You must have had another nightmare." And she ran her hand through Edenia's hair gently, only to pull her closer with a kiss to her forehead.
"Get up. We will have something to eat."
"Eat?" Asked Edenia and rubbed her tears away. She glanced around, over to the nightstand where she last saw the tablet with bread and water, but it was gone. She got out of the bed and only then noticed that she was wearing clothes; her dress. And it was not shredded like it used to be. Clearly confused, she rubbed her head again but followed Bellatrix downstairs. She looked around the walls timidly, scared something could suddenly attack her but nothing did, not yet.
"Sit down." Cooed the dark haired witch and Edenia did, she sat down at the large brown table. Her eyes wandered to the wine-red curtains that hung down the arched windows and fell on the black marble-stoned floor. Bellatrix sat down as well and the next thing Edenia saw was this odd and old looking house elf.
"Kreacher is here, Madam. Do you wish the food to be served?" he asked in a raspy tone and Bellatrix nodded. Kreacher bowed gently and walked off two steps backwards first before he turned around with his body.
"Yes, Madam. It's an honor for Kreacher to serve the most ancient house of Black again."
Edenia kept quiet, her mind was empty, yet so full. She glanced at the food that appeared on the table magically; fine roast beef, potatoes and vegetables. She did not dare touch it, however, turned her face away. A plate was served to her and Bellatrix raised an eyebrow when she said. "Eat, dear."
And Edenia did. She started eating, very sure this was a dream. Things could never be as good as this, it was just too good to believe. So she played along, hoping she would remember this dream instead of nightmares when she awakens. As both of them were done with their meals, Bellatrix got up and motioned Edenia to follow her along; which she did. She followed but gulped when the dark witch walked upstairs again. Life down here seemed so much nicer. Up there, ironically, it was hell. She grabbed most of her courage and walked along, a little faster than expected; for some reason she had the feelings the stairs began to glue her down. When she passed this large mirror, she stopped and did not budge for the next minute. She stared into the reflection and now she was sure that this, this right now, was not fake. The collar, that the witch forced on her was still around her neck and still read ever so sweetly: Property of Bellatrix Lestrange. It was neither a nightmare nor a nice dream. It was sad reality. Or was it not?