Chapter Six:

The problem with being held prisoner-besides being held prisoner, being tortured, the lack of food and water, and basically everything-is that you don't have a way of telling time, and therefore have no way of knowing how many days or weeks or even months and years have passed. You don't know whether it is night or day, rain or shine. Is it winter? Has the snow fallen, the ground covered in a pure white blanket? Has Christmas passed? Have families celebrated the new year, and lovers sharing in the traditional kiss at midnight?

You don't know, and if you're unlucky you'll never know.

Astoria never thought herself to be one of luck, looking at the past two years of her life and you'd be inclined to agree. Of course, a person's luck had a way of changing; whether it was by a charm or a potion or even a person's optimism and motivation, but then Astoria had been kidnapped and tortured and was never given a luck potion or charm, her optimism and motivation were nonexistent-if they ever did exist-and so nothing that happened made sense to her.

It was almost like a dream.

#

Cold. She felt cold, her whole body was shivering and shaking and it was like the first night all over again. Her hands and feet were numb, she wasn't sure if she was actually moving any part of her body, but she must have been to get to the door.

The door that was open.

Strange, Astoria thought. She didn't dare leave her room though, what if it were a trap? What if they were testing her and leaving the room meant being killed? What if they were finally going to kill her and they tempted freedom while they were at it? Showing her that they were the ones in control, that she would never be free of them.

Astoria continued to stare into the black hallway, there were no lights, no candles lit. Come to think of it, Astoria didn't hear anything either. Usually she would be able to hear something, the Death Eaters that were stationed outside her door for the night talking or playing wizard's chess, the other Death Eaters that lived in the home going about their business downstairs-something, anything. But there was nothing.

And still she did not move. Fear kept her rooted on spot, fear would keep her in this room until a Death Eater came in and told she had passed, or would kill her because they had grown tired of her. Fear would keep her alive for as long as she wanted to live, for that is what she had learned in the past two years. That is what she would remember.

She could see her breath, the room was so cold still and she had nothing to warm herself with. The tattered blanket they had given her was gone but she didn't remember it being taken.

Astoria was a light sleeper, you had to be when you were on the run, she would know if someone had come into her room and taken the only thing that kept her warm. There was no memory of that, there was no memory of anything really. The last thing she remembered was the code-Oh gods, Astoria turned to her mattress. What if they had found it? She lifted it, but she had no light to see. She ran her hand along the cool floor, jerking her hand back when her fingers first touched its iciness. Rowena, it's freezing. She placed her hand back on the floor, slowly this time, and began trying to find the parchment. Nothing, there was nothing.

Astoria released a shaky breath, they had found it. They had found her salvation and now what? What were they doing? What were they going to do?

She wanted to cry, she wanted to fall to the floor and let herself sob. She wanted her mother and her father, she wanted Daphne. Gods, she wanted anybody. But there was no one, and there might never be anyone. She was going to die, she was certain.

I'm going to die and I'm okay with that, Astoria thought.

I'm okay with that.

It was bright-the light was almost blinding with its brightness. Astoria blinked, then blinked again. There was a sharp throbbing, like someone was banging against her forehead. She closed her eyes again, a pathetic sounding whimper coming from her as she turned onto her side.

Her eyes snapped open again. Sitting up she realized she was no long in the small room that she had last been in. No, now she was in a different room and the bright light was the sun shining through the window. Astoria looked around, noting that the walls of the room were painted a dull yellow and the bedding of the bed she had been sleeping on was floral.

Astoria's eyebrows furrowed, she grabbed the edge of the bedding and removed it from her. Slowly she turned her body so her feet hovered just above the wood flooring. She was wearing a simple, white nightdress, how?

She placed her feet on the ground and moved to the window, hoping that maybe she would be able to tell where she was. No such luck, all there seemed to be were trees. She looked around again, her wand wasn't on the bedside table, nor was it on the dresser next to the door. Do I dare?

Taking a deep breath, Astoria walked slowly over to the door, turning the knob and gently opening it. She released the breath she had been holding when the door opened without making any noise. There was no one outside the door, or in the hallway at all for that matter. Astoria stepped into the hall, turning one way to see that it ended with a window and the other way led to a staircase.

Putting one hand on the wall, Astoria made her way to the stairs. She peered over the railing looking to see if anyone was there. No one.

Brushing her hand against the railing, Astoria went to the first step. Still, no one. She walked down the stairs slowly, her eyes closing and her breathing coming to a stop when one of the stairs groaned under her weight. She waited a few moments, but there came no yells. No one came to the stairs to see what or who had made the noise. Astoria made her way down the rest of the stairs. There was a door to her left and a door to her right, both were closed but it was the door in front of her that drew the most attention. Freedom.

But from what? And Whom? Where even am I? Astoria thought, looking around. The walls were bare, there were no personal touches to be found. Who owned this house?

Behind her there was another hallway, and from the open concept of the back area Astoria could tell it was the kitchen area. Okay, Astoria thought. This is strange.

The brunette looked at the front door one more time before heading down the hallway to the kitchen. I should at least eat something, Astoria reasoned as she entered the room. No one was in here either.

Where the hell am I?

"You're safe."