Summary: Amy Benson was an ordinary girl living in an orphanage, the same orphanage that housed the less-than-ordinary Tom Riddle. While at the seaside Tom takes Amy and her best friend Denis Bishop down to a cave. Something happened there, but nobody knows what...
Categories: Dark/Angsty Fics Characters: None
Warnings: Alternate Universe, Book 7 Disregarded
Challenges: Series: None
Chapters: 6
Completed: No
Word count: 8104
Read: 17471
Published: 09/10/06
Updated: 10/17/07
1. Love and Torture by Ellie4Harry
2. Reminiscence by Ellie4Harry
3. The Locket by Ellie4Harry
4. Return to a Nightmare by Ellie4Harry
5. Fear Reawakened by Ellie4Harry
6. Midnight Attack by Ellie4Harry
Love and Torture by Ellie4Harry
Author's Notes:
Hi everyone! I really hope you enjoy this, and even if you don't, please let me know! This chapter is dedicated to my best buddy Curly and my fantastic beta, Jen.
"Well, little Amy Benson and Denis Bishop were never quite right afterwards, and all we ever got out of them was that they'd gone into a cave with Tom Riddle..."
Amy Benson was a big girl now â“ at least that was what they'd told her at the orphanage. âI rather like being eight,â she thought as she brushed her long blonde hair. It meant she could go to the seaside with her best friend Denis Bishop...
Her brushing hand suddenly stopped in mid-air and her eyes widened in horror, as she remembered what had happened the previous day.
Amy stared out the window of her bedroom, watching the children playing outside. She was still a bit creeped out having come across a boy's dead rabbit two weeks previously. She sat there wondering how on earth it had gotten under her bed but she didn't like to dwell on the subject too much. A strand of her hair fell in front of her eyes and she swpet it away irriatably. The big girl, Katrina, hadn't done her pigtails that morning and Mrs. Cole was in the shower. There was only one person she could ask, but she certainly didn't want to. In desperation she went upstairs, gulped, then knocked twice on a door marked:
Tomâs Room
Trespassers Will Be Eaten Alive
âCome in,â someone called from the other side of the door.
Amy walked in, shaking.
âH-h-hi Tom. I was, um, wondering if you could tie my pigtails for me.â Amy held up two rubber bands.
At first the ten year old glared at her, and then he smirked. âOkay Amy, sit down.â
Amy did so, terrified. Tom scared her a lot and he teased her a lot too. Well, almost everyone did that. But he teased her about her parents who had drowned at sea â“
Tom stopped plaiting and bent down to her. âMissing Mommy and Daddy, are we?â he said with a sneer.
Amy nodded.
âDid you know that if you drown at sea you turn into a zombie?â Tom asked, his eyes gleaming.
âNo, I didnât.â
âWell they do.â He pulled Amyâs hair so tight her eyes bulged. âAnd theyâre going to grab your ankles at the seaside and pull hard. Do you know what happens to poor little Amy Benson next?â he asked, an almost hungry expression on his face.
âN-n-no.â
âShe dies and nobody notices because nobody misses her. So her rotting corpse lies on the seabed for ages until a huge shark comes along and then â“â
âNo!â Amy screamed. âStop it! Stop it! I wonât listen!â She ran out of the room, sobbing...
I wonât think about it anymore, Amy decided, but I have to tell Denis. So she went downstairs to the playroom where a boy of Amyâs age was sitting on his own.
âYou still donât look very well, Amy,â said Denis Bishop, concerned. Amy gave a tiny sob, told him everything and burst into tears.
âWhy does Tom have to be soâŚbe soâŚunusual?â Denis asked.
âI dunno, Denis,â she sniffled. âHe always thinks heâs absolutely it, bossing us around, not listening to Mrs. Cole, heâs nothing but a big, scary â“â Amy said the naughtiest word she knew.
Someone pushed past them on his way to lunch. A tall someone with pale skin and dark hair. He reached the door and turned round his eyes boring into Amyâs, and then he left, a slight frown on his face.
âHe might not have heard us.â Denis squeaked, not really believing it himself.
Amy let out a tiny whimper and shivered. She wasn't looking forward to the seaside anymore.
*~*
The orphans had arrived at the seaside and all the boys were protesting against that there wouldnât be TV for a week.
âAh, but Miss, its âDoctor Whoâ on Monday!â moaned Jamie Fenton. "Its the grand finale, Miss!"
The other boys nodded in agreement.
âHush you lot! Okay kids, lets go up to the big hotel over there and â“ Yes Tom?â Mrs. Cole looked a bit surprised that Tom had raised his hand.
âYou see, Mrs. Cole, I promised Amy and Denis Iâd go exploring with them straight away. I know that theyâve been looking forward to it and if we donât go today Iâll feel as if Iâve let them down,â Tom said politely.
Mrs. Cole wavered. âWell I suppose, seeing as you promisedâŚâ
Tom quickly grabbed Denis and Amy by their hands and dragged them along until everyone was out of sight.
âCome on.â Tom gave a quick glance over his shoulder and then beckoned them towards the edge of a cliff. âWeâre going to climb down.â
All the colour drained from Amyâs face. It was a very long way down.
âBut we canât, Tom, weâll fall.â
Tom smiled. âIâll go first then, babies, but youâre going to have to follow even if I have to make you.â
He hooked his leg over the edge and began to climb down.
Suddenly Amy walked to the jagged side of the cliff, like she was hypnotized, and Denis followed.
Half of the journey passed as a dream until it started to rain and Amy came to her senses. Her hands were covered in blood from the jagged rocks, she was freezing, soaked and Tom was definitely going to kill her. No he wasnât, that was ridiculous. Then the thought of his smile came back to her⌠Maybe it wasnât ridiculous, maybe it was trueâŚ
Amy had stopped climbing, caught up in her thoughts â“ until Denisâs boot collided with her forehead. Amy gave a gasp of pain and let go of the rocks to examine her brow.
I let goâŚ
But that meant â“
Amy screamed as she plummeted to the ground, preparing her self for the crash; but no crash came. Just a soggy, firm grip on her. Tom Riddle had caught her.
âYouâre not getting away that easily,â he whispered softly, his eyes shining greedily.
Denis jumped and landed beside them, and put his hand on Amyâs shoulder.
âCâmon Denis,â said Tom, still clutching the frightened Amy. He started walking towards a dark cave.
Amy mouthed âDonât leave me!â over Tomâs shoulder. Denis felt he couldnât desert his friend and followed.
The three children went down a slope into a pitch black cave; it was so close to shore that it must be filled with water at high tide. Finally they reached a dimly lit chamber and Tom deposited Amy on solid ground with a soft thud.
Tom closed his eyes and started muttering. It wasnât a language Denis or Amy had ever heard before. Hisses and rasping and words they couldnât describe.
âTom?â Denis called.
No one answered, just quick, excited hisses.
âWhat are you doing?â Denis shouted.
Then Amy threw back her head and screamed.
She fell to the ground writhing and shrieking.
âTom, stop it! What are you doing to her?â
Between her screams Amy started to speak.
âI donât want toâŚdonât make me.â
âAmy? Whatâs he doing to you?â
ââŚdonât likeâŚwant to stop.â Amyâs screams were getting louder and louder.
âNoâŚâ Amy groaned. âI donât want toâŚI donât want toâŚlet me go TomâŚlet me goâŚâ
Tomâs eyes were shining brightly in the dark, clearly enjoying it.
âMake it stop, make it stop,â Amy moaned.
âMake what stop, Amy?â Denis yelled. âWhatâs he doing? Whatâs he saying?â
Amy shrieked louder. âNo, no, noâŚ.noâŚI canâtâŚI canât, donât make me, I donât want toâŚâ
âAmy, youâre not making sense! Talk to me Amy, please!â
âAmy, youâre not making sense!â Tom mimicked. âIs widdle Denis getting fwightened?â
âItâs all my fault, all my fault,â Amy sobbed. âPlease make it stop, I know I did wrong, oh, please make it stop and Iâll never, never againâŚâ
Denis sank to his knees beside Amy and shook her shoulders. âAmy, is he hurting you? Please Amy, wake up!â
For half a second Amyâs eyes focused on him. âD-d-denis,â she whispered.
Then she began to wail. âDonât hurt him, Tom, donât hurt him, please, please, itâs my fault, hurt me insteadâŚâ
Denis began to panic. âDonât say that, Amy, I need you to get up and then Iâll help you climb back up.â He tried to lift Amy off the ground.
Suddenly, she fell forwards, screaming loudly, beating her fists on the ground.
âPlease, please, please, noâŚnot that, not that, Iâll do anythingâŚâ Amy wailed.
âNot what? Oh, please stop, Amy, your scaring me.â
The whole cave was filled with Amyâs screams and Tomâs high-pitched laughter. The insane cackle made Denisâs blood run cold.
âNo more, please, no more.â
Denis started to cry. âPlease Tom, donât hurt her, sheâs sorry, Iâm sorry!â
Amy yelled louder than ever. âI want to die! I want to die! Make it stop, make it stop, I want to die!â
âAmy wake up, please wake up Amy, I need you!â Denis sobbed.
Amy uttered one last blood-curdling scream. âKILL ME!â Then she fell and lay still on the floor.
Denis wrapped his arms round his friend, kissed her clammy cheek and started toward Tom. He didnât know what he was going to do, all he wanted was to beat Tom to a pulp and then throw him off the cliff.
Tom was ready for him. He grabbed Denisâs t-shirt and held him at arms length. He laughed softly.
âI didnât kill her.â He jabbed his thumb at Amy. âCole would murder me.â He dropped Denis as if he was contagious.
Amyâs eyelids flickered open.
âAmy, are you ok?â Denis asked wiping the tears from his eyes.
âWater,â croaked Amy, sitting up in a pool of her own blood.
Tom rolled his eyes in the dark and threw Denis his bottle.
Amy downed the bottle in one before throwing up on the floor.
The vomit was emerald green and emitting a phosphorescent glow. Tom quickly scooped it into a discarded glass bottle and pocketed it.
He picked up Amy and they climbed up the cliff wordlessly.
When they reached the top Tom swore loudly. Amy was completely covered in blood, it had even managed to work its way into her hair. He reached forward to put his jumper on her and she backed away fearfully.
Tom rolled his eyes and tossed it to Denis. âClean Benson up, will you?â he said, brushing himself off. âNot a word to Cole about any of this, got it?â he added fiercely.
Denis nodded. âWho would believe them anyway?â he thought as he wiped blood off Amyâs forehead.
*~*
âAmy! Denis! Tom! Youâve been gone for two hours!â Mrs. Cole exclaimed. âIs that vomit in your hair, Amy? Why have you got a big gash on your forehead?â She pulled Amy into her embrace and whispered in her ear, âWhat did he do to you?â
Amy made a faint gurgling noise. âNothing, Mrs. Cole,â she lied. âWe just went into a cave, you see.â
âYeah,â said Tom smoothly. âAnd poor Amy here fell on a rock in the dark.â
Denis clenched his fists. Poor Amy? Hadnât Tom just tortured her mere minutes ago?
Mrs. Cole nodded, not really believing them and chivied them into the hotel.
*~*
One thing was for sure, Amy thought as she lay down in bed: she would never cross Tom Riddle ever again. She closed her eyes and fell asleep instantly.
She did not notice the two eyes watching her, plotting, or two slim hands holding something very odd encased in a bottle.
Reminiscence by Ellie4Harry
Author's Notes:
Heyyyyyyya everyone! I am so so so sorryyyyy I havn't updated for ages! I've been so busy! (honest) Well heres chapter two and I hope it was worth the wait =] This chappie is dedicated to Luke Faulkner (The next Doctor Who!) Tess Mooney(she rocks my socks) and Anna-Rose for being cool!
Tom Riddle walked down the cobbled streets of Little Hangelton, with an uncontrollable smirk on his face. He was attracting a lot of funny looks too, with his face covered in the middle of the summer.
âWho on earth does he think he is?â a girl hissed loudly. âThe bleeding Prime Minister?â
Her friend nodded in agreement. âHe thinks himself fanciful, he does. Look at that queer locket hanging round his neck!â
And there was a gold locket hanging around his neck, one with a fresh piece of soul encased inside it.
Tom walked for an hour and a half until he came to a jagged cliff which made him smile wider. He climbed down with apparent ease and walked into a familiar, dark cave. He reached a wall and took out a small phial of blood and sprinkled it over the rock face. The next bit was the easiest, and the most enjoyable, Tom thought to himself. He wished he could see Amy Bensonâs face when â“ âConcentrate!â he thought to himself. âYou need to do this properly!â
He muttered some well chosen words and a boat rose up from the depths of the lake. He lay back lazily as he crossed a sea of black water to a small island where an empty basin lay waiting.
He put a hand inside his robes and drew out a glass bottle filled with emerald green liquid. He placed the locket fondly in the centre of the basin, and then uncorked the bottle and poured it in.
A young girlâs scream rang out through the silence, a horrible, ear piercing shriek.
Tom laughed softly. âThank you, Amy Benson.â
Many miles away, fifteen-year-old Amy Benson collapsed and broke into a cold sweat.
*~*
Amy felt as if she was falling through space, images and words passed by her, until she landed with a clunk.
She found herself standing outside the orphanage, on an ordinary, sunny day. Except there was a younger Mrs. Cole helping a small girl out of a car. Suddenly, Amy knew where she was, the trembling five-year-oldâŚwas her.
Mrs. Cole put her arm around the little girl. âNow, I know it looks big and scary at first â“â she began, but Amy had already wandered off, to where a boy was standing by a wall.
She smiled at him shyly, wishing she knew how to ask people to play. He was a boy around her own age, with messy brown hair and big blue eyes.
âHello, my nameâs Denis, whatâs yours?â he asked happily.
âA-a-amy,â she stuttered.
The had just started to chat properly when an older boy came up to them, a smirk on his face.
âHi Denis,â he said, punching an unsuspecting Denis on the side of the head. âWhoâs your girlfriend? Well? Arenât you going to introduce me?â
Denis had been knocked against the wall, and his glasses had been broken. âThis is Amy, Tom, sheâs my friend.â
Tom grabbed Amyâs bag and fumbled around with it for a minute, Amy was almost certain he took something but she couldnât see what.
âHey thatâs mine!â Amy cried and tried to take it from him.
Tom bent down to her. âListen Amy, this orphanage is a rough place; you make enemies easier than friends here. And it seems youâve already made one of each.â With that, he walked inside again, with a malicious glint in his eye.
Amy wiped the tears from her eyes furiously as Denis helped her look through her bag to make sure everything was still there.
Suddenly, Amy knew what he had taken - the silver thimble her mother had given herâŚwas gone.
*~*
Now there was a six year old, fast asleep in a bed, waiting for Mrs. Cole to bang her pans together to wake her up.
Sure enough a loud clang echoed through the house and Amy got up quickly, to brush her hair in front of the mirror.
A stomach-churning scream cried out, and everyone came running.
Amy was standing in the middle of the room, sobbing.
Her long hair had been severed off during the night.
Tom Riddle pushed a bag further down into his pocket, and swept a strand of blonde hair off his scissors.
*~*
Now she was seven, sitting down at breakfast as everyone threw cornflakes at each other.
âAmy, darling!â Mrs. Cole called. âCould you make all the beds for me sweetheart, we think Eric Whalleyâs swallowed a thumb tack.â
Amy got up, picked some cornflakes off of her chest and went upstairs.
Everything went pretty smoothly; she made all the dirty boyâs beds â“ even Tomâs, which was very scary as he watched her do it before going downstairs.
Finally she got to her bed and whipped off the duvet.
A snake was sitting there curled up on the sheets, it stretched its head out almost lazily and bit down on her finger. Blood spurted everywhere and Amy ran from the room â“ yelling.
âI think someoneâs been telling Porky Pies Amy,â said Mrs. Cole, after inspecting all the rooms in the orphanage.
âBut Iâm not, Mrs. Cole!â Amy wailed. âThe snake really was there!â
*~*
The present-day Amy was shivering, she had relived some of the worst moments of her life, especially the last one. That was when Tom Riddle had taken her down to the cave.
It suddenly clicked in her mind that these were all memories of Tom Riddle. The orphanage swam into focus again, to reveal her as a nine-year-old.
Amy balanced her dirty sheets carefully before setting off.
An old man had come to visit Tom, there was muffled conversation but Amy couldnât hear anything properly.
Suddenly there was a bang and Amy heard Tom yelling. She shrieked in surprise and fell over. She lay on the floor for couple of minutes and jumped up as soon as a man opened the door.
He was dressed quite oddly, wearing colourful robes, with his auburn beard tucked into his belt. He didnât notice Amy at first and walked right into her.
âI am terribly sorryâŚ?â
âA-a-amy sir, Amy Benson.â
Tom glared at her through a crack in the door, but stopped immediately when the man looked at him.
âI believe, Amy, that Tom has something to give you.â
Tom muttered something under his breath and grudgingly tossed her a thimble.
Amy caught it, open-mouthed.
âAndâŚâ the man prompted.
Tom muttered something again.
âDidnât quite catch that, Tom.â The old man smiled, his eyes twinkling.
âIâm sorry I took it,â Tom mumbled before slamming the door in their faces.
The man strode towards the stairs. âIf you will excuse me, Amy, I have various errands to attend to.â And in the swish of a cloak he was gone.
*~*
Images came more quickly now and more disjointed.
Amy was ten and Tom had made her watch as he fed his pet snake.
Then she was eleven and Tom put ketchup on her birthday cake.
She was twelve and Tom âaccidentallyâ smashed her window with a football.
But these Amys were happier; Tom only came home in the summertime.
Suddenly Amy arrived at her thirteenth birthday party and groaned.
The most embarrassing moment of her life and she had to watch it all over again.
Amy walked across the room distractedly, watching all the boys and girls dancing and talking and eating.
Unexpectedly she crashed into a boy around her own age. He had wavy brown hair and blue, nervous-looking eyes. He was wearing glasses, which had been broken during the collision.
âOh Denis! Iâve broken your glasses! Iâm so sorry!â Amy wailed.
âItâs ok,â Denis grinned. âI never liked them much anyway.â
They both looked up at the ceiling.
âMistletoe.â Denis smiled. âMrs. Cole mustâve forgotten to take it down after Christmas.â
Amy smiled back. She moved closer to Denis, so that their noses weâre touching, Amy tilted her head sideways and â“
Someone pulled her back by her hair and sent her flying into the half-eaten birthday cake.
âWhoops,â said Tom softly. âSorry Benson.â
Amy ran from the room with her face covered in jam and whipped creamâŚ
*~*
The present-day Amy woke with a start.
âOh thank the lord!â she heard Mrs. Cole cry.
âAmy!â Someone wrapped their arms around Amy and kissed her. Amy had a shrewd idea who it might be.
She rubbed her eyes. âW-w-what happened?â
âYou fainted,â Denis explained, âon your way home from school, youâve been out for around 3 hours.â
Mrs. Cole left Amy and Denis alone and went to look after Billy Stubbs, whose rabbit was missing again.
âI had a horrible vision when I was out.â Amy told him.
âDo you want to talk to me about it?â Denis asked.
Amy remembered her 13th birthday party. âNot just yet.â
Denis walked towards the door and turned. âI love you.â
Amy waited until he was gone and then whispered, âI love you too.â
The Locket by Ellie4Harry
Author's Notes:
I am so so so so so (you should skip ahead to the chapter this will take a while!) so so so so soooooooo sorry for this incredibly long wait! I dedicate this chapter to my wonderful reviewers :), the people who invented teachr training days so people could write fan fics and all my friends!
Amy pressed a hand against the frosty window. It was late November and one of the coldest winters in history. Many people had died. Amy could feel dark shadows prowling the street, they seemed to feed on death and despair⌠Amy shivered and huddled down as Denis came into the room buttoning up his coat.
âIâm going shopping,â he called, breaking in on her reverie.
Amy bolted upright. âYou canât!â she exclaimed. âDenis, itâs minus twenty degrees out there!â
Denis grinned. âDonât you think youâre exaggerating just a little bit?â
Amy decided to throw caution to the winds. âYou canât go because thereâs, well, thereâs dark shadows that seem to suck the life out of people...IâmâŚIâm, well, Iâm scared for you.â
Denis put his hand on her shoulder. âIâll take my chances with the shadows; all we have to eat is apples and I need to go before it gets any darker. You relax and Iâll be back in ten minutes.â
Amy wiped the tears from her eyes.
âPromise?â
âPromise.â Denis kissed her on the cheek and left.
*~*
Amy lay back on the sofa and stared into the crackling fire. Something felt weird, almost like someone was watching her â“ âStop thinking like that,â she told herself âThereâs nothing here that will hurt you.â
That was when someone spoke from outside.
âMorsmordre!â
The windows shattered and the door fell off its hinges. A hooded figure stepped through. Amy grabbed a candelabra for support.
Then the person threw back its hood and Amy screamed. It was a grotesque mutant; it had horrible pasty white skin with red, cat-like slits for eyes.
âW-w-who are you?â Amy asked holding the candelabra like a sword.
The mutant sneered at her, Amy knew she had never seen this person in her life before but he still seemed strangely familiar.
âI, stupid filth, am the all powerful â“â
âTom Riddle!â Amy exclaimed. It had been years since she had left the orphanage but she would have recognized that voice anywhere.
Tomâs features split into a wide smile.
âWell, well, well. Amy Benson. Youâve grown up.â
Amy clenched her fists. âUnfortunately so have you.â
Tom raised his eyebrows. âA wonderful retort Amy, you must write them down in a book.â He walked lazily around the living room, as if he did it every day, glancing at things, sometimes laughing.
Amyâs hand was clutching the candelabra so tightly now that it was about to snap. She remembered how he had used to do this in the orphanage. Walk around her room, sometimes taking things, eating her sweets and cutting the hair off of her dolls while she watched helplessly.
Tom bent down to whisper in her ear as he passed. âI can see you married that scum, Denis Bishop, why on earth would you want to marry him?â
âSpeaking of scum,â Amy said, sounding a lot braver then she felt. âGet out of my house.â
Tom stopped moving but he didnât say anything, so Amy went on.
âYou think you scare me, donât you. You may have frightened me when I was eight but that was a long time ago! I do not fear you anymore!â
And then she did something she had wanted to do ever since he had entered her house. She hurled the candelabra at him with all the strength she could gather.
It was a mistake.
He smiled hungrily. âAww poor little Benson doesnât fear Tom anymore, thatâs a good thing, it means youâre not scared of death.â
Amy backed away nervously as Tom raised a wand (that was what it looked like, but Amyâs mind wasnât functioning properly at that point).
âAvada Kedavra!â he shrieked.
Amy ran and tripped. All she could see was a flash of green light and hear the cold, high-pitched laughter of her nightmares.
And then she knew no more.
Tom turned on his heel and strode out of the house, deciding he would spend a few nights in the company of his followers before starting on a long journey home.
*~*
Denis Bishop grabbed a jar of pasta sauce and dropped it in his haste. He swore loudly and began to pick up the shards of glass. He wanted to get out of the supermarket as quickly as possible. He had hated having to leave Amy alone. He didnât like the sound of life-sucking shadows either. Amy had a gift, that was for sure - she could feel peopleâs emotions, see things that he couldnât, sense deaths in the neighbourhood.
Denis had to admit it was creepy.
He had reached for another jar of pasta sauce when a frantic-looking girl bumped into him.
He recognized eleven-year-old Connie from down the road.
âMr Bishop! Thereâs been aâŚaâŚâ
Denis grabbed her by the shoulders âA what? Is Amy ok?â
âWe donât know!â Connie wailed. âThere was anâŚanâŚan explosion! A giant green explosion! And then â“â
But Denis was already halfway down the road, still clutching the jar of pasta sauce.
*~*
Amy Benson woke suddenly but kept her eyes shut tight.
âYouâre deadâ said a voice inside her that sounded uncannily like Tom Riddleâs. âYouâre dead, Amy Benson, youâre never going to see Denis or your friends or â“â
Something furry brushed up beside her miaowing.
âCleo?â Amy asked incredulously. She opened her eyes in astonishment and sat up carefully. Her nose was bleeding and her ankle appeared to be broken but she was in much better shape than she deserved to be.
The house hadnât been so lucky. The windows were all shattered and the door had fallen onto the ground. Furniture was overturned and somehow the coffee table had been cracked down the middle.
A tall person came through the doorway and Amy shrieked.
But it wasnât Tom Riddle; it was a tall good-looking man with black hair.
âAre you Amy Benson?â he asked.
Amy nodded.
âIâm...Regulus Black. And, well, I think this belongs to you.â He handed her a golden locket with a snake carved into it. It was one of the most beautiful things Amy had every seen, yet it also made her feel uneasy.
Regulus bent down to her. âI couldnât open it, but maybe you might have more luck.â
âIâllâŚIâll try,â Amy said. She dug her fingernails into the groove and pulled. The locked creaked open and a mist emerged from it and started to coil around her, like a snake. The mist seemed to tighten, making it harder for her to breathe â“
âI knew it!â Regulus muttered and then yelled something Amy couldnât make out. The mist stopped wrapping around her and disappeared.
Amy took a few deep breaths and then collapsed, unconscious, for the second time that day.
From down the road a siren sounded.
Regulus hastily pushed the locket into Amyâs hand and ran out of the house, it was best that neither his master nor the police found out about this.
*~*
Amy opened her eyes. She realized that she was no longer on the living room floor, but instead in bed in a hospital.
âAmy! Youâre ok!â Denis hugged her so tightly she thought her eyes might pop out.
âI guess so,â Amy gasped. âBut I wonât be for long unless you stop hugging me so tightly!â
âOh, right, sorry,â Denis muttered, loosening his grasp.
There was something heavy tugging at her neck. Amy put her hand up and felt the locket, it was still open. She closed it gently and then remembered something.
Amy punched Denis on his arm.
âOw!â Denis cried out. âWhat on earth did you do that for?â he demanded rubbing his shoulder.
âFor making me wait the longest ten minutes in living history.â
Denis stared at his shoes. âI â“ what I mean to say isâŚsorry,â he mumbled.
Amy grinned and kissed him. âI love you.â
Denis smiled sideways at her. âPromise?â
âPromise.â
Maybe things werenât going to be so bad after all.
Return to a Nightmare by Ellie4Harry
Author's Notes:
Here it is at last! I am so so so sorry for the horribly long wait but I'll blame it on a certain friend of mine who enjoys ripping my fanfiction drafts into little pieces!
Also a few people have made me banners (see my author page to check them out)
And one of the reasons this was so slow is that I have a few other fics in the works! Keep your eyes peeled :D
Amy Benson was sitting in a big leather armchair with her chin resting on her knees. Denis was flicking through a holiday brochure while rocking the baby in its cot.
âWell we could go to Ireland, I suppose,â he said, âbut all the flights are in the middle of the â“ Amy, am I talking to myself?
âWhat? Um, noâŚsorry, what were you saying?â Amy asked distractedly.
Denis flicked a page. âI was saying we could go to IrelandâŚoh, wait, how about the seaside, thereâs a â“ oh Amy, Iâm so sorry!â
Amyâs dark brown eyes had filled with tears.
âAmy, Iâm really sorry, I shouldnât have mentioned the seasi â“ listen, we could go to Wales instead!â
Amy shook her head and ran upstairs.
Denis kicked the chair in frustration as he heard the bedroom door slam. What an idiot he had been! He sat down again, it would be best to leave Amy to calm down a bit.
The baby giggled in her cot, kicking her legs, unaware of what had just happened.
*~*
Denis knocked on the bedroom door.
No reply came, heâd been expecting that.
He pushed the door open gently.
Amy was lying face down on the bed with a handkerchief clutched in her fist.
âI brought you some tea,â Denis said softly and put the cup down beside her.
âI want to go there, Denis,â Amy mumbled.
âWhat!?â
âI need to go back, Denis, please,â she pleaded. âYou donât understand. Itâs like a part of me needs to go back and it wonât rest until I do.â
âAmy, youâll just upset yourself,â he said firmly. âIâm sorry, but there is absolutely no way we are going back there.â
*~*
Denis leaned over the balcony railing and stared out at the sea. The sun was setting and it cast pink and orange and yellow lights onto the water. He really should learn to say no, but at least Amy was happyâŚhappier than usual anyway.
Amy was tucking the baby, Gloria, into her crib and selecting a bedtime story.
There was hardly anything to do here at night, so Denis quickly changed into his pyjamas and lay down in bed. The only sounds were the crashes of the waves on the rocks and Amyâs soft voice telling the story of Snow White.
âSnow White became fairer as she grew up and when she was eight, she had become the most beautiful girl anyone had ever seen.â
Denis yawned. Perhaps he had done the right thing after all.
âAnd so, she cooked and cleaned for all the dwarves and they let her stay at the cottage.â
It was so nice, just lying here, listening to Amy. Denisâs vision had started to blur at the edges.
âAnd when they returned, they found Snow White lying on the floor, dead.â
Those were the last words Denis could remember, and then he fell asleep.
*~*
Amy grabbed an oil lamp and closed the door softly. She stepped out onto the dewy grass and shivered, wishing sheâd brought her coat, but she couldnât go back, she might wake Denis.
âHow horrible I am,â she thought. âIâm lying to my own husband.â
She walked and walked until she came to a familiar, rocky cliff. Amy attached the oil lamp to her belt and gently lowered herself onto the cliff face. She kicked out for a foothold and began to climb down. The wind howled in her ears and her muscles began to ache when she had gone a quarter of the way.
It grew darker and darker as Amy climbed down. Every time she grabbed a rock she cried out in pain. Once she was almost thrown from the cliff face into the sea by the strong wind.
At last she reached the ground, breathing heavily. She sat the oil lamp on a rock and then screamed. Amyâs hands were raw and completely covered in blood. Blood sloshed around in her shoes from when she had kicked out to get her footing.
She picked up the lamp and felt blood trickle sickeningly down her sleeve. She walked to the cave entrance and found it filled with water. Amy swore, but it was no use, she had to keep going, she needed to. Amy pinched her nose and jumped into the freezing cold water and swam. She swam quickly, forcing her aching arms to work. Suddenly â“ her hands closed onto the rock. She dragged herself to the surface, coughing and spluttering.
Amy groaned. She was now faced with a stone wall, which certainly hadnât been there before.
Amy pushed against the wall in desperation. Her hands had left a splatter of blood on the rock.
Suddenly, the shape of an arch glowed white on the rock. The rock seemed to open, revealing a dark room emitting an eerie green light. Amy staggered through the arch and she saw a gigantic black lake, as smooth as a mirror. In the centre of the lake was a small marble island with a basin, the contents of which, Amy could not see.
Amy cried out in desperation. She turned around â“ the arch had sealed itself.
She was trapped.
âHelp me,â Amy sobbed. âI donât know what to do, please, help me.â
There was a loud rattle of chains, and a boat rose out of the water.
âThat was a coincidence,â Amy told herself as she clambered into the boat. âIt had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with what you said.â
Amy picked up the oars and began to row. After about five minutes her arms felt as if they were about to fall off. The oars seemed to get heavier and heavier as she rowed along and the island seemed to get further away.
Until there was a loud clunk.
The second Amy had stepped out of the boat it sank to the bottom of the lake, leaving Amy stranded on the marble island.
âOh, fantastic,â Amy thought. âIâm even more trapped than I was twenty minutes ago.â
Peering down into the small basin, Amy saw it was filled to the brim with a thick, greenish substance emitting a glowing light. Amy sniffed the contents of the marble bowl, it didnât appear to have a scent. Amy bent over the basin and touched the liquid.
A small, blurry picture appeared on the surface of the liquid. A small boy nibbling his lip nervously, another one with his eyes closed chanting something over and over andâŚ. a young, blonde haired girl twisting and writhing on the floorâŚit was Amy.
She screamed and stepped back, one of her shoes brushed the surface of the lake behind her.
A grey, rotting hand rose out of the water, and started to drag Amy down into the depths.
Fear Reawakened by Ellie4Harry
Author's Notes:
Well, here it is at long last! (You can stop attacking me in dark alleyways now!) As always, I'm sorry for the terribly long wait. This chappter is dedicated to my friend Clara, though I'm pretty sure she'd prefer a happy story about nice fluffy bunny rabbits.
Amy let out an ear-piercing shriek and grabbed the white basin. The handâs grip tightened and began to pull harder. Amy clung onto the basin for dear life while trying to shake her foot loose.
Amy felt like the rope in an awful, life-threatening tug-of-war. Perhaps she would be stuck here forever being slowly torn in two. A loud crack echoed around the cave and Amyâs leg fell limp.
It was broken.
That was when she realized there was no hope left for her now. If only sheâd listened to Denis none of this would have happened. Tears began to poor down her face.
âDenis,â she whispered. âIâm sorry.â
Amy sat there crying, her arms wrapped around the basin and watching helplessly as the hand kept on pulling her closer to the edge. Suddenly, a burst of pain shot up Amyâs broken leg; the hand had pulled her ankle underwater.
Amy felt as if she were on fire, unbearable pain engulfing every part of her body. Her hands lost their grip on the basin, and she bent forward to examine her leg. At once, the hand grabbed her left arm and began pulling it down as well.
Amy screamed and tried to clamber up to the other side of the marble island but the hand had seized her other leg as well.
It pulled her healthy leg under and then her arm. It began to tug her slowly towards the edge. Amyâs right-hand fingernails scratched the cold marble, creating small sparks.
And without warning, the hand let go and sank down to the bottom of the lake.
Amy pulled herself out of the freezing water, panting. She took a few deep breaths before passing out on the marble floor.
*~*
A loud cry broke the silence in the seaside apartment. Denis groaned and heaved himself out of bed. He glanced at the clock. Twenty past three in the morning.
He walked over to Gloriaâs crib, picked her up and brought her into the kitchen. He rocked Gloria gently as he spooned the baby mixture into a milk bottle. Denis loved his little girl to pieces but he couldnât wait for this night feeding lark to be over.
When the milk was ready he brought Gloria back to her crib. She drank the milk happily and the bottle was empty in two minutes flat.
He placed her back in the cot and tucked her in. The he turned to go back to his own bed.
His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. He had thought Amy was lying beside him but her half of the bed was empty and it looked as if nobody had slept there at all.
Denisâs first instinct was to call the police, but then he realized it was pointless; he knew where Amy had gone. Part of him had known she would go there, no matter how hard he tried to stop her.
He sat on the bed and buried his face in his hands.
âAmy,â he murmured, âplease be safe, please.â
*~*
Down in the cave, Amy was regaining consciousness.
She was exhausted, her leg was broken and she had no way of getting out of this horrible cave. She glanced down at her leg and gasped.
There was a hand-shaped burn that covered her ankle. Amy touched the cut tentatively. It glowed and seemed to burn her hand. She drew her hand back quickly.
What a wonderful day this was turning out to be.
Amy closed her eyes and tried to breathe deeply. âI wish I was able to get out of this cave,â she muttered, trying very hard not to cry.
She sighed and opened her eyes. What she saw almost made her cheer happily.
The boat had risen from the water and was waiting for her to get in. Amy managed to lift herself in though it took a while getting her leg positioned.
The thoughts of the awful hand faded away, Amy was just happy she was going home.
*~*
Denis couldnât seem to sit still. Horrible thoughts of what might be happening to Amy kept playing inside his head. He remembered the last words heâd heard her say.
Found her lying on the floor, dead
âStop panicking,â Denis told himself. âAny second now, sheâll come in and everything will be fine.â
Suddenly, there were bangs and noises outside the door. Denis stood up and looked out the window.
It was pitch-black outside, he couldnât see anything, but he knew people were there. Perhaps it was a few drunks from the village.
One of them yelled something in a made-up language and the door clicked open. A man stepped into the house. He had sickly white skin and twisted, snake-like features.
âW-w-who are you?â Denis asked, hoping that the man wouldnât notice that he was shaking.
Tom Riddleâs lip curled, Denis obviously wasnât as clever as his late wife. âYour worst nightmare,â he hissed.
For the second time that morning Denisâs eyes widened.
The man raised a stick and shrieked something in the unfamiliar language. There was a flash of green light and Denis knew no more.
*~*
Amy dragged herself off of the cliff face and onto the cold, wet grass. Thankfully, it was low tide and she didnât have to swim out of the cave. The climb had been very difficult with her broken leg and had taken her what seemed like an eternity to reach the top.
Amy grabbed a stick and began walking, using the stick as a crutch. She would have to get it bandaged up back at the apartment. Oh, Denis was going to be terribly mad with her. She had been extremely reckless going to the cave like that and not telling him about it.
âI shall take him out for dinner tonight,â Amy decided. âAnd Iâll do all the â“ oh my god!â
A glittering green skull hung above her apartment. What on earth was it doing there? Was Denis alright?
Amy hurried up to the flat as fast as her leg would allow.
The door was open and it was creaking in the wind.
âDenis?â Amy called. âDenis, are you alright?â
She stepped into the apartment and quickly checked the kitchen and the sitting room before entering the bedroom.
Gloria was sleeping peacefully in her cot and Denis â“
Tears rolled down Amyâs cheeks. Sprawled on the bed was Denis Bishop.
Amy wrapped her arms around her husbands limp form and went on crying quietly. She knew who had done this; it was the same person who had pulled her plaits when she was five, the person who made sure she was never happy.
Tom Riddle.
Amy sobbed onto Denisâs shoulder. âCome back to me, Denis,â she whispered. âI love you.â
Midnight Attack by Ellie4Harry
Author's Notes:
*ducks to avoid being pelted with rotten fruit* I'm sorry!!! I've been so busy lately and more things have gone wrong with this chapter than you can even imagine! But here it is and I promise Chapter seven will come much sooner!
Regulus Black sprinted through the forest, his heart pounding. He could hear them following him, it was obvious they werenât going to give up anytime soon. His hideout was ten minutes awayâŚcould he make it that far?
He kept on running, thorns scratched his arms and legs and once or twice he tripped over a tree stump. At last he reached his hideout â“ well, it was less of a hideout and more of a large shed, but you donât entertain much when youâre on the run from a Dark wizard and his servants.
Regulus pulled the door closed. âColloportus,â he gasped before collapsing on the floor, panting.
Were they still on his trail? Should he get out of here and hide in the forest until they gave up? Yes, that was a good idea but he would just stay here until he got his breath back â“ there was no harm in that.
âReducto!â a woman shrieked and with a BANG the door shattered into a million pieces, revealing two people standing in the doorway.
âDid you have to do that?â Regulus asked weakly, shielding his eyes from splinters.
âIt adds to the effect,â Bellatrix replied and swept into the room, Lucius Malfoy following in her wake.
Regulus propped himself up and tried to disguise the fact that his lungs were about to implode. âBellatrix, Lucius,â he nodded in their direction.
Bellatrixâs face was alight with glee. âYouâve been a very bad boy, Reggie,â she smirked. âDid you think you could just back out of the Dark Lordâs inner circle?â
The real answer was ânoâ, but Regulus wasnât going to give in. He wasnât going to die sounding like a coward. âYeah, I did, actually,â he said defiantly.
Bellatrix scowled. âWell, youâre wrong. The only way to end your service to the Dark Lord is to die, and we wouldnât want to break tradition, now, would we?â
âWell, physically you could break tradition,â Regulus said thoughtfully. âBut I suppose youâre talking about whether â“â
âCrucio!â Bellatrix screamed.
Unbearable pain spread through Regulusâs body, piercing him like a hundred knives. When it finally stopped, Regulus found himself on the floor, sweaty and out of breath once more.
Bellatrix bent over him. âYou donât want that to happen again, do you, Reggie?â she leered, throwing her wand up and catching it again. âNow, where is the locket?â
âWhat locket?â Regulus asked, feigning innocence.
âThe Dark Lordâs locket,â Lucius replied as Bellatrix darted around the room, opening cupboards and smashing jars.
âThereâs a picture,â Regulus grinned, âthe Dark Lord in jewellery. What next? A tutu?â
Bellatrix grabbed his shirt and pulled him up so that their noses were almost touching. âNever insult the Dark Lord, or face,â her eyes glittered maliciously, âthe consequences.â
Lucius pushed her aside. âStop fooling around, Bella, we have a job to do.â He hesitated before pointing his wand at Regulusâs chest. âIâll ask you once more, Regulus, where is the locket?â
âTo be honest, I have no idea.â Regulus smiled widely as he watched Bellatrixâs face go pale. âI slipped it to a secret accomplice a few years back.â
âWho?â Lucius and Bellatrix asked in unison.
âI might remind you,â Bellatrix said menacingly, âthat this answer could determine whether you live or die tonight.â
Regulus sighed. âVery well, I suppose you wouldâve gotten it out of me sooner or later. Her name is Amy Benson.â
Both Lucius and Bellatrix looked confused. âSurely you mean Amy Baddock or Amy Barkwith?â Lucius inquired.
Regulus shook his head.
âWell then,â Bellatrixâs cheeks had regained a little of their colour. âI think thatâs all we need.â She raised her wand.
âWait! You canât! Bella, weâre cousins!â Regulus exclaimed.
Bellatrix pointed her wand at his heart. âItâs nothing personal, Reggie, weâre just following orders.â
Regulus was shaking, he knew what was coming but he wasnât going to die curled up on the ground. He stood up and waited for it to happen.
Lucius gave him an apologetic glance. âIâm sorry, Reg.â
Regulus looked away and willed himself not cry. What would they say to his parents? Would his brother even care if he was dead? Was Amy Benson safe?
Then, out of nowhere, it happened.
âAvada Kedavra!â Bellatrix shrieked.
Bright green light obscured his vision and Bellatrixâs manic laughter rang in his ears before he fell backwards and the ground swallowed him up.
*~*
âWHERE IS MY LOCKET?!â Tom Riddle screamed.
âW-w-we donât know, master,â Bellatrix said tentatively. âBlack said he slipped it to an accomplice â“ Amy Benson.â
Tomâs cat-like eyes widened and he sat down in a high-backed chair with his head in his hands. âYou have done well, Bella,â he muttered, not looking up. âYou are dismissed.â
Bellatrix nodded and swept from the room.
Tom Riddleâs mind was chaos. How could Black have given Amy the locket? Heâd killed her a long, long time ago. Unless he had missed â“ no, that was ridiculous, he never missedâŚbut he had to make sure.
He got out of his chair and opened the drawer of his desk. It was filled with death notices taken from newspapers. He enjoyed cutting out the notices of people he killed, it always brought a smile to his face.
Tom sorted through every single one. Amy Bensonâs wasnât there. Her death notice didnât existâŚbecause she wasnât dead. Amy Benson was alive and she had his horcrux.
âIâm coming for you, Amy Benson,â he whispered. âAnd this time you wonât be so lucky.â
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