When you think about it, the dark is a whole different world. You are suddenly blind to everything but yourself, and in yourself you must find the light.
I was submerged in the dark for the first seven years of my life. I was Plan B, something they’d use to eliminate the Potter race if my Master didn’t succeed in his mission. Honestly, they were not planning on having to use me. I wasn’t loved by my father, my creator. I was just a toy, nothing but a plaything.
I was kept in the basement of the Malfoy mansion, locked in the room behind the bookshelves, so I could never be seen or heard from unless I was called. It was cold and I slept on the rough concrete floor, emerging in the morning with scrapes and cuts. I was not an equal to them, so I did not get a bed, carpet, or warmth. I had one sheet and a pillow case stuffed with dishrags, that was all they thought I needed, but they were wrong.
I did not have a name, and I was called nothing but you or her or it. The others had names, so when I was six years old I named myself, Raven. The name felt good on my lips, right in a way. It was the bird that gave me inspiration to name myself. From the barred and filthy windows in my room, I would watch them soar and twirl in the air, diving towards the ground to capture food. For hours on end I would watch them, wishing I could one day fly like that, to be free. When I was seven years old, freedom came.
~*~*~
“Get up! Get up you filthy creature, the Dark Lord calls!” Her voice quickly shattered my dream into a million pieces, jolting me awake in an unpleasant fashion.
I sat up with a groan, rubbing my swollen eyes with my fists. My whole body was sore from last night’s testing, and my head felt like it had been slammed against a metal pole. My muscles screamed in protest as I lifted myself off the ground, making whimpers of pain in the process.
“Oh, shut your mouth,” Bellatrix said, taking me by my collar and shoving me against the wall. My head made a loud crack as it met the concrete. “You listen,” she breathed, her putrid breath making me wrinkle my nose and turn my head slightly to the side. “The Dark Lord has given so much to create you, and we can’t have you being an ungrateful little brat can we?”
I shook violently as I looked at her bleeding lips and sneering smile. I knew she was waiting for me to make a fatal mistake so she could punish me severely, and I would be in even more pain then I was now. So I looked her in the eye and shook my head slowly, emphasizing the movement so she couldn’t miss it.
She nodded her head in approval and dropped me so I fell to my knees.
“Be upstairs in fifteen minutes exactly,” she barked, sending spit flying into her scraggly hair. “Don’t be late.”
I watched the door shut, feeling dread creep up into my chest. I hated going to testing, I absolutely hated it. The spells they performed on me to make me stronger were excruciatingly painful, and I’m sure my screams echoed throughout the entire house, ringing endlessly…
I snapped out of my daze when the door opened again, creaking on it’s rusted hinges. I backed up slowly, figuring that there must be something wrong if Bellatrix was back again. I gasped when the door opened all the way, revealing… a dark hallway.
I tilted my head to the side in confusion, there was no way that the door could have just swung open, it was locked and bolted on the outside and you had to have the key. I studied the air in the hallway, half expecting Bellatrix to appear out of thin air and slap me for not shutting the door. As I watched the air, it moved. I jumped back, stifling a scream. Then, I opened my mouth in a silent shriek as the air twirled and twisted, suddenly lifting off and revealing a woman.
The woman was dressed in a dark cloak that reached the floor, giving her the appearance of a dementor as she seemingly swept towards me. As she got closer, I saw that she had a kind face, the kind you’d expect a mother to have. She had dark eyes and blonde hair that was cut roughly to her chin, and it appeared as if she was smiling.
I was terrified out of my mind, and I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming. I had just seen a woman appear out of thin air, and now she was making her way towards me. She was probably sent to kill me, yes, that was it. Plan A had succeeded and now I was to be terminated. I hoped it wasn’t going to be painful, I would have liked to have it over quickly.
I felt a sharp pain as I realized I had backed into the window. I was afraid of this air woman, I realized, breathing faster as she got closer and closer. I watched as she approached me, fearing the worst. Then she stopped, extended her hand, and smiled warmly.
“Hello, my name is Jessica Warren, and I’m here to rescue you,” she send, genuine warmth spreading across her features.
What else is a terrified seven year old supposed to do when she’s scared out of her mind? I couldn’t help it. I screamed.
AN: Hey guys! I’m sorry the chapter is so short, the second is much longer and MUCH more interesting I promise you. This chapter is basically about Raven’s life before she was saved, so I understand that it was kind of boring. Don’t worry, in the rest of the book she’ll be MUCH older than seven! Review please, but don’t be mean, it’s my first ever novella. REVIEW(;
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