An Exquisite Pain

prologue:last words

She was about to die; there was no mistaking that.

The shapes closed in around her, blocking all means of escape. She tried her best to break free of the invisible bonds tying her limbs together, but they were as strong as iron and she only succeeded in exhausting herself.

She tried to scream, but no sound came out of her frozen lips. It wouldn't have done her any good to cry for help, anyway. She was completely surrounded

Something warm pressed against her arm. It was a hand, slowly running down her bare skin. With a surge of daring she didn't even know she possessed, she turned her head and spat onto whoever was touching her.

A murmur ran through the group. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, sweetheart," a voice directly behind her whispered, menacing in the shadows. "It will only make everything more painful."

"I don't care," she hissed, although she was shaking madly. "Just hurry up and kill me already, will you?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid," a cold, high-pitched voice sounded from in front of her. She sensed rather than heard the men around her drift away, as if they had been silently bidden to move. "I have to receive some…information from you first."

"I will never tell you anything," she growled, gritting her teeth. Her resolve was beginning to weaken, and she knew she didn't have much time left.

"Well, that won't do, will it?" the voice asked, a slight sneer in its tone. "This must be done the hard way, then. Any last words?"

She shut her eyes tightly so as not to look at the monster in front of her, preparing to welcome the darkness. But she was not alone.

Behind her eyelids, an image slowly began to appear, gradually drifting into focus. Her memory had fortunately not failed her on this part.

It was a teenage boy, dressed in a dark pair of robes that accentuated his deathly pale skin. This was in stark contrast to his jet-black hair, which was parted and neatly combed to one side. His dark blue eyes burned as wildly as fire and a small smirk played at the corners of his mouth as he twirled his wand in his long-fingered hands.

Only the tiniest breath escaped her, a whisper that no one would ever hear. "Tom."

With that, she opened her eyes and looked straight ahead. "Kill me."