a l o n e (open)

[calcetines]

Angel felt a lump forming in her throat, her eyes stung, but she was determined to keep a strong face for Isaac. Now more than ever he needed someone sturdy to be behind him. She knew that she would have to be that rock. Angel squeezed Isaac's hand again, a nonverbal gesture of her support as well as one for him to continue. There was something else there, something he hadn't said yet. Angel was internally alarmed by his shaking, she had never seen Isaac so vulnerable before.

[malfoy]

Isaac took in a deep, shuddering breath, more so in attempts to calm himself rather than needing the oxygen. Were he still a human instead of this monster tears would come, but he couldn't even have a mental breakdown normally anymore. "At times they would shove a female prisoner in my cell," Isaac began, even his voice shaking, "they would threaten to cut her hands off if I didn't rape her. I refused the first time, I didn't believe them." He paused, pulling his hand away from Angel's so he could hold his head in his hands, trying in vain to steady himself.

[calcetines]

Angel felt sick to her stomach, a combination of disgust and anger brewing within her. How could they do such a thing? Were the Death Eaters not human? Could they really take pleasure in something like that? As Isaac leaned forward Angel draped her arm around him, glad that at least he could no longer see her face. She allowed her tears to fall slowly, but did not sob, kept her breathing as steady as she possibly could.

[malfoy]

Isaac took a long time to continue speaking, the images flooding back in his mind's eye were practically making all other functions stop dead in their tracks. His voice failed him several times before he could make logical words again. "She bled to death in my arms, but I was so thirsty that I licked her blood off the floor," Isaac said quietly, his tone filled with disgust toward himself, he felt as if any shred of humanity he had had was gone. "That situation was repeated so many times... The last girl was only twelve. But what could I do?"

[calcetines]

Angel felt as if her heart was pounding against the lump that had formed in her throat, the slight feeling of nausea in the pit of her stomach intensified. Twelve... That was only a little older than Alex. The thought that not even children were safe from the wrath of the Death Eaters made an involuntary shudder snake down her spine. Unable to restrain herself, she sniffed. "There wasn't anything you could have done," said Angel, managing somehow to keep her voice steady, "they're all mad, you can't blame yourself. That's what they do, they get in your head to make yourself your own worst enemy."

[malfoy]

Isaac didn't respond, words and his voice had failed him entirely. He hoped that Angel wouldn't want him to say anything else, he doubted whether he could or not. There was a long pause in which Isaac just sat still, allowing Angel to comfort him to the best of her ability. He wondered if he would ever be able to leave all of what had happened behind him, but it didn't seem likely. "Please," Isaac finally choked out, "don't tell. Anyone." He had spent that long trying to tell one person, Isaac wasn't ready for everyone to know yet.

[calcetines]

Angel swallowed forcefully in vain attempts to clear the lump that had permanently lodged itself in her throat, but was unsuccessful. She hadn't planned on telling anyone, except perhaps Gabriella, but Isaac seemed so afraid for anyone else to know, so she would keep it a secret. At least for now. "I won't say a word," Angel whispered, "not to anyone." She kept quiet after that, although she did feel strongly that Isaac should talk to Gabriella about what he had just told her.

[malfoy]

Isaac didn't reply, not even with his customary nod, but he was internally grateful for Angel agreeing to confidentiality. Truth be told, he was afraid of others seeing him as being weak or too psychologically damaged to function normally. He wanted his experiences to be kept quiet, to protect himself from judgment of others. Isaac knew in the back of his mind he needed to tell Gabriella, but later. He flat-out refused to tell such horrors to his wife while she was still pregnant.

[calcetines]

Normally one for conversation, Angel didn't have anything left to say to one of her oldest friends. After what he had just told her, conversation didn't seem like the thing that he needed. But she was determined to be there for Isaac, no matter what that might be, as he had always been there for her. Angel closed her eyes, willing the tears to stop, but this did very little.