Who: Antonin Dolohov and Tottie Abbott (NPC) What: Antonin has found another girl. Where: Undisclosed location When: Late evening, September 6th 1997 Rating // Status: High for character death // complete
There was no telling how long he watched her. A week, perhaps. Maybe three days. It could have been a lifetime. He didn't know. All that he did know was that she was beautiful and that all beauty must die.
It was too easy to catch her, once she had been alone. She hadn't suspected he would be there. None of them ever did. But this one fought valiantly, fiercely.. but Antonin's superior strength and the advantage of surprise gave him victory. He captured her and held her locked away, naked in a cold, lonely place that offered no comfort or familiarity. It offered only a long, chilling silence mingled with uncertainty.
And with death.
She cried. There were tears on her face, fear in her eyes and the cold, hard truth that she was going to die. She knew it. She understood it and she was afraid.
She begged for her life.
"Please," she whimpered, "please let me go.. I won't tell anyone. I won't say a word.." But what did it matter if she spoke of this? The world knew who and what Antonin Dolohov was already. Another girl with a story made no difference. Well, the difference was that no one walked away from him alive unless he intended it to be so... and she wasn't meant to be one of those. He was trying to save her, after all. To bring her to salvation.
She cried, Antonin only shook his head and silenced her. How could he not offer her hope, though? When she was so afraid.. He smiled and said,
"All who call upon the name of our Lord will be saved.. You must accept him into your heart and you will be saved.."
The Lord would answer her prayers. She need only repent. She was so brave. So sweet when she cried and spoke her words.
"I ... I accept the Lord into my.. heart.."
Antonin wiped away her tears, made her repeat the words and some prayers, asking for forgiveness. It calmed her down. She hadn't stopped crying and there was still fear in her eyes. It reflected so beautifully back at Antonin. It was almost sad that she had to die. She was beautiful. Just as beautiful as her mother and her sister. He knew them too.. her mother had been brave as well, and Hannah fought so hard to stay strong in wake of her sadness.
It almost pained him to consider how much this would hurt Hannah. But it was necessary to save this gir, Hannah's sisterl. She would be free of sin, corruption and all chaos around her. And eventually, so would Hannah.
Antonin brushed a hand through the girl's hair so he could see her face clearly and allow her to look into his eyes. A smile touched his face and leaned down to kiss her brow, offering her comfort before he turned to remove his jacket, tossing it over a broken down chair. Facing the girl again, he watched her quietly, his fierce eyes sweeping over her naked frame without interest before meeting her eyes again, staring into them while he rolled up the sleeves of his oxford shirt.
"Do not be afraid, child. God is merciful.. he answers prayers. Pray to be saved, child.. and God will grant you your wish," he murmured and stepped close to her again. She looked at him in fear, it was wild and apparent in her eyes.
"Please!" she begged him, "please. I wanna go home.."
Antonin offered no words but touched her face, reveling in the warmth of it one last time then his digits moved and he curled his fingertips around her throat and squeezed. She thrashed, choked on her own words, stared in abject terror and tried to fend him off but her bound hands offered no hope, no chance of escape! She could only struggle, move and try to break his grip, to spit out garbled words that made no difference to Antonin's ears. Fear was wild in her eyes and she stared at him with such horror that it pained him to look on, but he did not turn his gaze away.
He wanted to watch the light die in her eyes.
Her movements grew weak. Slow, and with a final twitch of her body and a weak protest.. fell still.
Silenced settled over them, Antonin loosened his grip around her bruised throat, and touched her face, wiping away the lingering tears with a gentle brush of his thumb. He reached up then and undid the ropes that bound her hands above her head, tenderly examining the bruises around her wrists her bonds had caused. He rearranged her limbs, brushed back her blonde hair once more and as he leaned down to kiss her brow he pressed a rosary into her dead hands.