The Monsters in Our Heads || Tom Riddle x Reader

SALT AND WATER

Wool's Orphanage Summer, 1934

                             The summer of 1934 came in the form of a heatwave, bold and dominating. Although the sky was covered by clouds, the heat still managed to make the children of Wool's Orphanage feel as though they were steamed alive. No one could seem to escape the heat, especially the two upstairs in the attic.

The attic is now cleaned due to Y/N's command and slightly furnished by wooden planks laid together on a few bricks, forming a low table, and an old wooden bathtub decorated the centre of the attic. Usually, a cloth would cover the tub and it would be their fort, but the cloth got dirty from collecting all the dust (this triggered the need for a  tidy-up). Tom sat against the wall with his legs stretched out as Y/N rested her head gently on his lap. 

While Tom could conceal his suffering, Y/N whimpered from time to time as though the heat was cooking her alive. Tom's rhythmic patting on Y/N's arm managed to divert her focus from her pains as she tuned into his patting. 

It was the first Summer Y/N experienced away from her family and she didn't know what to do, and as the heat slowly ate her away, the skin on Y/N's arm became stuck onto Tom's sweating hand..a thin, translucent, blue-purple layer of skin swiftly ripped off Y/N's arm and revealed white, fluorescent scales... She could feel the tension as each part ripped away from her skin but there was no pain. Tom stared wide-eyed at Y/N who looked as stunned as him. Tom knew she was different from the other kids, that she was magical like him but not like this. It's like the books—the books that weren't supposed to be real.

"Are you scared?" She asked simply as she looked at him.

"No," he said. "Are you okay?" He asked softly and held his hands awkwardly in the air... He was afraid to touch her. The words somehow triggered something within Y/N and her eyes took this as a command to start crying.

"I'm okay," she croaked as tears rolled down her cheeks. She could feel each individual tear as it travels down her cheeks and the hot streaks they left. The salinity of her tears managed to soothe but burn her cracked cheeks and then it clicked...

Y/n was four that summer, and it was just as hot, but she was sent to her grandmother to go swimming. The seawater managed to make her forget the heatwave above and the aquatic patterns laced her thoughts as she explored the ocean floors. She was confused as to why, and Violetta only briefly explained to her before rushing off to her business meeting, and now, she understood properly now.

"Tom."

"Yes, Anthy."

"I need your help."

As Tom carefully carried the bucket of water up the attic stairs, his tiny back ached from the labour. He also had to stop every few times to cover his track by mopping up every bit of water he spilt on the way. His slender arms bent in an abnormal way as it straightens from the weight, it took way too much energy to place the heavy bucket gently on the ground to achieve minimal spillage or noise.

Before pouring the water into the bathtub, he'd mix salt that he borrowed from the kitchens with his hands, and when the salt dissolves into the warmer than warm water, he grunts as he lifts up the tub, but only to drop it immediately—for the thing he saw shocked him further than he could ever be shocked about. 

There she laid, submerged in the saltwater he made the last trip. She was on her side, her silver hair and now longer eyelashes now glowed as it reached out gracefully for the water, creating a golden-blue shine. 

Her arms were pulled to her chest as it guarded the sapphire necklace that glowed a royal blue. Her legs were now an iridescent whitetail with a large tail fluke that frayed out of the tub as it couldn't fit. Her veil-tail that also glowed with her hair spread across the water in different directions as it flowed and fluttered like a betta fish's tail.

He was more than shocked. He was amazed.

As Y/N peacefully submerged in the salted water, her pains managed to fade away. Her skin created a tickling yet painful sensation as it healed itself, shedding the old protective skin off and grew new ones. 

The moment Tom went downstairs to get another bucket of water, the sapphire necklace her mother gave her glowed and created a soft melodic humming as it drifted itself up, closer to Y/N's face and illuminated her soft and fragile features. It was bright but it was healing, and everywhere its royal blue light touched, eased Y/N's pain.

"My sweet, child," a familiar yet unfamiliar female voice delicately sang, and Y/N swore the necklace just spoke, but her eyelids were heavy and her eyes... Hurt from the light seeping through the window. Her eyes fluttered for a few more seconds and finally, she gave in to the calming and wise voice as it spoke, "Sleep my child, you are safe with me now."

A/N: Hejhej! I'm thinking of changing the name of my book. For you guys that are new, I used to have a non-x reader version called "The Monsters in our Heads." I've decided to discontinue it because I wasn't as passionate about it like this one. And this book, "A Cure for Tom Riddle," sounded too specific and gives off wrong impressions and I think the vagueness and darkness of "The monsters in our Head" will suit this book a lot more. I like both the background images because they symbolise a special setting in this story. Sorry for the watermarks.

Comment below if you think I should change!!

Also, this will mean I'll have to change the cover of this book, comment below which one you like better!!