Caged Bird Screaming

Man's memories

Axe fell onto his bed, his heart racing, pounding hard within the walls of his chest.  The mistress had wanted him to steal from her husband and he said no. No one said no to the mistress. By saying no to her, he had signed his death warrant.

He couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t close his eyes without seeing his severed head on a pole. He couldn’t stop thinking about how it’d be to have a noose put around his neck. The images were so strong he could almost feel it. Axe dreaded the dawning of a new day. He wasn’t ready to face the Mistress.

He squinted as the big yellow ball rose from the depths of the earth, across the horizon and into the sky. It was the dawn of a new day. It was the beginning of another nightmare. Axe swung his feet out of bed and made his way to the small meadow to pick some apples for Cook. He needed them to make jam for the master’s family.

Axe’s eyes were red from fatigue and his body refused to function properly. His feet felt heavy as if a large amount of weight had been added to it. His arms felt sluggish and his fingers frozen and numb with cold. He collapsed to the ground in frustration. He had to keep working. He had to give cook the fruit else he’d get a flogging; twenty lashes at least. He had to see Henry to make sure he was still alive. He needed to stay away from the Mistress else she’d be the one who’d take him to court and condemn him for not obeying her. He forced himself onto his feet and picked the small apples from their trees.

........

The darkness surrounding Henry slowly began fading away. He blinked twice trying to adjust his eyes to the brightness of the room. He turned his head hoping to see someone there. No one was there. He tried calling Angel’s name but the sound refused to come out of his mouth. He attempted raising his head but stopped half way when he felt painful pangs on his back. He dropped his head and closed his eyes again.

........

Axe placed the apples in a large bowl in the kitchens. Cook wasn’t in the house yet and he still had some spare time on his hands. He entered the room where Henry was kept desolate. The physician said it would help Henry’s wounds heal. Axe shook his head. The boy had turned so pale during the last few days. Sometime in the sun was what he needed. Axe cringed when the door creaked as he opened it. He hated the door. It needed to be fixed.

Henry still lay on his belly, the same way he had been for about week. He hadn’t eaten. Water had to be forced down his throat. He was now thin, wasting away like one of the beggars on the street.

Axe sat beside him and removed some of the bandages from his back. The wounds didn’t seem to be healing and Axe was getting frustrated. Maybe removing the bandages from Henry’s wounds would quicken the healing process. He removed some more bandages from Henry’s back giving his skin room to breathe.

Axe’s heart stopped when Henry’s eyes flickered open.

“Angel is that you?” Henry asked. Axe could barely hear him.

“Yes Master it’s me.” Axe moved closer towards him and stroked his head affectionately.

“It’s Henry not Master, Angel.” Henry corrected and Axe grinned. Henry was still the same boy he had grown to love. “I’m thirsty.”

Axe took a small cup of water from a nearby table and placed it on Henry’s lips. Henry’s eyes closed in pleasure as the cool liquid cooled his throat down to the pit of his stomach. He shifted his head as a signal to Axe telling him to stop. Axe removed the cup from Henry’s lips and gently placed his head onto the pillow again.

“Thank you Angel.” Henry whispered with a weak smile.

Axe moved raised the covers to the lower half of Henry’s back. He had to tell Henry who he really was. “Henry can I tell you something?” Henry nodded. Axe took a deep breath and said “My name is not Angel. It’s Axe.”