Caged Bird Screaming

Hawk woman

The only thing Maze felt was pain. The only thing she saw was a blur of faces surrounding her, overwhelming her very being. Their voices were blended and muffled together ringing loudly in her ears. Pain wrapped itself around her small frame like a hot blanket refusing to budge. She gritted her teeth trying not to howl. A part of her wanted to scream. The other half refused to do it. Screaming would give her mistress satisfaction of what she had done.

........

Axe walked from Tom's shop with Alexander begging him not to leave. Axe was tempted not to go but when he looked at the boy, he felt a stab of guilt. He didn't want to be the one who tore his mother and father apart. He didn't want to be the one who destroyed their small family. As he walked down the street, he turned around and waved goodbye to Alexander who stood on the small stool by the window. Alexander waved back sadly. Axe turned and kept going his way. It was almost evening and he tried not to think about where he'd sleep. He had to find Maze before George found him. Axe was grateful for the fact he had clean and decent clothes on. No one would think he was a fugitive running away from his master. He blended in with the other Negroes around the town. He had seen a few of them in the street but was too scared to ask them about Maze.

The town was quite small with a few plantations scattered around the area. Time was against Axe and he knew he had to work quickly so he and Maze could escape at night when it was less likely they'd be noticed making their escape.

Axe sighed when he set eyes on the first plantation in the area. It was an average size plantation stretching over quite a large area of land. It wasn't difficult to penetrate as there were no fences surrounding the plantation. Any slave knew that if he had to escape he wouldn't make it far because it would be far too easy to spot him. Even if he escaped with detection, he'd get lost and wouldn't be able to find food or shelter. Unlike an inexperienced runaway, Axe knew how to get back onto the path he was travelling on before he decided to turn around to find his family.

The field slaves had just finished their duties and were returning back to their huts. The overseers were at the front and Axe sighed with relief. They wouldn't notice him. They were too occupied with the thought of drinking wine and having a decent meal. Axe hurried and fell into line with the slaves. They were tired and their heads were bowed low as they shuffled their feet painfully making their way to their huts.

"Excuse me." Axe tapped the man in front of him on the shoulder. The man turned to Axe. His eyes were red from fatigue and his face looked like a worn out canvas. His exhaustion had not only taken effect on his body but his soul.

"Yes?" His voice was soft and raspy. Axe knew he wasn't in the mood to talk but there was no time to waste.

"Have you seen a girl, she's almost thirteen and is about this height?" Axe made a gesture to show how tall Maze was. "She has long hair that is normally in braids." The man looked at him with confusion written across his face. Many girls looked like Maze. Axe groaned and tried again. "She has a scar at the left side of her neck."

The man raised his eye brow and shook his head. "No I haven't seen her. Maybe ask the women. They may be able to help?"

Axe nodded. "Thank you." The man smiled and walked away. Axe wanted to stamp his foot on the dirt in frustration. Finding Maze would not be easy.

Axe wandered around the slave quarters restlessly trying to get the courage to talk to one of the women. The last thing he wanted to do was cause trouble. He bit his lip when he saw a woman sitting in front of a hut staring blankly at the people around her. Axe decided to take a chance. It was now or never. He walked up to her and tapped her shoulder. "Yes." She looked at him and Axe tried not to run. She looked like a hawk.

"I'm looking for a little girl. She's almost thirteen and has a scar at the left side of her cheek." Axe explained shakily to the woman. She had already lost her focus and was looking at a small group of children playing with a puppy.

"Why are you shaking like a chicken about to be cooked over a fire boy? Anyway your friend isn't here. I know everyone around here. People think I don't pay attention around here but I know everything and everyone in this cage. Your friend isn't here boy. She's at another plantation. The one next to the small church. I've met her a few times at the market. She's a nice girl...last time I saw her she was big with child." She raised her head and snorted. Axe had already gone. He was running from the plantation. Some overseers saw him and laughed thinking he'd return after a day or two. That's what the other slaves did when they ran away. They came back, got their whipping and went back to work. Axe would be no different from them.

Axe ran for how long, he didn't know. The woman had scared the living daylights out of him but he hoped her information was reliable. It didn't take him long to find the small church. It stood near a hill right next to a plantation. The hawk woman had been right.

Axe ran across the cotton fields to the large rows of huts in the distance. He was breathless when he reached them. His heart pounded hard with excitement. After four long months, he was going to see Maze again. He knocked on one of the huts with a plan in his head. He'd ask for Maze, find her and they'd both run and run away from the town. As he waited for the door to open a loud scream pierced through the plantation. The door open and Axe froze when he recognized the sound. It was Maze.