Mother Knows Best(book 1)

Chapter 2

Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live

-Norman Cousins

It appears empty. Footsteps are heard coming down the passageway, keys rattling, and doors being swung open. Judge Smoothers enters again, this time with another whip. One with sharp, silver things dangling from the ends. Lilura assumed, from what she could see, that these ones would leave great damage on her body.

He glared sharply, "Are you still stubborn, woman?"

                    

Life makes you strong. Death gives you rest.

"Goddamit!" He snapped, then gripped onto the whip tightly. He had expected women to answer when he took his trouble to ask them a question. He even expected to receive whatever he demanded, it was something he believed he deserved. "You have such stubborn fire in you, but in here it does not matter. You are in my authority, you will speak when I command you." He leaned forward. "Of course you know what that means, Lilura. I want you to save both of us the trouble and speak."

But do not rest until you've made everything right.

"I pray God forgives your soul, for you know not what you do," Lilura prayed quietly, and then spoke up more, "A confession, I owe you not."

He grabbed her jaw tightly. "Do you wish to die?"

"To live is a loss, to die is gain."

Beads of sweat forms on her forehead, he brushed his hand over to wipe them away. Lilura did not flinch away from his hand, nor did she appear bothered. He took her face in his hands. "Daring, Lilura. I trust your verses to save you." Lilura stared at him. "Thou stubborn woman," he said, and moved still closer to her face.

He slowly made his way to a table and placed the whip on it. He dug into his coat pocket and pulled out a cloth and blade, then gently rubbed the blade clean. "You know, every day, I go home late to my commanding infant" and with those words, he drew near to her and tied the cloth around her eyes.

Lilura mockingly said, "Then let's make you go late again."

He glared a hundred hot coals and then seized her thigh. The blade in his palms met flesh, soft and plump, and made a pleasing squish as it sank deep enough. Judge Smoothers spun the blade in his hands, all the while sinking it deeper and deeper. He hauled it out as blood gushed out of the wound on her thigh. Lilura did not whimper, nor did she utter a sound. That infuriated him more. He loathed how she stupidly made no sound. She was mute to his tries to break her. He had been used to the sounds of guttural chokes mixed with an agonized roar. He was used to sobs and pleadings. He was used to getting the attention that masked his own sin. More thick blood flowed freely from the gaping hole, scarlet liquid dripping into a pool around her knees. He sucked his teeth, throwing the blade down and kicked it far from him.

Lilura whispered, "Does guilt leave thou not?" She could not see the look in his eyes, but she could already imagine them, the pure insanity behind those grey eyes.

Judge Smoothers roughly grabbed her hair and pulled her face towards him. She could feel his heart pulsate harder and louder than before. It was pounding in his chest as if it wanted to be free from layers of skin and muscle. This is simply what anger does to you.

"I have no guilt! I have none, you hear me?"

"I hear your lies," she muttered softly, then leaned close. "I hear your lies loud and clear. It makes your heart overwork, it makes your skin jump at nothing. You're sore, for a reason, I can not explain nor hold any witness to. You complain about going home to your child late, but to mines, I cannot go. The heat dances with my child, and I know not. Whether he eats, I know not. Whether he drinks, I know not. But you, you go to yours every night. You kiss their protected, sleeping face. You whisper words of safety, and even hold them gently in your arms--"

"Where is the hidden child, Lilura? Speak and I shall release you at once."

Lilura moved her head away, "I can not." She speaks no further, her throat dry and she groaned low in it.

"Your child will die, Lilura, you do know that? He will die if you do not speak. And you will rot in this darkness, you do know that, don't you?"