Caged Bird Screaming

Illusions

The white dress she once wore was now red, soaked with blood. Her back burned. This was how Henry must have felt when George whipped him.

Harriet looked up as everything began fading from sight. She cowered away when Miriam came closer towards her. She was now dressed in a black cloak; her hands were long and thin and her fingernails long like that of a hawk’s talons.

“Now you know how it feels to be me.” Miriam’s voice sounded like a snake’s hiss. Harriet recoiled away from her in alarm. “Look at me Harriet.” Harriet obeyed her order and looked at her. Miriam raised her hand to slowly remove the hood. Harriet let out a cry when she saw Miriam’s face. Miriam wasn’t human. She was an old hag with white eyes and a thin skeletal face. She leaned closer towards Harriet. Harriet moved away but Miriam followed her laughing.

She then grabbed Harriet by the jaw and slapped her. Harriet’s eyes widened and she stopped moving. Miriam laughed harshly. Harriet could do nothing but shudder.

“I’ll get you soon mistress. I’ll get you soon....” Miriam said as she began fading away into the darkness. Harriet cringed as Miriam’s laughter overtook her body and couldn’t stop ringing in her ears.

Harriet’s eyes flew open and she quickly sat up breathing heavily, gasping for air. She sobbed quietly unable to get the image Miriam out of her mind. She glanced at George sleeping peacefully and felt like slapping him. She wanted to choke him in anger. Didn’t he see her? Didn’t he see she was the one being flogged not Miriam?  

She got up from the bed and walked outside the house. She sat on one of Henry’s swings, moving her knees swaying back and forth. It was a peaceful night and she was a mess.  Wisps of blonde hair fell across her face as she swung back and forth. She could see the endless rows of huts in the moonlight and sighed with envy at the thought of the Negroes enjoying their sleep while her dream haunted her.

She rested her head on her arm and closed her eyes trying to sleep. It didn’t work. She tried over and over again to fall asleep without avail. She got up from the swing, went back into the house and entered the drawing room.

She lay on one of the couches deep in reflection and thought about George. She thought of the Negro who refused to obey her. The night was still. Nothing moved. Not a sound was made and yet Harriet felt another presence in the room. “Who’s there?” she asked softly lifting her head from its resting place.

There was no reply. Harriet shivered with fear. She swore she was not the only one in the room. She stood up and checked the room for an intruder. The room was empty. She slumped to the floor in relief.

It had only been a dream. The Negro deserved what she got. She was the one who had cursed her husband. She was the one who got herself in trouble. Harriet heard something drip onto the floor and went to investigate it. She thought it a cup must have fallen over and now its content was slowly dripping onto the floor.

She soon found the source of the problem. A cup had fallen over and wine was trickling along the edge of the table. Harriet turned the cup back to its original position and took a small cloth on the table to wipe the wine from the table and floor. As she wiped the wine from the floor, she mistakenly touched it. It was thick and felt clotted. She brought her hand to her nose and gasped. It wasn’t wine. It was blood.

She ran out of the room and took a candle from the hallway, so she could really see what was going on. She came back into the room and saw a large pool of blood on the floor. The blood wasn’t dripping from the table. It was coming from somewhere above her head. Harriet jumped when a small drop landed on her shoulder. She moved away and looked up. She screamed when she saw Miriam’s body hanging loosely from the ceiling.

Harriet dropped the candle screaming for help. She didn’t notice the candle’s flames spread across the rug and onto the couch. She was focused on Miriam’s limp, bleeding body dangling like a swing in the breeze.

The door opened and George rushed into the study, yelling at her to stop screaming as he threw a jug of water on the flames and patted the flames with a cloth.

Harriet fell to the ground in shock, her eyes budged out of her sockets.

“What do you think you’re doing?” George grasped her shoulders and shook her. “You almost set the house alight!” He was angry. His eyes were bloodshot and he had dark circles under his eyes. Harriet wanted to tell him what had happened but she couldn’t form the words she wanted to say. “Tell me!!” George shook her again and slapped her. Harriet pointed to the ceiling and George sneered. “There’s nothing there.” He let go of her and she collapsed on the floor. She watched George walk out of the room, unable to say or do anything.

She looked at the ceiling and forced a scream down her throat. Miriam’s lifeless body still hung from the roof, and drops of blood fell on the ground. Harriet flinched when a drop landed on her lips. She rolled over and ran out of the room. As she ran, she could hear Miriam’s laugh loud and clear. Miriam’s ghost was after her.