Caged Bird Screaming

Beautiful sadness

Axe didn’t know where he was or how long he walked for. All he knew was that he needed to get away from the small town as quickly and as far as possible if he wanted to see the next sunrise. It wasn’t easy travelling blindly in the middle of the night tripping over small logs and branches. The thought of moving around in circles scared him out of his mind. He could imagine the blood hounds ascending on him, their sharp teeth ripping his flesh apart. Axe shuddered at the thought. He’d rather be hanged than have his flesh ripped into shreds.  

Axe staggered across the dry terrain tired, hungry and thirsty. He had forgotten his satchel and was now lost in the middle of nowhere without food or water. Axe sat on the ground contemplating his disastrous fate. He thought about events he could have changed...things he could have done differently. If he had just stolen the master’s money and obeyed his mistress, maybe he wouldn’t be in the position he was in at the moment. If he hadn’t pushed her, he would not be stuck in the dark, in the middle of nowhere.

Axe muttered under his breath. He couldn’t change the past. He had to look onto the future and think of a way of getting out of the mess he was in. That was what Three and Maze would want him to do.

Axe thought of resuming his journey north but decided against it. He had dreamt of going north with the two people he loved most in the world. Now they were gone and he didn’t see the point of going on.

He lay on the ground caught up in his thoughts. If he didn’t go north, where would he go to? He had just murdered a man in cold blood. Henry’s father was after him and had placed wanted posters of him in towns. His life was a big fat mess.

It began raining and Axe closed his eyes as the warm droplets fell on his skin. He didn’t want to find shelter. He was just fine where he was. He didn’t care if he froze to death. He didn’t care if the blood hounds found him and ripped his flesh to shreds. He wanted to disappear off the face of the earth.

Axe lost track of time and fell asleep. He tried dreaming of happy times during his childhood but couldn’t. All he saw was blood and limp bodies swaying in the wind. Heads of dead slaves hanging on poles still haunted his dreams.

........

Harriet closed the door behind her silently. She fell on her bed and covered herself with warm blankets. She hoped she’d get a good night sleep. She prayed she would have no nightmares. She was sick and tired of seeing writings written in blood on the wall and hearing voices in the deep of the night.

Harriet hesitantly fell asleep but kept opening her eyes once in a while to make sure a ghost wasn’t standing next to her bed ready to haunt her dreams.

Sometime in the night she rolled over but stopped in her tracks when she felt something lying next to her. Her eyelids flew open and she sat up, breathing heavily trying not to panic. She threw the covers off her bed and grabbed a candle from her bed side table. She shakily brought the candle closer to the person lying beside her and was relieved when she saw it was Henry.

Harriet leaned over and kissed his forehead gently. He looked so peaceful; she didn’t want to wake him up. She touched his arm and raised an eyebrow. Henry was cold. That was strange.

“Henry.” She tapped his shoulder trying to wake him up. Henry didn’t move so she tried again. “Henry darling wake up.” Henry didn’t wake up. Harriet sighed and brought the candle closer to his face. His skin was white as sheet and he wasn’t breathing. “Henry!!!” Harriet dropped the candle on the floor and began shaking Henry trying to wake him up. “Henry can you hear me?!” Harriet began screaming and crying hysterically. She had already lost one child, and wasn’t ready to lose another. Henry didn’t respond. His eyes remained closed and his skin numbed Harriet’s fingers.