Caged Bird Screaming

Lies and demons

Axe felt he was spinning deeper and deeper into the dark world that surrounded him. He felt he was in a box without a way out. Silence covered him like a heavy cape trapping him in the black hole, refusing to let go. Axe could feel himself going mad, not out of panic, but anger. If he was dead, was this how it felt? Was this how Chapel felt; lost and confused spinning slowly through the world of darkness? He tried calling out. His lips formed the words but the sound refused to be heard. He could do nothing but try to keep himself sane. If only he could escape from his torment. If only he could open his eyes.

........

George placed the last locks on the door and smiled with satisfaction when he finished. He had successfully captured his slave and had come up with a new system of punishment. Instead of flogging them, he planned on keeping them in a locked room for days on end, deprived of food, water and human contact. The slave would then go out of their mind and never think of running away or disobeying his orders.

“George.” George turned around when he heard his name being called by one of his closest friends Ronald.

“Yes?”

“She’s dead.” Ronald said with a small shake of his head.

“Who’s dead?” George asked confused by what he heard.

“Harriet. Harriet is dead George.” George didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to feel. He supposed he should have been on his knees sobbing and wailing to God about the loss of his wife, but he didn’t feel anything. He wasn’t sure he even loved her. Part of him was glad she was dead. After all, she was nuts and was ruining his reputation.

“How did she die?” George worked the muscles in his face to give him a stricken facial expression. He didn’t want people thinking he didn’t care. That could cause an even bigger scandal and women knew how to gossip.  

“She fell out of the window.” You mean she jumped out of the window, thought George with a roll of his eyes. She had tried that before, thinking she was an angel. Ronald sighed. “Come on. She’s inside.” George nodded and allowed Ronald to escort him into the house. When Ronald opened the door, George wanted to run away. The house was filled with burning candles was dark and eerily quiet. There were a number of people clustered together in the hallway. Women cried quietly blowing into their handkerchiefs and the men whispered softly amongst themselves. George wanted to laugh. It wasn’t so long ago, they had spread gossip around town about the incident that had occurred during the banquet both he had Harriet had hosted.

Both men climbed the stairs and walked across one of the many hallways in the house before stopping in front of Harriet’s chamber.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Ronald asked laying a hand on George’s shoulder.

“No.” George shrugged Ronald’s hand from his shoulder and opened the door. He entered closing it behind him. He leaned his back on the door trying to savour the scene before him. Harriet’s chamber was lit with hundreds of candles, creating warmth across the room and giving the plain walls an orangey glow.

Harriet lay on the bed clothed in the blue dress he had bought for her from Paris the year before. Her golden mane was let loose and the curls cascaded around her face and neck. Her eyes were closed and her hands folded and placed on her chest. She looked beautiful. Too bad she was dead. George left the room. Ronald was standing near the wall with his arms folded.

“Where is my son?” George asked noticing he hadn’t seen Henry.

“He’s in his chamber.” Ronald answered. George nodded and left him alone. He needed to see Henry. He hurried to the other side of the house to see Henry and stopped abruptly in front of Henry’s room door. He didn’t know what to do. He had always been terrible at consoling people. Yulana was good at it. She knew Henry better than him and Harriet. He was about to get someone to call for her when he remembered she was dead. She had long since been dead. George composed himself and opened the door knowing he’d have to handle the situation by himself.