Caged Bird Screaming

Sweet madness

Axe opened his eyes and began gasping for breath. He wasn’t free yet. He wasn’t yet out of the black world that seemed to cave in on him. He was awake. He was alive but didn’t know why he couldn’t see the light of day. Axe tried moving his arm but stopped when he heard the clanking of chains. He tried raising his hand but could only raise them to a small height before he was stopped in his tracks, restricted by the length of the chains locked around his wrists.

He moved his feet around the cold bare floor trying to figure out where he was. He couldn’t move far because of the chains’ restrictions on his body. He howled in anger and frustration. Where was he? Who kept him in the small breathless hole and why? He wanted answers. He demanded answers.

“Is anyone there?” Axe yelled hoping against hope someone would hear him. His voice echoed repeating his words over and over again, until they faded into the distance. Axe didn’t think anyone would hear him. He had been hitting the wall behind him hoping someone would hear him. No one did.

It wasn’t long before he began to panic. Fear gripped him, making his world spin. Sweat began breaking out on his forehead and he began to swoon hazily from side to side. He tried closing his eyes to distract him from the fear he felt. That didn’t help. He tried thinking of Three and Maze. He could hear their voices but couldn’t see them. Their faces were drowned out by the stifling darkness threatening to overtake him.

Axe took deep breaths trying to calm down. He had to calm down else he’d go mad. Breathe Axe, breathe, he told himself. He needed to remain sane. He didn’t want to turn into one of the men who stared blankly at people and screamed like they were possessed by the devil each night. He didn’t want to be taken away from the living and be transported into a world of nightmares that would haunt him both day and night.

As he tried calming down, a distant melodic voice overtook his senses. “Amazing grace how sweet the sound...” The panic and fear washed away as he remembered the woman’s lone voice. Her voice was so loud he felt she was sitting beside him. Her voice seemed to shatter the darkness around him, bringing relief and comfort. He could almost see a glimmer of light in the distance. If only he could get to it. Soon the woman’s voice became softer and softer until Axe could hear her no more. He felt tears sting the back of his eyes when the silence attacked him with full force. Maybe he would go mad. Maybe he wouldn’t make it out of the dark hole.

........

George sipped a glass of wine as he watched his guests closely. He was getting sick of seeing their sorrowful faces and wanted to kick them out of his home. He swirled his cup slowly watching the deep red liquid turn clockwise making a small whirlpool. He caught sight of Henry sitting with his mother and groaned. The woman was a bad influence on Henry, condoning the efforts to help their country. Henry was like her and he hoped the beatings he had given Henry changed his view point on slavery.

“Do you have something to say?” Ronald asked George loud enough for everyone to stop talking. George almost lost his temper. He wanted to tell Ronald to leave. He was trying to make a scene and George was not in the mood. Ronald was an attention seeking man who couldn’t get enough of being in the spotlight.

George turned to Ronald and smiled darkly “No my friend. I have nothing to say. What is there to say when I’m mourning my wife’s death?” Ronald paled and George’s eyes flashed. He was letting Ronald know how it felt to be embarrassed in front of the highest class of American society. Ronald didn’t say anything. He couldn’t think of what to say. George placed his drink on the table beside him and smoothed his hair. “I shall take my leave now Ronald.” As he left the room, he couldn’t help but laughed quietly. Ronald loved being in the spotlight but didn’t know how to react when the spotlight turned on him. It was one of his weaknesses.