A Jewel's Worth[on hold]

CHAPTER 12 - CHILD'S GAME

The sky brightened as the scorching sunlight painted a veil over the fields and gardens. The birds chirped and sang, their nurturing notes overlapped with the voices of the empty household. Neighboring slaves gilded a smile, swollen with momentary peace.

An absent Glacia neither yelled out orders nor grunted complaints to the kitchen maids or the other slaves about the harvest declining.

I rolled my leaf thin body over the Gleam household hill of lilies and poppies. I smelled its fragrant aroma, yet sneezed as the dusty bloom covered my nose nonstop like a pup. I sighed, relieved of the Masters' absence. Today was a good day— one to remember.

"What are you dreaming about, you stupid dog! Bring it here, my dear— I'll show you how to educate an animal. It's time you learned, daughter." The Mistress pulled the chains tighter around my swollen neck. I whimpered as the leather scraped and tore my skin raw.

That's right— this wasn't a good day. Was it my 8th winter or my 9th? Would it matter? No. A slave was, if nothing, no one.

"But Mommy, you promised I'd get a new dress! The thing's filthy! And it smells!" The Mistress's daughter pinched her nose in disgust as she scowled at my bare and broken self.

I looked at my fingers, all scabbed and peeled raw from working in the fields. I lifted my arm— I smelled like I haven't bathed in years, perhaps, because I haven't since the Masters locked me up. When was that? Where did the sun, trees, and flowers go?

"I'm sorry, my baby! But here, let me show you how to brand an animal." A long iron rod at the corner of this boxed room laid inside a steaming hot bucket— is filled with lumps of coal. The glow of the rocks poured an overwhelming sense of dread into my eyes. I remembered seeing a few slaves in the fields marked like the cattle— their screams crept harder than a howling storm at sundown.

The Mistress pulled out a smaller rod, the size of my forearm. The ends shaped like a G and P— I all but guessed to be the household's name; Gleam and Pearson.

"Will it be fun?" The Mistress's daughter all but gleed, meanwhile, the Mistress cackled in an overly sweet voice.

"Why, yes, my dear! Now, where would you like to brand it?" I saw them speak of plans and places to mark me as the animal I was.

"The rear, and— oh! Yes, the back! Mother, can I have the first try, please?" The daughter stomped in her golden ribbon shoes. I whimpered and curled up tighter than kneaded dough.

"Shut up! Be quiet, you disgusting filth!" The Mistress kicked my back and stepped on my bruised hands. The sound of cracking bones and torn flesh scattered. My cries grew silent within the hours of their fun.

The daughter had told me earlier, this was just a game, and I was the missing piece.

"I can't wait any longer!" The Mistress's daughter took the branding iron in fast, yet, blurring motion. The letters glowed red, and fumes loomed up from the edges. I lay kneeled, wide-eyed, gaping at the rod. My breath shuddered, panicked, and hopeless. It got closer until it pressed onto my skin. The smell similar to burnt charcoal reminded me of a roasted lump of meat in the wood stove oven cooked by the kitchen maids. The smell of copper filled my nostrils. The sizzling flesh pricked, burned, and blistered.

My vision turned blurry as glistened tears glistened down my cheeks, forming pools, reflecting my panicked, pained filled screams.

The side of my pool of tears— the Mistress and the daughter's faces reflected an excited smile— the sounds of my screams deafened by the sound of their laughter and defamation.

"There! So beautiful! I love it, Mother. Can I do it again?" My eyes grew heavy. My body no longer left with energy.

I'm a slave. I'm a— slave. The blazing sun, perennials, and smiles faded— the sky twisted to a dark hue. The storms grew stronger.

I tried to escape— I shouldn't have.

"Stack! Stack!" I jumped.

"Hey, yeh, alright there, Stack? I kind of lost yeh there." I hadn't realized Glacia kept trying to talk to me.

I was so tired from unexpectedly crossing paths with Glacia in the forestry. I just kept staring into nothing but the hearth in the house.

Ame walked to my side and carefully leaned my head on her lap. I breathed a sigh of relief as I reminded myself, this is my home, I'm no longer a slave, and the past shouldn't affect me anymore. But, it still haunts me to this day. I sometimes looked up at the night sky in the forestry, and thank the trees that covered the sun.

"Shh... quiet your mind, Stack. Remember to think of nature, the water, and the sounds of life. The elements and good energy in the forestry will bring peace to your mind." Even in my slitted vision, Glacia's worry-filled energy waved around me. He never stopped caring, yet I suspected him of malice once he trespassed into the forestry.

"I'm sorry about what I said, Glacia. I—" He patted my head and smiled.

"Rest, Stack. I'm glad I found yeh." He sounded sad for someone glad to find me. I shrugged at that.

Meanwhile, the mutt and hotheaded woman that accompanied Glacia had a staring contest.

"Hey, Witch! Why does this thing keep staring at me? It stares like a person." Sleeping grew difficult as the hothead woman barked questions and whined at Ame and me.

"Ignore her. She's young and doesn't understand. But she'll learn." Glacia whispered at Ame and me, I smiled, though Ame didn't even acknowledge his presence or the woman.

"Would you like to sleep with the rest of the guardians in the forestry— I'm sure they'd love the company of fresh meat." Ame used the same tone when she caught me skipping meals and sleep a few times.

The woman shriek, and from the looks of her hands, she's prepared for the worst.

"No, thank you! I'm good here." The woman all but heaved out as Glacia sighed.

Still, we shouldn't let our guard down, even for old acquaintances.