Rootless Tree

Part 3

 The dismal delusion of his madness was fed on by the beast; constantly giving it new life. It played with his thoughts, teasing him with haunting images of murder and sexual perversions. If he closed his eyes it would just bring the images closer and upon opening them the rough outlines of his ghosts shimmered before him before fading into the shadows. With Ofelia gone it now desired another, as it always did. Ofelia had not even been gone for more than a few hours and already the monster demanded to be satisfied. Wanting…always wanting. Already he felt like a drug addict going through withdrawal; his need and demand for lust and desire. It crawled through his skin like a harsh tremor, forcing his body to shake and quiver. There was no release, no escape.

Amar’s eyes fluttered half closed as he lay on the stone floor of his room; his body jerked now and again, convulsions getting the best of him. His fingers twitching to the impulses that were rattling his brain. A cold sweat began to bead up on his forehead, making a home along his eyebrows. He curled his body inward into a tight fetal position, his arms wrapping tightly around his waist as if to keep the beast in his belly from ripping through. He almost thought he could feel it pressing from his abdomen, stretching his flesh like elasticized rubber, pressing out from the inside. He was petrified to look down in fear he would see a clawed hand sliding just below the surface, a prominent outline of the monster trying to escape. Behind his drowsy gazes the blurred apparitions that were his “ladies” danced around his chambers like ballerinas of the damned. With every twirl the white silhouette of their translucent gowns would flair out around them, clinging and sticking to the appropriate areas to bring out their feminine features ever more. They leaped about, at times dancing with one another, spinning one another around. They laughed and giggled; what would seem blissful was actually an act of torture. The moment Amar would fully open his gazes in an attempt to focus they would scream in agony and distort themselves into unfathomable nightmares.

 He had managed to tie Ofelia’s ribbon around his arm wound securely and it had absorbed much of the blood he had freed; turning the blue into a harsh maroon. His eyes were swollen from exhaustion and the angry tears that still leaked out every few seconds, making his cheeks feel as if they were on fire, the blush from his outburst radiated a heat of its own. The fluffy dark circles that seemed to be propping his eyes up were constant reminders he was rarely sleeping these days. The outward display of his temper left him spent; both body and in mind. In his dreariness and near delusional state he hadn’t noticed the figure approach.

“What have you done to yourself this time my Prince?” The male’s words carried itself through his eardrums in a familiar voice. Amar’s gray orbs shifted up just enough to identify Shi, his valet and personal assistant. Had it been anyone else an immediate sense of panic would have washed over him; as a prince should never be seen in such a state. He had a reputation to uphold and no one beyond the doors of his chamber had ever seen Amar in any condition other than pristine. Realizing it was indeed Shi, he didn’t even attempt to hide his shame; Shi had seen him in far worse conditions and this would not be the first time nor the last time he would find him in such a manner. He had crouched down, arms resting on his knees as his shined boots allowed Amar to peer into them and see the reflection of just how hideous he looked. “Did anyone see her come here?” Shi questioned, already in tuned with Amar’s sinful deeds. He did not need ask Amar what he had done or even any details of the even. Somehow he already knew what had transpired just by looking at the prince's disheveled appearance and the way his sanity seemed to fade in and out of his eyes as he stared at his valet. His narrow chin lifted and turned towards the balcony as the wind eased in, rippling the curtains as if they were almost whispering to Shi to confirm what he already knew.