Axe and Cook watched as Henry grew stronger as the days passed without any drama. The mistress still ordered Axe to steal the master’s suitcase. He never listened to her, so the blows came and came. George would watch Axe from a distance as he worked with his hand curled up into a fist. Watching Axe day by day increased his hatred of slaves. His heart hardened even more when he saw Axe excel at his work and waited for him to make a small slip up in his work. He had told his men that if the Negro got in trouble, he’d be the one to whip him.
The grey clouds rolled in around the horizon at full speed that day. Axe was stationed to clean the master’s and mistress’ chamber. Although he dreaded the idea of cleaning their chambers, Axe had no say in it. It was his duty to obey commands without hesitating.
He entered the chamber and closed the door behind him. His heart pounded in fear, knowing that if the mistress knew he was in her chamber, she’d want him to take her husband’s suitcase. He removed the bed sheets from the bed and threw them onto a heap on the floor. He then went on cleaning the tables, packing clothes from the floor and placing them in their allocated trunks. The dirty ones found their way onto the heap of clothes.
As he began cleaning the shelf, he saw the blue suitcase lying on the wooden platform.
“Take it Negro. Take the case from the top shelf.” Axe spun around when he heard the mistress’ voice. Her arms were crossed and she held a Negro whip in her right hand. Axe felt his throat instantly run dry.
“No mistress I will not.” His voice came out in a croaky whisper. The mistress laughed harshly and cracked the whip. Axe flinched and stepped back as she came closer towards him. He stopped when his back hit the middle shelf.
“Take it.” The mistress cracked the whip again. Axe tried turning away but she grabbed him by the jaw so he was looking at her. “Look Negro, do as I ask. I can break your neck right now if I turn your head swiftly.” Axe’s eyes bulged out of his sockets with fear. She cracked the whip. This time it hit Axe on the arm. The searing pain zapped his skin and he felt tears sting at the back of his eyes.
She was about to hit Axe again when he grabbed the whip mid air. Harriet gasped when he swiftly turned her arm, so she let go of the rope. She lunged at him and scratched him on the face. Axe pushed her away from him, and heard a faint tear as she fell to the floor. She hit the back of her head on the side of the bed. She had torn a small piece of fabric from his shirt.
“Help me! Someone help me!” Panic shot through Axe’s body when he heard her screams for help. He was still shocked at his actions, but he couldn’t stand around. He ran out of the room and into the kitchen where he found Cook.
Cook turned when he saw Axe “What happened?”
Axe couldn’t talk. Nothing but short gasps came out as a reply. The house was soon in uproar as the mistress’ screams grew louder. Cook’s eyes darkened when he realized what had happened. He grabbed Axe’s arm and for a brief moment, Axe thought Cook was going to hand him to one of the overseers.
“I’m not giving you to them. They’ll kill you.” Cook said firmly noticing Axe’s fear. Axe nodded and Cook began guiding him around another part of the house he had never seen before. It was dark and Cook held more firmly to his arm to stop him from tripping over in case there was something on the floor. “Stay here.” Cook whispered, and slowly made Axe sit on the cold stone floor. “Don’t move or make a sound.” He then left Axe alone in the dark and went back to the kitchen hoping his presence hadn’t been missed.
Axe shivered violently, his teeth began to chatter as he thought of what the master would do to him if he was discovered. He brought his knees to his chin and breathed deeply. He heard soft footsteps and froze, not daring to breathe. He had to stay still else they’d find him. The footsteps got louder and louder. Cold sweat began forming on Axe’s fore head. He licked his lips nervously. His eyes began darting side to side in sheer terror. What if they found him? He had to be silent. He had to be quiet.
Something happened and the footsteps became soft. Axe exhaled loudly with relief. They were leaving.
......
George hurried out of his study when he heard the commotion happening in the house. He grabbed a Negro by the shoulder and asked “What’s happening?” The Negro’s eyes widened in fear. In his anger and impatience George shook him roughly “I asked Negro what is happening?”
“The....the mistress...has...has been hurt.”George let go of the slave and hurried to their bed chamber. There he found Harriet on the floor crying hysterically.
“What happened?” He asked.
Harriet looked at him and winced “Your slave hit me!” she screamed. She threw the small piece of fabric on the floor. It only took George a moment to realize who she was talking about. He smiled. He had a good reason to kill Axe. He exited the room and ordered for his men. He took his gun from one of his drawers and began to search for Axe.
“If you find him, bring him to me. I want the Negro alive!!” He ordered.
.......
Axe didn’t know how long he stayed in the cold dark room. The sound of his breathing was the only thing that kept him sane. The cool air made his nose cold and formed goose bumps on his skin. He could hear the wind blowing outside. It would rain soon. Axe closed his eyes and thought about Maze. He imagined being in an open field filled with flowers. He could vaguely see her running across the field laughing happily. She picked a flower and breathed its scent. She turned her head and waved at him. Axe waved back. She then turned around and began running away. Axe called her name begging her to stop running. She kept running. She didn’t stop to look back at Axe. It was as if she didn’t hear him. He called her name again but she didn’t hear him. She soon faded into the horizon. Axe fell to the ground and wept.
He opened his eyes and his heart felt like it was being stomped under foot. He felt hot tears spill down his cheeks. He wiped them away angrily. Now was not a time to cry. He had to escape. He had to leave.
He turned away when he heard small footsteps. It was Cook.
“Axe.” Axe flinched when Cook’s cold hands touched his shoulder. “Axe this is not time for games. Look at me.” Axe turned to Cook. “That’s better. We need to find a better place to hide you.”
Axe scoffed “Isn’t this place good enough?” Cook sighed. The darkness had manipulated Axe’s mind.
“No Axe. They’ll find you if you stay here too long.” He pulled Axe to his feet and led him out of the cellar. They moved quickly and quietly towards Henry’s bedroom.
“What are we doing here?” Axe whispered furiously as Cook knocked on the door.
Cook turned to him with an aspirated look on his face “No one will know you’re here.”
“This is suicide!!”
“No one will search Henry’s room because he’s meant to be alone so he can fully heal.”
Axe shook his head. It was better he remained in the cellar. Coming out into the open would kill him. He didn’t know why Cook didn’t see that. The door swung open and Axe stopped in fear the master and mistress would be waiting for him. It was Henry who stood behind the door. Axe breathed a sigh of relief; but he wasn’t out of the woods yet.
Axe looked back as he entered the room to see if someone was watching them. The place was empty with almost all the slaves trying to find him.
Axe sat on the floor with his back leaning on Henry’s trunk. Henry watched the commotion going on outside from his window. Slaves hurdled together in the cold as the men searched every hut.
“I’ll go and get some food from the kitchen.” Cook said and left the room. Henry turned to Axe and smiled sadly. He sat next to him and fidgeted with his fingers.
“Where will you go Axe?”
Axe looked at Henry and shrugged “I don’t know.” Henry felt unseen tears sting the back of his eyes. He quickly wiped them away before they rolled down his cheeks. Axe shuffled closer and hugged Henry. “I’ll be fine. I’ll come back to visit. I promise.” Henry nodded and sniffed.
Cook entered the room with a small satchel “I have some food for you boy. You have to leave now, else they’ll find you.” Axe removed his arms from Henry’s and took the satchel from Cook. Cook struggled to maintain a strong composure and almost broke down in tears as he patted Axe’s back. “Good luck boy, Good luck. God be with you.”
Axe looked at Henry one more time and nodded before leaving. He ran across the hallway and through the back door. Thunder rolled in the distance. The heavens opened and rain began to pour from the sky. Axe kept running knowing the rain would force the slaves and men back into the house. He knew if the master found him, he’d be tortured and hanged.
He almost lost his footing as he jumped over the small fence, leading to the woods. He quickly regained his footing and kept running. He was running deeper and deeper into the forest. He was entering unknown territory. He tried not to think of the old maids tales of spirits and demons in the forest. It was all a lie. They were just stories to stop the children from running away.
Axe could feel the warm water soak his skin, and would see small transparent drops would fall from his fore head. He couldn’t see properly and couldn’t breathe normally through his lungs. He’d squint and breathe in and out with his mouth. The cold blasted him like an angry father.
As he’d run, he’d catch a quick glimpse at the trees. They looked like women drunk on wine, their leaves swaying from side to side, ruffling wildly.
Axe’s calves burned. He wanted to stop running but knew he couldn’t. If he stopped, he’d give whoever was looking for him valuable time to catch up with him. As he sprinted in the woods he knew he was running scared. He was running for his life.