sad atemps at being a writer
Mood: Euphoric
Listening to: Beyond the sea by Frank sinatra
Lived with rage, he began beating her with a wooden pronged stick. She cowered and turned her face to the wall, leaving her back to take the brunt of the assault.
Suddenly the door of the cell burst open. A tall regally clad man of obvious authority entered, his voice echoing off the walls. "Greeval!" He lunged, sending the stick spinning across the floor. Then grasping the smaller man by the throat, he raised him up off the floor till they were eye to eye. "You vile conspicuous worm, how dare you assume authority over the woman! Did you honestly think i wouldn't hear of it?" The only sound of reply heard from the captured was a rasping croak as he clawed at the hand trapping him. A look of disgust firmly etched on his face, the taller man then proceeded to fling the offending Greeval across the room "Begone! The council has decreed me overseer of this girl, and you have neither the authority to touch her nor the privilege of ever darkening the door of this place again. Out with you!" With a final well aimed kick the smaller man was cast wretchedly out into the adjoining hall, the cell door slamming shut behind him. Greeval blinked snake like eyes at the door he had just been dispatched though. Then with a grimace, he limped his way down the corridor. His masters would want to hear of this disturbance.
The young woman still sat curled against the cell corner. Her bloodied back now protruding through the thin layer of ragged cloth that was her only protection. Throughout the spectical, however, she had slightly turned her head and watched unfeelingly as her attacker was thrown decisively from her cell. Her eyes betrayed nothing. Whatever thoughts she might have of her tall "avenging angel", they were well hidden. He, however, didn't appear to notice her apparent neutrality. After securing the door, he hurried over to kneel at her side. His quick gaze ran over her back, taking in the fast trickling beads of blood creating pools on the stone floor. He inwardly cringed... She can't be more than 16! His voice came out gently; "I am sorry... This was not to be." He returned her stare with one of compassion. She said nothing. "I'll get my physician, he'll take care of you." He jumped to his feet, and threw open the door, hollering down the hall for some servant to retrieve a physician. He turned to look back at the girl. The eyes still stared , a gaze of the hunted. He stepped forward slowly and again knelt down next to her. Carefully he reached out and touched the side of her face. She blinked. Immediately he recoiled his hand. He had seen something, if only for an instant. An ominous fear behind that steady stare... And something else... Anger... No.. Fury. Controlled, patient, non reacting fury. For a moment his confidence seemed to waver as he caught a glimpse into the mind of the beaten and abused girl before him. A girl who at apparent first glance was shattered, helpless... But not so. Behind it all, there was something, something still driving this broken human being. He leaned forward slightly, his voice only a whisper. " I do not know what things have been done to you or against you. But know this, and take comfort: I will never allow anything to happen to you again. This i promise."
She said nothing.
Footsteps were heard in the corridor, and the doctor entered. Her wounds were bound, and then she was left to rest.
Later that day in a secluded chamber the tall man meets with a member of the council.
The councilman Reeva slowly paced the floor in an effort to calm himself. "You do know why this woman has been brought here, do you not?" He said, speaking slowly. "She has shown herself to be an individual among thousands and we need to know why." Councilman Reeva stopped his pacing abruptly and turned to the tall man. "That is your job Lathias. Nothing more. Your shameless treatment of Greeval was a mistake. One that could have had costly consequences! He is an aid to the council and was only following orders to retrieve information. As you should be!"
"Greeval is nothing more than snake under the guise of a vile human being. He is one who generously sees fit to bestow torture on his victims before mutilating them! He is an inhuman monster, and there are other ways of "retrieving information"." The voice of Lathias had dropped to harsh whisper.
Councilman Reeva raised his hand. "Never the less. His ways have been profitable in the past."
Lathias opened his mouth to speak but was stopped by Reeva.
"Greeval, however, is not your concern. Attend to the woman. We must know about her. i don't care how you find out, just find out, and soon!"
Perceiving that the meeting was over Lathias took a deep breath and let it out. "Very well." He bowed respectfully. "Then i will bid you good day councilman."
Reeva looked at him carefully for a moment then nodded. "Good day Lathias."
The cell of the woman: One week later...
The girl sat upright carefully leaning her back against the wall,facing the door. One eye was half open, roving endlessly around the area before her. Eight days had passed, as near as she could tell, and as yet each day was very much like the one before it. She was brought food and whatever else she needed at the proper times and once a day her tall "avenging angel" would visit her. He would speak. Sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes for hours. There were always questions. that was to be expected. But there were also stories. Stories of his life, his family, his childhood... This was so unusual... All interrogators, or keepers, or masters that she had known had never offered information when they were looking for some. And certainly they offered nothing of their personal lives, for fear it could be used against them. But this man, either had no such fear, or everything he had told her was false, a brilliantly fabricated story, and therefore no threat to him. The latter had closer odds of being the truth in most cases. Men always had fear.
For the most part, however, she was content. Besides the daily visits from the tall man, she was left to herself and unbothered. She never spoke, not even to the servants. She didn't need to. Once the tall man had grown tired of trying to coax some form of response from her, he would rise from his chair, go to the door and leave. Though always before he left, he would speak. It was only a few words, but they rang sincere; "I will not let anyone harm you. No matter what happens or how long you need my protection, you will always have it. I promised you this, and i am a man of my word. Rest easy." Every night these words were repeated, it had become a dependable ritual.
Strange as it seemed, and unsettling as it was, these promises were beginning to ring true. More and more days went by with no sign of abuse, no sign of this pattern of kindness wavering.
Lathias sat facing the girl, telling an account of when his brother had climbed the tallest tree he could find and then gotten himself stuck. Never realizing till he reached the top , that he had a fear of heights. Lathias chuckled softly at the simple memory. He raised his head to glance at the girl with a half smile. She showed no sign of response. Everyday he was more amazed at the patience, the control he found in this little slip of a girl before him. It had been weeks, and still that unwavering stare continued with no movement, hardly even a blink. He even felt that at times, she looked not at him but through him. To say it was unnerving was a huge understatement, but besides that, it was terribly discouraging! Here he was, pouring out his history, his very life, to this statue a girl, and she didn't so much as acknowledge his exsistance. He sighed. " Well i hope that was enjoyable to you somewhat." He said allowed. "I've been talking all this time and knowing my luck you don't understand a word I've said..." He stood to his feet. Looking down at her, he waited a moment, in the slight hope she would choose to break her apparent vow of silence. She said nothing. Her eyes were turned away, looking at a patch of flickering light coming from the small window. He smothered an exclamation of exasperation. "I bid you good evening then."He said curtly. He strode quickly to the portal, opened it, stepped through and was about to firmly shut it again when suddenly he heard:
"No promise?"
The woman had turned her head and was staring at him. Her voice had been nothing more than a whisper, but she had spoke!
Lathias was nearly beside himself, he wanted to shout out victory, to run madly up and down the hall waving his arms in his excitement! But, not wanting to be institutionalized, nor to frighten the unpredictable individual before him, he somehow managed to control his inward emotion and step quickly back into the cell with his composure still intact. Once inside, he stood there awkwardly. He was amazed to discover that after all the time he had spent speaking to this girl, now that she had finally replied, he had not the faintest idea what to say. So he was quite relived when she spoke again.
"As you can see, i can understand your words, and can speak them myself if i so choose." She slowly stood to her feet, leaning against the wall in an effort to keep steady. "I am quite fluent in your linguistics even though i do not make the choice to exhibit them often. You, however, seem quite agreeable to making that choice. I think i have rarely found anyone who could verbalize with themselves as long as you have."
Lathias finally found his voice. " I thank you for your compliment but really my skill can not take much credit. It took years of necessary practice. Being a lower member of the council, not to mention a captain in the guard has delved me deep into politics. Hence, no one wants to talk to me."
For the first time in what felt like years, the girl felt a smile turning up the corners of her mouth. A half grin slowly manifested itself across her face, it reached her eyes for a moment and then faded back into her solemn mask.
Lathias watched as though spellbound. That smile, fleeting though it may have been, had lit up her face like the dawn. All seriousness, and cares had melted away to reveal a soul, heart and mind, that were in actuality, free from all hurts. Lathias voice sounded slightly dazed as he said: "You surprise me little one... "
The girl sank back to the floor turning her face back to the wall. "I surprise many people."
Lathias knelt down slowly as well. "Yes. Yes i know. In fact we have never seen anyone who exhibits such force of character in any of your kind before."
The girl laughed softly. " Then you do not know us well do you?"
Lathias leaned closer. "I have heard that your people listen to you. Even though you are so young. And you not only give out wisdom, but the way you look at life seems to change the way others perceive it. Is this true?
The girl turned to look over her shoulder. A profoundly peaceful gaze returned his questioning one. "Can you not tell?"
"Well i... uh..." Lathias stopped, not knowing what to say. "I'm not... I'm not sure..."
"You will be."
"Will be what?"
"Sure."
"Sure of what?"
"Of life. Of what is behind life."
Lathias Stopped again, this time in confusion. "I'm afraid i do not know what you mean."
The girl smiled ever so softly. "You said you heard of my people changing their lives because of what i have said. This is true. But their lives have changed not because of what i have said but because of the truth behind my words."
She paused for a moment feeling the cuts along her side. "My people have lived with horror and suffering so long that they have forgotten there is any other way to live. They have been born into it, they have lived in it, and they have died because of it. Forgetting there was ever any other alternative. I came here to change that. I came here to make them remember."
She turned her face back to Lathias. "I have seen a world where there is no despair, there is no suffering, and there is no abuse. There are no tears. It is a place where shadows are a thing of the past, and all hurts are healed. The night is as bright as day and singing heralds the beginning and end of sleep.
Her eyes had grown distant, almost as if even now, surrounded by cold stone, and iron, she could still see this paradise.
"What is your name?" He asked carefully.
"My name...?" She looked perplexed for a moment, then a spark of remembrance flashed across her face. "My name... It was Reese. A long time ago." A small smile etched her features. "So very long ago..."
