Sweet Escape

The room was cold that day. Colder than usual. Winter must be wrapping its ice chilled fingers around the earth again. Leaching away the warmth of all that wander through these dark woods. My small dirty dress offered no reprieve, with nothing more than a tattered piece of thin cloth, I wrapped myself up, huddled in the corner. The room is small and made of dirt, offering no protection from the chill that drifts in the barred window. I draw my knees closer to my chest, trying to escape from my body and retreat deep within myself. Maybe tonight will be the night.

“ It’s getting colder, isn’t it?”

The voice was raspy. Always speaking just over a whisper.

“ Yes, it is.” I whisper back; not wanting the centennial to hear me. I lift my head just over my knees to see the familiar hooded figure standing opposite the corner of me. His bony hand clutching his scythe. I can’t make out his face, his hooded cloak hid it from my view. I could still feel his raven eyes gazing upon me. Never far away. He has been my only companion for the last year or so. I am not sure how long it has been. They keep me in perpetual darkness. Crushing darkness. He comes every night, standing in the same spot. We talk sometimes.

He tells me of the heart-ache of the world, and the destiny those around me face. He will take them someday, he says. Why won’t he take me… “ Tell me of your desires.” he says to me, taking a small step in my direction. The dirt under his feet makes no sound to accompany his movements. His head leans to the left slightly as he moves ever closer. “ Should I release you?” You know the torment that has been my life these long months, and you know what it is I want.” He demands holds his scythe tighter. “ Please release me! Take me from this mortal bond and free my soul! “ I demand to stand quickly taking a bold step forward.

“ SHUT YOU DAMN MOUTH YOU CUR!” Yelled the sentinel, hitting the iron bars in the thick wooden door window. I look to the floor and exhale. I can see my body… What it has become. All the beatings have left me battered and bruised. Cuts riddle my legs with wounds, some still bleeding from just an hour before.

They don’t feed me much at all. Most days I think they forget. I am thin; too thin. I look at my hands. They small and bony. I used to be strong. My hands reach up and touch my hair. It used to be so long, so long I could feel it brush agent my thighs as I walked my horses to the stables. I wish I could go back. Back to when things made sense. Before all these scars. “ Please, let this end…” I say softly. I can feel the sting of tears welling up in my eyes. “ I just want to be whole again.”

He leans close to me, placing a cold unfeeling finger under my chin “ And so you shall…” he says, so softly. I look up at him. Being this close I can see the skeletal outline of his face; and his blazing red eyes. He holds my gaze. I can feel the hatred in those eyes. But for who… He pulls away quickly, his cloaks fluttering silently and he moved quickly across the room. His Scythe gives off a gentle golden red glow.

Tonight is the night. I close my eyes and wait for the warm rush of death, and the sweet release of my suffering.

I hear a clattering from outside the door and open my eyes. The Dark Angel is gone. I fall to my knees and begin to weep, the dirt stinging my wounded legs making them burn. “ Why must this go on?” I ask no one. The door slowly creeps open. I wipe my face and look to it. Just beyond the threshold lays the sentinel, unmoving. A hooded figure stands over him, looking to me. “ Follow me, and I will bring you to the salvation you truly wish for.” I stand, unsure of what to do. I can feel my chest rising and falling with quick clipped breaths. The cold swirls around me; as I begin to shake.

Slowly I start to move toward the door. I look at the Dark Angel. He holds out a hand, waiting for me to take it. Tentatively I reach forward as I step over the felled man. The Dark Angel pulls me close to his body, wrapping a thin arm around me. He says nothing as he walks me down the hallway. The hallway that leads to the various torture chambers that have been my life. As we walk we past the rooms images flash before my eyes. Images of memories I would rather soon forget.

“ HAHAHAHA HIT HER AGAIN!” The Fat Man sputters, bits of food and spit shooting from his mouth. The room is large with deep red curtains hung all around making the room dark. In the center is a large chair where the Fat Man sits to watch ‘ his evening entertainment’ as the guards call it. It always smells of rot and blood. The Fat Man claps his hands with the glee of a small child who was just given a small sweet treat for behaving well.

“ I like when she screams!” he says as he wipes a greasy hand down his stained silk shirt and lifts another slab of meat to his mouth. The tall man holding my chain pulls at it, lifting me from the fetal position on the floor. Blood glistens down my back as I struggle to take a breath. He looks down to me with disgust, his lifeless blue eyes taking pleasure in his job. He rears up his whip and strikes me again.

My body writhes with pain, but I make no sound. I fall back to the floor and grit my teeth together, balling my bound fists to hold back my agony. The Fat Man stops eating, looks to me with a fire in his eyes.

“ SIT UP!” He yells. “ SIT HER UP! LET ME SEE HER FACE!”. He begins to stand as food trays fall from their perches on his stomach and clatter to the floor. He labors to walk to me. Looking to the man with the icy blue eyes “ Give me her chain.” he says holding out his food covered hand. The man obliges and backs away. He takes my chain hard, pulling me to my feet by my throat.

“ WHY HAVE YOU STOPPED SCREAMING?! DID I NOT JUST SAY HOW MUCH I LIKE IT?!” he spits in my face. I turn away, refusing to give him an answer. He grabs my face with his greasy mitts, digging his fingers into my cheeks. “ DO AS I ASK OR THINGS COULD BE MUCH WORSE FOR YOU! I let you live with me, in my beautiful house, I feed you food I have paid for, and keep you from the harsh world! NOW DO AS I SAY!” He shakes my face every few words, digging in harder. I think my jaw may break.

“ You stole me from my Father, and have me beaten and abused for your enjoyment. Do not act as if you are helping me, you vile, putrid excuse of a man.” I say just loud enough for him to hear me. He rips the chin to the left sending me to the floor with a hard thump. He held his hand out to the icy eyes man. “ Give me the whip.” he almost shouts. The man hands it to him and retreats quickly. He raised it high above his head and brought it down with all the strength his blubbering arms could muster. Again and again, he hit me. Winded, he threw the whip to the ground

“ PLACE THIS CREATURE BACK IN HER CAGE! I AM DONE WITH THIS ONE!”

He lumbers back to the large chair and waves for more food to be brought to him.

I closed my eyes and try to force the visions to go away. “ Wait here.” a raspy voice whispers to me, pulling me from my nightmare.

The Dark Angel pulls away for me, leaving me standing, alone in the hallway. It was dark and the stone walls seem to be moving around me as if the spirits of the unlucky have been trapped unable to move on. An eerie stillness settles around me as the dim torch lights flicker in and out with dying fires.

I pull my arms close, trying to protect myself from the horror of this dreadful

place, I close my eyes again, willing it away. I feel a gentle hand touch my face. I step back and open my eyes. The Dark Angel, wait for me to follow him once again.

He tucks me in his arms and we continue down the hallway. At the end of the hallway lay three sentinel guards, stiff. The Dark Angel lifts his hand, and the door opens. We make our egress.

“ Why? Why have you helped me in this way?” I ask as we make our way up the stairs leading to the outside world. A place I have longed to see. “ I was like you, alone and afraid, once. A long time ago.” his voice was strained, as if recalling a memory he would rather not. As we reached the top of the stairs his protective hold loosened.

“ Where are we going?” I asked, not wanting him to go. Though his hold was is icy and distant, I felt something I haven’t in a very long time. Safe. We stood, staring at the door. I turned to look at him. Meeting my gaze, he placed a gentle hand on my bony cheek, rudding it with his thumb. His once fiery red eyes had softened. With a click, the door swung quietly open. The cold air rushed in to fill the space, sending shutters through my all too small body. “ You are going home.” with that he reached to his shoulder and pulled his cloak off, wrapping me in it with a swift motion.

I settled it around my own shoulders and looked up to see him. To say thank you. He’s gone, leaving nothing but the cloak on my back. I looked at the ground. “ Goodbye my old friend.”. I turned and walked out into the cold; to find my Father; to find my home.

“ We will meet again.” I whispered to and looked to the sky.

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