A guard on horseback
glared down at me. My heart jumped into my throat and stayed there.
I couldn’t breathe.
“Well, well, well!” he exclaimed, pointing to the plant in my hand. “What’s that you have there, girl?”
My body froze, but a million thoughts raced through my head. Dangerous, owned by monarchy, forbidden, considered stealing, punished…
My eyes darted back and forth between the two men. Suddenly remembering I had feet, I dropped the plant and pulled up my skirt.
“Grab her!” he shouted.
“Wait!” I heard the second guard yell.
Jumping over the dense undergrowth, I ran for my life, swiftly darting in the opposite direction as soon as they caught up with me. My ill-fitting boots didn’t help, but I ran as fast as I could, screaming for help, mortal or divine. But, it was no use. All the running and screaming in the world couldn’t save me from two men on horseback. I collapsed and soon found myself cornered.
One of the guards pulled me to my feet, grabbed my face and twisted it around, so close to his, that all I could see was a misshapen mouth and feel saliva spraying onto my cheeks. “You’re under arrest!!”
And, while his partner dismounted and fumbled for ropes to tie me up, he continued his close-up tirade against me, calling me every filthy word I’d ever heard.
What an angry man, such an angry…
His voice began to fade and his face to blur. My legs turned to jelly and my vision tunneled smaller and smaller into blackness…
***
Slowly returning to consciousness, I realized that my legs were straddled and my body was bouncing up and down in pronounced movements. Strong arms encircled and restrained me. I tried to open my eyes, but could not. I tried to move, but could not. I tried to scream, but only a muffled sound came forth. Warm breath was on my hair. My body tensed. As my faculties returned, I realized that I was on a horse, blindfolded and gagged, and my wrists were tied behind my back. Where are they taking me? God, help me!
***
Wrenching myself from his hold, I stumbled backward and fell to the ground, kicking wildly. He grabbed my arm again and hoisted me up, but I managed to deliver a few good kicks somewhere on his body.
“What’d I tell you?” he laughed. “Full of fire! Good luck with this one!”
“I guess she needs to be taught a thing or two. Let’s go!” This was the deep voice of a third man who pulled me inside and slammed the door, entombing me in silence. I was trapped…all I could do now was count voices and doors. He shoved me ahead of him. “Walk straight ahead!” he yelled.
From the echo of our footsteps, I realized we were entering a tunnel, and the hardness under my feet indicated that we were walking on concrete.
The floor sloped downwards sharply and I stumbled as my body jerked unexpectedly forward. The tunnel took on a dank and musty smell. A drop of liquid fell on my head.
Oh God, we’re going underground…how will anybody ever find me!
Suddenly, I crossed a slippery patch and lost my footing. Unable to maintain my balance, I fell on my side, my right hand landing into a pool of slime.
“Get up!” he seized my other elbow and yanked me to my feet. “Keep moving!” he pushed me along. “I haven’t got all day!”
As we continued deeper under the earth, I started to shiver. Soon, the ground leveled off and the man placed his arm across my chest, halting me. “Add this one to the count,” he said.
“What’s she here for?” This was the voice of a fourth man.
“Stealing.”
“Stealing what?”
“The herb.” He spun me around. “Alright girl, I’m going to untie you. There’s no getting away now, so don’t even try.”
He released my blindfold, untied my wrists and pulled the rag out of my mouth. I hung my head, coughing and grimacing, and forgetting that my hand was coated with slime, I raised it to my mouth. Ughh! It reeked. I wiped it across my skirt and stared at my feet.
“Show your face!”
Ever so slowly, I raised my head. When my eyes finally focused, I was standing at the end of the tunnel in some kind of antechamber. It was an austere space, nothing on its grey, plaster walls except a few lamps that flickered dimly.
“You’re just itching for a good beating, aren’t you?” the turnkey taunted. “You’re not the first female I’ve made talk, you know? Answer, dammit, or I’ll give you a taste of this!” Pressing his fist up under my nostrils, he leaned toward me and bared his yellow teeth like a dog about to attack.
***
Darkness. I stood in darkness as the jangle of keys grew fainter…then… silence. The deafening drone of silence filled my eardrums. Darkness and silence. I couldn’t take it.
“Please, please let me out! I beg you, I’ll never steal again!” I beat my palms on the bars and continued to beseech my unseen captors until my voice began to falter. “Please…I swear…I swear…”
I waited.
Nothing. Nothing but darkness and silence. I slid to the floor, exhausted.
***
Omar read aloud the hastily-scrawled words ... A young woman by the name of Jade was arrested for treason against the monarchy and has been taken prisoner on the mountain. Move quickly. No time to waste.
The heat that swirled in his gut jumped into his chest before igniting inside his head. “Goddamn them to hell!” he exploded, his brown eyes flashing with fire.
“This is what I think of them and their damn treason!” He crumpled the paper into a ball and hurled it onto the floor. “We’re going up there and we’re bringing her back!” he shouted, banging his fist into the front door. “And if they’ve laid a hand on her, so help me…”
He thrust the door open, raced down the steps and ran down the track cursing at the top of his lungs. Amidst the commotion, Papa rose clumsily, and leaning on his cane, slowly shuffled to his corner and drew his drapes closed. There, against the wall, stood his violin.
Treason against the monarchy? He’d heard those words countless times before…they meant one thing only. He’d never hear his daughter sing, see her warm smile or feel her kindness again. He put the cane down, picked up his violin and stared at it. He’d never play it again.
***
What…? I blinked hard and leaned over it. Now, I could see more clearly. It wasn’t the food, but what was inside it…maggots. I gasped, drew back, and covered my mouth in horror.
My head throbbed; my eyes stung; the corners of my mouth burned; my throat was parched; my elbow and wrists were bruised; my back ached, and my belly grumbled. And, if things weren’t bad enough, I must have unknowingly twisted my ankle somewhere because it was swollen and pulsating. All I could do was curl up into myself and pray. I even ignored the rats who lingered only a few feet away, nibbling at the ground around me. My only release from this hell was sleep.
***
Then, I felt her presence beside me. “Look at me,” she said, gently touching my hair. I turned and looked up into a pair of soft, black eyes set deeply inside a face the color of rich cocoa.
“My goodness, you’re just a girl!” she exclaimed, her eyes wrinkling at the corners with surprise. “Here, drink this,” she extended a tin can.
***
I nodded, held on tightly to this dark angel who had appeared from the shadows, and allowed her to lead me into the unknown. She negotiated her way easily through a zigzag of low-ceilinged, mud-packed passages that looked like a giant mole had randomly burrowed them out. Deeper we went into this damp, stagnant underground, passing larger caves, as I called them, occupied by more grey figures who laid on the floor, sat against the wall or clustered around small fires.
My head turned sharply to the sound of a woman screaming in what appeared to be labor; in another, voices whispered over a dying young man. The sounds that emanated from the mass of pathetic humanity trapped inside this hole under the earth were heart-wrenching. The sorrowful wept, the desperate prayed, the sick vomited, the angry shouted, the fearful screamed and the insane muttered. Nonexistent was the slightest sound of laughter.
***
The rattling stopped. I opened my eyes. There they were again, leaning against the opening. Almost naked, I grabbed a blanket and jumped to my feet, holding it tightly against the front of my body.
The jailer stepped inside and moved towards me, stopping close enough so I could see drops of old food clinging to his matted, red beard. He placed his thumb at the nape of my neck and slowly moved it down the length of my naked spine.
Oh, my God! I recoiled at his touch and squeezed my eyelids shut.
“Soon,” he leaned into me and whispered, his stench almost overpowering me. I held my breath. Still chuckling, the two ambled away.
Soon?! I wanted to retch. My bottom lip began to quiver; I stood frozen in position, waiting for the rattle of keys to diminish, believing that if I stayed still, I could halt time in its tracks, and soon would never come.
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“Well, well, well!” he exclaimed, pointing to the plant in my hand. “What’s that you have there, girl?”
My body froze, but a million thoughts raced through my head. Dangerous, owned by monarchy, forbidden, considered stealing, punished…
My eyes darted back and forth between the two men. Suddenly remembering I had feet, I dropped the plant and pulled up my skirt.
“Grab her!” he shouted.
“Wait!” I heard the second guard yell.
Jumping over the dense undergrowth, I ran for my life, swiftly darting in the opposite direction as soon as they caught up with me. My ill-fitting boots didn’t help, but I ran as fast as I could, screaming for help, mortal or divine. But, it was no use. All the running and screaming in the world couldn’t save me from two men on horseback. I collapsed and soon found myself cornered.
One of the guards pulled me to my feet, grabbed my face and twisted it around, so close to his, that all I could see was a misshapen mouth and feel saliva spraying onto my cheeks. “You’re under arrest!!”
And, while his partner dismounted and fumbled for ropes to tie me up, he continued his close-up tirade against me, calling me every filthy word I’d ever heard.
What an angry man, such an angry…
His voice began to fade and his face to blur. My legs turned to jelly and my vision tunneled smaller and smaller into blackness…
***
Slowly returning to consciousness, I realized that my legs were straddled and my body was bouncing up and down in pronounced movements. Strong arms encircled and restrained me. I tried to open my eyes, but could not. I tried to move, but could not. I tried to scream, but only a muffled sound came forth. Warm breath was on my hair. My body tensed. As my faculties returned, I realized that I was on a horse, blindfolded and gagged, and my wrists were tied behind my back. Where are they taking me? God, help me!
***
Wrenching myself from his hold, I stumbled backward and fell to the ground, kicking wildly. He grabbed my arm again and hoisted me up, but I managed to deliver a few good kicks somewhere on his body.
“What’d I tell you?” he laughed. “Full of fire! Good luck with this one!”
“I guess she needs to be taught a thing or two. Let’s go!” This was the deep voice of a third man who pulled me inside and slammed the door, entombing me in silence. I was trapped…all I could do now was count voices and doors. He shoved me ahead of him. “Walk straight ahead!” he yelled.
From the echo of our footsteps, I realized we were entering a tunnel, and the hardness under my feet indicated that we were walking on concrete.
The floor sloped downwards sharply and I stumbled as my body jerked unexpectedly forward. The tunnel took on a dank and musty smell. A drop of liquid fell on my head.
Oh God, we’re going underground…how will anybody ever find me!
Suddenly, I crossed a slippery patch and lost my footing. Unable to maintain my balance, I fell on my side, my right hand landing into a pool of slime.
“Get up!” he seized my other elbow and yanked me to my feet. “Keep moving!” he pushed me along. “I haven’t got all day!”
As we continued deeper under the earth, I started to shiver. Soon, the ground leveled off and the man placed his arm across my chest, halting me. “Add this one to the count,” he said.
“What’s she here for?” This was the voice of a fourth man.
“Stealing.”
“Stealing what?”
“The herb.” He spun me around. “Alright girl, I’m going to untie you. There’s no getting away now, so don’t even try.”
He released my blindfold, untied my wrists and pulled the rag out of my mouth. I hung my head, coughing and grimacing, and forgetting that my hand was coated with slime, I raised it to my mouth. Ughh! It reeked. I wiped it across my skirt and stared at my feet.
“Show your face!”
Ever so slowly, I raised my head. When my eyes finally focused, I was standing at the end of the tunnel in some kind of antechamber. It was an austere space, nothing on its grey, plaster walls except a few lamps that flickered dimly.
“You’re just itching for a good beating, aren’t you?” the turnkey taunted. “You’re not the first female I’ve made talk, you know? Answer, dammit, or I’ll give you a taste of this!” Pressing his fist up under my nostrils, he leaned toward me and bared his yellow teeth like a dog about to attack.
***
Darkness. I stood in darkness as the jangle of keys grew fainter…then… silence. The deafening drone of silence filled my eardrums. Darkness and silence. I couldn’t take it.
“Please, please let me out! I beg you, I’ll never steal again!” I beat my palms on the bars and continued to beseech my unseen captors until my voice began to falter. “Please…I swear…I swear…”
I waited.
Nothing. Nothing but darkness and silence. I slid to the floor, exhausted.
***
Omar read aloud the hastily-scrawled words ... A young woman by the name of Jade was arrested for treason against the monarchy and has been taken prisoner on the mountain. Move quickly. No time to waste.
The heat that swirled in his gut jumped into his chest before igniting inside his head. “Goddamn them to hell!” he exploded, his brown eyes flashing with fire.
“This is what I think of them and their damn treason!” He crumpled the paper into a ball and hurled it onto the floor. “We’re going up there and we’re bringing her back!” he shouted, banging his fist into the front door. “And if they’ve laid a hand on her, so help me…”
He thrust the door open, raced down the steps and ran down the track cursing at the top of his lungs. Amidst the commotion, Papa rose clumsily, and leaning on his cane, slowly shuffled to his corner and drew his drapes closed. There, against the wall, stood his violin.
Treason against the monarchy? He’d heard those words countless times before…they meant one thing only. He’d never hear his daughter sing, see her warm smile or feel her kindness again. He put the cane down, picked up his violin and stared at it. He’d never play it again.
***
What…? I blinked hard and leaned over it. Now, I could see more clearly. It wasn’t the food, but what was inside it…maggots. I gasped, drew back, and covered my mouth in horror.
My head throbbed; my eyes stung; the corners of my mouth burned; my throat was parched; my elbow and wrists were bruised; my back ached, and my belly grumbled. And, if things weren’t bad enough, I must have unknowingly twisted my ankle somewhere because it was swollen and pulsating. All I could do was curl up into myself and pray. I even ignored the rats who lingered only a few feet away, nibbling at the ground around me. My only release from this hell was sleep.
***
Then, I felt her presence beside me. “Look at me,” she said, gently touching my hair. I turned and looked up into a pair of soft, black eyes set deeply inside a face the color of rich cocoa.
“My goodness, you’re just a girl!” she exclaimed, her eyes wrinkling at the corners with surprise. “Here, drink this,” she extended a tin can.
***
I nodded, held on tightly to this dark angel who had appeared from the shadows, and allowed her to lead me into the unknown. She negotiated her way easily through a zigzag of low-ceilinged, mud-packed passages that looked like a giant mole had randomly burrowed them out. Deeper we went into this damp, stagnant underground, passing larger caves, as I called them, occupied by more grey figures who laid on the floor, sat against the wall or clustered around small fires.
My head turned sharply to the sound of a woman screaming in what appeared to be labor; in another, voices whispered over a dying young man. The sounds that emanated from the mass of pathetic humanity trapped inside this hole under the earth were heart-wrenching. The sorrowful wept, the desperate prayed, the sick vomited, the angry shouted, the fearful screamed and the insane muttered. Nonexistent was the slightest sound of laughter.
***
The rattling stopped. I opened my eyes. There they were again, leaning against the opening. Almost naked, I grabbed a blanket and jumped to my feet, holding it tightly against the front of my body.
The jailer stepped inside and moved towards me, stopping close enough so I could see drops of old food clinging to his matted, red beard. He placed his thumb at the nape of my neck and slowly moved it down the length of my naked spine.
Oh, my God! I recoiled at his touch and squeezed my eyelids shut.
“Soon,” he leaned into me and whispered, his stench almost overpowering me. I held my breath. Still chuckling, the two ambled away.
Soon?! I wanted to retch. My bottom lip began to quiver; I stood frozen in position, waiting for the rattle of keys to diminish, believing that if I stayed still, I could halt time in its tracks, and soon would never come.
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