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Captive
Part Two: Dreams
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I lay down after my master had led me back to my cell a little shaken by the way he had been acting. True enough I appeared to be his favorite but his words and actions though usual for him in other circumstances were only applied in situations where equals were present. Did he think to make me a vampire? I shuddered slightly, I wanted my freedom but not in such a way. But then I remembered his words: "Lorna, child if you wish to be free then someday you may have it, but only after you learn your lesson." What did he mean? My search for answers within my mind seemed to only bring up confusion and dead ends. Then again what else would one expect from a slave?
Curling up in the threadbare blankets in my cell in the slave quarter I forced myself to sleep so I could have energy for my tasks tomorrow. And in that sleep I dreamed. I dreamed of love, life, happiness, and freedom. Though it sounds like an enjoyable dream and believe me it was, it ended in death; but whose I had no idea. I tossed and turned the rest of the night until a hoofed foot rudely awakened me for my shift. I glared into the eyes of the guard as I rolled from the small pile of straw in the corner that served as my bed.
"Some slave you are, you act as if you are one of the lords. Obviously our Lord's disciplining of you last eve hasn't had the desired effect, I do believe I'll continue for him." He kicked me in the stomach with enough strength to make me try and vomit what I didn't have in my stomach. I glared back up at him again refusing to let him win or to have the last word spoken, or silent. He hissed at me baring his fangs while picking me up by my hair. "Worthless whore!" I didn't get to see much of what happened next. All I was aware of was that the claws upon his other hand were descending again and again ripping the rags from my body and tearing my flesh from the neck down.
"You do well to stop beating a slave that isn't yours, my child." Neither the guard nor I knew our lord was there until he spoke in that frigid monotone voice he had when he was displeased. Immediately I was dropped to the cold stone floor of my cell. I got up feebly upon my knees as his glare of displeasure was placed not only on the guard but upon me as well. He motioned for the guard to leave as he opened my cell door and strode inside, his body cold an rigid with anger.
"Have you learned nothing?!" His voice boomed as I shuddered involuntarily from the unwelcome level of his voice. He began to circle around me as was becoming customary in these situations. I brought my head up and shot him a mutinous glance.
"Learning these lessons wouldn't be necessary if you hadn't enslaved me in the first place!" I mentally gasped at the gall I had to say those things and especially at the tone of voice I was using with my lord. If he felt the same as I did he wasn't showing it.
"This is no time for the opinions of a simple minded slave girl!" He growled as he looked down on me in his own arrogant manner. "You may be able to behave the way you did around me but that is only when you're in my presence alone. In truth I disciplined you no where near the degree I should have and I'm now regretting that. I take the blame for this incident because I allowed you to behave in this manner. For had you been any other slave I would've let him continue and you would not be alive right now. Lorna you will never be free. It's time you know this harsh truth. Let this be your lesson." He spoke slowly in that cold even voice of his as he turned to leave me there on the ground.
The anger, the rage, and the hurt burned in my heart. I ached to scream at him but I couldn't, because even in his own arrogant way he was right. He walked out without a second glance, none of the previous night's amusement emanating off of him only a dark and silent anger. I let the tears fall slowly after he had left. I know he could hear them, but so long as he didn't see them I felt it was okay to let them flow. He had said I would never be free, and yet only a night before he said I could be free. Why would he contradict himself in such a way?
I hushed my tears as quickly as they had started for I heard footsteps heading towards my cell door. I looked up to see another servant around five and forty enter the room. She walked in quickly and gasped as she saw me kneeling on the floor. She rushed quickly to my side and tore a piece of her ragged dress off to cleanse my wounds. She'd brought a small bag with her and idly I wondered what was in it but I didn't voice my question.
"My dear, you are lucky to be alive. The master sent me here to make sure you were taken care of so that you could get to your duties as quickly as possible. Wouldn't want to fall behind would you?" Painfully I shook my head no as she pulled a bowl and a cask of water from the bag. Carefully she poured the water into the bowl. While she dipped the torn piece of her dress in the water I wondered why she hadn't done that in the first place. As she vigorously scrubbed my wounds, causing me even more pain it became more and more apparent she didn't know a damn thing about what she was doing.
"I think you can leave these things here and go off and perform your tasks while I finish this up." It was a demand not a request. I beginning to sound more like my lord with every passing day. She merely looked at me, blinked twice mumbled something about there being everything I needed within the bag, and left me to carry out the task she had been sent to do.
I washed the blood and filth from my body slowly and with care. Enjoying the feel of the water trickling gently down my battered body. It didn't appear any of the wounds would leave too bad of a scar as I opened the bag finding the bandages I needed. I dressed my wounds clumsily for they were located in many awkward to wrap places. In the bag I found the final thing I needed; a clean dress. I donned it quickly and pounded on the bars of my cell until the guard came to release me to do my work. As I strode out I noticed that it was not the same vampire as it had been this morning.
That sticking in my mind I went about my tasks. Mainly of cleaning my master's clothes and cooking for the other slaves. When I came back to my cell late that evening I noticed for the first time I had not seen my master other than this morning. Dismissing the idle thought I lay down to rest my tired body. Once again I dreamed.
Blue and green colors were swirling and twisting around me constantly changing shade. A dark for came close to me both begging to stay near, and forcing me away. Another dark form drew near and whispered of freedom. I as usual stood confused in this midst of colors and figures. I paid more attention to the words of the form speaking of freedom of course. Then the figures and colors faded away and I was in a field alone watching as a winged figure flew overhead in the evening sky. An unfamiliar fondness filled me as I watched it fly and there was the undeniable knowledge that I knew I was free! Unfortunately the fondness and freedom soon ended as the guard woke me to carry out the days duties.