REBEKAH HILL

Prelude

The Count and his wife had married off their only child to a handsome stranger that had approached them from across enchanted lands and tormented oceans. His charismatic charms wooed their pessimistic outlook on the world, and gave them the opportunity to see the exquisite purity within it. However, naivety had stolen them away from the poison that would soon reign. 

The fire engorged the county like a pack of lions to a feast of a thousand deer. The Count and Countess were hung and dragged through the filth ridden streets. They were tied behind an agitated mare that had been blinded by scorching ash, spattered up from the stamping of his hooves. Screeching from the victims of loss and injury became chiselled into the music of the night making blood seep from people’s ears. Silence fell upon the broken hearted like a sweet lullaby. Endless sobs and dragging feet were heard for weeks to come. The villages were ravaged through the night, roaring fires seared through the houses with victims ensnared by the seductive flames. Not even God’s tears flooding through the gates of heaven could stop it. Death had come, and with it a dark shadow upon the land.

The Count’s daughter gazed out of the castles tower, through thick rusted cast iron bars, gripped between her delicate hands. The light from the flames shimmered across her pale skin, as she looked on at the trauma being played out amongst the town’s people. Pain and horror of the night reflected within the purity of her deep mahogany eyes. She had been married off to a handsome stranger at the age of thirteen, who now held her captive in the castle tower. The outside world would become a dream to her soon enough.

As for now, fear would swarm throughout the land under the command of a man drenched in supremacy.  However, not many knew that an innocent would soon form the key to unlock the door of beauty’s light that once sang its sweet melody, dancing all through the county. That would churn the darkness into a single grain of sand, ending this reign of shadows.

~ 1 ~

I swim into the void of those deep brown eyes and see a soul broken into a thousand pieces. Gravity doesn’t exist in this universe. I grasp at the atmosphere, anything to keep me from falling. Searching in awe at the magnificent illumination a soul creates. A piece of succulent deep crimson glides by, curiosity has my hand reach out. Like a moth to a flame reaching its destination, a searing pain pierces through my arm. It bites like a delicate rose tricks you with its beauty.

CLANK!

Stung by my conscience, I winced. A gasp of ice cold air slices into my lungs. Paralysed. An excruciating screech of metal greets my ears. My eyelids peel back slowly peeking through my long tangled locks and in a hallucinogenic gaze I glance towards the location of the noise. A pair of dark, piercing eyes glare into my soul. Fear pulsates through my body.  Realisation occurs as I feel the narcotic that has been penetrated within my veins.  My body writhes on the small bed while a damp, flea ridden blanket entwines around my legs. The heavy cast iron door is unbolted with great force. As it creeks open towards me, a sheet is thrown to the centre of stone box I have grown bitterly fond of over the years. The sheet creates a clatter on the floor, as scraps of food escapes onto the foul dirt trodden floor. My back arches as my insides clench with fear my head is thrown back. There is an unusual silence, as the piercing eyes that threw the sheet stands in solitude behind the door. I suffer as an impulsive desire to escape quivers through my brittle bones.  Like a thief swift to take his jewel, the door slams closed with an almighty ear wrenching bang. I relax as my eyes wince at the sound; they follow where the door now sits. Once again the eyes glare. As I meet there gaze they remove themselves from sight. Yet again the screech from the rusty metal shutter glides through the door. The distant sound of heavy feet can be heard moving with fierceness through the corridor. Alone.  Left to my tormenting desires of freedom. Time bears no existence between these four walls, and the light chases it as darkness overwhelms. A burning spear of hope pierces through my heart as I glimpse the small patch of pure blue sky. Encased within the small opening in the far wall embedded with bars. The cast iron bars become invisible as pure light reaches in and touches my skin with a silk softness.