by N. R. Larry
“This is the girl?”
A strong grip tightened on my right arm. “We found her in the woods right outside the city limits.”
The purity officer stood, scraping his chair along the floor. He laughed as he sauntered around the table and stared down at me. “Well, hot damned. This is gonna make our little holding center famous.”
“You should alert the Party. They’ll probably want to move her as soon as possible.”
The officer snorted. “You telling me what to do, girl?”
The witch that was holding me hesitated. “No sir, I…”
He held an electronic clipboard up in front of her. “Fill this out.” He snatched me out of their grasp and tossed me roughly into a cool, metal chair. “And then get the hell out of my holding center.” With a smirk, he turned and peered down at me.
“Oh, she’s a filthy little witch, isn’t she?” He cupped me around the chin, forcing my gaze up.
I could barely make out his features, only that they were wrinkled and his eyes were dark and cruel.
His grip tightened on me. “It’s a shame she’s probably headed to her death. There’s a beauty in that filth, isn’t there?”
The female witch cleared her throat, handing the clipboard back to him. “Maybe we should stay until the Party comes for her.”
He snatched the board away from her and jutted a thumb over his shoulder. “Your work here is done.”
The witch gazed down at me. My vision was clearing, although only slightly, and I could make out that she had baby blue eyes. I took a moment to muse that if I had baby blue eyes, and pale skin, I might not be about to be locked up, maybe I’d be doing the locking up.
Of course I couldn’t live with myself.
I didn’t think.
From the hesitant look in her eyes, I got the feeling she had a hard time living with herself as well. I locked eyes with her because for some reason I didn’t want her to forget me.
She shook her head and looked away. “Are you sure there isn’t anything else we can do?”
The officer gave her a hard look. The wizard she was with grabbed her by the elbow and started to pull. “Miranda, come on. Our shift isn’t over.”
“Yeah, Miranda,” the officer said with a smirk that made me squirm. “I’ve got it from here.”
She shot me one last look, and let her wizard partner pull her back down the hall. I listened to their footsteps echoing off the metal walls. When the door opened and slammed shut, I’d never felt so alone in my life.
“Well, Lawrence Kincaid.” He glanced at his electronic clipboard before tossing it on his desk. “Let’s get you booked.” He reached out and grabbed me by the waist, pulling me to my feet. His hand was only inches away from the bottom of my breasts.
Bile churned in my stomach. He winked down at me, and then grabbed me roughly by the hair, and dragged me to the back of the Liberty Holding Center. A place that left the dignity of lesser races on cell floors.
* * *
I was taken into a bright room, where the officer moved the cuffs binding my wrists to the front of my body, and covered them in thick, clear plastic. Without saying a word, he reached for my shirt and ripped it from my body.
With a whimper, I backed away from him, until I hit the tiled wall. “Isn’t a female officer supposed to be present for this?”
He gave me an ugly smile. “You gonna give me problems, girl?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but he was already practically on top of me. He stripped me like I was a piece of furniture. Shivering, I tried to cover myself, but with my wrists bound, all I could do was stand there, hunched over, while he leered at me.
He nodded his head toward the showers. “In.”
I didn’t move.
With a snarl, he moved toward me, grabbed me by the wrist, and hurled me into the first shower stall. I bounced off the wall and collapsed onto my side with a grunt.
He thudded toward me with a harsh laugh. Kneeling beside me, he licked his lips. His eyes were narrowed, and I grew dizzy with disgust. Closing my hands into fists, I muttered, “You better not touch me.”
His laugh held a wheeze. Leaning toward me, he placed his chapped lips against my ear. His thick mustache tickled my skin, in the creepiest way possible. “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to, witch?” He pulled back and licked his lips. “But you don’t have to worry about me touching you until that filth is cleaned off.”
He stood and trudged to the front of the stall, where removed a power shower head from its holder. Turning the water on hot, he sprayed me with it. The force of the water was so great, I was slammed into the corner. It was like a million wasps digging into my flesh. I clenched my jaw, trying to keep in a scream, only to have my throat open against my will.
My screams were so loud and twisted with pain I couldn’t bring myself to believe they belonged to me. I twisted until I was facing the wall, trying to keep the torrent of water out of my face. The pain lasted for what might as well have been days. When he finally turned off the water, my skin was raw and throbbing.
I held myself the best I could, shivering in a corner when his footsteps started toward me again. “No,” I whispered when his shadow covered me. He reached down, grabbed my dripping wet hair and again, placed his lips at my ear.
“That’s more like it.”
He shoved me against the wall. I turned. His pants were already at his ankles.
“No,” I cried, drawing the word out, tears already streaking down my cheeks. “Please.” As soon as the word passed my lips, I hated myself even more than I hated him. I couldn’t be this helpless. Not with all the power I was capable of.
This could not be happening.
He grabbed me by the neck and started to bend me over.
“Officer Brandy?” a cool, feminine voice rasped.
My heart sang with relief. The officer straightened up, and quickly pulled his pants up. I narrowed my eyes at him, remembering every detail of his face. If I ever got out of this, I would come back for him.
I would show him real power.
Heels clicked toward us. I turned my head, and a small burst of fear rushed through me.
It was Gloria Wallace.
She came toward us, her top hat perched oddly on her head, with a towel in her perfectly manicured hands. She laughed and shook her head, her blue eyes scanning Officer Brandy up and down.
“I know you aren’t sullying your already piss-poor purity rating by taking an impure woman against her will?”
He shook his head. A thrill ran through me, seeing the obvious fear on his face. “No ma’am. Just booking the witch.”
She lifted an eyebrow and then wrapped me in a thick, warm towel. “Is that so?”
“Yes. Ma’am.”
She peered down at me, a smug smile on her full lips. “Well, I’ll take it from here, officer. This witch and I, we have personal business to square away.”
The officer nodded and staggered out of the room. Gloria stared down at me, a chilling expression on her face. “Well, Miss Kincaid. I was hoping we’d meet again.”
She tightened her grip on my arm, and for a moment, I only allowed myself to fell the relief of being rid of Officer Brandy.
* * *
Gloria led me down a barely lit hall, with cages lined up on either side. Coughs and groans rang out to create a chorus of human misery. I didn’t want to look, really I didn’t, but of course I couldn’t help it. My gaze darted left, and then right.
Cages no larger than kennels for large dogs were lined up in a row. Gnarled fingers gripped them, and people were pressed up against the weak metal staring out at me. Their eyes were pools of pain. Glancing sidelong at Gloria, I considered begging.
I couldn’t go into one of those cages like an animal. My brain overworked itself trying to think of a way out of it, but I couldn’t think past the raw anger I was feeling. At Adrian, at those traitorous witches, at everyo
ne.
She stopped at the end of cages on the right. I glanced at it, noting it was empty, and gulped.
“Alright, Miss Kincaid.” She nodded at the opening of the cage. “In you go.”
I didn’t move.
She stared at me, the picture of patience. For some reason, that made me hate her even more.
“You can’t.” I shook my head. “You can’t put me in there.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Miss Kincaid, you’re a wanted woman with no papers. You’re going in there until you’re sentenced.”
My thoughts screamed at me to think of a way out. I glanced down and played the only card I had. “The officer forgot to take all my belongings.”
She glanced at the electronic clipboard in her hands, and then read off all the belongings Adrian had dumped me in the woods with. “Looks like everything has been accounted for.”
“No, my necklace.” I puffed out my chest. “He forgot to confiscate my necklace.”
Her eyes widened and her lips formed a small O. Then her lips eased into a smirk. She placed her clipboard on top of the left row of cages, and then grabbed me by the elbow, drawing me in close. “Do you think I got to the top by being stupid?”
I jerked my arm away from her and she laughed.
“I know what that necklace is, and until we find a way to counter your magic, you’ll keep the damned thing on.” She glowered at me. “Now get in the fucking cage.”
I stood my ground, squaring my shoulders. “I’m not an animal.”
“No?” Her nostrils flared as she finally lost her patience. She grabbed me again by the arm and then threw me in the cage.
The air hissed around me, and by the time I scooted around to face the opening, the door had already closed, and the electronic locking mechanism clicked. I stuck my fingers through the little holes, all my dignity gone.
“Please,” I pleaded with her, my heart pounding painfully in my chest. “Please, you can’t leave me here. I’m begging you.”
She knelt in front of my cage. “Don’t be afraid, little witch. You won’t have a long stay.” She gave me a cruel, smile.
Then there was only the click of her heels as she left, and the groans and cries of all the other animals locked up around me.
I felt like I wanted to cry, but I simply squatted there, on the dirty floor, my fingers twisted in the wires of the cage. There was a bang against the left side.
“Hey, hey you. Can I have your water?”
The cage shook. I ignored whoever was beside me, didn’t even glance in her direction. I was too lost in my thoughts. I pictured Adrian. I pictured the witches in the woods. I pictured Officer Brandy, and lastly, the lovely Gloria Wallace.
I banged my wrists violently against the stone floor.
The woman beside me laughed. “That’s not going to work.” She sang out the last word.
I ignored her. “Adrian,” I muttered, banging my wrists against the stone. Pain shot up my spine, and for a moment, froze me in place. “Miranda,” I went on, banging the cuffs against the stone again. “Gloria Wallace.”
I did it again. And again.
And again.
Finally, the pain made me so woozy I had to stop. I glanced down at my hands, my vision swimming. My knuckles were open and bloody. To my dismay, there wasn’t a single crack in the cuffs binding my magic.
I glanced up, and darkness started to creep into the edges of my vision. There, in the encroaching darkness, I spotted an orange and pink butterfly. Backing away, I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them again.
I wasn’t seeing things. There really did seem to be a butterfly floating outside my cage. It swept in through the holes of my cage and landed on my nose. For some reason, I was instantly calmed.
I leaned back against the far wall and stared at the lovely winged creature fluttered around inside the cage. Going into a trance of sorts, I blocked out the darkness around me, the stink of human waste, and the inhuman cries bouncing off the walls.
Chapter 11
I didn’t sleep, not really, but I wasn’t exactly awake either. I sat there, crouched in that cage for days, or even weeks. Light flooded the hall, and water and bits of nourishment tablets were funneled into the cages. Then darkness descended again. People called out everything from gibberish to elaborate prayers.
My thighs cramped. My bloodied wrists ached. My back gave way to spasms. Through it all, that beautiful little butterfly fluttered around my head. And then someone down the hall, someone I couldn’t see or touch, began to save my life.
“Nora, Nora let me come in.” It was richest, most beautiful singing voice I’d ever heard. “Doors are fastened and the windows pinned. Keep your hand on the plow. Hold on, hold on.”
Closing my eyes, I craned my neck toward the sound. It wrapped around my heart and made me forget where I was. I recognized the lyrics, an old Negro spiritual my mother used to teach to her classes when I was a little girl.
“Nora said, ya lost yo’ track. Can’t plow straight, and keep looking back. If you wanna get to Heaven, let me tell you how. Just keep your hand on the gospel plow. Keep your hand on the plow. Hold on, hold on.”
Tears streamed down my face. I wanted to crash through those bars. I wanted to go to her. Her voice punched through the walls, through the cage doors, through the hardness that had been settling in around my heart. And then something that stole my breath happened.
Everyone around me began to join in, singing “hold on, hold on,’ at the chorus. Soon, the walls vibrated in song. The loneliness spilled out of me like so much dead weight. It was something a touch above uplifting to be here with these people who were locked in cages but still managed to find enough light inside to sing.
Cages rattled.
Feet stomped.
I grew dizzy with it.
Before long, I was shaking my own cage, and joining in even though I couldn’t sing for shit.
I was singing so loud that I didn’t hear the click of heels moving toward my cage. I didn’t feel the butterfly land on my shoulder.
The front of my cage jerked forward. There was a loud buzz. I darted my gaze toward the movement. A hooded figure held a hand out toward me. I scurried to the back of the cage.
“Who are you?” My voice shook.
“You must come. Now,” a familiar, husky voice hissed.
I made no move. With a sigh, she reached in, grabbed me, and pulled me outside of the cage and to my feet. She brandished a long, silver piece of metal, no wider than a toothpick, and placed it into the small holes of my cuffs.
The lights embedded inside flashed, there was a low clink, and then the cuffs popped open. With a gasp, I glanced up, trying to see the person’s face, but she turned away, jerking her head up and down the narrow hall.
When she faced me again, she didn’t speak, only grabbed me by the elbow and began to pull. “Come, we don’t have much time.”
I followed her in a daze, finding it almost impossible to stay on my feet. I had to lean into her. The singing continued to swell inside my head. I came to a sudden stop, forcing her to pause with me.
“We can’t leave them here.” I grabbed a handful of her clothing and drew her close. “You have to help them. The girl that started the singing.”
The figure yanked back its clothing, grabbed me by the back of the neck and forced my face to her mouth. “We don’t have time for this. I can’t help anyone if we get caught. Understood?”
Biting down on my lip, I scanned my vision back down the hall. Slowly, I nodded as a tear rolled down my cheek. I had to force my gaze away, to my bare feet. I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving any of them here.
The woman pulled me along, supporting most of my weight. I didn’t notice where we passed through, only that the lights got increasingly brighter, then dim again, until finally, a night breeze was slapping me in the face.
We were in a side alley, behind a packing truck. When the bac
k of the truck rolled up, I peered up into Ty’s face. Relief flooded me. I couldn’t read his hardened expression as he leaped down and wordlessly took me by the side of the neck.
He pulled me so close that, gazing up into those green eyes, I thought he was going to kiss me. His breathing was rushed, his cheeks flushed.
“Lawrence,” he finally said in a broken voice, cupping either side of my face. He stared at me like I might disappear if he dared blink. His lip quivered, and he had to squeeze his eyes shut. When he opened them again, his jaw was set. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there,” he rasped. “I promise you, I will see this made right.”
“Yeah, yeah.” The woman that led me out to the alley finally removed her hood. “You two need to be gone. And don’t get caught in this part of the city again.”
My eyes widened and everything I thought I knew started to slip away. I blinked over at her. “Gloria?” I could barely get her name out.
She gave me the briefest of glances, then narrowed her eyes at Ty. “Get her out of here. Now. I have to get back before I’m seen.”
I opened my mouth, but Ty had already picked me up and was leaping up into the truck, with me still in his arms. He placed me on my feet, and I turned, at least a dozen questions buzzing in my brain, only to have Ty roll down the back of the truck, and stomp on the floor.
The engine roared to life, and we jerked forward. I had to reach out for the sides of the truck to steady myself. Rows of light lit up along the floor, and it was then that I noticed a bulky figure with a black cloth draped over his face rolling around on the ground.
I had to step to the side to avoid being hit by it. I glanced up at Ty, shaking. “What is going on?” I didn’t know how I felt about being back in his presence, but I sure as shit wasn’t going back to where I was. “You’re working with Gloria? And how did you kn—how did you find me?”
He gazed at me, his expression still hard. “It’s a long story,” he finally grunted. “I found you by tracing your scent. I couldn’t get to you as soon as I wanted, but I sent Dorothy to keep you company.” At these last words, he gestured toward my shoulder, and his face fell.