Post by FAELU on Nov 19, 2020 2:42:00 GMT
Faelu awoke from her slumber with a start, sweating and panting. She frantically checked her fingers, her face, every inch of her skin as the covers flew away. She stood in the tent
And the three danced in a macabre comforting blanket around her briefly . They had also awoken from the strange ghostly slumber to which they joined Faelu watching over her at night.
Faelu slumped back on her cot, her head hitting the pillow and letting out a deep sigh closing her eyes and slowly pulling the covers back. The three retreated slowly the ghostly fingers caressing Faelu’s skin as they went to rest.
Faelu twitched, twisted and turned recalling the nightmare.
Every second or third night since Faelu’s father died he came to stay. Her Uncle. Faelu never learned why he had such a particular hatred for women but all of Faelu’s brothers were treated well, made promises of wealth for loyalty, gifted with weapons.
Her Uncle had taken to her mother’s bed she would scowl at the noises, the curses and
Screaming . She would always notice the bruising but never made mention of it. Faelu’s mother seemed happy, new furniture had been bought, new clothes, jewellry. But Faelu was hit the hardest. His fists would pound on flesh almost every night, clothes got torn, hair was pulled. Even at the feast Faelu’s uncle would delight in smashing Faelu’s frame into tables, doorways walls, tripping, laughing, scratching , smashing , again and again and again.
After a time Faelu’s brother’s began to join in, to appease the Uncle, the one who brought violence and obedience with promise of wealth and gift. She fought back, the odd scratch, the occasional bite, a lashing out of fist in reaction. It only served to make it worse.
Mother payed no mind to the violence. She had never known so much wealth and wealth was everything.
After some months Faelu snuck out of the house into the courtyard, sitting on the cobbles she looked up at them in wonder, recalling every place where they were. It was the eve of Faelu’s coming of age. Tomorrow her fates may be decided by her Uncle, her future uncertain. She shuddered under the night sky at the thoughts of what were to come.
Faelu jumped and turned leaping to her feet as the door to the house creaked open behind her. The dark ominous figure of her Uncle stepped out into the gloom the light from the fire inside made an imposing silhouette in the doorway.
He stood for a moment then grunted motioning towards her. She flinched and took a few steps backward but faltered and fell tripping on her nightgown and hit the cobbles hard.
Faelu felt one hand grasp at her ankle and screeched as he dragged her into the stable the stood on the far side opposite the house. They were empty and the echo inside was clattering as her Uncle with a raging might slung Faelu’s frame inside cursing sending her crashing into one of the supporting posts in the middle of the room, smashing on of the old glass lanterns about her. She cramped to sit up leaning on the post, the glass cutting into her legs and buttocks panting and gasping.
Her Uncle stood slowly pulling on leather gauntlets over his bulky hands peering down at her. “ No need to wake the others, you know you are not to be anywhere but your room at this hour..”
Faelu did not speak, she had given up no words, no cursing had ever made any difference she simply stared at him with hatred as he edged closer kneeling to meet Faelu’s eyes face to face. Faelu yelped as one hand grasped at her throat. He lifted her light frame to her feet , scraping her back on the wood of the support it’s splinters cutting in. Her head hit the remains of the lantern top still hooked to the wood. Then the fists came at first slapping. Then punching. Each one hitting home making its mark true and painful. Faelu felt her eyes begin to roll and her head become limp. It was then her Uncle stopped and with gritted teeth drew near to Faelu’s mouth cursing and spitting.
“Coming of age?...I tell you...You will have no feast...No painting..No celebration..”
He hissed and shook Faelu by the neck to keep her awake. “Perhaps one of my sons should wed you?...After all can’t have a pathetic wench like you making anything of yourself” He laughed as Faelu seemed to grow even more limp with weakness. “Just like your father..”
He was suddenly distracted as he heard the creaking of the house door once more and turned his head still grasping Faelu. It was then something changed. Something burst in Faelu’s mind like pitch catching fire her eyes suddenly filled with tears as hot as blood. Her left hand shook as she reached up suddenly grasping at the broken top of the lantern, it’s edges shards of glass on circular iron. She stabbed suddenly and with a violence that could only be found in a wolf cornered. The Blood sprayed as she pulled the shard out of his skin it hit her eyes sticky and warm. Then again, and again she stabbed. She fell to the ground as he stumbled back and fell to the floor writhing and gurgling. Faelu rolled forwards and slowly crawled to his body her hands working up his legs to his belt. She found it there as always it had cut her a few times. The dagger. It was not large. It was curved and beautiful, a knife for ritual, a thing of beauty. She held it up to see it glimmer in the moonlight and smiled at it’s wonder then turned to her Uncle climbing one leg either side of his hips as he clutched both hand to his bleeding throat. Faelu had never seen fear before it amazed her. She paused for a moment twitching and staring into his eyes. Something else happened, another fire inside , another explosion.
She laughed a little and almost like a child playing with sticks and mud plunged the dagger into her Uncles eye. He writhed more viciously in agony his hands releasing from his neck letting out a cascade of blood that sprayed all over Faelu’s thighs.
Faelu did not noticed the footsteps approaching the stable but she turned as a shadow approached into the doorway her dagger still plunging into the now putrid eye socket of her uncle.
Her mother stood in the doorway to the stable looking down at the scene. She did not move, did not flinch at the scene. Mother and Daughters eyes simply met in a dark unknowing gaze as deer would to each other before fight or flight.
“ I always knew it would be you….” After what seemed forever Faelu’s mother spoke.
“My beautiful silent darkness…” She slowly made her way to Faelu still straddling her Uncles now bloodied body. Faelu’s mother knelt beside her and slowly and gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder. “ It can be the way…..this can always be the way…”
Faelu twitched again at her mother’s touch. The one who did nothing, the one who watched while bathing in jewels , her body filled with the vile seed of her Uncle.
IT all came together now she knew what she had to do. She was not born here, She was not born back then. She was born now. This was her time, her choice her becoming.
Faelu’s mother did not flinch as the blade entered her heart slowly dying in Faelu’s embrace They kissed as the blade slid in deeper , a farewell as if her mother knew, knew this would all come to pass. Slowly the night went on one by one Faelu made her way in the shadows as light on her feet as the dust she disturbed. Each slice of the blade into her brothers necks a release, each cut a vindication. Each splattering of blood like the joy of a waterfall on a journey that seemed to have no end.
Faelu stood some time after glancing at the flames she had set to the house and stable It was like a light from the gods' eyes dancing over her bloodstained body. She laughed until the fire blazed, crashing and creaking with a moaning sound as a dragon would make in awakening. The blood of the carnage hissing as flames enveloped them.
And the three danced in a macabre comforting blanket around her briefly . They had also awoken from the strange ghostly slumber to which they joined Faelu watching over her at night.
Faelu slumped back on her cot, her head hitting the pillow and letting out a deep sigh closing her eyes and slowly pulling the covers back. The three retreated slowly the ghostly fingers caressing Faelu’s skin as they went to rest.
Faelu twitched, twisted and turned recalling the nightmare.
Every second or third night since Faelu’s father died he came to stay. Her Uncle. Faelu never learned why he had such a particular hatred for women but all of Faelu’s brothers were treated well, made promises of wealth for loyalty, gifted with weapons.
Her Uncle had taken to her mother’s bed she would scowl at the noises, the curses and
Screaming . She would always notice the bruising but never made mention of it. Faelu’s mother seemed happy, new furniture had been bought, new clothes, jewellry. But Faelu was hit the hardest. His fists would pound on flesh almost every night, clothes got torn, hair was pulled. Even at the feast Faelu’s uncle would delight in smashing Faelu’s frame into tables, doorways walls, tripping, laughing, scratching , smashing , again and again and again.
After a time Faelu’s brother’s began to join in, to appease the Uncle, the one who brought violence and obedience with promise of wealth and gift. She fought back, the odd scratch, the occasional bite, a lashing out of fist in reaction. It only served to make it worse.
Mother payed no mind to the violence. She had never known so much wealth and wealth was everything.
After some months Faelu snuck out of the house into the courtyard, sitting on the cobbles she looked up at them in wonder, recalling every place where they were. It was the eve of Faelu’s coming of age. Tomorrow her fates may be decided by her Uncle, her future uncertain. She shuddered under the night sky at the thoughts of what were to come.
Faelu jumped and turned leaping to her feet as the door to the house creaked open behind her. The dark ominous figure of her Uncle stepped out into the gloom the light from the fire inside made an imposing silhouette in the doorway.
He stood for a moment then grunted motioning towards her. She flinched and took a few steps backward but faltered and fell tripping on her nightgown and hit the cobbles hard.
Faelu felt one hand grasp at her ankle and screeched as he dragged her into the stable the stood on the far side opposite the house. They were empty and the echo inside was clattering as her Uncle with a raging might slung Faelu’s frame inside cursing sending her crashing into one of the supporting posts in the middle of the room, smashing on of the old glass lanterns about her. She cramped to sit up leaning on the post, the glass cutting into her legs and buttocks panting and gasping.
Her Uncle stood slowly pulling on leather gauntlets over his bulky hands peering down at her. “ No need to wake the others, you know you are not to be anywhere but your room at this hour..”
Faelu did not speak, she had given up no words, no cursing had ever made any difference she simply stared at him with hatred as he edged closer kneeling to meet Faelu’s eyes face to face. Faelu yelped as one hand grasped at her throat. He lifted her light frame to her feet , scraping her back on the wood of the support it’s splinters cutting in. Her head hit the remains of the lantern top still hooked to the wood. Then the fists came at first slapping. Then punching. Each one hitting home making its mark true and painful. Faelu felt her eyes begin to roll and her head become limp. It was then her Uncle stopped and with gritted teeth drew near to Faelu’s mouth cursing and spitting.
“Coming of age?...I tell you...You will have no feast...No painting..No celebration..”
He hissed and shook Faelu by the neck to keep her awake. “Perhaps one of my sons should wed you?...After all can’t have a pathetic wench like you making anything of yourself” He laughed as Faelu seemed to grow even more limp with weakness. “Just like your father..”
He was suddenly distracted as he heard the creaking of the house door once more and turned his head still grasping Faelu. It was then something changed. Something burst in Faelu’s mind like pitch catching fire her eyes suddenly filled with tears as hot as blood. Her left hand shook as she reached up suddenly grasping at the broken top of the lantern, it’s edges shards of glass on circular iron. She stabbed suddenly and with a violence that could only be found in a wolf cornered. The Blood sprayed as she pulled the shard out of his skin it hit her eyes sticky and warm. Then again, and again she stabbed. She fell to the ground as he stumbled back and fell to the floor writhing and gurgling. Faelu rolled forwards and slowly crawled to his body her hands working up his legs to his belt. She found it there as always it had cut her a few times. The dagger. It was not large. It was curved and beautiful, a knife for ritual, a thing of beauty. She held it up to see it glimmer in the moonlight and smiled at it’s wonder then turned to her Uncle climbing one leg either side of his hips as he clutched both hand to his bleeding throat. Faelu had never seen fear before it amazed her. She paused for a moment twitching and staring into his eyes. Something else happened, another fire inside , another explosion.
She laughed a little and almost like a child playing with sticks and mud plunged the dagger into her Uncles eye. He writhed more viciously in agony his hands releasing from his neck letting out a cascade of blood that sprayed all over Faelu’s thighs.
Faelu did not noticed the footsteps approaching the stable but she turned as a shadow approached into the doorway her dagger still plunging into the now putrid eye socket of her uncle.
Her mother stood in the doorway to the stable looking down at the scene. She did not move, did not flinch at the scene. Mother and Daughters eyes simply met in a dark unknowing gaze as deer would to each other before fight or flight.
“ I always knew it would be you….” After what seemed forever Faelu’s mother spoke.
“My beautiful silent darkness…” She slowly made her way to Faelu still straddling her Uncles now bloodied body. Faelu’s mother knelt beside her and slowly and gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder. “ It can be the way…..this can always be the way…”
Faelu twitched again at her mother’s touch. The one who did nothing, the one who watched while bathing in jewels , her body filled with the vile seed of her Uncle.
IT all came together now she knew what she had to do. She was not born here, She was not born back then. She was born now. This was her time, her choice her becoming.
Faelu’s mother did not flinch as the blade entered her heart slowly dying in Faelu’s embrace They kissed as the blade slid in deeper , a farewell as if her mother knew, knew this would all come to pass. Slowly the night went on one by one Faelu made her way in the shadows as light on her feet as the dust she disturbed. Each slice of the blade into her brothers necks a release, each cut a vindication. Each splattering of blood like the joy of a waterfall on a journey that seemed to have no end.
Faelu stood some time after glancing at the flames she had set to the house and stable It was like a light from the gods' eyes dancing over her bloodstained body. She laughed until the fire blazed, crashing and creaking with a moaning sound as a dragon would make in awakening. The blood of the carnage hissing as flames enveloped them.