Pain of the Whispers

Chapter 19

Red ran into my back as I came to a dead stop right in the doorframe of the front door. The old man's eyesight must not be that well, because he was still wagging his finger at the castle bad mouthing about Mother. Until he calls her a venomous whore does he realize we were standing right in front of him. I quickly scan him, out of habit. The old man is kind of odd looking if I must say. He wears a huge black cloak, just like the one I wear to go out into the village. It covers his entire body; I can't see his face nor his body. His feet don't poke out of the cloak either, it's almost like the cloak was made too big for him. He's hunched over like a hunch back, and all you can see for his face is darkness. His hand he had in the air with his finger out looks old. It was winkled some places, but other places it looked young like a teenager's skin. On his right hand, on his wrist which he had in the air; I noticed a black circle tattoo which had a black horse chess piece in the middle with a black and white checkered background behind the piece. The finger he was wagering at the castle slowly drops till it's at his side. I may not be able to see his face, but I think he was as pale as us. I tightly hold on to Red's hand for dear life, my thoughts race as I try to find a way out of this. The old man clears his throat and says quietly. "What are you doing child?" I stood there in dead silence; I didn't know how to respond. I knew I was going to get the worst beating of my life from Mother for sure. I knew surely this man might hit me as well for this type of behavior of sneaking around. The old man moves his head and I could tell he must notice Red's entire leg from knee to ankle wrapped up in bandage. The old man shakes his head, the motion from his head makes his cloak hood wobble a bit, side to side. The voices in my head were unusually silent the whole entire time, I knew they were only silent to hear what Mother was saying about me. But right now, they were going off the hinges. Their voices were getting all mixed up in my thoughts, going crazy, trying to scream to do so many things. But that voice in my head was back. The voices and my thoughts went silent as the voice that sounded just like mine spoke. "Well, this is the easiest choice ever. You caught him bad mouthing about Mother, which you know Mother would have his head for. He caught you sneaking out the castle with Red. Bargain freedom, you won't tell Mother what he said and he won't tell Mother you were sneaking out. Lying to Mother will be easy enough, she won't find out either way. What's stopping you? You know you don't have any other choice than the one I'm saying." My stomach was in knots, I hate to admit but the voice was right. I didn't have any other choice and I must protect Red at any cost. I stand tall and declare. "I won't tell Mother that you're bad mouthing her, especially at her own home. In exchange you won't tell Mother I was helping him." The old man jeers in laughter as he says. "Child you are just like her, no matter what she says." In my eyes that made me feel so proud of myself, I was just like Mother. Mother was simply perfect and amazing; Mother was everything I wanted to be as an adult. Besides the torture and beating part, I always feel like Mother hates me when she does that. The old man steps aside and claims to me. "Don't be foolish child, wipe that smile of pride off your face. Never think being like her is a good thing, she's more of a monster than I ever could be." My heart drops, but my anger rises. How could this foolish old man ever speak about Mother like that? My grip on Red's hand gets tighter, in anger I wasn't noticing how tight of a grip I had on his hand. His hand was turning purple from my grip, the old man moves his head towards Red. The old man took a step back but exclaims. "Don't kill the poor boy over anger, little one. You have the anger of almost 20 men, watch when you get older. That anger will get you killed. Now go on before I shout for her, I'll let this slide only this time." Red lets out a welp and I turn my head, guilt over comes me when I see what I have done to his poor hand. I let go of his hand and whisper to him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to." I kneel down on one knee and motion for Red to get on my back. When he does, I hold on to him as gently as I can without dropping him. I place my hand on his thigh above his wound so I don't touch it. I stand up and say gladly out of manners but kindness for him letting us go. "Thank you, Mister." The old man fumbled back a step, like he was shocked that I thanked him. The old man mutters back. "You're welcome little one." I do all the things to get off the porch as I race to the woods back to the Row house with Red. The old man does all the things as well and gets off the porch. The old man mutters under his voice, to himself. "She's different alright."