Voices of Humanity

Chapter Twenty - Eight

    That night Mary plagued my dreams. Again and again, she called out to me, blood pouring from her lips. Her dull eyes stared at me accusingly, but I could do nothing to protect her. In each vision, she was ripped from my grasp and her throat slit as I screamed silent screams and the sibla figures around me laughed. I tossed and turned in a cold sweat, desperate to take action for my child though I knew she was already beyond saving. I lay for hours in the dark, too afraid to close my eyes again and see these horrors on repeat.

    When I finally found sleep again just before dawn I could see my girl as she must have looked walking to the barn. The most real of all the nightmares so far. She would have been oblivious. She would never have imagined that they were taking her to her end. My dream-self ran to her, trying to stop the procession leading my little girl to death but hands grabbed my arms, holding me back before I could get anywhere near her.

    "No!!" I cried, thrashing against them. "No, please no!"

    It was the pain that woke me. True agony as hands dug into my arms, stopping my resistance. I turned frantically, still in a partial dream state, to see that I was flanked by two sibla overseers in my waking reality as I had been in my dreams.

    "You're coming with us," one said sharply. "Resistance will only make this worse"

    At his words I stopped struggling, my body limp. I had no desire to live and hoped greatly that they were leading me to slaughter now as they had my little girl. I did not resist as they forced me to my feet and out the door, covered only my bed clothes and no shoes.

    The world spun and my feet froze in the muddy ground through which I was dragged. My captors had no sympathy and I put up no fight, allowing them to drag my dead weight towards the main house as I tried to use my feet to keep up, ultimately failing and feeling the pain of my sore arms pulling my whole bodyweight, legs scraped and covered in earth that caked to my wounds.

    Head fuzzy, body sore, I was only vaguely aware of the crowd that had gathered by the whipping post. The whole estate was likey there. Dulane had always intended to make an example. He'd only pretended otherwise to wound me in a way so cruel that none would ever dare touch him again. I felt foolish to have ever imagined such a man could be capable of mercy. Now my daughter had paid the ultimate price. I deserved whatever punishment he would inflict. I deserved more. Dulane had managed to bring hell to earth and I was like a soul lost to the devil, resigned to burn in penance.

    I was lead stumbling to the familiar post, my arms wrapped around it. The moment I was secured my legs slipped out from under me. I was too exhausted and broken to even remain erect and my punishment had not yet begun.

    "This human has forgotten her place!"

    Everett's booming voice rang out through the air.

    "This thing dared to raise her hand to a man who has fed and clothed her for her entire life. Who had offered care and protection to her ingratitude. Now she and all assembled will witness her punishment for such transgression."

    I gasped in shock as I felt hands uppon me and a sharp prick at my back. A moment later the sound of tearing fabric. They must have cut my shift with a knife. I felt the rush of cold as my entire body was exposed to the air, the rags of dirtied cloth hanging from my bound arms. I closed my eyes and prepared to die.

    Around me, I could picture all those who would be gathered. My Master and his family, Madam Rin, Dreda. All would stand witness as my body was destroyed by Everett's whip or knife or both. Surely he had been given leave to do as he wished with me now. My only consolation was my waning consciousness. I knew I had little strength to last long. My heart was already stabbed through and through by the sight of my child hanging dead in the kitchen.