The Storyteller

Chapter 10: The Innocent Are Dead

He couldn't move. At first he didn't believe it. She could not have opened the door, he was seeing things, but she was there. His heart stopped for that split second when her eyes had snapped up to look at him. Then he saw it; the light die from her eyes. It was without a sound and with all the simplicity as if he had just snuffed out a candle in the dark.

“No,” the girl had said, “Not you...” But yes, yes it was him. He pushed the door open as the girl tried to hide behind it.

She let out a cry of terror and tried to run past him out the open door. He caught her, a bundle of rags and tears. “Let me go!” She cried, her throat ripped with the sound, “Let me go!”

He shoved her back inside and quickly slammed the door shut. He stood with his back facing her. He could hear her crying quietly, heavily from wherever she had fallen when he had pushed her from him. Why did she have to open the door?

“What do you want with me?” A voice said from behind him.

He turned and she shrank back to the corner of the room in terror. He could see her, wild eyed with fright and confusion. He hated it, the pathetic nature of her. She scared like a mouse and he could never tolerate weakness in anyone. If that was so then why did it hurt him to watch her cry? “Nothing.” he said, his voice came out barely a strangled whisper.

“That's a lie!” Lynna rasped out and Guy had never heard such conviction in one so small before, nor had he ever heard such hate from her; she who was usually gentle and soft-toned, it cut him to hear such rage in her sweet voice.

“You were mocking me!” She cried, her hands tangling themselves in her knotted hair. “You used everything I said to you just to torment me further!”

“No.” He said.

“Liar!”

“Lynna, I...”

If it was possible she seemed to grow even more terrified at the mention of her name. Why did she have to look at him so?! He would have given anything to stop her tears, but he knew the only way for that to occur was for him to leave her and that was something he could not do.

“I don't understand...” she continued to mutter under her breath. The hysterical repetition of those words rang in Guy's ears. “I don't understand...why...Why?!”

Guy finally was able to break free of his frozen position. He rushed over to her and she screamed and ran from him, “Don't touch me!” As she ran the key fell from her shaking hands and clattered to the floor.

Guy heard the key fall and carefully picked it up, hearing her muffled whimpers of protestation. “Who gave you this?” He growled, it was this little key's fault after all. This key had ruined everything.

She did not reply merely shook her head, and in the single candle's glow from the center of the table it seemed like thousands of shadows shaking their heads violently. Anger burned inside of Guy. Someone had given her a key and therefore had given her a means to escape. That's what she was doing! She was planning on leaving the Castle! But she couldn't have thought of it all by herself. He grabbed her wrist roughly, “Who gave you this?” He asked again in a tighter voice. He was certain he didn't want to hear the answer, but he was also certain he had to know! He tightened his hold about her wrist, glaring at her dangerously.

Lynna winced in pain and tried to slip her hand out of his grasp. She nearly succeeded but he grabbed her hand to haul her back over to him. She gave a gasp of astonishment and she stared numbly at her hand enclosed in his. Her trapped fingers brushed against the palm of his hand. She stared up at him in disbelief. God, she was so small he could dash her to floor in an instant and she could be dead.