Shelter From The Storm

"March" from the Nutcracker suite.

♤Sendra♤
I have nausea. Just the thought that I have to apologize to Buddan gives me gag.
But I must do, if I want to keep my job.
That's right, my foolish pride got me into this mess and he will bring me, won't you, stupid pride? You'll sacrify so I can get my job back. Because Buddan will make me lose it with a single gesture, and I will not resist, submissive.
I think about Ared.
Why did I tell him the damn story?
Am I that weak , that I can't say 'no' to my little brother? Not even I can lie for his own good?
If my family did not need me, I'd throw myself into the sea.
Coward.
Useless.
I get stiff as a soldier a I reach the door.
The curtain opens.

♧Julian♧
I walk along the hallway leading to the dining room.
I don't know what awaits me on the other side of that huge green marble door.
I open it carefully, prepared to fight my own war.
Everything seems to be as usual; the large windows illuminate a marble room, as white as soft cotton clouds. A large table with a glitzy gold lace tableclothon presides the hall, on it, placed neatly and tidily, are the most expensive and beautiful flowerbeds, imported from beyond the sea. There are also various plated silver trays containing all kinds of sweets; strawberry, chocolate, lemon cream , berries ...
My stomach rumbles, but as always, I ignore it. It's not important.
"Good morning Father.Mother. "I slightly nod in their direction and take a seat.
"Jude, dear" Mother's bright smile reflects in the cut glass vases. "We were just talking about you." I blink twice. That can mean several things, and none of them are good.
"We've found her, son." My Adam's Apple goes up and down."She's called Leimicca, she's coming within two days.
Oh, no, not that.
"Father ..." before it can replicate Hiri appears at the door, pale as a ghost.
"Sorry for the intrusion!" She pants "We have a serious problem!

♤Sendra♤
In the tavern heat is unbearable.
My gaze falls immediately in the place where it should be the old upright piano, which is now occupied by a more luxurious shine black one.
I clench my teeth.
"Sendra, are early!" Micel, Buddan's 'pet',  approaches me. their Her huge breasts bounce while walking, causing the most lewd comments among sailors.
"Early?" I'm confused. How you can arrive early at a job that you don't have?
Then, all muscle, beard and smile, appears Buddan.
"Sendra! Just in time!" Well, well, or 'early' or 'just in time' (or fired) choose one.
I prepare to strip away the little dignity I have left.
To drag myself at his feet like a filthy worm.
"Buddan, I ..." I am interrupted by the touch of his hand on my elbow.
Grabbing me.
Dragging me to the darkness.Where no one else can see.
Is this why I'm still alive?
"Listen, precious," his voice gives me encouragement, arcades, just like his closeness "you're lucky the count found you amusing. From now on, you're going to do everything I tell you. " He strokes my cheek and I hold an arcade. "Understood?"
I want to hit him.
I want to kill him.
A picture of the sweet face of Ared passes before my eyes like a death sentence.
I start to tremble and, displaying my pathetic cowardice, I say:
"Clear." I sigh in reliefith when he lets go.
"Good girl. Take the rest of the day, my parakeet. " I look down and leave the tabern.
That's what I've become.
A caged 'parakeet' . His caged parakeet.
One more pet.
I need to scream.
I need to break something.
Or someone.

When I get home, having scared all creatures of the forest with my cries, I hear laughter coming from the laundry.
The smell of jasmine soap and the soft murmur of water produce a warm feeling of calm. False calm.
There are Ared and Fei, with smiling faces covered with soil from the governor's frams, and my mother, eventful.
Seeing them like this makes me want to cry.
"What's all the fuss?" Fei takes both hands from the water and runs to me.
"The counts of Monroir have sent us a lot of clothes, and have paid thirty gold links to us for washing them up!" Thirty links !? With that we could eat all winter.
Something does not fit.
"Why would they pay us so much, when they have hundreds Stolons at their disposal?"
"The cold has spoiled their pipes." Mom answers. "In fact, the outputs of the village are all cut because of ice."
"Do you need help?"
"Yes, help us, Sen!" Fei grabs me with hes wet hands. I decide to get carried away by his enthusiasm and accompany her to the washing pile.
"You have come too early." Mother observes.
"...Buddan has given me the day off ... "I hasten to answer.
I pick up a pile of clothes and roll up my sleeves .
And there it is.
Poking in the amount of clothes, a handkerchief. Covered with blood.
My blood.
I take it with trembling hands, under Ared's the inquisitive eyes.
I start rubbing it with energy. Memories cloud my mind as sea mist.
With this handkerchief, a Stolon tried to help me out.
And, willingly or unwillingly, he succeeded.
The water turns red.
"Oh, is that blood? How strange ..." mutters my mother.
I avoid Ared's suspicion look and keep rubbing.
It's a pretty handkerchief, still stained red. On one side there's an embroidered beautiful blue violin wrapped in delicate purple vines. On the other side, a great book with delicate aspect pages holds a black bright rose.
I shudder. The same question I've been asking me for days is in my head again.
Why would a Stolon help me out?
It makes no sense
Even less if he's the kid who laughed at me in the cemetery.
About your performance...
Was it respect what I heard in those words?
Impossible.
Stolons are made of lies. And politics.
And death.

◇Benjamin◇
In approximately three days I will scape from this golden marble cage.
There's only one thing left... my death.
I glance at the bottles filled with deer blood.
Done.
I grab my closet's key.
Beyond hundreds of shirts and coats is my greatest achievement, my creation.
I open one of its wood eyelids, a bright glass eye, identical to mine, looks at me.
Its face.
Its hair.
The project of a lifetime.
And I'm able to set it up in exactly two grains.
Done.
Three days.
Unless...my own body stops me.
I have serious memory loss, sometimes I don't remember what I did in an entire day.
I clench my fists and head to the desk.
I will not be I who ruin everything.
I open the double bottom of the third drawer. Five scrolls collect some detailed maps of the village, in I forget some detail.
Done.
I open the window and let in the sweet smell of the night.
I think I'll have a quiet evening of rest. Only one night, after hundreds of them awake.
I lay on the bed and open the lining of the many cushions that cover it. I take a book entitled 'The Karamazov Brothers', courtesy of the library of forbidden books.
Outside, echoes of war are heard.

------
Wow, Benjamin, that was creepy.
Weeeell, it's been a while🙈 You know how this works: exams,and homework, and more exams..😑
So, hey! That's all there is🤗
Byeee💞💞💞