Clockwork Angel

Chapter Two

Kate had been imprisoned in this god forsaken place for six long weeks. She marked the time she spent here on the wall with a rusty nail she found in the corner of her room. The man with the walking stick came in often, informing her of her sisters progress with the man Tessa was meant to wed. She remembered that day clearly, it hadn't gone well for her or Nate after she attacked the man for forcing her sister to marry.

The thought made Kate want to hit something, or someone, so instead she collapsed on the floor, and pulled up the hem of her dress. The shackles around her ankles were red and blistered, the wound raw and incredibly painful. She had to be careful with the way she moved otherwise the manacles would rub against her skin. The pain was excruciating.

She looked over at the mirror that was leaning against the stone wall. She looked frail, her eyes and cheeks were sunken in, black bags painted under her eyes. If it weren't from her shoulders moving up and down with each breath she could easily be mistaken for dead. Her hair had lost its vibrant brown, it had become lighter, with a tinge of grey from the stress the last weeks had given her.

There was a time where people would think that Tessa and Kate were twins despite the year age gap between them. Often they would call her by her sisters name, even her aunt Harriet couldn't tell the difference sometimes. Looking at her reflection now, Kate was sure no one would make that mistake. Dirt and dust stained every inch of her body, no matter how regularly she cleaned, or how hard she scrubbed.
Since Emma, The crooked man hadn't given her any new clean clothes. She supposed it was punishment for lashing out at him about Tessa's wedding. So she had a constant reminder of Emma, her blood splattered on her dress.

Still looking at her withering body in the mirror, the door to her room opened. The crooked man walked in, the light tap of the cane on the wooden floors and his heavy step was enough to send fearful shivers. "Evening Katherine." He said, walking in front of her so her view to the mirror was blocked.
She looked up at him, his expressionless face, still haunting her thoughts. His back seemed straighter, his mouth a little thinner than usual as if he were attempting a smirk but couldn't quite get the muscles to work.

"What do you want?" She asked, not bothering to hide her disdain and anger in her voice. She looked back down at her feet, finding something to distract herself so she wouldn't ram her fist in his face.

With a gentle tap of his walking stick, another man stepped into view. His face was just as expressionless as the crooked mans, if not more so. His eyes were as big and as wide as a frogs, he didn't look human. As he walked towards her, she suddenly recognised him. Without his top hat, and trench coat, he looked worse without the rain covering up his scared face. He was the man that picked up up from the docks that morning. He was driving the carriage. "What is this?" Kate demanded, trying not to look startled as the man advanced towards her. "I am not killing anyone else!" Kate spat, looking up at the crooked man. She said the same words every time, but he gave her new threats to give to Nate and Tessa.

"There's no need for such teenage angst." He said, as he directed the frog man to haul Kate to her feet. "I've got a surprise for you."

The frog man unlocked her ankle manacles, just so that she could walk anywhere without having to be confined to the room. Kate looked between the frog man and the crooked man, their faces not giving anything away. "What kind of surprise?" Kate asked, as the frog man hauled her to her feet.

"We'll discuss this further in the carriage." The crooked man said, as he gestured frog man to lead Kate out of her room. Kate had stumbled down the halls a few times, never in broad daylight. The sun shone through the windows almost blinding Kate as she was guided by the frog man. Wherever they were going, the crooked man was telling the truth about not killing anyone today.