Angel

Chapter 2 - Dawn

This was not the first time my master had dreamt of the darkness inside a person’s mind. What you just saw was the chains and bars inside a person’s mind that may hold them down to a lifetime of eternal pain and torture.  This ability, or perhaps curse, was arguably the reason for my master’s success. Although I cannot say I know otherwise, as this is merely the course fate has decided to take him on.  He has never once complained, although he is not really one to show emotion regardless.

I apologise. This probably won’t make much sense. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Victor, and I am the butler of the House of Azuride, a house of nobles, now consisting of only my young master.  I myself was hired by my previous master, his late father.

My young master’s name is Angel. Or so, I believe it to be. Perhaps it is just an alias he has created for himself or one that was created for him.  I have not been in his service long enough to know.  He never speaks of himself by name, and it is not my place to pry. I am merely an observer, only called upon, never questioning.

This particular morning happened to be one of beautiful weather.  Sunlight flitted between velvet curtains, falling upon the sheets under which my master lay, bathed in sweat.  I had grown accustomed to this, and never spoke of it directly to my master, as he had never mentioned it.  I stood, waiting for my master to return to the world of consciousness, as was the ritual.

What felt like many hours had passed when my master finally let out a short burst of breath, his eyes snapping open. He blinked, turned his head towards me, at which I paced towards him, ready to change him.  After a few moments he sat up and lazily stretched his arm towards me, and I unbuttoned his nightwear with the finesse only obtained by those who had repeated the task numerous times.

“This one was different, Victor”, he began.

The singing of birds on that day was particularly enchanting, I can distinctly remember.  I found myself very calm and agreeable.

“Normally I see everything from the patient’s point of view…but I didn’t.  It was as though I was watching at the theatre. Do you know what I mean? I wasn’t really anyone”

There was a stream that ran outside of the master’s bedroom.  The sound of water trickling between the pebbles made the most beautiful sound, and it was almost as if the weather only added to the effect.

“Is that so?”

“I don’t think you understand what this means, Victor.  Something is amiss. And I haven’t even worked out what happened to that boy in Shireston.  He’s probably still mumbling away to his cat.”

It was true. Something was certainly amiss, but it was perhaps a very long time before I realised.  This truly was an anomaly inside a world where anomalies were seemingly normal.

The whispering of wind through the leaves of a hundred trees could be heard, floating into the room.

“Shall we tend to the boy today, and then see what we can do from there, nice and orderly, just how you like.”

“Yes”, he replied softly, looking deep into the floorboards in thought. “Yes, we shall.”