Silence Tells the Cruelest of Lies

Ever since my escapade outside the castle, Matt tightened his hold on me. I was now allowed only to wander the castle, no longer was I able to even walk the castle grounds. This place had truly become a prison to me, but I knew Matt was only being so strict with me because he loves me.

Today was a somber day. The tears of the sky slid down the windowpanes, and thunder rumbled in the distance. This bad weather seemed to have put Matt in a bad mood, so instead of hibernating in our bedroom, I sat on the floor in Aileen's nursery, playing pointless baby games with her. 

Aileen painstakingly got to her feet, nearly falling backwards, then carefully set one foot in front of the other, reaching the unsteady milestone of her first step. I patted the floor in front of my bent knees, inviting her to carefully walk this way. She did, very slowly and near misses, and fell into my lap. I hugged her to my chest and kissed her dark brown hair. I felt privelaged to have witnessed one of my daughter's biggest milestones.

"Calyx?" a voice called, echoing off the walls. "Where are you?" Out of some strange instinct, I curled Aileen closer to my chest as Matt approached. I knew he would not hurt her; no, never. But in his current mood it would not surprise me if his yelling upset her. Just then, the door to the nursery opened and Matt stepped inside, looking disgruntled. "There you are. I've got a few errands to attend to around the Realm, so I'll be gone for a while. I wanted to remind you that you're not allowed to leave the castle, and to ensure that you don't, I've got Brian here to keep an eye on you."

He let that man into our home? How could he? He knew all the horrendous things I had suffered at Brian's hands, and still he was leaving me alone with him? I felt a tear slip down my cheek. No, I begged. Don't leave me here with him.

"It's okay, Calyx," Matt soothed. "Brian knows he is not to lay even a finger on you. And if he does, there will be dire consequences. So you need not worry." He walked over and kissed our daughter and I; Aileen on the forehead, myself on the lips. "I'll be back in a few hours." With that, Matt left, closing the door surprisingly softly behind himself.

I was scared to leave the nursery. So I sat on the floor, holding Aileen in my lap, until her head drooped against my chest. I placed her stomach-down in her crib and drew her soft pink baby blanket up to her elbows. I watched her for a while, still not ready to step out the door and face the monster on the other side. But eventually a female servant arrived to summon me for dinner, and I was forced to leave my safe haven.

All the way to the dining room, I crossed and un-crossed my fingers, hoping that I would be eating alone since Matt wasn't here. But Brian was waiting for me at the table. He sat in the head chair. My stomach churned strangely; that was Matt's seat. 

"Calyx dear, sit down," Brian said, sweeping his hand in a wide arc. "Your dinner will get cold." Normally I sat directly to Matt's side, but I could not stand to be that close to Brian. So instead I took a seat at the opposite end of the table. "Now Calyx, why are you sitting so far away? Come sit down here with me, in your usual seat."

I shook my head. No, I mouthed flatly.

"Oh now Calyx, you know you want to sit down here next to me," Brian said. I would rather die than be that close to you. I imagined driving a knife into Brian's heart, and watching all the evil drain out. I smiled evilly, but once again declined Brian's offer.

The subject was dropped, and Brian and I ate our dinner in silence. I wasn't very hungry, so I spent the majority of the meal pushing my food around my plate with my fork. Brian finished his plate and afterwards he settled his silverware on the plate, startling me with the loud clatter it created. I looked up at him and immediately returned my gaze to my own plate when I saw the lust in his eyes. But I knew he would not touch me, as Matt had forbidden him to do so.

Suddenly, I pushed back my chair and bolted from the table. I yearned for the safety of my bedroom, but in order to reach it, I would have to pass Brian. I breezed past him, hoping to make it to the stairwell, but Brian caught me by the arm.

Let go of me, I demanded. Don't touch me.

Brian smirked. The sight of it sent spiders cascading over my skin. "Calyx, I'm not going to hurt you," he said. He moved closer, our faces only six inches apart. "I just want to talk to you." Four inches. "It's been so long since I've seen you." Two inches. "You're very beautiful, Calyx. Don't you know that?" Then his lips were on mine, his arms around my waist, trapping me there.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Matt's voice roared. Brian was yanked away from me, and thrust against the opposite wall by Matt, who held Brian by his collar. "What did I tell you, Gates? You're not supposed to touch Calyx! She's mine, nobody touches her but me. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yea, Shadows. I-I understand," Brian stuttered.

Matt released Brian's collar and forced him violently to the floor. Brian landed at an awkward angle, and I winced at the sound his arm made when it broke. Brian howled in pain, but this did not phase Matt. "Get out of my sight, Gates," he growled. "Get out of this castle, and count yourself lucky I don't force you from the Realm altogether."

Brian stared up at Matt as he cradled his newly broken arm to his chest. I entirely expected him to stand up to Matt, so I was surprised when he instead said, "O-Of course, Shadows."

Brian left quickly after carefully getting to his feet. I knew his broken arm would heal quickly, being that he was a monster, but that did not stop me from feeling a little sorry for him. This was the man who had raped me repeatedly and helped make my life a living hell, and yet I felt sorry for him. I was also very scared of Matt at the moment, and shrank into the wall as Brian departed, fearful that he would turn his wrath on me.

"Calyx, you don't have to be scared of me," Matt said, his voice surprisingly calm. "I'm not mad at you. I'm not going to hurt you. I've just had a long day, and I'm rather tired. Shall we go to bed?" I shakily nodded my head and followed Matt upstairs to our bedroom. Matt wasn't as tired as he said he was, and we had a slight rumble before we both fell asleep, our bare limbs tangled beneath the sheets.

I was spooked awake around four o'clock by a clatter down the hall. The first thought that flew into my mind was that something was wrong with Aileen. I threw my legs over the side of the bed, dressed quickly, and headed down the hall to the nursery. But Aileen was sleeping soundly in her crib, peacefully undisturbed. I heard the clatter again, and could now tell that it came from the opposite end of the hall.

I crept out of the nursery and began to tiptoe down the hall. I heard a man's voice speak softly, and my heart rate skyrocketed. But this strange voice was almost immediately followed by the high-pitched broken sentences of a toddler, and I was confused. What in the world was going on? Perhaps I was dreaming. Yes, I was still spooning against Matt's bare chest, and all of this was happening inside my cluttered mind.

I was jolted from my thoughts when I suddenly collided with something solid. Or rather someone, as a pair of hands immediately helped me to my feet. I backed away and stared at the intruder. It was, as I had originally assumed, a man. He was unnaturally tall, with coal black hair that barely grazed his crystal blue eyes, and he had the face of an angel. Clutched onto his leg was a young boy, who mirrored the man in every aspect, except that the child had soft brown hair and cold gray eyes. This must be the man's son.

The man took a single look at me and breathed, "Calyx."

I was confused now as well as afraid. How in the world did this strange man know my name? How do you know me?, I asked him.

The man ignored my question; instead he scooped me into his arms, crushed me against his chest. I froze. This was uncomfortable, to say the least. A strange man who knows my name breaks into the castle and hugs me? "Oh Caylx, I can't believe it's you," the man whispered against the shell of my ear. "It's been so long. I missed you so much."

It's been so long since what? What the hell was this man speaking of? The strange man pulled away slightly when something attached itself to both of our legs, binding us together. This something turned out to be the strange man's son. He stared up at the two of us with sparkling eyes, and asked, "Mommy?"

Mommy? Okay, if this was a dream, it was the strangest one I'd had yet.

"Yes, Ryder," the strange man said to the child. "This is your Mommy."

Placing my hands on this man's chest, I shoved him away, at the same time careful not to send the small boy tumbling to the floor. The man recoiled back a few feet, and stared at me strangely. Who are you?, I asked him. How do you know me? 

The man's face fell, his eyes clouded over. He looked hurt, crestfallen, upset. "Calyx, it's Jimmy," he said. I racked my brain for any memory of this name, but found none. "I'm yor boyfriend, and this is our son, Ryder. Three years ago, you were kidnapped by a monster. I-I thought I'd never see you again. H-How can you not remember me? Remember us?"

I shook my head. These were lies, all lies. I'd never been with a man named Jimmy, I'd always been with Matt. I only had one child, a daughter named Aileen. I didn't have a son. I'm sorry, I mouthed to the man named Jimmy. I don't know you. Please leave.

"Calyx, I'm not leaving until you remember me!" he shouted. He moved to where he stood in the middle of the hallway, effectively blocking any escape to my bedroom. Well, damn.